Anyone set up a Mossberg MVP in 308.Possibly as a general purpose gun.
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Anyone set up a Mossberg MVP in 308.Possibly as a general purpose gun.
One of my regular shooting buddies has one, the 16" MVP Patrol, and another guy I know just by seeing him often at the range has the Ruger GS scout rifle in 308. I have shot and handled both. I prefer the Ruger if I was going to buy a short barrel bolt gun in .308.............assuming this is the kind of rifle your talking about. To me a GP bolt gun HAS to have iron sights, and multiple optic mounting options, as well as being more handy than a traditional hunting style bolt gun, and not a heavy pig like a bench rest, or ........I hate this term..........."sniper" rifle.
Some of my observations/thoughts on each:
The ability of the MVP to take pmags and M1a mags is very appealing, as I have both............BUT after that the rifle falls off pretty quick.
I don't like the iron sights on the MVP, short sight radius, and look/feel cheap. Ruger has better irons.
The "texturing" Mossberg puts on the stock is mildly annoying at best, and down right uncomfortable on my cheek after an extended shooting session. The wood on the Ruger is much nicer, and the spacers to adjust LOP and recoil pad are nice.
I am old school, and like unhindered access to the action, so the Ruger scout rifle with the forward optic mount appeals to me more in this aspect. Mossberg does now make a "scout" version of the MVP with a forward optic mount, and longer iron sight radius, but I have not seen or handled it yet. Also, if you don't like the forward/long eye relief mounting option on the Ruger (I do) you can mount a scope in the traditional manner on the receiver (you have to take the rear iron sight off though, and I don't like that)
I found that while running the bolt on the Mossberg, it stripped rounds off slick and effortlessly with pmags, but with metal mags, esp. the M1A mags of mine I used in it (10rd checkmates) it was gritty and not quick. If I were to have this rifle, I wouldn't bother with M1A mags unless it was an emergency. The mag catch is kinda wonky on the Mossberg too, where the Ruger mag catch works pretty similar to an M1A or mini14 mag catch, and I am used to that.
the Ruger..............of course............uses more expensive AI platform mags, and the gun I tried, the owner had both Ruger polymer and metal factory mags. They worked flawlessly and both were smooth........ oddly the polymer mags seemed more "rugged" to me than the metal ones, and the metal ones were a PITA to load........very stiff. He has not tried any Magpul AI pattern mags in it yet, I asked, but he's planning on eventually getting some. Perhaps maybe the next time I run into him, he will have some, and I'll ask.
Just in general, the Ruger feels like a better rifle. the Mossberg seems kind of cheap to me.....for a rifle of this type. The best way I can describe it is, the Ruger feels like a sturdy old milsurp, and the Mossberg feels like commercial gun with some gadgets added to it.
If it were me and I was going to buy a rifle like this, it would be the Ruger all the way ( I have also looked at the Savage and wasn't all that impressed, but have no trigger time on it). It's more $$, but unlike AR's (where you can buy a entry level one, and upgrade it yourself as time or as $$ allows) you will spend way more money than the thing is ever going to be worth trying to tune/tinker with a factory bolt gun, and may never get it where you want it to be. IMHO better to just save up and spend a little more on a bolt gun from the get go.
WW@ Farmer,Thanks for the input.The iron sights on the MVP are pretty worthless ,although I did get them sighted in pretty well.The mag release is a joke but with practice I can make it work.The stock is so so.I had a scope on it but waiting for another.It actually was pretty accurate.I made the bolt much smoother by working it alot and using some grease type compound someone had from Brownells.I dont remember the name.
Yes, MVP LC in .308. Nice aluminum chassis. Bolt better than the Precision and the equal of the Stealth in my opinion. (have all three). All are 308 as i don't reload 6.5 and like my 7mm belted Rem mags better anywho. Seems to like the heavier stuff, like 168 and 175 HPBT. Doesn't seem to be fond of Amax or ELDx either. Using an ACSS HUD FFP piece of glass cause it's getting harder to read my dope cards and 308 is really effective out to maybe 700 anyway. Getting too lazy to twist these days ��
PS, bought a Ruger Scout in 308. Sold it. Hated it and i think Jeff Cooper would've too.