What kind of gun should I get?

bigcountry1315 said:
I have been a master firearms trainer for 15 years. For a first handgun i recommend a 22 lr.Not much noise no recoil to speak of and very accurate. Now if the gun is going to serve a dual purpose plinking and self defense I recommend a 4 inch barrel 357 magnum.You can practice pretty cheap with 38 specials and can load it with 357 magnum loads for self defense or 38 special +p rounds.
If you are looking at a rifle Mossberg, Savage,Remington and Marlin offer rifles in the $300 range.A 223 is a good round to start with.Once you are comfortable with recoil I would recommend a 308 for long range shooting.The firearm in the long run will be the cheapest cost to you.The ammo prices and where to shoot and cleaning supply's add up quick.This is just my 2 cents.Good luck to you.

Mike
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KennyB ........ I think that Mike = bigcountry has given you great advice.

I'd stay away from military surplus or heavy recoiling firearms as a first gun .... corrosive ammo, mismatched parts, sometimes hard to find ammo and sighting in a hard hitting gun that has been thrown together isn't always fun. Plus they should have the headspace checked before firing.

Accurate firearms that you can hit with consistently are fun ... doesn't matter the caliber but it is easier with lighter recoil ...... and cheaper.

A big bang, sore shoulder/hand and expensive ammo aren't that satisfying if the rounds aren't landing on target.

If you are a target shooter a bolt action rifle is a lot nicer to shoot from a rest than a semi-auto or lever action ... you can lay the bolt gun there and feed it without a lot of movement.

I like leverguns but prefer shooting them offhand due to the effort/range of motion cycling the action.

I shoot and handload a lot of .222REM ...... they aren't as common anymore so I'd get a .223REM Savage, .22LR pistol, revolver or rifle.
 
I think a Savage model 10 or 110 (depending on calibers you would eventually like to shoot) would be ideal. The nice thing about the Savage action is the ease in changing barrels. You could start out with a Savage 10 (short action) in say .223 which would be excellent for varmints and target and if you wanted to change to a new caliber in the future like .308 you could by simply swapping out the barrel and possibly the bolt head and checking headspace. Savages can be very accurate and there are plenty of aftermarket stocks/parts available. If you wanted to go even cheaper, you could look for a Stevens 200 which is essentially the same action and you can do the same thing with it,the initial gun would just be less refined.
 
KennyB said:
Oh, yeah, I remember hearing about those (particularly the Mosin Nagants), but the worry I had was about the ammunition. Basically want to find the right round that is cheap and easy to come by and I've heard people complain that it's hard to find anything but bulk ammo for those military surplus type guns. Any truth to that?
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Ammo is available and in production. It can cost up to 75c a round, but still plentiful two dime ammo. Norma, Wolf, Lapua Ingram Sellier Bellot.... etc. This round is also used in a number of current sniper and automatic rifles.

BUT... you said your shoulder hurt. I cannot shoot more than about 20 rounds before crapping out for the day with a sore shoulder. Then I fall back to practicing with a pistol or 22 rifle. I use 150 grain ammo, even if my rifle prefers 180gr because the punch x 20 makes a difference. To be honest, after the fifth round the mule kick becomes a "conscious" issue.
YMMV, but I have tried a Mauser at the range, and evenn that has a bite. If you go this way, you should be more comfortable with the longer heavier rifles than the shorter carbines in 7'52
BUT.... you said you
 
Emerson15 said:
If I were you I think I would buy a .223 rifle for my first firearm if I had the same criteria. It has a lot more recoil than a .22 but it won't wear out your shoulder if you shoot it all day. And a .223 has plenty of range. With some practice and after you learn how to properly adjust your scope you would be able to hit a silhouette size target out to 600 yards pretty easily. Look around there are a few different models if your price range.
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Seconded. Also the ruger Mark ii target recommendation.
 
All purpose firearm, get a shotgun. Want a reliable used pistol to fit your budget consider Ruger's line up of autopistols. Don't forget like mentioned Sig's 225 beautiful shooting pistol and the compact single stack Glock 36 in .45acp.
 
http://www.rossiusa.com/whatsnew-trifecta.cfm

I know it's youth size, but I'm sure there is a way to add a spacer or slip on butt pad. For about $300 you can shoot cheap, scope and shoot at some distance, and have a shotgun because a light single shot shotgun is a VERY handy tool to take a field with you someday.

Just what I would do if I was in your shoes.
 
The SKS is your best bet. It's fun to shoot because it's cheap to shoot. They can be had well under $400, and ammo is really cheap. Not .22 LR cheap, but cheap.
At the same time, I'd advise you to buy a bone stock Ruger 10/22 and get good at shooting that, because .22 is damn near free, and a Ruger 10/22 has lots of customization options down the road. Is it a boomer? No. Is it fun? Yes.
I'd say buy those two, you could get the both of them for under $600 total easily, then buy 1000 rounds of ammo for each one, a couple magazines, and shoot til your shoulder hurts.
 
Well, I think I'm going to take the advice of those suggesting a .22lr rifle. It's kind of written on the wall really, because I already have a 3-9x40 AO scope that it seems I could easily mount on a lot of the suggestions.

I think it might come down to the Savage Model 64 vs Marlin 795 ( or maybe the 60, but I'd be stuck with the tube mag ) vs Ruger 10/22

I can get all of them in town. I'm kind of leaning toward the Marlin 795 because it has the monte carlo stock and a dovetail groove on the receiver. I hear I'd have to take out filler screws with the Ruger, and I have no idea about the Savage.
 
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For fun and utility I'd go with an SKS or for a small downgrade in accuracy, get a WASR 10/63. 7.62x39 ammo is cheap, hard hitting, low recoil, and it doesn't get any easier to clean and maintain than an AK. The SKS is a better choice if you'll be hunting - with good ammo the WASR can do 3" @ 100yrds, the SKS can do that with cheap ammo. Not sub MOA, but plenty good for iron sights.
 
I see a lot of threads for a "survival rifle." Whilst I will agree from a ammo/cost effectiveness stand point the .22LR has no parallel/equal. I have several .22LRs: pistols and rifles ... so I am a believer. But the weapon I am MOST likely to have on me whilst enjoying the outdoors is generally a centerfire pistol. Sure when hunting big game, small game or birds I will ALSO have a shotgun or rifle (rim or center fire). But when I am NOT hunting I don't tend to carry a rifle around in the woods...this make DNR officers suspicious that you are poaching, etc... No one generally gives a second glance to an Open Carried Glock, etc...(obviosly depending on region/state YMMV) This year I am contemplating hunting whitetails with a pistol, to become more proficient with pistol hunting.
 
I have not checked the caliber offerings for the Stevens, but in general a "normal" type rifle chambered in 223 would be a good choice. Rifles like the Ruger Mini-14 would be a lot of fun, but they don't tend to be highly accurate rifles and are certainly more expensive than $300. They are a blast to shoot, but doing much better than 6" paper plate accuracy at 100 yds is probably expecting too much.

Another one that has not been mentioned is a 22 Mag (22 WMR) as your first shooter. To me, the ammo is too expensive, but it is certainly cheaper than most centerfire ammo. Take a look at offerings from Marlin and Savage in this caliber. A 22 Mag certainly has more "thunder" than a regular 22LR rifle which you seem to dismiss. But in general, I usually recommend a 22 rifle as a first rifle to learn marksmanship and get used to shooting so you have a better idea of what you like. The Savage Mark II in 22LR is excellent and fairly inexpensive.

A great choice might be a Marlin 1894 in 357 mag, but they run more than $300. They are in the $500 or so range new these days last I checked.
 
22-rimfire said:
I have not checked the caliber offerings for the Stevens, but in general a "normal" type rifle chambered in 223 would be a good choice. Rifles like the Ruger Mini-14 would be a lot of fun, but they don't tend to be highly accurate rifles and are certainly more expensive than $300. They are a blast to shoot, but doing much better than 6" paper plate accuracy at 100 yds is probably expecting too much.

Another one that has not been mentioned is a 22 Mag (22 WMR) as your first shooter. To me, the ammo is too expensive, but it is certainly cheaper than most centerfire ammo. Take a look at offerings from Marlin and Savage in this caliber. A 22 Mag certainly has more "thunder" than a regular 22LR rifle which you seem to dismiss. But in general, I usually recommend a 22 rifle as a first rifle to learn marksmanship and get used to shooting so you have a better idea of what you like. The Savage Mark II in 22LR is excellent and fairly inexpensive.

A great choice might be a Marlin 1894 in 357 mag, but they run more than $300. They are in the $500 or so range new these days last I checked.
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I found the Marlin 982 and the Savage Stevens 305 as far as the magnums go, but I kind of agree on the ammo aspect in that they looked a lot more expensive than .22 LR. The rifles themselves are still very affordable, and I did consider them because it seems as though I would be able to shoot out to a little further ranges than with .22LR too.

The .22LR just isn't really an "impressive" round... More precisely, I've got some marksmanship fundamentals from airguns already, and the Ruger 10/22 at least felt pretty much like an air rifle with longer range. The challenge of wielding the .30-30 or the .357 with the recoil was more "exciting". I still think I could have plenty of fun with a good .22 autoloader and a high capacity magazine though, just as a general plinker and to get longer ranges than I've shot at with air guns though, so I haven't written them off. Plus I could get a Marlin Model 795, a Savage 64 or a Ruger 10/22 and a good amount of ammo and accessories ( plus a range membership ) for under $300.

So yeah, I don't really think I'm going to find any other thing that might be that affordable except for the military weapons mentioned, and from the sounds of how accurate those are I think I would rather get a really nice shooting .22 for the same money.
 
KennyB, I tend to shoot my .22LR Henry H001T and Ruger 10/22's a lot more then my .357 Marlin or SKS. This Spring Ruger came out with 25 roung magazines for their 10/22's that are a reasonable price. I'm thinking of getting a few for my 10/22.

Some people (normally young hot shots) say that the heavier the recoil the funner the gun is. They normally don't talk about how few rounds they put down range before they had to stop or how few times they actually hit the center of the target at 100 yards. If you talk to a lot of old timers that have been shooting for ever, most will tell you that they have all kinds of cool guns, but that they shoot their little .22's the most. They are easy on the shoulder, inexpencive to shoot and can be very accurate.

Punching small holes in paper or busting dirt clods with my .22 Rifles is so of the most fun that I've had in an afternoon of shooting. I'm lucky living out here in the country. Most towns have their own official or un official shooting range and the national forest is with in minutes. Some afternoons when I have a spare 30 minutes to an hour and access to my mom's car, I'll drive the 5+ minutes to the local range to blast dirt clods, water bottles or what ever else I can find up there. Next time I head up I'll be taking a few cans of soda. If you hit them right they explode. If you don't they spray soda all over the place which is still pretty cool!

Let us know what you end up getting!

BTW If you want to get into shotgun shooting on the cheep, check out H&R Break action shotguns. I got a 20g Pardner back in March for around $130. 20g shells are less expenvice then 12g and much easier on the shoulders, but they will bust clays all day long! Though a 12g with a nice recoil pad isn't to bad. :)
 
wildmanh said:
KennyB, I tend to shoot my .22LR Henry H001T and Ruger 10/22's a lot more then my .357 Marlin or SKS. This Spring Ruger came out with 25 roung magazines for their 10/22's that are a reasonable price. I'm thinking of getting a few for my 10/22.

Some people (normally young hot shots) say that the heavier the recoil the funner the gun is. They normally don't talk about how few rounds they put down range before they had to stop or how few times they actually hit the center of the target at 100 yards. If you talk to a lot of old timers that have been shooting for ever, most will tell you that they have all kinds of cool guns, but that they shoot their little .22's the most. They are easy on the shoulder, inexpencive to shoot and can be very accurate.

Punching small holes in paper or busting dirt clods with my .22 Rifles is so of the most fun that I've had in an afternoon of shooting. I'm lucky living out here in the country. Most towns have their own official or un official shooting range and the national forest is with in minutes. Some afternoons when I have a spare 30 minutes to an hour and access to my mom's car, I'll drive the 5+ minutes to the local range to blast dirt clods, water bottles or what ever else I can find up there. Next time I head up I'll be taking a few cans of soda. If you hit them right they explode. If you don't they spray soda all over the place which is still pretty cool!

Let us know what you end up getting!

BTW If you want to get into shotgun shooting on the cheep, check out H&R Break action shotguns. I got a 20g Pardner back in March for around $130. 20g shells are less expenvice then 12g and much easier on the shoulders, but they will bust clays all day long! Though a 12g with a nice recoil pad isn't to bad. :)
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Yeah, I will, but I'm pretty sure at this point the .22 calibers are the best way to get into a nice little shooting package and not spend way more than I really want to, plus I think I have a better idea of how it will be to shoot loads of .22 versus how much .30-30 and .357 I shot. I mean, I shot only about 20 rounds of the .30-30 and was fairly accurate at 100 yards ( would have liked to hit the soda box I was aiming at a little more but I thought it was okay for my first time on a real rifle ) and the .357 revolver was such a delight I put about a hundred rounds through it and only felt it in my hand the next day, but the rifle I was definitely a little tired of it.

The Marlin 60 or 795 look the most attractive to me right now. The 60 has a 14 rd tube magazine, whereas the 795 has a detachable box mag and I can get after-market high-capacity ones for it. The big plus for the Marlin is that it has a tip-off dove-tail rail right on the receiver so that will make setting my scope up really convenient, and from everything I've been reading it's more accurate out of the box than the Ruger 10/22 which needs some tuning.

There's also the Savage 64, but I haven't read as much about that... Two pluses for the Marlin and Savage though is the monte carlo stock. However, two negatives for the Ruger and Savage is that I'll have to mount a rail onto the receiver--the Ruger even recommends a specific torque setting and I don't have a torque wrench.

Anyway, yeah, I've been doing a bit of homework on the .22s. Like I said they seem to be the best way to get into an entire shooting setup more affordably...

(Am I forgetting anything here?)
$150 - $200 for the rifle
$50 for 500 rds of .22lr or about $100 for .22 winmag
$20 for a case
$0 for rings and a 3-9x40 scope
$0 for a cleaning kit
$0 for eye protection

So that easily puts me at about $250-$300 which is a good place to be for the shooting setup itself and then with range/gas prices and the continuing cost of ammunition.

I might look into shotguns sometime, they're not something I've considered an awful lot. Seem to be less pin-point style shooting than with a rifle or pistol.
 
Some greats suggestions. Everyone should have a .22. If I was only going to have one gun, it would likely be a .357 magnum revolver. I seen used Ruger Security Six revolvers for less than $200 at gun shows. Very versatile and can be reasonbly priced for the gun and ammo. It's very hard to beat for protection also. Good luck.
 
The important thing is to get what you want and are happy with then Practice, Practice, Practice!! I can't comment as to if a given rifle is more accurate out of the box then my stock 10/22, I just know that it does minute of Pop Can at 75+ yards and that is good enough for me. Enjoy your time shooting!!
 
KennyB said:
I found the Marlin 982 and the Savage Stevens 305 as far as the magnums go, but I kind of agree on the ammo aspect in that they looked a lot more expensive than .22 LR. The rifles themselves are still very affordable, and I did consider them because it seems as though I would be able to shoot out to a little further ranges than with .22LR too.

The .22LR just isn't really an "impressive" round... More precisely, I've got some marksmanship fundamentals from airguns already, and the Ruger 10/22 at least felt pretty much like an air rifle with longer range. The challenge of wielding the .30-30 or the .357 with the recoil was more "exciting". I still think I could have plenty of fun with a good .22 autoloader and a high capacity magazine though, just as a general plinker and to get longer ranges than I've shot at with air guns though, so I haven't written them off. Plus I could get a Marlin Model 795, a Savage 64 or a Ruger 10/22 and a good amount of ammo and accessories ( plus a range membership ) for under $300.

So yeah, I don't really think I'm going to find any other thing that might be that affordable except for the military weapons mentioned, and from the sounds of how accurate those are I think I would rather get a really nice shooting .22 for the same money.
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A bone stock 10/22 and a lot of ammo (and butler creek steel lips magazines/Ruger BX-25 magazines) will give more fun than anything else out there for the money, IMHO.
 
(Am I forgetting anything here?)
$150 - $200 for the rifle
$50 for 500 rds of .22lr or about $100 for .22 winmag
$20 for a case
$0 for rings and a 3-9x40 scope
$0 for a cleaning kit
$0 for eye protection

You can buy 550 round of .22 for around $20 unless your buying match ammo.
 
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