Author Topic: First gun... (Read 676 times)

beginningshooter4306 · « **on:** April 03, 2006, 06:08:54 PM »

Well, I have gone shooting several times and I'm looking to buy a bolt action. However, I am not sure what guns to look at. As a beginner, I suppose I should start with a .22 but that just feels like a BB gun. Does anyone have any rifles to recommend to a starter? I don't want to hunt. I just want to be able to go to the range. However, I dont want a big ol 50 cal either.... Thanks for advice/tips/suggestions.

mjbgalt · « **Reply #1 on:** April 03, 2006, 06:15:34 PM »

start with the .22. buy a full-size one like a remington 504 or any of the nice CZ models.

not only is it cheap to shoot, it's handy for pests and targets and small game and you can shoot damn near anywhere without making enough noise to tick people off.

it teaches your proper safety and marksmanship and is just about totally necessary if you want to be a good shooter. no substitute for trigger time, and that .22 is pretty cheap to feed.

why buy a .270 and spend a buck per shot and "learn" to shoot by getting whacked in the face/shoulder every time it goes off until you learn proper skills?

-Matt

kudzu · « **Reply #2 on:** April 04, 2006, 02:41:00 AM »

Cost wise go 22. If you wanted to step it up a notch git you a good 17hmr.

PA-Joe · « **Reply #3 on:** April 04, 2006, 03:09:14 AM »

22 LR if you want more you can't go wrong with a good 223 Remington.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #4 on:** April 04, 2006, 03:11:38 AM »

A good full size .22 is a great start. You won't develop a flinch, and you can shoot all day for $10.00. There are a lot of quality 22 rifles out there for a great price.

myarmor · « **Reply #5 on:** April 04, 2006, 03:18:09 AM »

Same here. Buying a 22 is the fastest and cheapest way to get into shooting I believe. With 550 rds for around $10 you will find no other caliber cheaper. And if your just plinking or target shooting, don't be afraid to shoot farther distances with it. I think thats a big mistake people make. Shooting a 22LR out to 100 and even 200 yards is a learning experiance. Of course it's not the best example caliber for these distances, that little bullet will make it out there with enough hold over. Not to mention how psyked you will be when you hit cans, clays, or water balloons out that far :agree:
Heres a couple to get you thinking:
http://www.savagearms.com/markiibv.htm

http://www.savagearms.com/markiifv.htm

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/rimfire_rifles/model_504/model_504.asp
This ones nice but costs more. It's all in what you want to spend.

You also might consider a 223 a little later. Cheap to shoot, powerful enough for Varmints, accurate, hardly any recoil and lots of fun to shoot.
-Aaron

nasem · « **Reply #6 on:** April 04, 2006, 07:09:31 AM »

beginningshooter4306 -

I was in your shoes about 3 and half years ago. I wanted a new rifle just to shoot it (not to hunt)....My first rifle ever was a 30-06 remington 7400, But I am sure that there are many other "beginner" rifles out there.

Some of the folks here, are telling you to get a .223 or the likes, and I just wanna say that can be misleading sometimes. When I take my bushmaster out and shoot it for about 2-3 hours, with about 250+ rounds at a time, I get used to the "super light recoil" that when I switch back to my 30-06 on the same day, I get my butt handed to me. It litterally feels like im shooting a 338 win, I dunno why, but When I shoot a small caliber and all of a sudden switch to a higher power rifle (like going from 223 to 30-06 on the same day) I get my @ss handed to me pretty badly.

I dont know how old you are, so I dont wanna say something that might end up getting you hurt, if youre a youngster(younger than age 16), DO NOT LISTEN to what Im about to say:
I think you should get a 308 win. Recoil is lighter than a 30-06, bulk ammo is about 25 cents a pop (manageable) and you can REALLY learn how to shoot and improve your shooting with this round. And its also a great hunting round if you ever wanted to go deer hunting.

As far as rifle goes, Go to walmart, pick a Mossberg ATR 100 in .308 for about $280-300(those are new rifles, so you might need to order them), spend an additional $70-90 for a Nikon Prostaf 4X scope (DO NOT GET A VARIABLE SCOPE), learn to shoot with a 4x, then when you get better and better, you can get a high variable scope.

If you want to find out where to buy cheap bulk ammo(for whatever caliber you pick), send me a private message and I can tell you where to go. I do not reload so I always find ways to buy cheap bulk ammo.

Gregory · « **Reply #7 on:** April 04, 2006, 12:21:42 PM »

Quote from: beginningshooter4306

Well, I have gone shooting several times and I'm looking to buy a bolt action. However, I am not sure what guns to look at. As a beginner, I suppose I should start with a .22 but that just feels like a BB gun. Does anyone have any rifles to recommend to a starter? I don't want to hunt. I just want to be able to go to the range. However, I dont want a big ol 50 cal either.... Thanks for advice/tips/suggestions.

First off, welcome to GB, beginningshooter4306

If you just wanna plink out to about 50 yds or so, a 22LR would be my suggestion. If you want to target shoot more at 100 to 200 yds then I would recommend a .223, and buy your ammo in bulk to keep your cost per shot down.

Siskiyou · « **Reply #8 on:** April 04, 2006, 12:46:21 PM »

I vote for a .22 rimfire. You can learn and practice a lot of good habits with the little .22. When I was first teaching a grandson to shoot during the winter I was able to take him to an indoor range. The range was setup for handguns but they allow .22 rifles. He was able to fire two hundred rounds without a problem. He would not have been allowed to fire one .270 in the same range.

When the weather broke we only needed 50 feet for him to practice different shooting positions.

Whenever I get a chance I will take a .22 rimfire out and practice on small targets at short range. I believe this practice pays off during hunting season. I do not ignore practice with a center fire, but rimfire practice has benefits.

Take a hunter safety course and learn safe handling.

I would ask those who go out in the woods and practice to clean up the area afterwards. Last fall while hunting I dropped down on a deadend road. I found a major mess left by somebody. There was blown-up phone books, a shotup computer case and other items. The message these people left behind is that shooters are dirt bags. I just think that there are bottom feeders in all walks of life. The problem is that a shooter pays a greater price because of other peoples misdeeds.

Get a .22 you will enjoy it.

corbanzo · « **Reply #9 on:** April 04, 2006, 02:01:52 PM »

IF you really think a .22lr is too girly for you (And don't call them girly, I'm a 260lb man with 4 of them) Try something else that starts with .22, lots to choose from. .22 mag, .221 rem jet, 221 fireball, .22hornet,
.223, .222 rem, .22-250. Lots to choose from that are really fun. I'd still recommend a .22lr to begin with. My first gun years ago was a remington 572 fieldmaster .22lr, and when I go out and hunt small game, it's still the first thing I reach for.

beginningshooter4306 · « **Reply #10 on:** April 04, 2006, 05:29:08 PM »

Ok... Since I got an overwhelming number of people recommending a .22, I think I'll go with that. However, I'm unsure of what to look at (specs wise) when trying to decide between 2 guns.

For example, a brief explanation of various definitions like "detachable magazine?"

(I think its exactly what it says... Unlike a shotgun where you have to load single shots right?)

I have shot plenty of times, just never got into the inner-workings and details of it. Thanks again for the help.

mjbgalt · « **Reply #11 on:** April 04, 2006, 06:53:01 PM »

that just means the clip drops out to load.

it's preferable to a tube magazine for some people...more handy.

-Matt

lilabner · « **Reply #12 on:** April 05, 2006, 07:17:19 AM »

I would get a .22. Buy the most accurate .22 bolt gun you can afford. CZs are accurate. I would also get an air rifle, no kidding. Daisy sells some pellet guns that can punch out one hole at 10 meters. With an air rifle you can practice at home and the mechanics - hold, breath control, trigger control - are the same as for firearms. I had no confidence in shooting from the standing position until I worked with an airgun in my garage and back yard. The skills you learn shooting pellet guns can be transferred to the .22 and to centerfire rifles.

nasem · « **Reply #13 on:** April 05, 2006, 09:47:52 AM »

I got one of those Gamo shadow 1000 pellete rifles(.177) with a
1.5-4.5X32 trekker scope, man they are nice as hell, Mine hits 2" groups at 35 yards. It LOVES squirels

corbanzo · « **Reply #14 on:** April 05, 2006, 11:36:58 AM »

Yeah, I got the shadow 1000 too, LOVES squirrels, but squirrels dont love it so much.... :grin: Hint for this rifle, don't get the kit with the scope, you might as well mount a 4 power pair of eye glasses on it!! :-D :-D

There are a few types of actions with different magazines you will find out there.

Single shot - cock between every shot
Semi-auto - automatically loads bullet in the chamber everytime you shoot
Fully-auto - don't worry about that for a .22lr :-D

Actions:
*Bolt action - for single shot, bolt on side, which slides up and then back, taking out the cartridge, and putting a new one in on being pushed forward
*Bolt action - for semi auto, bolt on side of the action which pulls straight back to put the first shell in
*Pump action, a pump in front of the receiver(where the chamber is) under the barrel, pumped every shot.
*Lever action - level behind trigger, moved forward and back for every shot.
*Break open - single shot, gun breaks between the receiver and the barrel, to put cartridge directly into the chamber.

Magazines:
*Break open - one shot, chamber only, most double barrel shotguns, or other true single shots.
*Tube fed - tube which runs along bottom of barrel to hold bullets, used in most shotguns, lever rifles, pumps, etc.
*Drop out magazine - a self-contained magazine holding a certain amount of shells which is loaded outside of the gun and then snapped into place. examples are a ruger 10/22, and assault rifles
*Box magazine/hinged floor plate - the magazine is contained within the gun, and not removeable, bullets are fed straight into the gun into the magazine. Usually a hinged floor plate on bottom side for insertion or extraction. Used in most hunting rifles

alien319 · « **Reply #15 on:** April 05, 2006, 01:36:45 PM »

I started on a .22LR when i was 10 years old. I still have it. It was a Lafefield Arms Mark II. Now it is made by Savage I think. It is an awesome shooter. I know I haven't been hunting much but I have shot quite a few rifles so if you do want to step up a little with out paying much for ammo I would shoot a .223 Remington. It isn't the most powerful round but I shoot it all the time being in the Marine Corps and it is fun to shoot. Hope this helps.