Next purchase advice: AR:15 or .308 bolt action?

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Rhys16

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I'm a gun newbie, and I'm slowly trying to built my collection of essentials in case -CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED--CENSORED- hits the fan in the near future. So far, I only have a Glock 26, Mossberg 500 shotgun, S&W .357 mag, Ruger SP101 in my truck and a Taurus 85 UltraLite for my wife's truck. My question is this:

If you had to pick just one for your next major gun purchase, would it be an AR-15 or a bolt action rifle? I'm left-handed, so I'm looking at the Stag AR's as well as the Ruger Gunsite Scout in .308. Both are priced about the same at $750-$800. I understand it's an "apples to oranges" comparison, but I'm looking to spread the budget and chose which one is the best first purchase. Thanks guys, I appreciate the help.
 
I'd hate to be without a semi-auto rifle (be it an AR-15 or a Mini-14 or one of its ilk) but I'd hate even more not having a good, bolt-action rifle. I'd get the Ruger chambered in .308 and never look back-that is, until I had the scratch to get a semi-auto rifle, preferably chambered in .223/5.56.
 
W/o a defined purpose, not much chance of finding a satisfactory response.
I have both semi-auto (.223)and bolt action(.308) since I feel more secure being able to shoot farther than the average semi-auto. Having this capability isn't worth much if you don't have the skill to utilize it. Just owning a hammer doesn't make you a carpenter.
 
With the current political leaning and rumored new gun laws I'd get yourself an AR now before the panic buying gets into full swing and prices get ridiculous again.

Getting a 308 bolt should not be a problem down the road.
 
Welcome to TFLF Rhys16

The question is:
Next purchase advice: AR:15 or .308 bolt action?
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My advice: The 308 Ruger Gun Site. Although I consider both rifles to be para military. The Gun Site is a bit more ~~{for the sake of conversation} traditional or least scary looking.

Besides of the two. The Ruger has the better cartridge for the taking of most big game in the lower 48.
 
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I would definitely get the AR first. It is better in most scenarios you are likely to find yourself in and it is also the more likely of the two to be difficult to aquire in the future.
 
The only real advantage I can see that a bolt action 308 can have over an auto 308 is that if you want a 6 pound rifle you can get it in a bolt action. A desired weight from 6 pounds to 8 pounds is something only available in a bolt action.

From 8.7 pounds and up the AR10 size rifles do what the bolt rifles can do, with the advantage of a larger magazine in many cases (An advantage that may be more imagined than real) and the use of a tele-stock which can fit more than one shooter.
Mossberg does make a rifle, the MVP308, that can use an AR10 or M14 mag and also has a tele-stock both on a bolt action. So there are some exception to the above generalities.
 
I also recommend investigating the AR-10/308 platform instead of a bolt action. They can be had for much cheaper these days and they are very accurate. They are much heavier than bolt actions but for my uses infinitely more comfortable, adaptable and useful. It's hard to beat an AR-15 for just general utility. They are cheap to feed, very light and can do almost anything. I have bolt actions and think they are great, but my slew of semi autos get most of the range time. That being said, I've always been interested in Ruger's scout rifle. You've got a hard choice to make, sir!
 
For what purpose? $750-$800 your budget? There's no real need to jump on the 'Get an AR before they're declared evil.' band wagon.
Wouldn't ever be any daft "scout" rifle though. It was one of Cooper's more stupid ideas.
"...I'm left-handed..." Is really irrelevant. A semi, of any flavour, works just fine from either side. However, it's always nice for a bolt action to be on the correct side, but it's not 100% essential.
You really should take the wife shopping for something other than a Taurus too.
 
No brainer. Get the AR first, they are at the biggest risk in this political climate. Not to mention an excellent fighting weapon if the SHTF.

You need a good 308 bolt gun too but get the AR first.
 
I like accurate guns. "Most" of the AR's I've seen can barely hold a 1 MOA group at 100. But then again they were never designed to be accurate. I have a mini 14 that I bought years ago (before the Armalite craziness) and it is a safe queen. It's all rigged up waiting for the SHTF day. And if that day ever comes, I'll probably be out there with the 338LM shooting zombies in the head at a 1,000 yards. :D
 
If you're anything like me, once you get a .308 bolt gun, and then put a can on it, your semiauto rifles begin gathering dust.
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If you want to be accurate on a budget then you'll need the bolt action. There are some AR-10/M14 platforms that offer good accuracy but they are not cheap. Fulton Armory and Springfield come to mind. However a moderately priced bolt action in the $600 or so range is typically more accurate at range.

Now if you want to be able to slice the pie in your house and be ready for the Zombie games, the semi auto AR 5.56 platform is far and ahead what you want. One could arguably use the .300 Black for slightly larger game hunting. but be careful-lots of people hang large amounts of stuff off their AR. I'd strap on only what you really need.
 
I would choose the AR15 style rifle. Be sure to stock up on magazines. Lots of MILSPEC still available for as low as $8-$10 when you purchase a few at a time.
 
Depends on the use...

I like the AR-15's versatility, and in .223 it is relatively cheap to practice with.
If you are hunting larger game or want to shoot longer range, I'd go .308. (.223 can punch paper at range, put it tends to be affected by wind a bit more.)
 
I use both .223 and .308 ammo. It seems to me that decent FMJ .308 is a lot less available (In bulk) lately. Decent bulk .223 is a glut on the market. You cannot open a sale flyer without seeing bulk .223 on sale. Hardly anyone that owns a semi-auto buys a box or two at a time. Is the .308 semi-auto losing popularity?
 
I'm getting away from semi auto somewhat, as I don't like chasing brass. But in this current climate of poor political choices and a little panic buying I would go with the AR. Whether or not you go to the bigger AR-10 or the smaller AR-15 (which is pretty versatile) is dependent on usage.
 
Get the AR-15 and 1,000 rounds of .223/5.56. Also get a Ruger 10/22 and as much ammo as you can find for it.

Given your criteria, that would be more useful for you. If you want to hunt or kill dots at long distance, a .308 might be good for that, but given you're a gun newbie, you'd be better off with the 5.56/.223 than a .308. That 1,000 rounds is just for getting trigger time in with your new rifle. You may also want to buy up some more ammo to have on hand. If you're a gun newbie, I'd suggest getting a .22LR rifle and spend some time at the range with it. You'll learn a lot from a .22LR and you'll be surprised at how it can become one of your favorite guns, even when you have a safe full of more manly calibers. And, .22LR is still far cheaper than any centerfire cartridge, even at today's higher prices.

Other gun newbie advice: Buy an air rifle to get even more trigger time. Something like the Daisy 953 & a case of .177 pellets isn't too expensive and it'll make you a better shot faster and cheaper than anything else. There's no recoil, so it's just you, your trigger pull and sight alignment.
 
If it were me, and it was at one point, I'd opt for the .308 bolt. I won't discuss "what if" scenarios, but a .308 bolt can put some good meat on the table.

You could later pick up either a decent low cost AR such as a S&W M&P Sport II or even a stripped lower if you are concerned about future availability.

Also one key gap in your collection is a reliable .22 rifle.
 
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