Top 5 Military Surplus Guns for Hunters

This post is going to take a look at some great military surplus guns, specifically for hunters.

Some of these we have previously covered in other posts on military surplus guns that offer excellent value, or which are easy to find and affordable.

But you will notice that other common entries, like Lee-Enfield rifles and Mosin-Nagant rifles, are not featured here.

This is in part due to the fact that, since they are foreign-made rifles, finding parts or ammo for them, such as .303 British, is not always particularly easy.

So for the purposes of this article, we’re looking specifically at performance, availability, availability of ammo, and of course, practicality for hunters.

M1903 Springfield

The Springfield M1903 may just be the ultimate military surplus rifle for hunters, although it may be a bit expensive and hard to find.

Originally, the number of these rifles produced and their availability and popularity made them very amenable to hunters.

The M1903 also has a very solid action, is accurate, and doesn’t have a gas system to keep clean.

While it’s not the most expandable platform, it’s also been said that many were sporterized after the First and Second World Wars. If you can find one of these restored, sporterized versions, you’ve got an ideal hunting rifle.

The other great thing about them is the availability of ammo. The .30-06 Springfield cartridge is powerful enough for any game in North America and with proper shot placement, most large game in the world.

Add in the fact that all major ammunition manufacturers still load .30-06 and you’ve got an even better combo.

M1 Garand

The M1 Garand is another great military surplus gun for hunters, but we’re putting it behind the M1903 for a few different reasons.

The main one is the gas system. While some hunters may appreciate a semi-auto for hunting, they are more difficult to maintain and clean (especially in the field) and can jam.

With a bolt rifle, rectifying jams is easier, and a skilled shooter is not significantly slower cycling a bolt manually than the gas system is on a Garand. Besides, it’s rare to need a follow-up shot within a second.

Since they share a chambering, the same thing we said about the .30-06 Springfield above also applies here.

Like the M1903, the Garand was widely available as surplus after WWII and Korea, and it has been said that many were sporterized after these conflicts.

So, if you can find one, you’ve got a steal.

Also, while they’re great military surplus guns for hunters, if you can’t find an original 1903 or Garand, consider one of the companies that makes modern clones, like Springfield Armory.

Mauser G98

The Mauser G98 is taking the third spot on this list if only because of the slightly less widespread availability of ammo.

But let’s be honest. It’s actually not hard to find 7.92x57mm Mauser cartridges. In fact, it’s quite easy.

Also, this cartridge offers very similar performance to the .30-06, which puts them in a similar category.

The Mauser G98 also offers a lot of other benefits to modern shooters. It has an extremely strong bolt-action with 3 locking lugs, and is very smooth to shoot.

They are amazingly reliable and it might even be said that they are impressively accurate, as well.

So, if you can find one but can’t find a Garand or a 1903, it’s a good third choice.

Also, Mauser still makes modern hunting rifles. That’s an option, too.

SKS Rifles

SKS rifles feature on this list for a few reasons. One, they are affordable and relatively easy to find, which also means you can usually find parts for them, too.

A similar result of this is that there are plenty of SKS accessories out there on the market, too.

Like M1 Garand and M1903 rifles, many SKS rifles in private hands have also been sporterized, making them perfect for expanding with shooting accessories.

The 7.62x39mm cartridge the SKS shoots may not be an American cartridge, but it is still widely available and (usually) dirt cheap. There are even steel-cased versions you can buy that are even cheaper, like TulAmmo.

This cartridge offers much less power than the two already covered, but is somewhere between .223 Remington and .308 Winchester in terms of performance, making it perfect for most medium-sized game, such as deer, or for predator control.

So, balancing cost, availability of the platform, parts, and ammo, SKS rifles definitely make a good showing for “best military surplus gun for hunters.”

Remington 870 Shotguns

No list of hunting arms could be complete without a mention of the Remington 870, and fortunately, this is one that has been adopted into official use, so it is conceivably possible that you can find a cheap surplus 870. There were Ohio National Guard 870 surplus available for a while.

So, why the 870? Let’s start with the fact that these are the best-selling shotguns of all time, which offer excellent versatility, power, and a silky smooth action with legendary reliability.

Since it is so popular, the market for shooting sports if overflowing with parts and accessories for 870s, too.

Also, any gun shop in the country has ammo for these guns. It’s not like the platform was ever produced in some obscure, proprietary military caliber.

One more thing: say you land a 12 gauge milsurp 870. Load it with birdshot and you can take small game. Load it with buckshot and you can use it for defense purposes. With slugs, it can take medium and large game all over North America.

So, there’s not much, if anything, you can’t do with an 870, at least on our continent. That M1 Garand won’t be much good for small game, and you can’t shoot clays with it, either.

And, if you get it as surplus, it’s probably going to be even cheaper.

Also, you can just scrap the surplus idea and buy a new 870. They are still affordable and reliable, and that way, you’ll know about the gun’s service and maintenance history.

Looking for Quality Military Surplus Guns, Parts, or Ammo?

Get in touch with us at 610-250-3960 or come visit us in Easton, PA, at 50 Hilton Street. We’ll help you find what you’re looking for.