salukipv1

Well he was considering a .308, so keeping with that caliber, a .30-06 may give him more performance out west if considering that....if he didn't have other rifles etc....

certainly a .308 would work on deer/hogs here, but out west I would take a .30-06 over a .308, something to consider if that may be the case, otherwise a .308 would be a great setup as well.

dazedkraut

I appreciate the comments, so let me ask- why would you guys pick the .30-06 over the .308?

HEAD0001

I was always making sales calls to small dealers, so all ther BAR's I bought were bought used from dealer's who did not want them on their shelves. Now when I say they did not want them on their shelve it was not because they were not selling, it was because the dealers traded for them in the "off" time of the year. I could pick them or any other rifle up for a lot lower price in the "off" season.

Only 2 of the ones I had were Belgium's, and all were bought used, and none were magnums. But the fact still remains that their performance was unacceptable to me.

It sounds like every one else likes them, but I can only report on my distaste for them. My distaste also carries over to the Remington Semi-autos. I had to return a bunch of them. Tom.

dazedkraut

You mentioned pump or lever action guns, is there a pump out there chambered for rifle cartridges?

HEAD0001

Yes there is. The Remington Pump rifle is very reliable. IMO it is more accurate than the semi-auto BAR"S(IMO), and there are some great cartridges available. They are also reasonably priced.

Browning makes a really nice lever action that is available in rifle cartridge also. The Browning BLR.

I am not one of those guys that thinks a deer hunting rifle has to shot a 1/2 inch group. That kind of group is great but not necessary to kill a deer at fifty or 100 yards. IMO reliability is more important. And IMO the pump and lever actions are over all more reliable than the semi-auto. Tom.

MagnumMan308

If you are looking at the BAR safari, there is only one action size, large, and going with a .308win doesent save you any weight or size, which is the only reason to go with a .308 for regular deer hunting IMO. A .30/06 will be the same size and weight, but you will have a wider selection of ammo, and a bit more pop 100-200fps as well.

I went with a .30-06 for my BAR, a pre-safari MK-I, and it is a good rifle, decently accurate, dead reliable, and it handles and swings like a shotgun. I had the barrel docked back to 20" and like it even more. Its a heck of an all around deer rifle, just as at home on a drive in the thick stuff as it is in a treestand, or even taking a 300yd poke across a field if need be.

dazedkraut

In keeping with the .308, have you heard of the new Marlin 308MX? It is a lever action gun, which I like for follow up shots when hog hunting, plus it is chambered in .308 Marlin Express made by Hornady. These can be loaded in the tubular magazine, and they have nearly identical ballistics as the regular .308 Winchester, which means this gun could double for deer no problem. I do like the BAR, but I admit that I am starting to shy away from the idea of an autoloader, especially when I think back to shooting auto shotguns, compared to double barrels and pumps. Autos just foul up more, at least mine have.

oldelkhunter

Marlin 308 is a waste of time , its probably going to die a slow death ,,just buy a BLR in 308if your afraid of "Semi-Autos" reliablility. I have to say that the poster that had all those problems with his BAR's was a statistical outliar as far as reliability and accuracy. I have never come across any of those problems and neither does anyone else that I know that has ever owneda BAR. A very fine rifle and it doesn't warrant that sort of criticism. Contrary to your experiences with semiauto shotguns I have owned many many of them and the only one that was a single shot was the now discontinued Browning B2000 in 20 gauge. In my very humble opinion they with one exception (Remingtons 1100's) are more reliable then any other shotgun o/u , pump whatever. The only pump shotgun currently made that I even think is half decent is the browning BPS other then that the others are scrap metal sitting on dealers shelves the same applies to pump rifles. As far as the 7600 outshooting a BAR that is a pipedream. I have never seen it happen but if you say it did . I have owned both only difference is I would buy another BAR.

HEAD0001

OldElk it was not criticism. It was the truth. I have handled, shot and sold thousands of rifles. As I said 2 inch groups are what I consider acceptable. And most BAR's will not shoot that well. I have shot way too many of them.

...Deleted by CalHunter...

millerhunter13

^ he didnt call you a liar, he said "outliar" meaning that your experience isnt the majority.