308 vs 54r dragunov clone

[Redrum4u 125]

So I'm not blowing 5k on a real dragunov.

The veper clones are good for me. Now the issue is do I want 54r or 308.

54r is cheaper now but what will be avaible in the future.......

I'm unaware of performance differences I'm going to have to do some research.

What direction would you go?

[PRISONSHANK 70]

I've actually been thinking that one over as well and it kinda comes down to mags for me. The aftermarket 54r mags ive played with never fed well and ended up breaking. The 308 being a double stack and the availability of metal mags made the decision for me. Plus you can score ammo from anywhere instead of mostly just online.

Edited May 11, 2014 by PRISONSHANK

[Tundra1 391]

Tough choice there, but I would go 308.  If the surplus 54r dries up it could be a difficult caliber to find, and it won't be cheap.  Or you could always start stockpiling the spam cans now so it will never be an issue I suppose.  I would think performance of both would be very close.

[Sdustin 578]

To me it depends on you. If Your the type that needs many higher and different capacity mags and you cant keep a stock of ammo without shootings it up get the 308. If your good with just a few 10 round or 5 roind mags and can buy and buy ammo to not shoot get the x54 and dtart buying the cheap spam cans.

 

If it were me id get the 308 many more ammo choices and reloading opens many custom loads. X54 military ammo isnt reloadable

[Shandlanos 1,470]

I would not think of a VEPR as a Dragunov clone. They're somewhat cosmetically similar - and almost entirely functionally dissimilar.

[Dad2142Dad 6,559]

308

[frz1197 128]

I have both a saiga 308 and a vepr in 54r.

 

The smaller mags on tthe 54r does help prevent blowing through ammo as fast (there are 20 rounders on the way supposedly).

 

The 308 still is pricy. Way more than even new production 54r. It still is a blast to shoot.

 

Get both.

[mostholycerebus 415]

.308 can be found in some really accurate match rounds. As such, I would get a .308 rifle that can take advantage of the rounds accuracy. 54r is widely available in cheap surplus. So, for a less-accurate rifle like the AK, 54r is good enough.

[Redrum4u 125]

I would not think of a VEPR as a Dragunov clone. They're somewhat cosmetically similar - and almost entirely functionally dissimilar.

I get that they function completely differently.

I just think a vepr is a better option than A psl

Like I said. I just don't have the coin to get a tigr. I have other things to take care of than have a 5k rifle sitting in the safe.

Edited May 12, 2014 by Redrum4u

[Shandlanos 1,470]

 

I would not think of a VEPR as a Dragunov clone. They're somewhat cosmetically similar - and almost entirely functionally dissimilar.

I get that they function completely differently.

I just think a vepr is a better option than A psl

Like I said. I just don't have the coin to get a tigr. I have other things to take care of than have a 5k rifle sitting in the safe.

 

I definitely agree.

 

I would like to get an AK platform of some kind in 54R down the road, just to have a shooter. I have a semi-auto 54R, but it's an SVT-40, and I don't like to fire it often. It has a fluted chamber, so it fucks up brass pretty well - and I hate putting corrosive ammo through it because it's such a pain in the ass to clean.

[Rhodes1968 1,638]

308 

 

Were I heavily vested in 54R it might be different. But seriously what can you shoot in one that the other wont?

 

Go with what ya got already in both mags and boolits.

[nukeme70 7]

I already had quite a bit of x54r sitting around that I had acquired for my Mosins.  I'm a big fan of consolidating ammo calibers, so the Vepr 54r was a pretty easy choice.  I've had 2 of the 20 round mags on order since February - just waiting for them to actually ship.

[mancat 2,368]

I recently bought an M77 .308.

 

Looked at 54R rifles in the past, but 1) I don't want to stockpile another caliber, 2) not interested in playing the corrosive cleanup game on a rifle that I will use for hunting purposes (rifles usually don't get more than a bore snake when shot during hunting season), and 3) WAY more .308 options available, from cheap steel-cased Russian plinking loads, to high-quality match ammo, big/small/varmint game loads.

 

The .308 AKs are capable of some great accuracy, and even more so if you don't use them as rapid-fire bullet hoses for cheap 54R, as I suspect a lot of 54R shooters end up doing.

 

So unless you just want a semi-auto rifle to dump a lot of 54R downrange, I would also vote for .308.

Edited May 12, 2014 by mancat

[Arik 565]

I use a M77 in 3006 for hunting but anything else you need to dump a lot of ammo to practice

[csspecs 1,987]

Arik, is your M77 made by Ruger?

 

 

 

Because I think mancat is speaking of the M77 made by Zastava. I could be wrong.

 

[mancat 2,368]

Sorry yes I meant Zastava M77

[Redrum4u 125]

I recently bought an M77 .308.

 

Looked at 54R rifles in the past, but 1) I don't want to stockpile another caliber, 2) not interested in playing the corrosive cleanup game on a rifle that I will use for hunting purposes (rifles usually don't get more than a bore snake when shot during hunting season), and 3) WAY more .308 options available, from cheap steel-cased Russian plinking loads, to high-quality match ammo, big/small/varmint game loads.

 

The .308 AKs are capable of some great accuracy, and even more so if you don't use them as rapid-fire bullet hoses for cheap 54R, as I suspect a lot of 54R shooters end up doing.

 

So unless you just want a semi-auto rifle to dump a lot of 54R downrange, I would also vote for .308.

I was looking for it to serve more as a hunting rifle.

[Squeaky 135]

How good is that Zastava M77 mancat?

[csspecs 1,987]

 

I was looking for it to serve more as a hunting rifle.

 

 

 

OK, hunting ammo is pretty much the same price for either caliber, you have more options in .308 however 54R is just a little hotter on average.

 

I think your going to find that .308 is slightly lighter. And the five round .308 magazine is about half the size of the five round 54r mag.

 

I could weigh the Yugo M77 vs the Vepr 54r to compare them.. Sadly my Vepr .308 has Robinson arms poly stocks that are stupidly heavy. So its not fair to weigh it.

[Redrum4u 125]

I hate the way the veper 54 mag is. The 10 round is just huge, and plastic. Why couldn't they have made a double stack? Or interchangeable w other 54r semi autos

[Shandlanos 1,470]

Not sure why they didn't make it a double stack. As for interchangeability, I don't know. Making it interchangeable with high-caps would make it unimportable, but that wouldn't be a problem with PSL mags. I wonder how hard it would be to get it to accept them. As long as the lip in the front trunnion is in the right place, it should just be a matter of reshaping the magazine well and possibly replacing the mag release.

[Redrum4u 125]

Not sure why they didn't make it a double stack. As for interchangeability, I don't know. Making it interchangeable with high-caps would make it unimportable, but that wouldn't be a problem with PSL mags. I wonder how hard it would be to get it to accept them. As long as the lip in the front trunnion is in the right place, it should just be a matter of reshaping the magazine well and possibly replacing the mag release.

Get out the Dremel. Lol

[csspecs 1,987]

They would have needed to go with a slightly fatter trunnion. As designed I don't think its safe to preform an alteration to make it a double stack.

[Arik 565]

Sorry yes I meant Zastava M77

 

Arik, is your M77 made by Ruger?

 

 

 

Because I think mancat is speaking of the M77 made by Zastava. I could be wrong.

 

 

 

LOL

 

Yes I ment a Ruger. Brain fart

[Shandlanos 1,470]

They would have needed to go with a slightly fatter trunnion. As designed I don't think its safe to preform an alteration to make it a double stack.

Bummer. It would be pretty nifty to run Finnish LS26 mags in a VEPR.