AK as first rifle for inexperienced shooter?

[RockyMtnTactical]

I don't see any issue with it, the AK was one of my first rifles.

 

[KINGMAX]

Ruger 10/22

RUGER 10/22 - don't get no better nor cheaper for a first rifle for anyone. It has got alot of aftermarket stuff, you can do alot with it, with out alot of expense as well. Good luck, have fun, be safe.







= jmoho

 

[stubbicatt]

AKs come in many chamberings. Perhaps right now the best value is the 5.45 chambering. Ammo is quite inexpensive, and depending on the platform, it will shoot as well as any standard AR15. Absent that, the 556 AKs are also very accurate, and if you get one with a side rail, you can always add an optic which will help you eke out all the accuracy that your rifle is capable of.

I agree. The only interesting rifles are accurate rifles. I have never really liked the 7.62 AKs, with the exception of the wood stocked Yugos.

YMMV

 

[lamazza]

Well..ahem..get it while you still can.

 

[Eagle1899]

Bolt action 22 and lots of ammo. Then add a scope and more ammo. From there choices abound.

 

[AK103K]

I dont see you'll have any troubles with an AK. Simple and easy to shoot, more than reasonably accurate. Handling and ergonomics are actually very good, once you understand how they work and learn how to properly work them. Anyone that tells you otherwise, is showing their lack of experience with one.

.22's are fine for plinking and some practice, but they do little to teach you to shoot centerfire, and especially a combat type rifle.

Good instruction and good practice are what counts, what you learn on really doenst matter, as long as you take the time to learn properly, and with someone who knows what they are doing. If your interested in the AK, then find someone who knows and understands the gun and get them to help you. They are easy to learn, and easy to shoot well with, even at ranges many will tell you you cant. Just because the mag will hold 30 doesnt mean you have to put 30 in it, or dump (or bump) them when you do.

Also learn to shoot from realistic field positions and stay away from a shooting bench. If you want to learn to shoot, the bench will not teach you anything, unless you intend on being a bench rest shooter.

AK - archaic open sights, stocks that are too short, and usually dismal trigger.

I have to disagree here. The sights on an AK are the same sights on just about any hunting rifle, shotgun, or military surplus rifle. They are simple and work well enough, and actually better than a peep in some instances.

The proper length AK stock has the same LOP as most all the other military rifles, about 13". Its the same LOP as a M16/M16A1, M14, Garand, etc. The M16A2, at about 5/8" longer, is actually to long, and instantly noticeable (and annoying) when you try to shoot one when your used to shooting proper length combat rifles.

I own a number of AK's, I've also shot a bunch more. Every AK I've shot has had a decent to very good trigger, and all were better trigger than a stock AR/M16 trigger. Even those that had "slap", still were decent triggers, shooting wise, they were just more painful to shoot with after awhile. Slap, if you should encounter it, is also usually easily fixed.

It's no fun shooting targets when the rifle can't shoot better than, say, 5" groups at 100 yards.

If your AK cant shoot better than this, its probably not the guns fault. With decent ammo, 5" at 200 yards is a very reasonable expectation from even the cheapest AK's, and that using the stock iron sights.

 

[AK103K]

dupe

 

[Eagle1899]

Bolt action 22 and lots of ammo. AK would be very low on the list for learning "how" to shoot.

 

[AK103K]

dupe of a dupe

 

[Seafarer12]

I agree with the .22 Learn to shoot first. Then if you want a toy get an AK.

 

[elmerfudd]

I really love AK's and I think they are even better combat rifles than they are given credit for, but they are also somewhat disappointing range rifles. Accuracy is more than adequate to kill out to 300m, but when you're shooting off a bench, it's a let down to realize that you can outshoot your rifle. Suddenly there's no challenge left in it.

For shooting at a range I really like a good bolt action and that's what I'd recommend you get. A CZ452 in either .22 lr or one of the .17 rimfires would be my first choice, but a good centerfire would be alright too. There's a lot to be said for shooting aspirins at 50 yards and knowing the gun can do it every time.

 

[35 Whelen]

As a first rifle? A bolt action .22 rimfire. With the semi-auto's, there WAY too much blam, blam, blam, blam, blam, blam, blam, blam, blam, blam, blam, blam (reload), blam, blam, blam, blam, blam, blam, blam, blam, blam, (reload) and not enough AIMING... In my opinion, our current shooting society as a whole doesn't know to shoot. They just fill up a clip and blast away at the backstop (usually the 50 yd. backstop) and watch for debris to move.
Learn to shoot, then get a good rifle. Personally, I feel Bubba Bumpkin (that'd be me) with his scoped deer rifle is far more effective (or dangerous) than your average Joe Blow city boy with his AK-15 or his AR-47 and a 30 round clip.
35W

 

[trbon8r]

With decent ammo, 5" at 200 yards is a very reasonable expectation from even the cheapest AK's, and that using the stock iron sights.

Now I would love to see this.

 

[AK103K]

These were shot at 200 yards with a $300 SAR1, using the iron sights (which are slightly canted I might add) and Wolf 154 grain soft points. They were seperate groups, fired from prone chasing zero.

The bottom group here was fired from a hard rest to confirm zero, and the upper group was fired from cross legged sitting at a steady cadence.

These are from 100 yards and shot with a $700 Krebs AK103K (with a 14" barrel) using Barnaul 125 grain SP's. This group was fired slow fire, offhand, using the iron sights.

These were 2 second snap shots from a low ready using a SAR with a forward mounted Aimpoint. 100 yards on the left, 50 yards on the right.

These were shot at 100 yards (same day and time) with a SOCOM 16 and the Krebs AK103K. At this point, I dont remember which one shot which (hey, I'm getting CRS ), but does it really matter?

The AK's, regardless of price, are all capable of good, combat accuracy, out to 300 yards or so. They may not be target rifles, but they are by no means dogs either.

 

[ArmedBear]

RUGER 10/22 - don't get no better nor cheaper for a first rifle for anyone.

It does. I've had both a 60 and a 10/22, and the Marlin 60 is better AND cheaper. I sold the Ruger and scoped the Marlin.

 

[MudPuppy]

I have to disagree here. The sights on an AK are the same sights on just about any hunting rifle

Man, that's a good point. Aren't the sights on an AK EXACTLY the same as those on the 10/22 and Marlin 60???

 

[goon]

I don't think it would be a terrible choice, but I'd up the investment by $100 and add a used bolt action .22 LR too.
IMO, even if you're a new shooter, if you want an AR/AK/FAL you had better buy it now.
Screw the practicality of it.

 

[yhtomit]

Several people have advised a .22 before a larger-caliber rifle, and I agree with them (though not to the point of ruling out the larger one -- just my strong inclination). However, though the 10./22 is a fun rifle, and reliable as autoloaders go, I'd suggest considering a bolt-action .22 instead.

I have a Savage .22 bolt action, "Mark II" I think, with a stainless steel bull barrel and synthetic stock. I just saw a similar one in a gun shop for $177 -- just about what I paid for mine around 10 years ago.

I find it pleasant to work the bolt action -- makes shots deliberate, at least compared to fast-as-you-can-squeeze of a semi-auto.

But wrt the original question ... millions of peasants around the world seem to have dealt with the AK as a first rifle!

timothy

 

[yhtomit]

With decent ammo, 5" at 200 yards is a very reasonable expectation from even the cheapest AK's, and that using the stock iron sights.

I wish I had vision good enough to let me get groups like that! Based on my groups at 100 yards, I certainly don't want to contemplate exactly how bad they'd be at 200

timothy

 

[easyg]

Forget the .22 rifle, they're boring even for beginners.

The AK is a fine weapon to learn with.

 

[AK103K]

I wish I had vision good enough....

My eyes are not getting any better either. My arms got short awhile back.

I dont think the accuracy issue is as much gun related as it is shooter related.

From what I've seen at most ranges, most shooters shoot exclusively off a bench, and rarely from field positions. I'd be willing to bet, if you took a person who calmly shoots tight little groups at a bullseye target off the bench, and sat them on the ground with the same rifle and told them to shoot 20 rounds into the same target at 100 yards in just under a minute, their groups would be quite a bit different. Different enough that you probably would not call it a group. Of course, that wouldnt be the shooters fault, nawww.

If you dont practice the basics, and on a fairly regular basis, you wont ever fall into the "rifleman" category. Theres a big difference between a rifleman and a shooter.


From the mechanics standpoint of the gun, its usually not the guns fault if you cant shoot it reasonably well, unless its a real bad example. Most of military type ("clone") rifles, if assembled correctly, should be capable of around 3-4MOA using issue ammo.

After the shooter, the ammo is usually the second weak point in the whole scheme of things. If your ammo cant do better than 4MOA, then your rifle never will. I have an AR that will shoot tiny, almost one hole groups using my reloads, and in the very next mag, using USGI LC ball, wont shoot better than 2-3".

This can be an issue with the AK's, or anything else if your shooting Wolf brand ammo. The only thing consistent about Wolf is its inconsistency. Some lots will shoot great, others can be very erratic. Like anything else, if you find some that shoots well, stock up. Some of the better Russian ammo available is the old Barnaul, which I believe is now sold under the Silver and Brown Bear labels. Its been the most consistent I've used. Their 125 grain SP's use a jacketed base bullet instead of the normal roll crimped type you encounter in military type ammo. That alone can make a very big difference in accuracy.

 

[geekWithA.45]

The AK is frequently a peasants first and only rifle, ever.

It was specifically designed for that.

 

[H2O MAN]

seeds76


AK as first rifle for inexperienced shooter?
Would an AK be a good first rifle for an inexperienced shooter? Why or why not?

If I could, I would spend money on an AR but they're too expensive ...

My suggestion:

Save your money and buy a nice used Bushmaster AR or something comparable.
The AR is super easy for inexperienced shooters to pick up and shoot well right away - it was designed that way.
The AR has better sights and controls than the AK and upgrade accessories for the AR are plentiful.

Get good with the AR and then try the AK.


I saved up and purchased a Colt

 

[Wedge]

It does. I've had both a 60 and a 10/22, and the Marlin 60 is better AND cheaper. I sold the Ruger and scoped the Marlin.

The Marlin 60 was the first gun my wife had shot EVER. It had a cheap-o $5 scope on it. Shooting offhand at about 10 yards and she was blasting out the black on the rim-fire target.

+1 to the Marlin 60

 

[yhtomit]

If you want an AR, I can only enviously point out the CMMG Bargain Bin rifles which have been pointed out on this forum several times lately, and that are making me wonder just how much plasma I could sell in the next three months

http://cmmginc.secure-mall.com/shop/?shop=1&cat=33&