M1A is pretty much the standard for this class of rifle. I had a CAI C91 back in the day that was the best rifle the drunken monkeys ever turned out. I loved that rifle, but got so fed up trying to clean it that I traded it for a Rem 700 VSF in .308. I could never get the chamber and receiver in that area clean; the carbon would cake up and I had to chip it out with my fingernail. Yuck!
That and the damned roller system for head-spacing. I had brand new +4 rollers and still too small! so, f-it, it's traded!
There's also the 7.62x51 AK's that wouldn't do you wrong. The Valmets look like damn good rifles...