I've played with the FN-FALs...haven't tried others. The real FN-FALs and early civilian versions are great, but there has been a lot of crappy copies over the years. But the overall design is excellent.
I really prefer .308 to the newer .223. I like .223 for some things, but for combat, .308 is better. .223 is easier on logistics (a man can carry more rounds, hence shoot more freely, hence doesn't have to be trained as well) and tends to cause more injuries than fatalities, which are more draining on the enemy. But for a civilian, I prefer .308.