Any suggestions for cheap rifles?

[MXan]

Ah, many suggestions! And this is why I wanted to ask online; I have several friends who are big into guns, but their experiences are limited to certain types of guns. Pretty sure none of them have shot AKs, for example.

To clarify, I don't need a high caliber. Doesn't mean I don't like them- most fun I've had with a gun was a .30-06 firing 220 gr. But the ammo is more expensive (and as some posters noted, I want to shoot lots of rounds and still move my shoulder), so in the interest of getting to be a better shot I have to avoid them.

Thanks so much for all the opinions. I had figured I'd get a .22, but several of you mentioned brands and other details I didn't know about. One mentioned the M1 Garand, which I've wanted for awhile- anybody know typical prices? I seriously doubt I can convince the Mrs. to let me get one, but a guy can dream...

Oh, and anybody know the laws for Idaho on purchasing rifles? I'm 24, so age isn't a concern. And will anybody care if I take it on road trips to SD where my folks live?

 

[Morrell]

If you opt for a garand look to the CMP program. Can get a shooter from 500 on up. Another brand to look at for .22lr would be CZ-USA. They offer very good quality bolt guns.

 

[megadeth1957]

a .22 or a .223 if you are just starting out but if you are buing factory ammo for the .223 instead of surplus go with a .22-250 imo i just have a soft spot for the 22-250 haha

 

[ldhulk]

If you want something other than a 22, my vote would be a used Marlin 30-30 lever action. They are easy to find, ammo is relatively cheap compared to other centerfire, and often on sale at Wally World and similar stores. Recoil is a lot less than a Mosin and you can always trade it in later and get most of your money back. There are a lot of cheap new bolt actions around, if you like plastic, but I like wood and steel in my guns.

 

[epijunkie67]

Obviously a .22 is going to fit your criteria better than anything else. There is a wide selection of inexpensive rifles available so I won't beat that horse any more.

I do want to mention that AFTER you buy the .22 you might still want to consider an inexpensive centerfire rifle. It will give you a chance to apply the principles you learn with the .22 and the option to shoot to greater ranges.

Many use pretty inexpensive surplus ammo or you could reload for it yourself. If you are only going to be reloading for a single caliber the equipment and supplies can be had pretty inexpensively.

A cheap Mosin, a 30-30, K31, CMP Garand, or any of a laundry list of good inexpensive options would be good to look at. Maybe not right this second, but soon. That way you cam grow your centerfire skills while you grow your rimfire

 

[GCBurner]

Ditto on the SKS as a cheap centerfire, to go along with a good, inexpensive .22. I'd rather have the SKS than a Mosin-Nagant for casual, shooting, due to the cheaper ammo, better handling, and MUCH lower muzzle blast and recoil. They can be pretty accurate, and with soft-point ammo can be decent hunting rifles in the .30-30 Winchester power range.

 

[Rmiller31]

My first gun was a ruger 10/22. I've now had the gun for 12 years and it's been lugged around on 4wheelers and in farm trucks and rarely cleaned by me and to this day still shoots and runs like day one. There are more accurate .22's out there but I've never missed a shot as a result of the gun. It would get my vote for a excellent first gun that will work great even if its abused. You can add about anything you can think of to the gun since there are so many after market parts for them.

My second choice would probably be a marlin lever action 22. I never owned one but my best friend did growing up and it was a pleasure to shoot.

 

[frankenstein406]

Start looking for used 22s, last two I picked up were $40 each semi/bolt.

Either a AK47 or 74. Saigas two but AK mags and ammo are so cheap it really makes up for the price of it.

$350 on up new for a wasr 10 or look used.

It's $4 per 20 for AK ammo here non bulk.

 

[BrocLuno]

Since you want to practice skill building, I would start with a .22 You'll find that it is a demanding little bugger. Whatever rifle you get (get the best used one you can), it will prefer some ammo over others. Step one, learning to feed a rifle properly. Then spend time shooting in all positions. It's easy to get complacent at the range by shooting off a bench, but that is not the real world. Once you start trying to equal your bench groups - off-hand, sitting, kneeling, and prone - you'll go through hundreds or thousands of rounds.

Shoot reactive targets. Shoot movable targets. Get some water balloons and long fishing leaders with hooks. Go hang the balloons in an old tree and start them swinging. Try shooting them in mid arc, it's really good practice for building lead. All these skills will translate to center fire and they are all WAY more affordable in .22

 

[rsrocket1]

One mentioned the M1 Garand, which I've wanted for awhile- anybody know typical prices? I seriously doubt I can convince the Mrs. to let me get one, but a guy can dream...

A Garand is a beautiful gun. Save up for it and buy it when you can afford it, but not right now. You will spend many hundreds for the gun and $.40 to $1 per shot compared to 3 cents a shot for a .22LR. You will shoot and learn a lot more with a limited budget and a .22LR.

Once you get hooked, save up for more guns and buy them when you can afford them, they will all pretty much keep going up in price.

Then learn how to reload so you can shoot much more and have more fun (you never save money, you simply shoot more).

 

[henschman]

OK, I'll tell you exactly what you need to do:

Buy a Marlin 795 .22, which is $130 from any of the big name sporting goods stores, and use Marlin's $25 mail in rebate, which gives you a great rifle for $105 or so. Then buy an extra mag, some 1 1/4" sling swivels, a GI web sling (M-1 and M-14 issue), and a set of Tech Sights (www.tech-sights.com). Then take the rifle to an Appleseed marksmanship clinic, which there are plenty of in your area. www.appleseedinfo.org

The Appleseed will do several things... one, it will teach you proper rifle marksmanship from field positions, so you will have strong fundamentals to build on, instead of trying to teach yourself or getting half baked advice from your friends. It also fulfills the "marksmanship training" requirement to buy from the CMP. If you join the RWVA, which is Appleseed's parent organization, for $20/year, it fulfills the other requirement (membership in a CMP-affiliated marksmanship organization).

So Appleseed accomplishes a couple of goals: it will get you qualified to buy $500 M-1 Garands (the best deal going for firearms), and it will also teach you how to build a solid position to properly shoot the rifle, so you can fire an M-1 or a Nagant or whatever else and still be able to move your shoulder the next day! If you properly pocket the stock and get your turkey neck and cheek weld, no rifle will hurt you, since your upper body will recoil as a unit. Just one of the many great things you will learn at an Appleseed.

Did I mention it's only $70 for the weekend? It's the best money you could possibly spend on anything gun-related. Better even than the CMP's $500 M-1 Garands! Trust me, I would never lead a new shooter wrong... Appleseed is the best deal going.

 

[kk0g]

Ruger 10/22 and then get to an Appleseed and learn how to shoot it.

 

[Usagi]

Depends on what kind of rifle you want.

You said you don't need large calibers. So, if you are looking for target practice types - the Marlin 795 and Marlin 60 are hard to beat. Both are super-accurate, very reliable, and under $150.

If you are looking for home defense / SHTF / or similar types of use, the cheapest I'd go with is an SKS. You get the benefit of a proven round (7.62x39 is not the best, but is plenty useful), ammo is as cheap as centerfire can get, the rifle is very sturdy, and the rifle is surprisingly accurate.

If you want to do High Power shooting, or want a real "battle rifle" - and others in this thread have said this before, but it is worth repeating, the M1 is worth the investment. A cheaper battle-worthy semi-auto will be hard to find, aside from the afore-mentioned SKS.

 

[Gordon_Freeman]

You might think about a WASR 10/63. Just do your research on them before you buy.

 

[blackops]

Most people suggest a 22 and that's honestly a very good choice, but, I would suggest something like a 223 bolt action. The perfect amount of recoil. Nothing overbearing, but enough to force you to learn how to properly shoulder a rifle.

 

[macadore]

AK74 or 47, reasonably priced ($350-$500), ammo is reasonably priced for 7.62x39 and very cheap if you choose the 74 in 5.45x39. it can take 5 and 10 round magazines if that is the capacity you desire and they are very easy to put a scope on, no gunsmithing required, just slide the scope or mount on to the side rail and mount your scope. they are also extremely reliable and can be fairly accurate if you get a saiga and if something does need repaired it is easy to do with very basic or no tools at all.

Not all Ak's have side rails. I have three and only the WASR had a side rail. I would not recommend and SKS to learn on. Scope mounting can be a problem and mine has the absolute worst trigger I have ever experienced on a rifle, handgun, cap pistole, or anything else.

IMO, if you want to learn to hit your target, start with a single shot. You have time to think between trigger pulls about what you did right and wrong on the last shot. The temptation to spray and pray can be great in a novice. A missed shot is worse than a shot not taken because there is a chance for collateral damage with a miss. The H&R Handi Rifle is inexpensive and certain models come with a rail for mounting a scope. It comes in several calibers including 357 Mag so you can shoot 38 Specials if you want. I have one in 223. The only problem I have had is that it won't eject Wolf 5.56 which isn't the correct cartridge anyway. I carry a cleaning rod with it so I can pound the spent shell out of the breach. Works great with 223.

 

[snake284]

If you look around you can find a Marlin Model 60 in the $130-$140 Range. For $180 you can get a Ruger 10/22 from Academy.

As for a cheap centerfire, I bought a Stevens model 200 from Wally World for 317.95, after Taxes and all it cost me $347 and some change. The trigger sucks but I had it worked on and it breaks clean at about 4 pounds now. But be careful with a trigger and make sure you find a good gun smith to do the work.

 

[rc109a]

I am surprised no one mentioned a Rossi or H&R single shot rifle. They are very simple to use, pretty accurate, and can get them in a variety of calibers (from 17HMR, 22LR, or any center-fire cartridges). The OP can buy new barrels and upgrade as his skills improve. They are also very cheap...

 

[sansone]

everyone's first rifle should be a .22LR for all the reasons listed above.. If you are talking about a hunting rifle, may I suggest a Marlin XS7 in .308 // milsurp ammo will always be around and 30 caliber is the most common N.American centerfire hunting caliber. If you ever start reloading you can't go wrong with all the once-fired brass available

 

[tmccray45]

I too am surprised that no one has suggested a H&R Handi rifle. I have several ranging from 22-250 through 30-06 and am pleased with their accuracy and ease of use. Cleaning after a trip to the range could not be easier. Using my 7.62x39 or my 30-06, I can place holes inside 1 inch at 100 yards and I would consider myself far from a marksman.

 

[JFtheGR8]

Rossi Trifecta? I don't have any experience with them but I like the concept. You can get a .22lr, .243 Win, and a 20ga all at once.

With that said, I own a Saiga 7.62x39. You could get one of those fairly cheap and then convert it to the AK confuguration down the road. It is a Russian made AK variant with a chrome lined barrel. I also own a Marlin 60 and am very fond of it as well.

Good luck and happy shooting!

 

[Usagi]

One mentioned the M1 Garand, which I've wanted for awhile- anybody know typical prices? I seriously doubt I can convince the Mrs. to let me get one, but a guy can dream...

MXan,

1st - Cheap rifle suggestion = Marlin 795 or 60.

2nd - Garand suggestion: Go to the CMP, and get one through them. A good Service Grade will run you only $595. Add 192 rounds of ammo, and shipping, and its about $720 or so.

 

[A_Matthew]

If you live in the Post Falls/CDA area if ID, go to one of the monthly gun shows and pick up one of the numerous .22's for sale there. Ruger, Marlin and Mossberg are all good brands. In fact, you could do what my friend recently did. He went down to Wal Mart and picked up a Mossberg 702 for $89, and said it was the funnest gun he has ever shot.

After you buy the gun, go down to the Black Sheep located in CDA, and pick up some .22lr ammo for $16 a box of 525. Then go have fun!

 

[Ala Dan]

Mosin Nagant is less expensive than a Ruger 10/22~!

We recently ran a sale on the black polymer/stainless 10/22's for $199;
while we sold a truck load of 'em; the Mosin Nagant's were only $129.
We had both, the round receiver and the hex looking recevier Mosin's~!

 

[A_Matthew]

Mosin Nagant is less expensive than a Ruger 10/22~!

We recently ran a sale on the black polymer/stainless 10/22's for $199;
while we sold a truck load of 'em; the Mosin Nagant's were only $129.
We had both, the round receiver and the hex looking recevier Mosin's~!

Very true. But if this is going to be a first gun, then he is probably going to want to go with a .22. Even though 7.62x54r ammo is cheap, it still doesn't compare with the cheap price of .22.