yes also comes in a carbine 18" model aswell

Well I' m going to throw in a wrench here.

If you live where it can get very cold then forget about the auto rifle. They have a tendancy to jam up when the weather gets really cold. The oils and lubes that every one puts in their guns, but really shouldn' t, gets really thick in really cold temps and affects function of the gun.

Get a bolt if you need the range that a .308 winchester will give you or get a lever action in a 35 Rem., 30-30, if you are hunting in wooded areas where the shots are short.

If you need to shoot that fast and unload on a deer then you probably shouldn' t have pulled the trigger in the first place. The first shot is the one that counts any way.

JMO.

If your heart is set on a semi-auto, like the others suggested go with a Browning Bar. Good luck with your choice.

If you are set on a new rifle this suggestion won' t work...
But if you don' t mind shopping...look for a used Winchester model 100 in good condition. They made them in .243, .284, and the .308 round you prefer.
If you decide you want a lever instead, look for a Winchester model 88....that lever was offerd in the same calibers as the model 100 ' cept for the addition of Winchester .358, and excellent choice.
By the way, as bigbulls said, stay away from the lubes. I have gotten in the habit of getting my guns as clean and DRY as possible before setting afield. Really applies to ALL guns....bolts, levers, autos......
If you feel you must absolutely " dress" it with something, then wipe down the moving parts with a rag sprayed with a little silicone.
A thin coat of oil is great for storage.....terrible in cold weather..

If you want a cheap knock around one get a EAA Saiga in .308. Or, spend the money and get a Springfield Armory M1-A.

If you tell us what you want this rifle for: hunting, play, defend yourself against the hoards after the world falls apart, etc, we may be able to better respond to your question. Either way I' d avoid the 7400.

Nahhh. This will handle it all and then some

BAR

Big ED- how are those EAA saiga' s?
I was looking at a couple of them this weekend in .223 and .410- looked like a very cool AK for under $200[8D] I' m almost tempted to get one.

I' ve never shot one myself but I' ve seen a few at the range. Seemed to function ok for their owners in .308 and 7.62x39.
Accuracy seemed decent the only draw back is that crude rear sight.
If I got one in .308 I' d scope it with either a low-power like a 1X or maybe a red-dot.
But, I should add .223 AK' s seem to have a bad rep for reliability. Not so much the Saigas but some like the Romanian SAR' s. I think it has something to do with the mags but I don' t remember the specifics.
Myself I want one in .308 but am trying to wait to see if the AWB goes away so I can get one maybe with a pistol grip and a 20rd magazine.