what is the difference

[draco1]

I am hoping to purchase a .308 sometime this summer I am partial to black rifles as they are utilitarian and i don't care if it gets scuffed here and there as long as it can do the job in accuracy . I have a .223 Bushmaster which is working out great . Can anyone describe the difference between a .308 hunting rifle as opposed to a tactical rifle?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[HotGuns]

You like black rifles?

Take a look at the AR10 or SR25. Either one is very accurate.

Looks like a .223 Bushmaster but shoots .308.

[United93]

Well, a hunting rifle is a rifle you hunt with. It is your action with it, not the gun itself, that defines what it gets used for.

That said, bolt-action rifles are more commonly referred to as hunting rifles and semi-autos with protruding mags and pistol grips are usually called 'tactical' or 'assault' rifles. Hope this helps.

[Ram Rod]

Can anyone describe the difference between a .308 hunting rifle as opposed to a tactical rifle?

That's easy.............a scope. You can turn any tactical rifle into a hunting rifle with a scope. You may also need to limit magazine capacity for hunting applications.

[Rexster]

There are scopes described with that T-word, too.

The only practical difference between hunting game animals and hunting people, is that people might shoot back. (Some animals will fight back, too, but let's stick with creatures that fight back using guns.)

A reliable rifle is nice to have when shooting game animals, but might be an absolute necessity if folks are shooting back at you.

A subdued finish might be nice on a hunting rifle, in order not to scare away game animals, but it might be a necessity if folks with guns are looking for you, and you want to remain hidden.

A sturdy rifle is nice to have if your packhorse decides its back itches, and uses the ground to scratch itself. If you are desperately moving to cover, while under fire, and fall, it may be a necessity that your rifle be sturdy.

Game animals are usually shot one at a time. People sometimes need to be shot in quantity. Therefore, a T-word rifle might be better if able to fire more shots before reloading, and/or be quick to reload.

John Farnam, in the Quips section of his website, and in his book that is a collection of same, indicates that the main problem he sees with sporting rifles in his training classes, compared to military-type rifles, is that sporting rifles can overheat during long sessions of rapid fire. He has mentioned seeing certain sporting rifles "cook-off" the chambered round, which means the chamber area was so hot, the heat ignited the powder. Even in rifles which do not tend to cook-off, the weapon can be too hot to handle.

Of course, let's keep cooking-off in perspective. Holding off the horde is a very low-probability event, and if it did happen, I would probably use my AR15 or Mini-14s, anyway, not one of my manually-operated .308 weapons.

[Roland of Gilead]

That's easy.............a scope. You can turn any tactical rifle into a hunting rifle with a scope. You may also need to limit magazine capacity for hunting applications.

And some state regs may go further; for example, you can't hunt in PA using a semi-auto rifle, you have to use slugs in a shotgun except for turkey, etc.

[matiki]

And some state regs may go further; for example, you can't hunt in PA using a semi-auto rifle, you have to use slugs in a shotgun except for turkey, etc.

Good point. We have caliber restrictions here. For example, big game (which is essentially anything larger than a cougar) requires a .24 caliber (6mm) or larger diameter bullet. Various rules for shotguns... etc.

So hunting with an AR-15 is not kosher, but an AR-10 is.