Looking to buy my first rifle.. Any advice?

reply to post by Cheesefacedogbone


Another thing to mention is you can do a drop in conversion with your AR to shoot 22LR,cmmginc.secure-mall.com... I'd also do some research on the Henry AR-7's from what I've read they aren't too durable and there are many better options.

reply to post by Cheesefacedogbone


If your buying your first rifle the best place to start would be Ruger 10/22, chambered for .22 Long Rifle. Cheap ammo, its an accurate gun and with a few easy customizations can be made into a tack driver and parts are plentifull in gunshops and on the internet. Another consideration would be to get a rifle chambered in .17 HMR, ammo is a bit more expensive than .22 LR, but its a hotter round with a little more range than the .22 LR Savage makes some pretty good rifles for the .17 HMR. Also take a Beginners Gun Saftey Course, even if you have experience with rifles its always good to get a refresher course by a trained professional because you will learn alot mainly about gun safety which is "THE" most important responsiblilty of being a gun owner.

Some good advice so far. A .22 is the answer for a starting gun,no doubt. I will disagree with some psots and say stay away from the tacticool crap that people like to bolt onto their guns and spend those several hundred dollars on ammo and a decent scope. These will both help your shooting abilities,which is what matters when you move up to a larger rifle. A hundred bucks worth of .22 ammo will go a long way,and for $150 you can get a perfectly good scope.
I like the 10/22 and it's a great choice,but I'm tempted to suggest a bolt action instead of a semi-auto. The reason I say that is becasue I've seen too many new shooters get caught up in the joy of burning ammo that they neglect the important things like learning proper form,technique,trigger control and breathing. A bolt action will slow you down and make you pick your shots a bit better. Actually, a cheap single shot .22 is a great learning tool, as you learn to really make your shots count.
Once you decide it's time to move up, a .223 is a good choice,as others said. Ammo is reasonably affordable for a centrefire cartridge,and there is a good variety available. Recoil is negligible,and the round is fairly flat shooting and comes in very accurate platforms. A Stevens 200 can be had for less than $300 and is a solid and accurate rifle.
The Mosin is a cool gun too,and for the price it's hard not to get one. Recoil will be substantially greater than the .223, but still quite managable.
Sks and the like are fun too, but I'd leave that for the first year or two until you've mastered the accuracy and other essential aspects. If your looking for a SHTF gun then they're fine, but to me it doesn't sound like thats what your looking for.

The general consensus you are hearing about getting a .22lr first is spot on.

I started my rifle collection with a heavy-barreled Savage bolt action in .308 and developed a nasty flinch. I was shooting a lot of expensive ammo Minute of Toiletbowl before I got wise and purchased a little .22lr rifle.

After that I would shoot the .22lr at the beginning of each range session and then move on to the .308, immediately switching back to the .22lr if I started flinching again. I was amazed but after just a few trips my groups got real tight and I was able to start shooting the big gun at further distances. To this day I never take my bigger guns to the range without taking the .22lr along as my "medicine cabinet."

Shooting is about practice, practice takes ammo, and ammo costs money. Ammo for a .22lr is as cheap as it gets, and as you move up the caliber chain it starts getting expensive beyond the .223 round. The .223 is both affordable and good for target shooting. The bigger calibers are nice, but will you ever be shooting far enough in windy conditions to reap the benefits? My .308 is nothing but a rust liability/safe queen now that I have a .223 rifle.

I also would like to add that there can be real benefits to learning to shoot with open sights rather than jumping straight into optics. If you can get good habits down with open sights, it will save you effort down the road.

Originally posted by Cheesefacedogbone
Thanks for all the advice everybody. I think the .22 is the way to go. I have a tendency to spend a ton of money on things I get bored with later anyway. Ive just always liked the SVD. I have shot .22's several times at realatively short range. I guess my next question is long range accuracy. I live in the country, and the range near my house is an outdoor range, and it is huge. I like the idea of target shooting at long distances. Is a 22 accurate at around 400 yards? I think Im gonna shop around a little this weekend and see what the gun stores have to say.

And once again, thanks everybody for all the help, I didnt expect this much response.

400? No.You area bout 300 yards past the really useable range. Though there was a blogger who shot a frozen butterball turkey at 250 yards and found complete penetration.With such a small, slow, projectile any wind at longish( (125+yards) range really made shooting at hose ranges a "challenge" Somebody above mentioned the .17.It costs more to shoot but it wiill run circles around a .22lr in accuracy. , It has pretty explosive terminal effects on game because of its much, much higher velocity.
the .22 is a "lethal" round no question; and I would not want to stand down range at 300yards, but its power (energy) is limited.
400 yards is along shot.not the extreme but you won't be shooting off "your hind legs"...
Where can you see a target at an open 400 yards? We aren't talking "video game" "skilz" are we?

I'd suggest a phased plasma rifle in the 40-watt range. But that's just me.

Originally posted by Silverado292
reply to post by Cheesefacedogbone

 

Another thing to mention is you can do a drop in conversion with your AR to shoot 22LR,cmmginc.secure-mall.com... I'd also do some research on the Henry AR-7's from what I've read they aren't too durable and there are many better options.

Had one of the earlier ar-7's: sights suck: the rear is a non adjustable flat piece of steel with a peephole punched in it.screwed to the rear of the receiver.(its a cool plinker that breaks down like a james bond movie gun. Almost any other ,.22 is more effective. and what matters is putting the projectile where it matters...not how"tacticool" it looks..

Get an anti material rifle,so if japanese tanks ever stroll down your street, you can take them out one well placed shot.

reply to post by 46ACE


Hey, Im just saying. The range near my house has targets all the way out to 500 yards. It would be fun to shoot that far.

reply to post by 46ACE


yeah, after seeing some of the reviews, I definatley looking at other options.

Originally posted by Deebo
If I were you id start with a .22 rifle, specifically a Ruger 10/22. Ammo is dirt cheap and light weight making it a great shtf tool also. Start with the basics.


Deebo

I fourth that..

Best way to learn. Especially the Ruger 10/22 part. Best .22 ever made.


When you learn on that you can pick up a Mosin Nagant for 69.00 + shipping + FFL and have 1 hell of a shooter for the 500 yard range. Ammo is super cheap...

www.aimsurplus.com...

reply to post by Cheesefacedogbone


I think you should buy a rugged , solid and reliable weapon!
Go for the newer AK 74 (not 47 ) .
Good luck!

reply to post by Cheesefacedogbone


Just get a Winchester. Their bad ass.

My first rifle was a .22 pump air rifle.
it isnt for shooting people, but then i don't eat people.
thing is you can practice and practice and practice.
(food, anything up to, but not including geese @25 to 40 yards)

Then move up to a .22 LR and then something up around a 308 or 30.06 or so.
30.30s get more deer then any other cartridge, and are fun to shoot
Marlin makes some nice lever actions.

What people say about having a common cartridge for after the SHTF, I'm not sure ..
whats sold out now most often...?

If you can seek the advice of some local shooters and see if you can try or rent and shoot some different calibers and see what you feel like while getting hands on supervision..
for saftey as well as other reasons.

just some thoughts
IMHO of course
good luck

I had only once in my life time to ACTUALLY SHOT an AK-47 (NOT AK-74 ) , and I instantly fell in love with it!
Too bad I'm not allowed to own such weapon (or any REAL weapon , that's how things are in ROMANIA ...)
.
Here's a photo "fooling around" ; the actual weapon I can't upload it!
I LIKE THE FREEDOM AND I HATE JAILS!

reply to post by fatalwishes


Thanks for the link. I had been looking and prices were all over the place.

Savage, Weatherby Mark V, or Vanguard, Browning BAR, RUGER 44/ or 44 deerfield if you can find one, actually Ruger has many nice rifles, a 22 is too small a round IMO. For the money, reliability and precise accuracy, the Marlin 336 is an awesome buy for a couple hundred bucks...Semi autos are nice but for a bolt action or lever, all you need is a nice one for a ONE SHOT ONE KILL...

reply to post by Cheesefacedogbone


Get yourself a nice scope too, leopulds are the best but Nikon is just as good and cheaper. The Winchesters and Weatherbys can shoot easily into the 500 range..

I have been looking at alot of stuff for the Mosin. I found this package here that seems like a great deal. for everything that comes with it. But it also sounds like too good of a deal. I like the look of the black stock, and the bipod is cool, but the scope is really the one that seems underpriced. I was under the impression that a good scope should cost a lot more. what do you guys think?

reply to post by Cheesefacedogbone


The scope is small diameter and there are no open sights. Get the military version. Try for the unmodified carbine if you can get it. www.mosinnagant.net...

7.62x54R ammunition is about $0.20 a round or so.

Buy a .22 with open sights and work up from there.

If you still want the Mosin, read the manual: www.impactguns.com...