need help selecting a revolver

I may have missed it, but does anyone like the Taurus 65? It's quite a bit cheaper. I also am looking for a first handgun and am thinking 357.
 
I've shot both Rossi and Taurus and have got a couple in trades over the years. I think I still own one but haven't shot it in years. Nothing wrong with them but if you become "in to" handguns as much as knives, etc., they probably won't remain your "go to" firearms. If you are a bit of a "gearhead" and like to have higher-end equipment, I'd buy something a little more upscale. I bet you'll appreciate it the rest of your life. If you think you'll just use the revolver occasionally or if you are on a tight budget, a Taurus would likely be fine.

DancesWithKnives
 
S&Ws are nice, but for long term durability and reliability, it's hard to beat a GP100. I like the 3-inch fixed-sight model, myself. Equally great for a night in the woods or a night on the town. :)

ruger01.jpg
 
i'm picking up my permit from the sheriff's office tomorrow and friday i'm going to go ahead and get a .22

after so many replies that a .22 would be better for a beginner i'm going this route. when i considered the price of ammo i couldn't justify trying to learn shooting an expensive round. each time i missed the target i would be thinking of the money i'm wasting and that would probably turn me off of shooting;)
 
So are you going to keep us in suspense as to the winner?

DancesWithKnives
 
well my Uncle never has had a chance to take me shooting since he is going through the process of retirement (he is self employed) so i'm going to have to wing it.

i did decide not to go cheap but get something reliable for the .22 as well. i'm thinking Ruger or S&W.

i've talked my girl friend into doing some shooting too so the .22 should be better for her as well. she was against the whole gun thing until i told her how fun it would be:rolleyes::D

i'll post some pics on what we get. thanks guys!
 
Just curious. I think you'll be very happy with either. Have fun!

DancesWithKnives
 
Couple of things:

Make it fun. Balloons, target clays, things that POP. Think of your breathing first and foremost...then your front sight...then the target.

Shoot at a close target first. The idea is to reinforce success, not prove you are a natural marksman (most aren't.)

Some folks may disagree...but work on pulling the trigger so slowly that you don't even know when it will fire. I do this while exhaling slowly...again, others differ.

Where ever you go...clean up after you. So many folks just leave their litter--it is infuriating. Shells, target fragments...the works. You don't have to clean up others' messes, but it is a behavior that will stay with you a lifetime, and will be appreciated by others.

Even with the .22, wear ear protection. Foam plugs are fine. Hearing doesn't heal.


Be safe.


Kis
enjoy every sandwich
 
Noshtero said:
I may have missed it, but does anyone like the Taurus 65? It's quite a bit cheaper. I also am looking for a first handgun and am thinking 357.
Click to expand...

I'm a S&W fan, but even I can admit that the Tauri are good guns. I've owned several Taurus Model 66s which are basically the same gun and you'd be happy with the 65. It's a great gun with great accuracy. It may wear out a little faster than a similar S&W but you'd have to shoot many thousands of rounds of heavy ammo to notice the difference.

Basically, the Taurus model will last you a lifetime - the S&W equivalent will last your kids their lifetime too.
 
I shoot a ruger GP100 in .357 a lot, and my girlfriend's main shooter is a S&W 686 in .357, so I have a lot of trigger time on both...maybe 5000 rounds each?

The S&W is prettier for sure but it doesn't do anything much better than my ruger does. It's very slightly more accurate and the trigger is a tiny bit smoother...but then it cost nearly twice as much! Shooting hers in single action is the only time I notice a big difference. It's been tuned as a hunting gun and the trigger in SA is under a pound and breaks like a skinny icicle.

One advantage to the Ruger is that it will take ANY high pressure load you want. I abuse the heck out of mine with .357 maximum loads and it puts up with it no problem. I never do that to the S&W though. Also I suspect if we ran out of ammo, I could probably beat the 686 to death with the GP 100, and if I found more ammo afterwards it would probably still shoot it fine.

But for normal use there is almost no difference to my eyes or hands (or targets.)
 
Good points. As noted by Kismet, you might want to get some fun targets. Often steel .22 targets can be purchased cheaply. I enjoy the "Dueling Tree" that has four swinging plates on a vertical shaft. You start with 2 plates on each side and try to shoot/swing them over to your opponent's side. Whoever has the fewest plates at the end wins. If you get too many ties, keep backing up.

Another good training technique is to leave one chamber of the cylinder empty, then spin the cylinder so that you don't know when the empty chamber will come up. When you drop the hammer on an empty chamber you can sometimes see a flinch or other problem that would not be as easily observed while firing a round.

DancesWithKnives
 
the pics as promised. this one feels good. probably heavier than most other .22 around but i like the weight of it. it holds 10 rounds of .22 lr. with 6" barrel

so what does everyone think for a first gun?
002-1.jpg

i took a pic of it with my randall #23 gamemaster for a size reference.

i want to thank everyone for their help.:)
 
Looks like a nice gun! I just put a Ruger GP100 on layaway today, have to get my hangun purchase permit to comply with NE laws, but I'm really looking forward to getting this one. I love Ruger .357s almost as much as I love Marlin .30-30s!
 
Perfect! Should be accurate, reliable, fun, and last long enough for the next generation.

Congratulations,

DancesWithKnives
 
I would recommend that you start with a .22 DA, they are cheap to shoot, aren't punishing, can be shot single action, and make a great survival tool. A .38, .357, or larger are great for killing larger game, but are way to powerful for small game. You will also pick up bad habits shooting these as your first handgun, mainly flinching. I have a .45 acp, and 38 special +p, and can shoot both accurately, but am in the market for a .22 handgun as well for the same reasons shown above. It costs me ~20.00/box of ammo for the .38 and .45, with a .22 I can shoot all day for the same cost. I also want to teach my 10 year old daughter to shoot. She is slightly too small for an adult gun, and I don't want to purchase a youth gun, since she is my one and only child the gun will be useless after she out grows it.
 
Now the fun starts. A 550 round box of Federal is less than ten dollars. They shoot real well in my Ruger auto.
 
If you don't already have a cleaning kit, consider a Boresnake. A pretty easy/simple way to clean the gun in the field, before you even put it in the case.

DancesWithKnives
 
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