A New Member

Status
Not open for further replies.
D

Drewtam

Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2005
Messages
35
Location
Peoria IL
Hi everyone,

I've been lurking here for quite a while but just got my FOID card (IL) in the mail today. So I feel like a whole new member. No one from my family shoots, so everything I know about shooting I've learned here with little practical experience.

Got hooked while on a vacation with my in-laws. Shot some 22's, 12-gauge, and some weird breech loaded, single shot pistol with a scope about the size of the gun. I knew even less then as I do now, so my memory is weak but I think they said it was a .30-06. It sure felt like a hand cannon. Carefully aimed the shot squeeze the trigger, and boom! it leaps out of your hand no matter what you do, I nearly dropped it.

So I'm looking for a .22 according to the advise given every noob. I'll want to stick with a semi.
What else do I need to get, what kind of case? ammo?
What will the local range expect me to bring? safety equipment?
How much is range membership or fees?
Whats your advise?

Drew
 
welcome to THR! you aren't likely to meet a nicer or more helpful group of people.

for an affordable .22 semi-auto, look for a Ruger MkII for a handgun or a Ruger 10/22 for a rifle. you can get padded zipper cases for very little money. you can get 500 rounds of good .22 ammo for under 10 bucks.

your local range will require hearing and eye protection, which you can almost always rent there. find a range close to home and give them a call to find out about rules and fees.

as for advice, if you get a good .22 you will be off to a great start. starting with a .22 helps avoid learning bad habits, and makes shooting so affordable you have no excuse not to do it as much as possible. post in the Rally Point forum here on THR to find members in your area who will be more than willing to help a new shooter learn the ropes. there is hundreds of years of experience between all the members here, and warehouses full of opinions ;)
 
Since you didn't grow up with firearms I suggest calling a few ranges (maybe visit them first) and find a firearms safety course and cleaning/care course.

I can't say I have ever taken one, but there is more to it than not pointing the thing at anyone.

+1 on the MKII and 10/22. Also the MKII 22/45 is good. There are bull barrel versions of the pistols that look less like German Lugers if that is a turn off for you. ;)
 
Yes, Welcome.

If you are looking for a .22 pistol I would consider a Kimber Rimfire if you can afford one. I have one and absolutely love it. They are great and have size and feel of a 1911. This would be great if you later decide you want to jump up to shooting 1911s. You also can consider getting a 1911 .45ACP and a .22lr upper reciver. Another option is to check with CDNN. Last I saw they had some good deals on Sig Trailsides.

If you are looking for a rifle I would go with a Ruger 10/22. One you get it broken in you can accesorize it with aftermarket goodies. You could even go as far as to add an MG42 sock kit to it. A .22 rifle that I have that I absolutely love is a Feather AT22. It is great. They went out of business then came back. You can check them out here: http://www.featherusa.com/
 
If you are looking for a rifle I would go with a Ruger 10/22. One you get it broken in you can accesorize it with aftermarket goodies.
Click to expand...

Well said. I couldn't agree more...what more fun than stripping a gun down and adding after market parts? :scrutiny:
 
Welcome to an enjoyable new hobby, Drew.

Get some shooting glasses for eye protection. They come in all price ranges. I buy the cheapest ones that are rated as shatterproof then just replace them when they've collected enough scratches. I like the ones with the yellow tint. They look like this, but I paid about half that much for them at my local gun shop.

As for ammo, very likely it will be .22 long rifle (instead of .22 magnum, depending on the gun you settle on). As I'm sure you know, .22 comes in short, long, and long rifle (usually written .22LR). It has been a long time since I saw anything chambered in the short or long cartridges.

While your .22 isn't all that loud, you will be standing just a few slots over from the guy who is firing his hand-cannon. For hearing protection I use the old triple-flange earplugs. Earmuffs are more popular. I know at least one guy that uses both plugs and muffs.

Your local laws may dictate the kind of gun case you use going to and from the range. If I'm shooting only a couple of guns, I put them in a small (10" x 10") padded canvas case that closes with a zipper. That is enough to keep them from getting all dinged up and makes them easy to carry in one hand. If I'm shooting long guns, or a lot of pistols, I use one of those plastic, padded gun cases like you see at WalMart. They look something like this but mine is not that fancy and cost closer to $20 however long ago I bought it. It makes a convenient place to lay things while shooting (open on the bench beside me) and gets everything out there in one hand.

As for guns, I have Ruger's Mark III 22/45 semi-auto pistol and enjoy it. That model came out after Chuck Hawk wrote this page, otherwise it would have made his list of recommended guns: Good First Handguns.

If you are talking about a rifle, my nod goes to the Ruger 10/22. That gun comes in several different models, the main difference being the stock. The "entry level" model can be had for about $200 at WalMart around here.

Good luck!
 
Drew,
Welcome. Your situation sounds similar to mine. There wasn't anyone in my family that shot either until I got interested in firearms a year ago. Since then, my whole family has gone shooting with me, my mother is getting a Smith and Wesson revolver, my brother goes through ammo like its going out of style, and my dad had to stop shooting a borrowed 1911 because he didn't want another expensive hobby. :)
 
hey Illini

I just graduated from UoI in December. TAM was my department, its so sad they're closing it down.

I guess I wasn't specific, I'll be sticking to rifles for the most part. Pistols just don't do much for me.

So far the 'to get' list is:
GUN
soft case
ammo
safety glasses
ear plugs
safety training
and call the range for prices
ISRA membership
NRA membership

What I have so far:
GOA membership.
 
Welcome to THR Drewtam.

Check out the hometown forum at ARFCOM if you want to meet up with other folks into rifles.

There is a thread about a Peoria get together going on right now.
 
some weird breech loaded, single shot pistol with a scope about the size of the gun. I knew even less then as I do now, so my memory is weak but I think they said it was a .30-06. It sure felt like a hand cannon
Click to expand...

That would most likely be either Thompson/Center (T/C) Contender or Encore. These came out in the 1960s, IIRC, and have been extremely popular within the niche markets of handgun hunters and certain types of target shooters (IHMSA, etc) Extremely accurate and capable of chambering hundreds of cartridges, from .14 caliber to .600 caliber. With the proper barrel, they can take any game animal on earth.

Did what you shot look like this?

screwdriver.jpg
 
I bought a Ruger 10/22 at Dick's today! My very first rifle and very first gun period. Also bought 500rds, ear muffs (28db), s-glasses, and a cleaning kit. I'll pick up the rifle tomorrow, and buy a case then as well.

I didn't know illinois had a 24hr waiting period, I thought that was just for handguns.

Matthew- That looks about right, but different scope. Probably aftermarket.

Thanks for the welcome guys! I appreciate all the knowledge and 2A ideological arguments I've seen and become convinced of, while lurking here.

Drew
 
I didn't know illinois had a 24hr waiting period, I thought that was just for handguns.
Click to expand...
Yep, 24 on rifles and 72 hrs on handguns. The Ruger was a good choice.
Hope to see you at the range sometime.

BTW, i've still got year left at U of I, then it's off to Anytown, USA
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Y
  • Locked
Seeking outdoor range, =< 2hrs from NYC
Replies
7
Views
601
RPCVYemen
R
P
  • Locked
Shooting Ranges Cape May County New Jersey
Replies
3
Views
2K
BillL223
B
G
  • Locked
Range forces members to join the NRA
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Replies
184
Views
8K
JohnBT
J
F
  • Locked
new member
Replies
13
Views
768
blades67
B
BigBL87
  • Locked
New member question
Replies
11
Views
484
BigBL87
BigBL87
Back
Top