First gun, Split between ruger 10/22 and...something else

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bsctov

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Hey guys, I'm 18 and I'm looking for a good first long gun to buy, I was originally thinking a 10/22 but then I started thinking about practical uses and started to have trouble.

I began to hesitate on the 10/22 because of the .22 LR's limited stopping power and the fact that we have nothing else here then a Jennings J-22 for the purposes of home defense and that scares the crap out of me, Needs to be $300-$400 if at all possible.

I was thinking about a 12 gauge but wasn't really digging the whole 00 buck recoil, and any good rifle carbines are out of my price range. Not sure what to do :(
 
honestly ...you could not choose a better 1st gun IMHO than the ruger 10-22 !

as far as using it for protection/home defence ....get a hi-cap mag .......and then pick you up an old 20 gauge pump from a pawn shop for around 150$ or so !!

you will have both for your 400$ budget ;)
 
you could use a bit of help in figuring out what your purpose is. is it home defense with target and hunting as an afterthought or is it a situation in which you want an easy to use hunting weapon that can be used for home defense?

remington 870 express in 20 guage and 20 inche rifled cantilevered barrel is great on deer when scoped and you get good ammunition for it. few handguns have the same stopping power as the 220 grain core lokt hollowpoint in 20 guage that remington makes. its the best accuracy ive found as well.

a 10-22 may not be the best thing for a first rifle unless you have someone who knows how to select a good one and make it a shooter.
 
What do you mean by "How to select a good one", are you talking about choosing one that is operational vs one that is broken?
 
First guns really ought to be shotguns or .22s. Doing rounds of clays is relatively inexpensive, and .22 rimfire ammo is cheap, and the most important task at hand is practice. Lots of practice. I was in your position a year ago, and picked up a 12ga Wingmaster whose barrel someone had chopped to 18" for $200 at a local shop, then picked up a 10/22.

The 10/22 was fun for me since I love tinkering with accessories, and it's about as customizable as they come. Bear in mind it's not terribly accurate for a variety of reasons, and has a hard trigger pull. If you're not interested in buying extras and rebuilding the rifle, a Savage of some .22 flavor would get you a more accurate rifle for your buck.
 
How about SKS I bought my first riffle it was SKS cost like 98 bucks you can hunt with it and 7.62 x39 never failed to stop anyone :D
 
I'd say pick up a new Wally World Mossy 20 gauge special. Can be had for under $200 new and can fill all the roles you outlined and recoil should be manageable.
 
Bsctov;

For home defense, the shottie is very hard to beat. One thing though, if there are other people in the building, be it your home or an apartment complex, be very careful in your ammo choices. You don't want 00 buck or a slug causing unintended consequences. Think lighter lead birdshot. At across the room distances it's still lethal as all hell, & doesn't have the through two rooms penetration.

The 10/22 is a decent choice for a first rifle, but there are others too. For the same amount of money, you can get a Savage bolt gun, either right or left handed. The bolt gun will tend to keep you from getting semi-auto sickness also. Which is to say that you won't try to correct a miss by just pulling the trigger again. However, the Ruger has far more accessories available for it, if you're into customization or tinkering. The Savage is easy to work with too, just doesn't have the aftermarket. I've owned both, either is good.

900F
 
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You might try to find a used savage over/under at a pawn shop. .22 up top and 20ga down below. I wanted one since I was 12 and finally got one last year and can see why it would be a nice choice for a first gun.

Spotted it at a friends shop and to be honest,it's the only gun I never even tried to haggle on,granted it's .22 mag over 20ga witch I havent seen a lot of and has beautiful checkering I gladly handed over $400 bucks. But if you look for .22 long rifle over 20ga you should be able to kill two birds w/ 1 stone at your price range.

I think it was #17 or # 18 but I finally got it! Welcome to the club, You'll be buy'in more.
 
When you say lighter lead birdshot, which ones do you mean exactly? There is many different kinds.
 
I own 2 rifles, a CZ 452 and an AR. I got the CZ first. I know that many people would've bought the AR first, but let's be honest, if this is your first gun the most important thing is learning to hit what your aiming at. That's much more likely to happen with a .22 than with any other caliber. The .22lr allows you to shoot as much as you want without breaking the bank. It won't scare anyone into developing a flinch. And whether it's a .22 or a .308, the trinity of sight picture, breathing control, and trigger pull remains the same.

So I suggest getting the 10/22. It's not that expensive, and buying one won't set you back too much; you'll be able to get another gun soon enough. Just don't fall into the trap of spending all your money tricking the 10/22 out.
 
I'm not going to even comment on the home defense stuff - go to the shotgun forums and read about it.

As for your first gun. it depends what/where you can shoot it.

Are you a hunter? If so, a shotgun can open many seasonal opportunities. You just have to pick your action type (single, pump, auto, double in order from general cheapest to most expensive) and manufacturer based upon the guns set-up (like where the safety is located, left hand right hand etc.) Some recent shotguns have had some quirks. So read about them on this forum or on shotgunworld.com to get some testimonials about a specific gun before you buy.

Also, a shotgun can be used for sporting games like formal trap and skeet or informal games like throwing clays in the back yard or a big field where allowed.

A .22 is awesome as a first gun because they are cheap to feed and pretty accurate right out of the box..and they don't kick. Compared to everything else, a 10/22 is not worth the price for what it is.

Basically, with a standard 10/22 you're buying a marginally accurate 22 that can shoot cans right out of the box and not leave the bolt open on the last shot. If you want to hit a specific letter on those cans without buying stocks, barrels, triggers etc...then buy a marlin or savage or browning or winchester or nearly any other manufacturer.
 
Id suggest a nice bolt action .22 for your first rifle. The 10/22s are nice plinking guns, but Ive never seen a stock one that shot really well. Also I agree with the others that a bolt will train you more to make that shot count, as apposed to a semi where you know you have another shot waiting. My old team leader sergeant said they single loaded rounds in sniper school in the Army to help instill that mindset.

For 400 bucks you can easily get a nice Savage or Marlin .22 (my two favorites) and a quality pump shotgun.

As for home defense you got to hit what you aim at. You cant have your cake and eat it too, as the saying goes. Any round that will reliably stop a threat in your home (birdshot is not one of them, trust me) will easily penetrate a few walls. If you hit what you aim at, that risk is dramatically reduced.
 
Id suggest a nice bolt action .22 for your first rifle. The 10/22s are nice plinking guns, but Ive never seen a stock one that shot really well. Also I agree with the others that a bolt will train you more to make that shot count, as apposed to a semi where you know you have another shot waiting. My old team leader sergeant said they single loaded rounds in sniper school in the Army to help instill that mindset.
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Really good advice.

Are there any gun stores in your area that sell used guns? You really don't need a brand new one. Just about any good used bolt action would be a good choice.
 
Think lighter lead birdshot. At across the room distances it's still lethal as all hell, & doesn't have the through two rooms penetration.
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I have to disagree. In my job, I've seen quite a few people who were shot with birdshot. They came in bloody, swearing, pissed, and quite able to do their "normal" activities. Birdshot just doesn't go deep enough. These aren't long range shots, either. Most were 10-20 feet. I might be able to buy using a lighter buckshot, but not bird. It just isn't reliable enough when potentially deadly force is need to protect my life.
 
I have to disagree. In my job, I've seen quite a few people who were shot with birdshot. They came in bloody, swearing, pissed, and quite able to do their "normal" activities. Birdshot just doesn't go deep enough. These aren't long range shots, either. Most were 10-20 feet. I might be able to buy using a lighter buckshot, but not bird. It just isn't reliable enough when potentially deadly force is need to protect my life.
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you have seen someone shot with a shotgun at 10 feet with birdshot, and still quite able to do their normal activities?

#7 winchester field loads @1300fps blows a hole in 3/8" plywood the size of a tennis ball.

the first 3 shots are at about 30ft, the last 3 are from about 20ft. (this is a 20 gauge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IvKFrQBUZo
 
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Some interesting advice in this thread. I am not sure I would follow the stuff about birdshot, to each his own. But a good first long gun for HD would be a 20 GA, it is one of the most useful guns on earth. A .22 rifle makes a great second long gun. I can't say enough about the Ruger 10/22 they are wonderful for the price and can be customized to fit many roles. They are light for HD but you can make it for it to a degree with a larger magazine. It won't be nearly as good as the shotgun loaded with buck shot or slugs, but it will be better than birdshot by good ways.
 
i am not disagreeing, but i want to make sure i have this right.

are some of you claiming that a 12g shotgun with #7 1/2 shot @1300fps is less effective at 10' than a 22lr?
 
Probably not. At 20', 30' maybe less so. The longest hallway in my house from the kitchen to the livingroom is over 50'. For that range the .22 wins over birdshot every time.
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Not all houses are that large though.

Personally I use #4s.
 
Savage 93r17 Bolt action chambered in .17 HMR is a great choice. I just unloaded my nice 10/22 due to lack of use. The Savage is more accurate and not too expensive on the ammo front.
I have had several 10/22s over the last 30 years and the Savage has taken away my interest in them. I am thinking of getting the Savage in 22 Magnum next.
 
If you live in congested area, where penetration thru walls COULD be a problem, use a turkey load in a shotgun. #4 shot loads are available in 20 ga., and unless the target is wearing protection, they will not be able to function in any capacity after a direct hit! Slugs and buck WILL over penetrate in a HD role, especially in an apartment complex. :scrutiny: Better safe than sorry. I can see how #8-#9 promo 20 ga. dove loads from Wally world could give insufficient penetration/stopping power if the target was wearing several layers of clothes under a heavy coat (Chicago in February!) but that's the only way. In a warmer climate, that shouldn't be an issue.

If you live in the country, alone, you'll be fine. Hell, use a .50 BMG for HD, if you want!:what: Not so sure I'd want a bolt action .22 in that role....

The 10/22 is a great gun! My wife gave me mine for a Christmas present just after we got married 20 yrs ago. As far as accuracy goes, unless you're 1 of those people who expect 1/4" groups out of a new $200 gun right out of the box, buy 1! Mine is very accurate having fed me many head shot squirrels, not to mention winning several informal shooting competitions over the years. :D Other than a scope, it's completely stock. As mentioned, is it very 'customizable' if so desired, down the road.

As several have posted, the 10/22 and a 20 ga. pump are just about pefect choices for 1st guns. And you can buy both on your budget, as well as ammo to get good wih them.
Watch the forums here, check on gunbroker.com (tho they're usually a little high), pawn shops, and watch your local newspaper. Some of the best deals can be found on a radio station's 'swap shops', at least in a rural area.

Remember, in a HD situation, 1 of the most important things is to have a gun - be familiar with it, and of the mind set to use it. Many criminals (sober? 1s anyway!) are cowards, and are after 'easy' money, and the sight of an armed, determined person, may be enough to help convince him/her to change their course of action!:D

Good luck, and practice!
 
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