[yy]

I'm a total newbie as far as rifles are concerned. Was reading the online fiction by halffast. got some rifle brand names to whet my appetite.

So would you share your rifle choices for someone who's looking to start? (oh, I'm a starving student so high priced rifles will just feed my fantasy :))

Thanks in advance!

[sumpnz]

Get a Romanian surplus .22LR bolt action rifle. Look here (http://www.jgsales.com/jgusedrif.html) for one. They have one listed under ROM MOD 1969 for $70. Hard to beat the price of the rifle, and the price of the ammo.

I wish I'd gotten a .22LR first, rather than an 8mm Mauser. They're great for cheap practice, and don't beat the crap out of you.

[Jick42]

Well, if your looking to get started a .22 is by far the way to go. A Ruger 10/22 is pretty hard to beat as well. and you should be able to get one for a descent price. Cheap to shoot, and it gets you behind a rifle.

[boofus]

I'd get a registered sear FNC and not get all the other rifles. :D

Or another 8mm Mauser and probably a Ruger 10/22 so I can shoot on the cheap. For precision work maybe a Remington 700.

[HARLEYCOLT]

My first was a Whitworth Express in 375 :banghead: now if I had to do it over I'ld buy one of the Savages :uhoh: you can switch barrels to have a different caliber:cool:

[Spot77]

I agree with the 22lr idea.....heck you can get a used 10/22 or Marlin 25 for less than $100.

My first was an sks....same principle - cheap ammo, cheap gun, and a whole lot of fun.

[sumpnz]

yy, If you're planning on going through the Arizona anytime soon I might be willing to part with my Winchester 190 (.22 S L or LR) for $85. I'd kind of like to get a newer .22LR, so if you want it let me know. It's a tube fed semi-auto. The tube holds 15 or 16 LR rounds, more if you use S or L.

[BamBam-31]

.22 rifle's a good recommendation. My buddy's got a CZ Lux--accurate plinker that you can sling up with to learn proper shooting technique. Very well made, and come with excellent iron sights. Turner's in Pasadena had one for under $200 (beech stock, I think).

10/22's are great fun. You can buy in at $170 or so, but it's so easily modified/upgraded, it'll end up costing you more in the end. One of the funnest plinkers around, IMHO, but a bolt .22 might be more conducive to learning.

[Soap]

I would have purchased a Kimber .22 Hunter and topped it off with a Leupold 3-9x40mm VX-II scope. If I couldn't afford that I would get a CZ Basic and then topped it off with a 4x Weaver scope.

[Carlos]

I'd buy a 10/22 All Weather - stainless and plastic, with scope.

I just had to sell mine. I miss it lots, already. I will get another.

Wondering about the accuracy of the Romanian trainer. Been wondering about those for a while.

[BryanP]

First? Probably a 10/22 as suggested or a nice .22lr levergun. If a Marlin or Winchester or Browning is too pricey you can get a Henry for not too much $.

However, my first was a Marlin 1894C in .357 magnum and I recommend it highly. For recoil purposes a .38spl out of that thing is almost unnoticeable. The only advantage the .22lr has is cost per round. For an impulse buy that Marlin has proved to be quite nice.

[Kaylee]

First? Another vote for a .22 bolt. My vote (again) is the CZ 452. I love that little thing! :)


After that...
I have to admit.. after I got over my fascination with the various autochuckers out there, nothing appeals to me like the basics.. a glassed centerfire bolt gun, preferably a nice pretty one with nice wood and blued metal. Mauser sure was onto something. :)


- K

[No4Mk1*]

A .22LR should be your first or second rifle.
Since you mention money, here is a list of centerfire rifle calibers from cheapest to more expensive:

1. 7.92x57JS Mauser (8mm)-Surplus bolt actions - 8 cents a shot
2. 7.62x54R Surplus bolt actions - 10 cents a shot
3. 7.62x39 Semiauto SKS or AK-47 type rifles - 10 cents a shot
4. 5.45x39 Semiauto AK-74 type - 11 cents a shot
5. 7.62x51 (.308) Battle Rifles and commercial bolt actions - 17 cents a shot.
6. 5.56x45 (.223) AR-15 and commerical bolt actions - 17 cents a shot

I suggest buying something in one of these calibers. You can do anything from plinking to hunting anything that roams North America with these calibers.

[BDM]

AR with a .22 conversion kit 2 guns in one.:D

[Dave R]

CZ 452. .22 means its inexpensive to shoot regularly and often. Its accurate enough to reward a good shooter (and to measure improvement in shooting skills.)

And no matter how many other guns you acquire in the future, you'll still enjoy shooting it. And probaby 2 more generations will, too.

[Dionysusigma]

For comparisons in price:

7. .22lr Semi, bolt, single-shot, lever, pump: 3 cents a shot :D

Knowing what I know now, I'd go with a Henry .22 since their action is {Homer voice}sooooooo smooooooth *drool* {/Homer}

Second rifle would be something in .223, then a step up to .308 :)

[444]

"what would be your first rifle now that you know what you know? "

Well, that is kind of misleading. There is what I would buy, however your question seems to be more along the line of what you should buy. Big difference since I am not a starving college student.
For you, I think you should buy a good .22 LR bolt action rifle. I like Kaylee's suggestion. I have read that it is a terrific rifle at a good price.
If I didn't own a single rifle, knowing what I know now, I would buy an AR15. Specifically a 20" barreled rifle with a flat top upper reciever. I would concentrate all my efforts on pure marksmanship. I wouldn't plink, or try to see how fast it would fire. I would learn the fundamentals of good rifle marksmanship including the standard shooting positions and the use of a good shooting sling. I would work with it for at least a year before I added optics. Early on I would get training and advice from serious shooters. I would probably start shooting Highpower matches so that I could get advice from experienced shooters that know what they are doing.

[sm]

Another vote for the .22lr bolt gun.
Wouldn't make a difference if a starving student or a rich banker. I would NOT scope it either.

Principles of learning the basics. Cannot buy that, it is only learned from practice.

Dang...that Kaylee has some great tastes in guns and a right smart thinker- huh?

[Nathanael_Greene]

Knowing what I know now, I would've bought a Marlin 1894C.

.357 magnum, cute, fun, and versatile.

[MLC]

My first rifle was a Marlin 25, my current favorite is my CZ 452.
I have no regrets over buying that Marlin.

[Mulliga]

Obviously a .22LR of some sort, as others have posted. The Romy trainers are good. 60 bucks at SOG :

http://www.southernohiogun.com/surplus_rifles.html

Get a few .22s - a bolt-action, a semi, perhaps even a levergun. Do most of your shooting with those, since centerfire ammo is expensive.

Next, move up to an SKS/SAR-1/WASR-10 rifle. It's politically incorrect, a lot of fun to shoot, and VERY cheap to feed (1000 rounds for 90 bucks). 1000 rounds might seem like a lot to a newbie, but you can burn through that much ammo in an afternoon!

Then, I'd satiate the black rifle lust many inevitably have by getting an AR-15 of some sort. More expensive to buy, and more expensive to feed, but still cheaper than most other rifles (a box of .30-06 at Wally World is 11 bucks, whereas a box of .223 is 4 bucks - you simply get more bangs for your buck).

Then, get some other calibers. .270/.308/.30-06 is popular, a .243 is nice, and a .30-30 might fit the bill, too, depending on if/what you hunt. This should be in either a MBR like a FAL or a CETME, or a nice bolt gun w/scope.

All told, all this stuff will set you back around 2000+ dollars. If your wallet isn't screaming by now, you are a richer man than me. ;)

[rbernie]

My first rifle was a Marlin 30/30 lever-action, and I still don't think that was a bad choice. It didn't kick too hard, and it was cheap enough to shoot that I could get in a fair bit of range time with the same rifle that I would take out in the woods. I also can see a case for a basic Ruger 10/22, although I would wonder how long a 22LR will keep someone happy if they're either looking to hunt anything above small varmints or play at the range at 100+ yards.

Lately, I've become mildly obsessed with Yugo SKS's. If you're looking at getting a centerfire rifle, the SKS is inexpensive to buy and very, very (almost rimfire territory) inexpensive to shoot - both reasonable criteria for a first rifle. It'll be easy on the shoulder, and can be used for hunting/play out to 150/200 yards with reasonable accuracy. It won't be a tack-driver like a good Swedish Mauser (another good centerfire rifle, but one which is getting too expensive for my tastes), but it'll get you range time and keep you entertained.

[sumpnz]

Wondering about the accuracy of the Romanian trainer. Been wondering about those for a while. IIRC over at Kim duToit's gratuitious gun pics section he did a review on them and claimed they were supposed to be, surprisingly, quite accurate. I'm sure there's a fair amount of variability from gun to gun on that score, but at $70 you can only expect so much.

[Rupestris]

My first rifle was a Marlin Model 60. While the 60 is a good choice based on price, availability and fun to plink with, I'd probably start with a Marlin or a Savage bolt action .22. Both can be had for well under $200 new.

[longrifleman]

I have two Romanian .22s.:evil: They are as accurate as I am.:( :(

Any decent .22 is a good first choice. From practical experience start with a bolt, pump, or single shot. With a semi spray and pray is too tempting.:D

My only problem with the Romanian rifles is the firing pin makes a wierd ting sound that I can't get used to. Both have functioned well. No fte and the mags feed with no problems.

Mine are grooved for scope mounts so I put a cheap Wally World Tasco on to see what would happen. The groove is slightly narrower than US standard so the screws bowed the base too much but the scope works. When I bought the rifles there were mounts available but I thought they were overpriced. Shoulda bought one. I'm a cheap b******

[ducktapehero]

I vote for the SKS. Its recoil is VERY manageable for a beginner, the ammo is dirt cheap and the rifles will last forever if taken care of. Plus it's just a lot more interesting than a 22. But I do caution you to not just go out and throw a bunch of lead downrange. Learn to hit what you're aiming at 1st, then do have some fun.

[Smaug]

I agree with the poster who said: "spray and pray is too tempting with a semi-auto"

I've found it to be true.

I started with a Ruger Mk. II pistol and a Ruger 10/22. The 10/22 was a POS, but when Ruger finally got it back to me as a reliable piece, it was pretty good.

I've since sold it for a 77/22, which is the one I wanted to begin with. It wears a Leupold Vari-X II 3-9x40 and it is a tack driver.

The bolt action 22s just make you appreciate the whole process more. Somehow, it is more rewarding. The triggers are ALWAYS better in stock form.

My SKS is fun, but not as fun as the 22. You just can't replace accuracy with bore diameter and noise. They are NOT in the same league as 22 for cost of shooting. It costs 5x more for the same grade of ammo. ($9 for 550 rounds of 22 vs. $45 for 500 rounds of 7.62x39)

[RGO]

My first rifle was a CZ-452 Special. I would make the same choice again.

If you go for a CZ-452, get the Special or Lux versions, as they come with terrific iron sights.

[albanian]

1st would be a CZ-452. It is all the .22lr you will ever need and it will last a lifetime. If I would have started out with one of these, I would probably never have bought any other .22lr.

2nd would be a AR-15. I think they are the most versitile centerfire rifles out there. They can be made super accurate or super short and light. They can be a hi-cap "assult" rifle one minuit and a target rifle the next. If you get tried of one type. sell it and use the money to buy another.

[artherd]

M-16

or a .22 bolt gun :)

Actually my Remington 7400 was my first, and I like it much.

[Dr.Rob]

The best .22 I've ever been around is a Marlin 39 levergun.

If you are talking hunting rifles... I'd go buy a Savage 116 the first time around... Of course like you I didn't have a lot of money and did most of my hunting with a hand me-down 30-30 Marlin 336T.

Really, Savage is a lot of rifle for the money, as is the CZ 550 line.

[WhiteKnight]

My first rifle was a Ruger 10/22, which, at the time, I loved dearly. With my young malleable mind heavily influenced by the only real message board I frequented (Giz's 10/22 Forum) and the 10/22 addicts there enforcing their beliefs upon me, I headed off to the venerable Wally World with a hand clutched full of lawn-mowing cash and a reluctant parent in tow.
Looking back now, I would not have gone the semi-auto route for my first firearm, as even though I had extensive experience with airguns (most specifically, spring piston airguns, which taught me to make my shots count) I quickly developed a tendency to rush shots with the knowledge I had 9 more ready rounds waiting behind that one. I nearly immediately began modifying the gun (fun, to be certain, but) I spent most of the money I should have delegated to ammo with which to practice instead to buying new barrels, new stocks, scopes, rings, hammers, extractors, magazine releases, etc. My newfound creation became an object of my obsession, and I was often too cautious to even bring it out of the house for fear of harming it and wasting the hundreds and hundreds I spend modifying it.
If I could go back, my first rifle would be a .22LR bolt action, probably one with a wood stock, open sights, and the ability to be scoped later on. I guess my choice would have to be a CZ 452, with a wood stock that could be messed up and not require constant babying, and a lot of money spent on ammo + and time practicing instead of money spent on parts + time researching what parts to buy.

[Beetle Bailey]

My first rifle was a Finnish Mosin Nagant M39 and I love it, but the logical answer to the question is my CZ452 Lux. It's a great learning tool that should last a lifetime and I can afford to shoot match grade ammo out of it full-time. Also, it can be used to teach new shooters since it has no intimidating recoil. I love shooting those steel spinner targets with it, too :D . Oh, and then right after I bought the CZ, I'd get a nice milsurp boltgun ;) .

[gunsmith]

good for self defense,hunting and you can use the same ammo in your .357 revolver (you know your're gonna get one sooner or later)
they also use .38 which aint all that expensive.

[mountainclmbr]

Maybe 25 years ago I would buy some Holland&Holland or other Nitro Express British double rifle.

Then I would sell it now and buy lots of new toys!