First Rifle...What to get?

[notupperwareplease]

I am thinking of getting my first rifle. I have not owned a rifle as of yet.

Chances are I am going with a friend to the range several times between now and the time when I actually scrounge together some cash and go buy a rifle.

What should I get as my first rifle?

Here is the situation:

1) Limited budget...probably won't shoot TOO often (busy schedule/limited transpo) so ammo cost shouldn't be too much of a factor unless it is insanely expensive.
2) Limited experience....I've fired a .22 and a .410, but that's about it...going soon to the range to fire a few handguns and maybe a couple small-caliber rifles

I'm open to the option of carbines too...

(And I tried to use the search function and my computer nearly exploded, sorry...plus I figure there will be new/different ideas out)

Thanks

 

[rangerruck]

get a 22 lr, the cheapest to shoot or a 9mm handgun or a 223 rifle or a 762.39 rifle. cz makes all of these, for the money they cannot be beat. if you cant get them , get marlin new or used. next you may want a .308 cal rifle. if you get one of each of these calibres, you can target or game shoot everthing in north america, except for maybe moose and bear.

 

[Deer Hunter]

A Marline 336 30-30. Pick one up at a pawn shop, gun store, anywhere. Ammo is everywhere, and it'll never fail you. Great gun to start on.

 

[mustanger98]

I'll second the CZ's for the cost factor, but I'll also point out that Savage's Model 11G is quite good- I own a 11GL in .243 and they're also available in .223 and .308. I was out the door for $400 on my .243, but then I added another $25 for KwikSight see-through scope mounts and then whatever a scope costs.

If you want a .22LR, there's the Charles Daly Superior II. The ones I've seen around weren't bad on the money.

http://www.charlesdaly.com/html/products/firearms/rifles/rimfire/rimfire.asp

Or you could surf Gunbroker.com. There's deals on there, but you have to be careful what you bid or the shipping and transfer fee will run you over what you'll pay locally.

 

[mustanger98]

A Marline 336 30-30. Pick one up at a pawn shop, gun store, anywhere. Ammo is everywhere, and it'll never fail you. Great gun to start on.

While I said what I said in my last post, I also agree wholeheartedly with this statement, as I'm a .30-30 fan too. One thing about the Marlin, great rifle that it is, is it has "Microgroove" rifling and is not suited to firing cast lead bullets. The Winchester '94 in .30-30, which IMO is an equally great rifle, is more versatile in this way. Otherwise, some will debate which is better until they're blue in the face and it'll still come down to "Ford vs. Chevy".

 

[Dienekes]

Not to be a wise guy, but see the tag line below.

You need to decide what it is you want to do and articulate it.

(As Townsend Whelen said, however, "The .30-06 is never a mistake". The .308 is the same for practical purposes, and both can be loaded down. A basic utility grade bolt action with, say, a 4X scope is hard to beat.)

 

[DnPRK]

Get a 22LR bolt action. It is preferable to a centerfire because it will allow you to develop good shooting habits instead of flinching due to recoil and noise. When you can put 5 shots into a nickel at 50 yards you will have arrived. To get there you will have to learn sight alignment, posture, breath control, trigger squeeze and how to read the wind. I recommend a CZ452 or Mossberg M44 because they have heft and handle like a centerfire.

 

[rick_reno]

It's not clear to me what you want a rifle for - hunting? target shooting? both?
What do you want to do?

 

[Roudy]

Get a 22LR bolt action. It is preferable to a centerfire because it will allow you to develop good shooting habits instead of flinching due to recoil and noise. When you can put 5 shots into a nickel at 50 yards you will have arrived. To get there you will have to learn sight alignment, posture, breath control, trigger squeeze and how to read the wind. I recommend a CZ452 or Mossberg M44 because they have heft and handle like a centerfire.

I would heartily second this approach. If you start with a high power rifle you could easily develop several bad shooting habit and not realize it. The are a lot more opportunities to use a 22 LR as well.

 

[mustanger98]

Get a 22LR bolt action. It is preferable to a centerfire because it will allow you to develop good shooting habits instead of flinching due to recoil and noise. When you can put 5 shots into a nickel at 50 yards you will have arrived. To get there you will have to learn sight alignment, posture, breath control, trigger squeeze and how to read the wind. I recommend a CZ452 or Mossberg M44 because they have heft and handle like a centerfire.

I agree about a .22 for practice. You can get a lot of practice in for a low cost. You can shoot two 550rd bulk packs and never feel it.

You might also consider a Remington 521-T; the old "Junior Special". It's a nice rifle. This link goes to one with a scope that I've been watching, but I found another nice and got it.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=42918913

 

[palerider1]

get a 22. ruger makes some nice ones you can get for under 200 bucks that will shoot forever. ammo is cheap. you can buy target ammo for .98 cents for a box of 50. doesnt get any cheaper than that. good luck and welcome to THR.

 

[Essex County]

I'd buy a good udes Mossberg bolt gun and try to wear it out...Essex

 

[Spiggy]

Savage 24!

It's both a rifle AND a shotgun!

 

[Kramer Krazy]

I'd recommend a Ruger 10/22 as you can get them at Walmart for under $200 and ammo is about $10 for 500 (or 550) rounds. If you want bigger, find a "new" Yugo SKS for around $200, plus, the 7.62x39 ammo is only about $100 per 1000 rounds if you buy the import, steel-case ammo such as Wolf, Silver Bear, Brown Bear, or Golden Tiger. Want cheaper AND bigger, find a Mosin-Nagant for $100 and buy some surplus 7.62x54R ammo for about $60 for 800 rounds (will require cleaning immediately after your range time because the ammo is corrosive). These are my three suggestions for the least expensive (that I have experience with). So....

1) Ruger 10/22 for fun, cheap plinking
2) Yugo SKS for a good intermediate "do everything" gun
3) Mosin-Nagant for a hard hitting target/hunting rifle.

 

[notupperwareplease]

To those that say .22LR because of bad shooting habits: I'll probably have done a bit more shooting before I buy my rifle. But good points nonetheless.

What about buying a really cheap .22LR (aka Wal-Mart) to start on until I get a little bit more of a feel for it, and then the .30-06, .308 or .30-30? Or could I start a little higher up, like .223 or .243?
Friend has a .30-30, loves it...Other friend has a .308, loves it...and Grandpa has a few .30-06 and loves them...

And thanks for all the suggestions...I'll look into them.

Oh- And I will be mainly target shooting with them. Maybe down the road pick up hunting...but as for now, just shooting on the range.

 

[Lonestar.45]

Get a good .22LR to start with and you can't go wrong. Ammo is cheap, quality rifles are inexpensive, and you'll learn the basics. When you get really good and comfortable with it, then go out and do some more research and buy something you think you'll enjoy. I bought a Marlin Model 60 in 1982 as my first rifle, and probably put 10,000 rounds through it before getting a proper deer rifle in .270. All that practice with the .22 really paid off and I would not have wanted to start with a .270 or anything larger than a .22.

The .223's, .308's, etc. would be fun too, but I promise you you'll get to do a LOT more shooting if you start off with a .22, and that's what you want to do when starting off, a LOT of shooting, and learning. It pays off.

 

[gonzo_beyondo]

Ruger 10/22 is a real smart move for your first rifle, or carbine... Walmart has both. For $150-$170 you get a reliable, highly popular, semi-auto which has INFINITE modification capability... just check out the forums at www.rimfirecentral.com to see what I mean.

If you want really cheap, Wally world also has a .22 named "Plinkster", I forget who makes it but... $99.00 and sometimes on sale for less. Theres no excuse not to own a .22

$10-$15 for 500 rounds of high velocity ammo... you can't beat it.

Your next step from there would be to save up,
and get two cases of Wolf 7.62x39 and a nice Yugo SKS.

 

[redneck2]

There was a thread here a few weeks ago..."What was your first gun?"

Nearly every reply was a .22 (rimfire). IMO, your order should be

(1) buy a .22 Almost every .22 is plenty accurate, however, the better the firearm the better the results

(2) shoot a lot until you build marksmanship and good habits

(3) expand your horizions to centerfire

Nothing, and I mean nothing beats trigger time. Starting with a centerfire is a big mistake IMO.

 

[mustanger98]

I hear those Marlin box magazine fed crankbolts are good. If I were after anything but a levergun in .22, I'd go for a bolt. Semi-autos are just good for hosin'um down runnin'.

Nothing against 10/22's, but they do require some semblance of self control to squeeze one shot at a time. Otherwise, accuracy goes down fast to shooter error.

However, if somebody really wants a 10/22, I'd recommend folding that leaf sight down and installing an aperture like the one Cabela's sells for the 10/22.

 

[notupperwareplease]

Thanks y'all. I think I'm going to jump for the Ruger 10/22. Seems to be a unanimous vote that it is a great rifle, and a good starting rifle and caliber...

 

[BevrFevr]

22 bolt action or pump

After you have built your shooting skills and learned some basic weapons handling skills then get a ruger 10/22 or a marlin in 22. Without shooting skills the bigger guns are just more dangerous and more likely to cause you to develop a flinch.

.22 bolt action may be the greatest survival tool ever devised. If you start with a good one you will end up passing it on your kids and thier kids etc.

After that skip the rest of the trash and get you a SAKO in .308.

trust me on this. -bevr

 

[danurve]

Ok, Ruger makes a good choice. 22ammo is - well everywhere and inexpensive.

If you then in some point decide on a centerfire, a good choice would be a .223 or a .243 cal. Either has low recoil and plenty of ammo. The .223 is much cheaper to shoot, but the .243 has more universal for hunting, especially on a budget.