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Got back on the range after two cataract operations this summer. Am shooting a converted Saiga .308, using Wolf poly which I managed to buy up a bunch before the last couple or so national panics. Shooting iron sights.

 

As usual, placed today most of 20 shots into a 10-inch paper plate at 100 yards, once warmed up taking a shot about every five seconds. Did the same at 50 yards, battle sights, and formed a nice little group in the southwest corner of the plate. All of this was shooting from a rest, seated, and I have a little bi-pod up front to help steady. Also used my shoulder sling.

 

Thing that bothers me is offhand. Today at 50 yards I tried shooting from a front-on crouch or "combat stance," and rapid fire and I can't swear I hit the target once. May have hit the boards, but then again may have launched a few three miles up the road to Rockford.

 

So, here I am with iron sights, no particular interest in extending things, but generally satisfied with hitting most things I can see with the naked eye.

 

Question: Might I be better off with an "intermediate" cartridge? Say, an AR-15 or AK-47?

 

What's my purpose?

 

To be able to hit what I shoot when the ass end falls out of society.

 

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My guns are tools, they all have a purpose and my .308 is not intended for "battle", but more for longer range and bigger targets. I have a VZ-2008 setup for "Battle", close in type of stuff, I also have an SKS.

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Snap caps are useful. If your able to hold the sights stable on the target, odds are you are yanking the trigger or flinching.

Yanking normally results in an upward left of target, flinching is normally low and right. 

 

I get a good stance, a good grip, and then I aim at target telling myself the gun is empty and it will not fire. The boom should almost make you jump, because you push the possibility of it firing right out of your mind. 

 

When I practice with snap caps, I aim at a target and "fire" holding the rifle on target without a bob or jump when the hammer drops. 

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The .308 Saiga is from inception a general purpose hunting rifle. It will never be a great precision rifle nor will it be a great close quarters carbine. But it can be workable in each role. Would you be able to run a smaller caliber AK more efficiently within 100 yards? Absolutely yes. The x39 round is perfect within 100 yards. It hits hard. It has good penetration of cover. The rainbow trajectory isn't an issue at those ranges. So your solution is just buy more AKs.

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See no reason a 308 cant be used in any of these roles. Tough as nails, dependable as sun rising,  and a sub 4MOA shooter even with cheap steel, the rest is up to the rifleman. Now a 16" would be easier to handle of course.

 

Recoil can be managed with a break and in-line stock. 

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What length barrel is your 308? My 21in s308 is more of a longer range gun, and with optics, bipod, sling, 10rnd mag, etc its 12 lbs. It may be the weight but it takes well over 50 rounds for me to notice the recoil. My x39 decked out weighs 10 lbs w a 30 rounder loaded and i have yet to put enough rounds downrange to feel a sore shoulder setting in despite my best efforts :D. Follow up shots are alot easier w the x39 and if the poop hit the fan its my go to rifle for anything inside of 200 yds minus maybe vehicles. Maybe. Lol. Cost of the round is a factor as well, its way easier on the wallet to amass a stockpile for the x39. For a bare bones set up (no optic) id suggest you pick up a x39 saiga. Keep the 308 tho, they are really great guns and have more far a reach imo.

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With a good break and stock, recoil is about the same as the x39 and rise is little to none.

 

Of course if the x39 is also recoil managed its about the same as a 223. 

 

21" is a bit long while the 16" is a bit short, 18" being generically ideal for the 308 rifle.

 

Now if a more urban setting is envisioned the x39 is in it's element. But even then a nice little red dot at a minimum sure does speed up targeting. 

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Exactly. Invest in a good muzzle brake. Makes a huge difference in recoil management. It won't make you more accurate, but it will speed up you follow up shots. What will make you more accurate is the basic fundamentals. Start with a proper shooting stance. Feet shoulder width apart, squared up on target, with strong side foot slightly back. Weight on the balls of your feet, knees slightly bent. Bent slightly at the waist. You need to make sure you maintain sight picture and trigger control during the arc of wobble. Also remember the natural respiratory pause, that three to four second pause between exhale and inhale where your body is at rest. for combat shooting, trigger control and sight picture is what you can count on. All the others are great to do on the range but not always practical on the battlefield.

Edited by sapper1371usmc
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A lot of times what I see happening on the range is people trying to force the shot. And what I mean by that, during the natural arc of wobble, people usually jerk the trigger at the exact time they have the sights on target right where they want the shot to go. They do this instead of focusing on the basic fundamentals. Sight picture and trigger control are the most important, followed by follow through. If they focus on this those rather than the gun moving around, then they would get combat hits. No one can keep the gun perfectly still, but if they focus on the fundamentals, then that round will be where it needs to be.

Edited by sapper1371usmc
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ditto

 

Need to add that most people use way too much magnification on their scopes which makes a tiny wobble appear horrid.

 

Best guide Ive ever seen was 2x at 100m + 1x per each additional 100m.  So a fixed 4x at <=100m is ok but 9x is going to be more than required and exaggerates things. Bench shooting is of course something else entirely.

Edited by Rhodes1968
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