I just ordered a suppressor for 30 cal and would like to buy a dedicated 308 to use it on.

Goal: short as possible hunting rifle for deer hunting from a blind

spec requirements:
1. available in 308 cal
2. 16-18" barrel, shorter preferred
3. no extended magazines
4. reasonably lightweight
5. <$1k
6. 5/8" threaded bbl preferred



rifles that I've considered - and why I dont want them
1. Ruger American Predator - is nearly perfect, but has a really loud safety that I wouldnt want to hunt with.
2. Ruger American Ranch - again..... nearly perfect but not available in 308cal, and safety a bit noisy
3. ruger Gunsite - heavier than needed, and the ghost ring/scout sights not what I need in a suppressed rifle. also a bit pricey
4. Savage - has guns very like the above rugers that dont meet my objectives - which is too bad, cause I'm a huge Savage fan.....
5. Howa Superlite- my "best option" thus far. meets all above specs and crazy light at 4# 3oz, has a 1/2x28 threaded pipe
6. I already have a stainless/laminate takedown BLR in 308 that I can get threaded for <$200, but it seems sinful to chop such a pretty rifle that's probably worth $1k as is.....

but I'm open to recommendations from the crowd. certainly the 'Fire is never short on opinions.....

Buy whatever rifle you prefer, then have a smith shorten and thread the barrel. The threads may be 1/2x28 but that works fine.

Just finished this one, DIY pre-fit. Barrel is 20" but that's the shortest I could get from Proof for a pre-fit, you can go shorter with a custom barrel, maybe 18". Your budget would be best suited by taking a rifle you already own and having a barrel fit to you specs.

That BLR threaded at 16” with a nice thread protector will be useful. Faster follow-ups than a bolt gun and no gas in the face and port pop like most semis. After that, the Gen 2 American Ranch 16” looks like a lot of bang for the $. I’m convincing myself not to buy a REM M7 threaded 16” 308 I’ve found, but….

This looks like a very good deal to me! The last receiver I bought cost more than this complete rifle.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1026375876?pid=456578

A tad more than a grand ,but the Suppressor ready browning xbolt is an option

If the noise level of the safety is the issue with the American, could you not use the bolt handle as the safety and leave it up? Might be quieter to slowly lower a bolt handle.

I have the Howa Superlite, and it is a rifle that'll probably need tweaking. I posted about it here, it is light but 4 lbs 10 oz bare rifle by my sampling of one. Here is where I posted about it, New Rifle!

Here is another thread I posted on about the rifle, Hoping it shoots as good as it carries....Howa S.L.

I like the rifle but I have about $300 more in it than it cost getting things tweaked by my GS. I got a new ejector and spring, the scope base milled off and recoated, and tweaking on the magazine and magazine well to get it to feed better. I'm not saying the issues I've been dealing with are typical, but I've had to deal with these.

I'd love to try the Christensen Arms Ridgeline Scout, Skane has one he'd probably tell you about it. If you want a dedicated rifle for suppressor use I think it would be a good one. I just don't worry much about dedicated suppressor use rifle, I just make most of mine accept my suppressor.

The Ruger safety noise is only a problem if you're a conehead that just flips it. Some downward pressure, and slowly working it, cure those ills. But some are easily stumped.....

false.

I fiddled with it for about 20 minutes, doing exactly what you're recommending and it was still audible.

This one is 300BO

But for 308Win go Encore, then buy bbls with threaded muzzles.....

They make 22 subsonic just stupid quiet....

Short as you like....

Light weight, as you like....

NO dreaded safety noise....

Under a grand$$

thanks for your feedback, and for sharing your experience on the Howa SL. I hope it works out long run!

Is safety noise an issue when hunting from a blind?

I can't imagine the safety noise is a issue for almost all hunting, unless you are stalking within 10-15 yards?

most of the time, it wouldnt be a problem. it's just an issue I dont like, and frankly, not a problem on any of the other rifles I already have.

I had my son stand about 20 yards down the isle at Academy, and he could still hear it. I tried two different Ruger Predators and both safeties were obnoxiously loud, despite my efforts to keep it quiet.

I have a Savage Hog Hunter in 308 that I use for suppressed loads and full power. It puts 150 grain GameKings almost in the same hole. I highly recommend it.

Savage Hog Hunter would be ideal, if the barrel was a bit shorter.

on the 308, it's 20" long.

great recommendation otherwise.

Model 7 16.5 threaded

Are you incapable of getting a barrel cut and threaded?

thanks. I'll look into that.

not at all. there's a couple local firms that charge ~$125-$200 to do so.

I'm just a bit nervous about chopping down an otherwise beautiful stainless Browning BLR, but I'm warming up to the idea. I found a youtube video last night showing what one would look like, and it wasnt too ugly.

fact is I have a good bit of "store credit" at BPS/Cabelas that I was looking forward to burning on a new rifle if a perfectly configured one could be found.

I believe CVA and Bergara both have 18” models threaded under a grand.

Here are more than a few you probably missed. I'm just killing time waiting to take the puppy on a walk. I know a few have a magazine you don't want, but with a 5 round mag they shouldn't hang too low. I didn't know your budget as well, so you got a bit of a mix. I like the Ruger Hawkeye Compact I posted if there is enough meat to thread 1/2-28. However, the M7 I posted is the easy button to what you want if it didn't have the DBM.

Bergara B14 Ridge 18"

Savage Impulse HH 18"

SAC Zermatt Origin build 18"

Browning X-Bolt SPR 18"

Savage 110 MagPul Hunter 18"

CVA Cascade .308 18"

Remington 783 FDE 16.5"

Remington Model 7 16"

Ruger Hawkeye Compact 16.5"

Sig Cross 16"

WC NULA .308 16.25"

Seriously. Stop trying to find a factory rifle that will fit your specs, because it sounds like there’s not one out there that fits your specs. Buy a rifle with a longer barrel that fits your other specs and have it cut and threaded.

That way you’ll have exactly what you want, not “close enough”….except you really aren’t happy with it and it gnaws at you until you build exactly what you wanted to begin with.

Yep. If the factories don't make what you are looking for with the desired barrel length, just buy the standard rifle and chop/thread. I've done it several times. It's nice when you can buy the rifle ready to go, but sometimes it's easier just to make a few simple modifications and get what you are really after, rather than settling. Stock swapping, trigger swapping, and barrel chopping/threading are about like swapping wheels/tires/bumpers on a pickup. Make it what you want if the factory doesn't.

Great analogy!

Look at the Tikka T3x Hunter Ranch Rifle: https://www.eurooptic.com/Tikka-T3x...-x24-Bbl-Matte-Hunter-Stock-Blued-3.aspx

It's just under $1k as is. Selling the wood stock for a couple of hundred bucks and replacing it with a $50 polymer one would give you the money for a rail and rings.


Okie John

If you like the Browning, chop and thread it. It's not a "collectors item", they pump out new ones every day. If you want to burn your Cabelas credit, talk to the guys at the gun counter. They will order you what you want, it doesn't have to be a stock item. FWIW, I've hunted 16" Ruger Americans out of blinds and the safety noise is a non-issue with deer in close proximity. Just like most any safety, they're as noisy as you let them.

Look no further: https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1044160886

Tikka 20" CTR in a reg Tikka stock. Comes with 20" barrel 5/8-24 threads already, just cut to whatever length you want.

That was my favorite as well, and on my watch list. I imagine it'll go higher than I want to pay right now. Custom action and Bartline barrel, throw a TT and Greyboe stock and go hunt.

Good option right there.

“Short as possible “ is going to a 16” barrel no matter what rifle you choose.
Suppressor length would also play a part in my decision and opinion.
I have cans as short as 6.5” and long as 9”. Not sure what can you bought.
That 2.5” can make a difference in a box or tent blind.
As already mentioned, my opinion mirrors many. Buy the rifle you like and chop/thread.

I have a Kimber Montana 308 that I only shoot suppressed.

I had the barrel cut to 18”, bedded the action and installed a trigger tech trigger. I use warne mountain tech steel bases with warne mountain tech 1” rings to mount my trijicon accupoint 3-9.

It shoots extremely well with 165g accubonds and the 150g ttsx. I’ve used it on a lot of blacktail deer, caribou and a Roosevelt elk.

Take a look at the Browning X-Bolt Speed SPR. I handled one the other day and it’s really nice. It has an 18” barrel.

man.... tons of really neat options. thanks, as I was unaware of several of these options.

that Tikka from Europtic sounded like a great option too, as does the idea of a chopped Kimber MT mentioned later.

thanks for all the feedback, all.

Browning blr's aren't beautiful. They are a tool, it's up to you whether that tool is useful and/or it's your needs.

Since a quiet safety keeps coming up. Of the rifles I've played with, Weatherby Mark V's and Tikka T3x come to mind. For under (right at 1K) I'd get a T3x.

Remington and Winchester type safeties have all been some varying noise emitter in my experience.

Cva cascade 18" threaded barrel, very nice gun, has a cerakoted bergara barrel, shoots very well for around $700

That Tikka ranch rifle is ready to go at 16.1" on barrel length.
Look no further

Used gun racks at the local gun shop can often provide good candidates for a custom hunter. This Sako 308 was priced a good bit less than a Ruger American. It had some pitting around the muzzle which brought the price way down, but it was going to get cut to 20 inches anyway so it didn't matter. It turned out to be a very nice little 308 and is very easy to use in a deer stand.

Is that Sako an L57?

Remington 700 SPS 16” bbl, threaded, adjustable trigger, well under $1000

It's an L579