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Old 02-10-2020, 05:00 PM
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Default Carbines

I’ve always gravitated to carbines. I have a 70’s vintage Rem 742 that stays in camp as the camp gun for deer season. It’s in 30.06 which I like since black bears have been in the camp. No scope.
Then there’s the 94 in 30.30
My longer range rig is a vintage model 70 carbine in .308 with a Burris 2x7 on it.
A short barreled 12 ga. Plus a Ruger 10-22
I didn’t really think about the fact that they’re all short barrels if not actual carbines.
With the woods, a shot over 100 yds. is unusual.
I just like the way they handle and they’re lighter, which counts as you get long in the tooth.
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Old 02-10-2020, 05:41 PM
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I too am a fan of lightweight carbines. The Ruger Scout Rifle is a dandy at about 7 pounds loaded. I can shoot this one pretty good, at least as good as the 10 pound M1A I used to shoot and carry around in my younger days.



The steel rabbit was shot from the prone position at 100 yards.
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Old 02-10-2020, 07:16 PM
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What caliber? .308?
That rifle has been tempting me for a while.
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Old 02-10-2020, 07:43 PM
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I've been a fan of carbines since I bought my first one in 1964 (one of the last Win M94 pre-64 30-30s). Think I've finally found the ideal one though and will second canoeguy's comments above except mine is the Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle in 450 Bushmaster with 16.1 inch barrel. Great trigger, accurate, fast handling, set up to use EER scope, regular scope, or receiver sight. Good out to 300 yards with Leupold's CDS scope and Hornady's 250 grain FTX bullet. Pigs drop in their tracks. . . most of the time.

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Old 02-10-2020, 08:28 PM
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Not sure at what barrel length a rifle becomes a carbine, but my old Remington 600 in .308 is certainly in the carbine spirit with its 18" barrel. Very light & easy to carry compared to most common longer barreled "deer" rifles. I alternate days in the deer woods with it and my more standard length rifle, and especially if I'm going to be doing any thick cover walking. It is a very convenient to carry gun, whether in hand or hanging from a sling.

It is not my most accurate rifle, although it does surprise me sometimes with a sub-MOA 100 yard group, but it certainly does get the job done. The relatively light weight and lack of a recoil pad make it less than a joy to shoot at the range for any period of time, but all that vanishes while hunting.
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Old 02-10-2020, 09:57 PM
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Military speak:

Carbines, 20" or less (Mosin M38, Enfield No5 Jungle carbine)
Short rifles, Typically 26" or less. (1903, Mauser 98k, Enfield SMLE)
Long rifles, usually 28" or more. (Mauser 98, Arisaka Type 38, Schmidt-Rubin 1911)

I know, what happens between 26" and 28". All I can say is most Mosins, Russian, Soviet and Finnish fall in this slot.
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Last edited by LVSteve; 02-10-2020 at 11:20 PM. Reason: Schmidt instead of Schmitt
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Old 02-10-2020, 10:11 PM
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I've got one of these, a Mossberg Thunder Ranch in 308, 20 inch barrel I carry back and forth to the country. Mine has a 1-4 Leupold scope.



It takes AR10 or M1A mags.
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Old 02-10-2020, 10:20 PM
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Carbines are nice for out and about walking shooting, etc. It is possible that I am just not as capable of a marksman but when it is necessary to reach out and touch something at 200 yds. or more, I will opt for a rifle. Since 1980 I've been using common as issued 03-A3 rifles and Mauser K-98's in issue calibers. They have always been light enough and handy for whatever. And when it comes to things at a distance, hitting with these rifles has always been not to hard. Did use a Remington 700 SF-VS in .308 Winchester for a number of years simply b/c it was a nice accurate range rifle that worked fine in the woods. Church member fell in love with it and, who was I to stand in the way of love!!! For chasing hogs, etc. I have a nice little waffle top Marlin 336 in (of course) .30-30 Winchester. Maybe a Ruger 77-44 would be a good alternative? Light. Big heavy bullet. Low power scope. Probably work on out to say 150 yds. or a little bit more ... maybe. Sincerely. bruce.
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Old 02-11-2020, 05:48 AM
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Jesse,

Yes, my Scout Rifle is chambered in .308. I added the steel five round magazine as I found the issued 10 round magazine too bulky for my taste. They make a polymer three round magazine that fits almost flush....
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Old 02-11-2020, 06:38 AM
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I share your affinity for carbines OP. Handy, easy to wield, and most are more accurate than folks give them credit for with a little practice.
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Old 02-11-2020, 07:22 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LVSteve View Post
Military speak:

Carbines, 20" or less (Mosin M38, Enfield No5 Jungle carbine)
Short rifles, Typically 26" or less. (1903, Mauser 98k, Enfield SMLE)
Long rifles, usually 28" or more. (Mauser 98, Arisaka Type 38, Schmidt-Rubin 1911)

I know, what happens between 26" and 28". All I can say is most Mosins, Russian, Soviet and Finnish fall in this slot.
The German Mauser rilfe of the Third Reich is about 43 " long and is called K98k, Karabiner 98 kurz. In comparison to the 49" long G98 it is a short version and as such correctly called a carbine.
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Old 02-11-2020, 07:42 AM
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I am abig fan of carbines. Most of mine are the great little Remington model 600&660s. Have 1 in 222, I am re barreling to 223 (saving factory barrel), 2 in 6mm, 2 in 308 and one in 350 Remington Mag. I have a Boyds Thumhole stock and a heavy 6.5 Creedmoore barrel I am going to put on one of the 308s.

Light, and short, Walking around the barrel never catches on tree limbs or brush, Accurate. Easy to get them in and out of my truck, Cun cases don't take up a lot of room. ETC.
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Old 02-11-2020, 07:50 AM
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Been liking the Ruger American Ranch in 5.56 using AR magazines.... barrel is only 16.1". Got a little Leupold 1-4 x20 on it.

10 rounds P- mags are OK, and would use if the SHTF; but I found some shorter 5round mags for every day use.......

Other carbines include a Ruger compact (18") in .22mag and a 77/357 (18.5"), and a nice little 16" Winchester Trapper in .357


I guess I like carbines.......

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Old 02-11-2020, 12:19 PM
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In the woods the carbines are all you need. If you are in open country the rifle edges them out. I have carbines that shoot better than they should and worst gun I ever bought in my life was a 742c in 30/06. I’ve also had rifles that shot lousy. Each gun is different.
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Old 02-11-2020, 04:47 PM
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I don’t know how I forgot the .44s! They’re kind of my favorites.
Marlin 1894 and a Ruger Carbine.
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Old 02-11-2020, 09:30 PM
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I have carbines and rifles and like both.
My deer rifle is a Ruger 77RL in .250 Savage.
Twenty inch barrel, weighs six and a half pounds with
scope and sling. Very good rifle in the woods.
Easy carrying and accurate.
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Old 02-11-2020, 10:23 PM
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The only 2 rifles I own are a Kimber 338 Win Mag and a 63 Winchester 22 sort of opposite ends of the spectrum. Carbines, lets see: Marlin 1894SS in 357, 44 mag, and 30-30. Kimber Montana in 308. Rem 760 law enforcement model in 308. Ruger 10-22, Marlin Mountie Golden. 2 Winchester 67 boys rifles. Savage 93S, AR-9. AR semi M-4. Sub2000 40 caliber. CMR-30 22 magnum. All have either peep sights or Leopold scopes. Yeah, I do like carbines.
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Old 02-12-2020, 02:34 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Andyd View Post
The German Mauser rilfe of the Third Reich is about 43 " long and is called K98k, Karabiner 98 kurz. In comparison to the 49" long G98 it is a short version and as such correctly called a carbine.
I can't be held responsible for the Third Reich getting it wrong.

The original KAR 98A (note the capital A) had 17.7" barrel according to the one source I can dig out. I cannot confirm it as all the search engines in the world seem to lump "a" with "A", and the Kar 98a is really another short rifle.
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Old 02-12-2020, 03:03 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by steelslaver View Post
I am abig fan of carbines. Most of mine are the great little Remington model 600&660s. Have 1 in 222, I am re barreling to 223 (saving factory barrel), 2 in 6mm, 2 in 308 and one in 350 Remington Mag. I have a Boyds Thumhole stock and a heavy 6.5 Creedmoore barrel I am going to put on one of the 308s.

Light, and short, Walking around the barrel never catches on tree limbs or brush, Accurate. Easy to get them in and out of my truck, Cun cases don't take up a lot of room. ETC.
Two of my collection of carbines are also Remington 660s - a .308 and a 6.5 Rem. Mag. Others include:

Ruger 77 RSI tang safety .308
Marlin 1894 .44 mag SRC
Belgium Browning BLR .308 (first year production)
No. 5 Mk 1 .303 British Jungle Carbine
Ruger 10/22
Marlin 39 Centennial
We won't go into AR platform carbines...

Oh, I almost forgot the one I gave my oldest grandson for Christmas- a first-year production Remington 700 .243 with factory 20" barrel.

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Old 02-12-2020, 04:28 PM
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Depends on how you define "carbine". Putting aside the M-1 "Carbine"-really a new category of firearm-I like the older definition of a much shorter version of a standard infantry rile with a long barrel-the Trapdoor Springfield, the Krag, the Mosin Nagant, the Lee Metford with a significantly
shorter barrel-say 22" as opposed to say 30" for the rifle.
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