Whats a good rifle for starters?
04-25-2007, 08:48 AM
#23
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rocky Mtn. Hse. Alberta
Posts: 823
RE: Whats a good rifle for starters?
ORIGINAL: TYLER_ROOKIE_HUNTER
Whats a good gun for starters?
Whats a good gun for starters?
These are cartridges, the ammunition that goes into a GUN or RIFLE.
And a few posters have asked you an important question, what type of hunting or shooting do you intend to do? What kind of game do you intend to hunt mostly? What is your age, size and relative experience shooting various guns?
The kind of GUN and the kind of cartridge, for you, really depend on those factors.
My daughter and son started out shootinga shortened .22 single shot I bought and modified for them. Then I got a Rem. modle 788 bolt action in .243 for them to shoot and eventually hunt deer and pronghorn with. I have not been that happy with the performance on game of the .243. Wish I had gotsomething a little"bigger". A simple, short, light bolt gun in 6.5X55 Sweedish mauser or a.260 rem. or a 7mm08.
I think rifles chambered in .243 are better suited to more experienced hunters than "starters".
Robin in Rocky
04-25-2007, 09:24 AM
#24
Fork Horn
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Hamiltucky, OH
Posts: 485
RE: Whats a good rifle for starters?
ORIGINAL: nchawkeye
Tyler, its really hard to tell...What do you intend to do with this gun??How old are you?? What is your level of experience?? Do you have a mentor??What state do you live in and do you intend to hunt instate??? If you are going to hunt are we talking squirrels? deer? turkeys? doves? Or do you just want to target shoot and plink??
Guns are like golf clubs, you pick a certain one for a certain purpose....
Tyler, its really hard to tell...What do you intend to do with this gun??How old are you?? What is your level of experience?? Do you have a mentor??What state do you live in and do you intend to hunt instate??? If you are going to hunt are we talking squirrels? deer? turkeys? doves? Or do you just want to target shoot and plink??
Guns are like golf clubs, you pick a certain one for a certain purpose....
But... it's hard to imagine anyone not needing a .22lr at some point along the way. They're far too cheap, and fun, to shoot: you'll almost forget you're reinforcing your shooting fundamentals!
Once you've picked a purpose, go pick up lots of guns that meet that purpose, and pick the one that fits you like a glove.
Let us know how it goes - we're inherently NOSEY on this site!
FC
04-25-2007, 09:45 AM
#25
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: OKC Ok. USA
Posts: 501
RE: Whats a good rifle for starters?
A bolt action , caliber all depends on use and age of beginner. One thing I totally disagree with is anylever action or H&R style singlefor a young beginner. I don't want young inexperience hands having to deal with a hammer in a cocked position when a shot isn't taken and to make a firearm safe.If you're giving the shooter only one round in a lever the gun can be cycled once and emptied otherwise they have to deal with the hammer and a loaded chamber. This is a recipie for an unintentional discharge.
04-26-2007, 07:21 AM
#26
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 4,264
RE: Whats a good rifle for starters?
I would actually suggest the .308 Winchester, it's a great cartridge and it doesn't recoil bad.
I would not suggest a .243, or a Savage, since a .243 isn't a manly gun, not enough recoil that gives you satisfaction, but the .308 doesn't recoil too much like a 30-06.
Savage rifles are accurate, but cheaply made, the thing about rifles is, you'll get what you pay for, and a cheap rifle tends to equal cheap quality, in comparison to mid-range priced rifles ($400-$700), the Savage action is not very easy to handle, but that all depends on what model you get, and the cheap ones have a very rough action that isn't pleasant at the shooting range.
It all depends on your price range, my gun is a Remington Model 673.308. It's not a catalog item, or on the website, but it's not custom.
I have noticed that certain gun stores have them for sale at cheaper prices than normal, why this is I don't know, but at 100 yards, using Federal Powershoks, I can have a3/4 inch group easy, with a proper rest.
It'svery accurate, and it's a beautiful gun, the stores sell them for approximately $585.
It might be steep for you, though, because you'll have to buy a scope, too, and the best, cheap scopeI have seen is a Shooter's edge 3x9x40, or3x9x50. For $100. It's really cheap, you can look online for a retailer called Nation's Best Sports, and theydo sell them, if you don't have anyShooter's Edge products at your local gun dealer.
So, the gun, at lowest price would be
$585 (Not counting tax)
Scope
$117
4boxes of Federal Powershok
$44(Not Counting Tax)
This is all thebare minimum, you will also need a cleaning kit, those usually cost $15-$20.
If you want a sling, that's another $10-$15-$20.
It'll take lots of allowance money, if you're a teenager, to get that gun, I got mine because I also had friends and family pitch in and add to my "Gun Fund" on top of what I had already saved.
One downside to the .308 is that the .308 is used in the M4, and the M14, including many sniper rifles in the U.S. Military, and with the war going on in Iraq,coupled with high metal prices, .308 ammo isn't as easy to find as it used to be.
Shooter's who own .223's also have this problem, since the .223 is used inthe M16, and I think theSAW, but I'm not sure.
But, the .308 is a great cartridge. That's my vote.
The 7mm-08 would also be a good choice,but for now the factory ammo availability isn't so great, as far as different loads are concerned, the .308 is better in the fact ithas more ammo availability.
If you need to go ultra cheap, get a12-guage shotgun, and use slugs if you can get a rifled barrel, if you can't get a rifled barrel, use rifled slugs in arifled barrel.
You can get a great Mossberg 500 or Remington 870 for $200 or less.
I wish you luck.
BTW, (By The Way)I do notlike the .243, I just chose the name Younggun243 before I actually owned a gun.
I would not suggest a .243, or a Savage, since a .243 isn't a manly gun, not enough recoil that gives you satisfaction, but the .308 doesn't recoil too much like a 30-06.
Savage rifles are accurate, but cheaply made, the thing about rifles is, you'll get what you pay for, and a cheap rifle tends to equal cheap quality, in comparison to mid-range priced rifles ($400-$700), the Savage action is not very easy to handle, but that all depends on what model you get, and the cheap ones have a very rough action that isn't pleasant at the shooting range.
It all depends on your price range, my gun is a Remington Model 673.308. It's not a catalog item, or on the website, but it's not custom.
I have noticed that certain gun stores have them for sale at cheaper prices than normal, why this is I don't know, but at 100 yards, using Federal Powershoks, I can have a3/4 inch group easy, with a proper rest.
It'svery accurate, and it's a beautiful gun, the stores sell them for approximately $585.
It might be steep for you, though, because you'll have to buy a scope, too, and the best, cheap scopeI have seen is a Shooter's edge 3x9x40, or3x9x50. For $100. It's really cheap, you can look online for a retailer called Nation's Best Sports, and theydo sell them, if you don't have anyShooter's Edge products at your local gun dealer.
So, the gun, at lowest price would be
$585 (Not counting tax)
Scope
$117
4boxes of Federal Powershok
$44(Not Counting Tax)
This is all thebare minimum, you will also need a cleaning kit, those usually cost $15-$20.
If you want a sling, that's another $10-$15-$20.
It'll take lots of allowance money, if you're a teenager, to get that gun, I got mine because I also had friends and family pitch in and add to my "Gun Fund" on top of what I had already saved.
One downside to the .308 is that the .308 is used in the M4, and the M14, including many sniper rifles in the U.S. Military, and with the war going on in Iraq,coupled with high metal prices, .308 ammo isn't as easy to find as it used to be.
Shooter's who own .223's also have this problem, since the .223 is used inthe M16, and I think theSAW, but I'm not sure.
But, the .308 is a great cartridge. That's my vote.
The 7mm-08 would also be a good choice,but for now the factory ammo availability isn't so great, as far as different loads are concerned, the .308 is better in the fact ithas more ammo availability.
If you need to go ultra cheap, get a12-guage shotgun, and use slugs if you can get a rifled barrel, if you can't get a rifled barrel, use rifled slugs in arifled barrel.
You can get a great Mossberg 500 or Remington 870 for $200 or less.
I wish you luck.
BTW, (By The Way)I do notlike the .243, I just chose the name Younggun243 before I actually owned a gun.
