Well, I've been looking to getting into shooting, and now that I'm finally out of California, I'm gonna go through with it. I was wondering what would be the best rifle for me to start out on? My friends were suggesting a .22 or .223 as a starter. I'm not looking for a very expensive gun, but I'm not looking for a really cheap one, either. I'm brand new to this, so be sure to throw out some brand names and maybe a little extra information, please. I'm just gonna start out target shooting, but I will eventually, probably sooner rather than later, get involved in hunting. I also would like to take a gun safety course, anybody know where I can do that? I'd rather learn from an expert than from my freinds. I live in Siloam Springs, AR now, if that helps out with location at all. Also, does anybody know of any good gun websites where I can get some more info and some more detailed feedback? Thanks, guys.

 

The Steyr Scout Rifle is a great rifle, in .308. It's probably not necessary to start off with a .22 or the like, unless you really want to. Recoil's not big deal... it's all mental, anyway

A well-priced rifle is the Winchester Model 70, which is a classic and is bolt-action, and comes in many calibers.

A course I want to take some day is the General Rifle Course at Gunsite, in AZ. Gunsite was founded by Jeff Cooper, my favorite author on the topics of guns, shooting, and liberty/values. I'd recommend Gunsite for your shooting courses, and Jeff Cooper's writings for your literature. He puts out a monthly newsletter-type article, which can be found here: http://www.dvc.org.uk/~johnny/jeff/

I'm sure Theo, or a few others that are VERY knowledgable on this topic will be along shortly to help.

 

if ya decide to go with a .22 tho, go with a ruger 10/22 best all around 22 you can get for under 200 bucks. they'll run about $175 for a standard semi-auto model, a lil more if ya want fancier, like a stainless barrel. but like said above, recoil isnt bad, and you can hunt more with a 308 as compared to rabbit/fox/squirrel with a .22

 

I'd say go with the "magic" caliber. The 30.06 is available in 55 grain through 220 grain bullets. 55 for wascally wabbits, prairie dogs and possums, 145 for white tail deer, all the way up to 220 for bears and meese. I've only had two rifles, one was a Remington BDL-DM 300 Win Mag which was very nice but too much for me and now I have a Browning A-Bolt II 30.06 composite stalker with detachable box magazine and the BOSS muzzle brake. My wife has the same rifle but in .338 Win. Mag also with the BOSS. (Way too much gun for me.) I've shot a friends' A-bolt in 30.06 that doesn't have the muzzle brake and there's a big difference. I've shot as many as 200 rounds in one day without ever getting sore with my rifle. His rifle is a bit tiring after 20 to 40 rounds. I like the Browning better than the Remington because it has that 60 degree bolt throw and it's silky smooth compated to the Remington. You can crank out follow up shots quicker with a smooth bolt. Also, on a bench with bean bags and 145 grain Remington bullets, it shoots dime sized groups at 100 yards. Nice and accurate, the Remington was pretty close to that too. The Remington has iron sites but the Browning does not so you'll also need a scope which can be costly. The Browning was $550 which is pretty tame. I have a cheap $140 Simmons Aetec 2.8-10x44 scope on it and it's always been quite enough for Texas where the average shot is about 300 yards. I surmize it'll be the same for Arkansas. Also, if you want to hunt in the woods, you'll need a good strong round like a .270 or 30.06 that won't be easily deflected by branches and stuff. (A .22 or .223 won't do a very good job in dense undercover.)

 

Give an AR-15 a try. The assualt weapons ban was just removed; actually it expires on monday. You can pick up new ones with the new, now un-banned features for anywhere from 500 to 1500 dollars (I recommend a Bushmaster; about 750 dollars). They are extremely accurate, have very little recoil, quite a bit of punch (most are .223) and have a high ammunition capacity. You can get plinking ammunition for around 100 dollars per case for practice; making it pretty economical. It is versatile and can be changed from many different barrel lenghts, calibers, tactical setups, and apperances. Magazines should be very cheap after the ban too...the prices on everything will be dropping rapidly.

 

http://www.nrahq.org/education/train...ictraining.asp

 

I can't believe some of the suggestions you've been given, maybe they're joking. I'd wager that most shooters out there started with a .22, they're cheaper to buy, cheaper to shoot, and you can learn all the fundamentals with one. As with any gun, I'd advise spending a little extra and getting a good one, it's a lifetime investment. Good luck and good shooting.
Dono

 

First off I'd like to welcome you to the Hunting World. First off, become a member of NRA, we need the support. I've been hunting since I was real young. The type of rile, or gun, you need all depends on what your plans are. PM me and I'd be glad to work with you to find exactly what you're looking for. Once again, welcome and good luck.

Keith
~Houston, TX

 

I have a number of guns but there are only two that i really use all the time. i have a single shot break over 20 gauge shot gun. i only bought it to carry in the truck and it is great for that. only cost about $75 and not a moments trouble in many years and many cases of shells. itll kill anything from rabbits to quail to even coyotes and it has killed them all. that said you are looking for a rifle. i carry a mid 1960's model winchester lever action 30 30 every where i go. i truley believe that this is about the best all around rifle. i have only iron sights and have gotten pretty good with them. they are great for rabbits and coyotes and stuff but are plenty big enough for deer, hogs, and other large game. ive killed every thing from rabbits to mule deer with mine and even a bull elk one time. they are slower with less kick than an 30.06. my rifle has no noticeable recoil at all. i cant imagine anyone suggesting an 06 for a beginner shooter with no experience. the newer,lower end, guns can be had for a couple hundred dollars. most hold seven or so shells and you can shoot them all pretty quickly. jsut depends on your practice. the only down side is most shell run about $.50 a piece or $10 for a box of 20. Not that bad but you cant afford to shoot hundreds of rounds a day. a 22 is a good idea too. the shells are cheap and nearly everone starts out on one. however they are underpowered for larger game and you will pretty quickly out grow it. in most places it is illegal to hunt deer and other large game with a 22. good luck with what ever you decide. maybe find a gun shop that will let you test fire different models. shooting and hunting is a great and rewarding experience. just remember treat all guns with respect. they are all loaded at all times. many many people have been killed with an unloaded gun!!! have fun


http://www.reloadbench.com/cartridges/3030w.html

http://www.reloadbench.com/cartridges/3006s.html

here are some of the attribute of the 06 and 3030

 

A .22? Come on! He's not a six year old girl! If you don't have a lot of money to spend on guns, why not get one that'll do most of the stuff you want to do like hunting, plinking, target shooting etc... You can't even hunt legally with a .22 down here. The first rifle I used to learn how to shoot was an M1903A3 30.06.

 

I think a .22 is a great starter gun. Especialy since he isn't getting into hunting RIGHT AWAY. a .22 will let you practice alot, for not alot of money, and even when you start doing some hunting you will start off small, squirrel, crow, rabbit. All these can be taken with a .22.

 

A .22 weapon is perfect for introductions in the world of shooting - there is no kick to speak of, the ammo is dirt cheap and a .22 behaves exactly like a larger caliber. Almost every other country uses .22 rifles to train their troops in bootcamp. Getting yourself a Ruger 10/22 would be a good start, for a semi, or something like a Marlin 22 bolt action, which is similar to most 'hunting' weapons. When you have tried the .22 for a while, then maybe you can go for something with larger bullets - the cost of .22 compared to larger calibers makes it a perfect first practice weapon.

For those of you who don't like the idea of .22, because it isn't a real gun, or you can't hunt with it... I have two .22 weapons - a semi, and a bolt action. I use them a lot, not for hunting things, but for practicing difficult shots. I can sit on a range, popping lead at a difficult shot all day long, for $10 - I can't do that with any of my 'real guns'

 

Recommending a .22 is good for younger people, and those who are gun shy or sensative to recoil. But it is not a great idea to tell the man that a .22 will act like an .06 or 308, there is a difference in bang, and kick. Yes you can hunt somethings with a .22 and you can practice difficult shots, but a .22 will not behave like a 30-30 so why practice with it when you should practice with the gun you intend to take the game with.

Depending on what you are planning on hunting I reccomend a marlin 30-30, I have shot everything from a bolt action 308 to a WinMag300 to a semi-auto 30.06, and the 30-30 is the best. It will take a black bear just as easy as it will take a deer or anyother animal walking around. I reccomend the Marlin because of the side ejection of the shell, that way if you want you can mount a scope on the gun, and besides its just nicer to not have hot shells flying in your face. The only draw back is that it is most popular as a lever action, which in the north can be bad when you have cold weather it is sometimes a little more tricky to control the lever. If you want to get a gun that will do the same as the 30-30 without the lever and will be garunteed to knock down whatever you point at, go with a 30.06. If you can spend the extra money and get a semi-auto, todays semi autos harness most of the kick into cycling the shells so what kick there is is reduced. If you don't know what you want to hunt, get a .410. They are able to take a white tailed deer the same as a crow or goose.

Lastly, for taking a gun safety course you can either go to the local VFW or legion or moose lodge, whoever is in town, and ask about a gun safety course, if they don't offer you one or can't tell you who does, go to either the sheriff's department or the police, they should be able to point you in the direction of a class. Get the gun you want to actually hunt with when you go to the class, because most classes require you to be able to detail every option and function on your gun and how it works. The one I took required you to carry something other than a .22, the gun which you intended to use in the field. And hey, welcome to the world of hunting and shooting, have fun, and always remember the 10 commandments of shooting.

 

I'll also vote for the Ruger 10-22. It's a gun with a lot of easy modifications, if you really want to have fun cheaply. Once you get used to shooting, then you can upgrade to any number of guns. I'd suggest getting into a shooting club or go to a gun range and watch, talk to people there and ask a lot of questions. Some guys may even let you try their rifle or pistol while they are there to instruct you. Most gun owners are happy to see people get into shooting and are willing to help you get started properly.

 

A 22 rimfire is always great to have around just to plink with. If you want a 22 rimfire I would suggest a bolt action instead of a semi-auto. It's too easy to keep pulling the trigger and wasting ammo- but a lot of fun. For a beginner, learn to shoot correctly first. If you want a larger caliber rifle for a starter, try a 223 bolt action. The Savage is probably the most accurate out of the box because of their zero headspace action. It isn't necessarily pretty but usually accurate. The 223 ammo is cheap and easy to come by since it is a military cartridge, surplus ammo is everywhere and usually cheap by comparison. Recoil is very low and can kill deer size animals. For other info, try looking over at bechrest.com, varminthunters.com, longrangehunting.com, chuckhawks.com. There is a world of info out there. Best of luck