.308

[u/noahdesouza]

Looking for advice/input on what to get or build.

I want a hybrid rifle chambered in .308. One that is good for backpacking/hunting/target shooting. I don’t want it to be only a bench rifle, for that I will get a Tikka T3X Ace Target or TAC A1 most likely in 6.5 Creedmor.

So far I’m trying to choose between

Sig Cross 16”
MRA Maverick 12.5” or 16”
Tikka CTR w/ MDT HNT26 Chassis
Tikka CTR w/ MDT The Tactical-LSS Gen3 Kit
Tikka CTR w/ MDT The Worker-LSS Gen3 Kit
Tikka components

They all have their pros/cons and tradeoffs.

Preferably I would like a shorter barrel.

I’d really appreciate your input/advice and thank you in advance for your responses!

[u/Iokua_CDN]

I'm going off my experience with a 16 inch CZ Trail here.

It's fantastic to have a little 16 inch barrel and a folding stock.  Really makes it super compact.  Definitely some  blast though with the shorter  barrel (mine is 7 62 x39.... 308 is going to be much worse. Consider maybe a flash hider or linear  comp)

So with that in mind, going for just the  short  barrel,

1.  you can buy a Howa m1500 with a 16 inch barrel (and tons of options to put into a chassis with a folding stock). With cheap  gun prices and tons  of decent aftermarket stocks,  I'd recommend this one personally. Pretty sure  howa is a 1 moa rifle 

1. You can find a 16 inch Ruger american in 308. Probably more costly but likely has a better stock on it. I'd get the howa if you plan to replace the stock anyways.  
2. Black Creek Labs Broncho is basically everything you want. 308, 16 inch barrel and folding stock. I hear iffy things about their quality control, but I also hear great things about their warranty.  At a 3rd of the price of a Sig Cross, I'm OK with a  bit of fine tuning before it's perfect

[u/noahdesouza → u/Iokua_CDN]

Thanks for your response! I’ve heard a lot of great things about the CZ Trail! My friend has one in .223 and loves it. I have an MRA Renegade II in .223 Wylde with a 12.5” barrel. I love SBRs so I was also thinking of getting another MRA Renegade II with a 12.5” barrel but in 7.62x39 or I was considering getting the CZ Trail in 7.62x39. I like how MRAs are Canadian built and have lifetime warranty. The reason I’m considering the CZ Trail is because a bolt action is easier to clean, has less parts and has lower chance of something going wrong compared to a straight pull.

I don’t know too much about Howas, I’ll look into it. I also have been told to maybe get a Ruger and then getting a new chassis. In my decision, I’m also trying to factor in barrel quality, action, etc…. For example; the reason I would choose the Tikka CTR over the Lite is because the barrel is thicker/heavier so the barrel won’t get hot as quickly as the Lite

[u/Iokua_CDN → u/noahdesouza]

I gotta say, I do love the Trail. The collapsing stock needs a bit of work,  I'm adding heat shrink to it to take out the wobble. A better solution is the adaptor to let you run a pic rail or buffer tube stock. But that's extra money,  where as fixing the normal  stock is free!