What Inexpensive rifle?

I'd be looking for something $150 - $200 …

on line I even saw some >$1000 … I'm assuming that they would be for the serious competition shooter

For now I would avoid getting anything chambered in 223/ 5.556 as the ATF is trying to make all 5.56 illegal. Sucks considering this was one of the inexpensive rounds out there for both semi autos and bolt actions for accuracy and fun plinking. Not to mention a popular small game caliber.

This means for the time being buying this ammo will be about as easy as getting .22 and it could possibly become illegal to own or deal in even if you do get your hands on it. They are wanting to classify all 5.56 as "armor piercing". So be warned when picking your caliber on your new economic gun.

In reply to rebelgtp:

Edit to clarify, the only AP classification were to the SS109/M855 colloquially known as "green tips," they were already classified as "AP," but there is a sporting use exemption that lets everyday gun enthusiasts use them as they please in any firearm that would shoot them, predominantly rifles. One of the most popular firearms that shoots these rounds today is the AR-15, which in civilian hands, unless you do so illegally, or go through the background checks, get approval, and pay the taxes for a full-auto version, is nothing more than a semiautomatic .223 rifle. It just looks evil because it's a black "assault rifle," and the news said so. The BATFE's recent comment period was whether or not to drop the exemption for the green tips, not all .223/5.56 ammo. The Bloombergs of the world discovered folks were making pistols out of AR-15 lowers, and could then easily conceal a hand gun that could shoot these rounds, and went straight to the talking heads on TV about how our law enforcement were at risk because of these "new" pistols that could shoot these armor piercing rounds. The usual, half truths, and blowing things way out of proportion then ensued, from both sides. The Dems screaming to save LEOs from these evil pistols, and Repubs yelling, that all the ammo was going to be banned.

BATFE stopped their plan to drop the green tip SS109/M855 AP exemption. Minor (maybe short lived) victory.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/09/politics/gun-rights-group-ad-campaign-armor-piercing-bullet-ban/index.html

It's silly, just about any centerfire rifle round can pierce light body armor, and there have been hand guns chambered in rifle rounds for decades. My tinfoil isn't usually on too tight, but I suspect that since the gun-grabbers have faced so much opposition banning firearms, they decided to go after the ammo instead. Thankfully they were stopped this time. I'm getting close to sounding like a flounder so I'll shut up now.

Regardless, had the most recent attempt at dropping the AP exemption for 5.56 been approved, it's not like you couldn't still buy 223/5.56, there's still a lot of manufacturers making tons of plain old jacketed lead 55 gr .223 rounds.

From what I can see the 223 is already a proud member of the global military caliber community along with 7.62X39, 7.62X54 (308), and many more. These seem to be the safest bets to ensure there is always ammo and reloading supplies available...

In reply to bigdaddylee82:

Yes they did drop the witch hunt on M855 3 days ago. However 1 day ago the ATF boss is now suggesting ALL 5.56 ammo is "a danger to law enforcment"

In a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, ATF Director B. Todd Jones said all types of the 5.56 military-style ammo used by shooters pose a threat to police as more people buy the AR-15-style pistols. “Any 5.56 round” is “a challenge for officer safety,” he said. Jones asked lawmakers to help in a review of a 1986 bill written to protect police from so-called “cop killer” rounds that largely exempted rifle ammo like the 5.56 because it has been used by target shooters, not criminals.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/atf-raises-new-concerns-about-ar-15-ammo/article/2561422

So the witch hunt isn't over and they are now casting a wider net. The prices of all 5.56 ammo is going to be going up and will not be available on the shelves much longer because anytime there is news like this everyone and their brother runs out and buys all they can. We still hardly ever see .22 on the shelf from the last scare. Funny thing is there is FAR more dangerous ammo that is widely available with steel cores that is dirt cheap and hits a heck of a lot harder. I won't get into my personal ideas on why this is happening cause that would just flounder things.

As I said with the way things are going right now I would hold off on a new 5.56/223 gun and this is from a guy that owns several.

EDIT: I will say the exception is unless you plan on stacking deep in ammo immediately.

Damn, I was just looking at a Ruger Mini-14. I guess I'll hold off for a bit to see how the evil 5.56 fares in the hands of our regulators .

Want to talk about a controversial round? I had an FN Five-SeveN pistol for awhile. People that were familiar with the 5.7x28 all sang praises about the little short guy. People that didn't know only associated the gun/round with the 2009 shooting at Ft. Hood and due to misinformation/stupidity, thought that all versions 5.7 was armor piercing. I ended up selling it becuase I hardly ever shot it due to 5.7 being oddball and nearly impossible to find. Of course like 3 months after I sold it, Federal started making the American Eagle version of the 5.7 .

I'd still give my left gonad for a PS-90 though

In reply to stanger_missle:

You could go Mini 30. Same rifle just shoots 7.62x39 which amazingly is still fairly cheap.

The only problem is that the ammo is going to be expensive for awhile......BATFE will get their ability to implement policy stripped from them before an entire popular caliber will be made illegal.

In reply to rebelgtp:

For general plinking and ground squirrels, which would be better, a Mosin-Nagant or a Mini-30? I don't need a match grade gun, just something that has a decent aftermarket and is reliable. The 7.62 interests me greatly haha

So yeah...Back to page 1.... 7.62.

But what the berkeley do I know?

In reply to stanger_missle:

I would suggest SKS over a mini-30. The mini-30 is cool and all, but I dunno. Mags are not that plentiful and going to be expensive and I bet the rifle is 2-3x what a SKS will run you. The SKS is a great plinking gun. Neither are going to be too good for squirrels and such, unless you don't want to eat them, as I think the squirrel would explode. A coon will explode for a 7.62x39 hit. Ask me how I know.

stanger_missle wrote: In reply to rebelgtp: For general plinking and ground squirrels, which would be better, a Mosin-Nagant or a Mini-30? I don't need a match grade gun, just something that has a decent aftermarket and is reliable. The 7.62 interests me greatly haha

The 7.62 would vaporize any small game.

In reply to stanger_missle:

Rock Island's 1911 in .22 TCM for a cheaper alternative to your FN Five-Seven? I'm intrigued, but Armscor is the only one making ammo for it, and Rock Island seems to be the only one making fire arms in that caliber. They developed the round together, not sure if they'll license to anyone else to manufacture too. Rock Island sells the .22 TCM 1911 with a 9mm barrel so you can shoot a cheaper round with it too.

I've read the Kel-tec PMR-30 described as a Five-Seven replacement too, but other than the magazine capacity, I don't know how anyone could compare a .22 WMR to a 5.7x28?

In reply to Dr. Hess:

Explode is a bit of an exaggeration, I've hit them with a 30-06 and have them still mostly intact....

stanger_missle wrote: In reply to rebelgtp: For general plinking and ground squirrels, which would be better, a Mosin-Nagant or a Mini-30? I don't need a match grade gun, just something that has a decent aftermarket and is reliable. The 7.62 interests me greatly haha

The nugget will be a much lower buy in, shoot about as well if you pick out a good one (with a lot of room for improvement, mine shoots well under 2 MOA on a good day with light modifications), and if you're willing to adhere to the proper cleaning procedures for surplus, will cost about the same to feed. Less once you factor in how much slower you go through ammo with the bigger more abusive gun. I'm pretty well built to soak up recoil and I rarely get more than 60 rounds out of mine before calling it a day, with a limbsaver slip on pad.

Edit: Mods include a carefully shimmed action and barrel, and about 6 hours with a fine grit stone and a sharpie hand fitting the sear and striker (maintained stock engagement/geometry), and some smoothing out of the trigger where it contacts the sear. Lubed up with a light coat of EP wheel bearing grease. It's still a long heavy pull, but it draws up smooth and breaks CLEAN. Wartime production izzy 91/30, best pattern was 1 1/4" at 100yds, 80s Romanian surplus.

Yeah as mentioned any 7.62 for squirrel is a bit over kill. For an inexpensive squirrel gun that you can get ammo for I would look at a .17 hmr or even the .22 mag.

The Mosin is still about the least expensive rifle you can get and ammo is still decent priced. Nice thing is there are even some hunting loads available now and BRASS for reloaders.

In reply to bigdaddylee82:

So have you bought an A17 yet?

IMHO buying anything chambered for a rimfire cartridge before Inauguration Day of 2017 is crazy.

In reply to stanger_missle:

No, I fondled one, I'm not as in love with the actual firearm as I was with the idea of it. I've been calling it "anticipointment." The tupperware stock is really off putting, and the trigger has miles of creep. I also can't help it, I'm a laminate/walnut snob. Quite the mixed bag of reviews, the ones who aren't promoted and paid for by Savage, have been pretty, meh, it's about what you should expect from a $400 gun. There's a few early adopters on RFC, a few that like it, a few on the fence still, and one that sold his about 2 weeks after purchase.

None of that has stopped me yet, I still need one, but I also like sleeping in my bed; between the 597 Magnum, an embarrassingly $$$ amount of ammo bought over the past two months, tires for the XJ, and brokering a deal for a pair of Megasquirts, SWMBO isn't so keen on me continuing our spending spree.

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