Beginner Questions/Suggestions

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CT

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First off, I understand that lots of the following questions of mine are probably ones that are asked alot, and I realize that alot of them may appear to be entirely stupid to some people, so please just bear with me.

I'll be turning 18 in less than a month, meaning I can finally get my license. While my dad grew up with rifles and handguns, my mother never allowed it back into the house once the children were born, so I have very limited experience in shooting, once or twice on a few occasions. It's something I really want to get into.

My questions to you seasoned pros out there are as follows:

- What are some ideas as to types/brands of rifles to be investing in for my lack of experience and on a modest budget, but will be adequate enough to withstand the amount of use it'll take?

- Ideas for learning more about my choice of rifle as well as learning to use it properly and effieciently?

- General suggestions or ideas for someone in my position, that being very interested and set to learn and enter the world of firearms owners, but very green in the use of them?


Thanks for the patience and any advice!
 
Hey man, good to see ya here...

I got a few questions... do you have any preferances as to the type of action?
Like, semi-auto, bolt action, lever, single-shot, any of those?

Also, your budget is in mid-$300 range, right?
 
mid-300 dollar Canadian range, yes.

As for your other question, semi-auto is what I've used that once or twice before, but I'm open to any suggestions by those more knowledged here.
 
Well, the .22 I have is a Remington Nylon 66, no longer in production but its a light, semi-auto 14-shot .22.

I'm sure remington still makes something similar, maybe with less capacity.
Plus, I'm sure guns in general are slighty pricey over there compared to the U.S.
 
I'd recommend a single shot bolt action .22 lr, or possibly a magazine fed bolt action .22lr. The reason is that they're cheap (can find them used in my area for less then $100 usually), are very cheap to shoot, and teach the fundamentals well. The reason I'd vote for a bolt over a semi-auto is that it forces you to focus on each shot, as it's impossible to simply start blasting away.

I'd recommend getting a decent scope to go with it (probably another $50 or so), so that you can shoot booth irons and optics to vary things. Your goal should be to be to shoot around 1" sized groups at 25yds and bust clay pigeons at 50yds. That's a very reasonable goal with even a cheap used .22lr with a crappy trigger. From there you'll have learned a lot of basics about shooting a rifle and can make a much more informed decision on what you want to do/buy next.

-Jenrick
 
I have to agree with the others a 22 is most probably the less expensive and easiest way to learn. I would start with a 22 rifle. I'm not a bolt fan, (lefty here), A Marlin or Ruger should do. If you can't have a semi auto think about a lever. I have a friend who has a Henry and loves it. I'm partial to the Browning lever in 22. Any of those would be a good "first" rifle.

Get some good or professional training in marksmanship and safety training.
 
For me at 18 there'd have been no way I could resist a semi-auto. Luckily the Boy Scouts taught me to shoot with a bolt .22...

It's too bad levers & pumps are so expensive. For me those actions are a lot more fun than bolts. Marksmanship practice with a Marlin 39A is outstanding, just an expensive rifle.

More to topic, Disturbed is giving good advices re: semi-auto.

  • If you like to tinker with mechanical stuff, get a 10-22. It's a good rifle out of the box and has a near infinite number of aftermarket mods and configurations. I'm thinking about putting together a Liberty trainer mod for an Appleseed shoot.
  • If you want an inexpensive straight-out-of-the-box really accurate semi auto, the Marlin 60's the best value. No mods to speak of.
  • For a stand up, blow away those beer cans & bag those bunnies, you can't beat a Nylon 66. The most fun gun I have. Not a rifle for benching or scope but accurate enough for beer cans at 60 meters.
 
you could get an unissued Yugo sks and a fair bit of ammo for $300 (assuming they are about $150 in Canada like they are here).Good, solid, tough rifle, mild recoil, lots of fun, accurate enough for hunting, plinking, defense, informal paper punching etc. 7.62x39 ammo is also some of the cheapest centerfire rifle ammo out there still, so thats always a plus.Also, there are lots of aftermarket sights,stocks, etc if you want to modify it for whatever reason.Very fun, reliable, and versitile rifle and cartridge for pretty cheap.Hard to go wrong,really.
 
Marlin 60. There are a bunch out there and a used one can be had for 90-140 $ U.S.. They are accurate and fun to shoot, but I sure go thru a lot of ammo with mine. :rolleyes: It's a good thing .22 ammo is cheap. Bolt action .22 will not be a great deal cheaper.

Join a club or search out a mentor.

Glad to have you here, you brought the LaBatts... right?



lbc_main_bottleShot.jpg
 
Thanks for the welcoming Furncliff, we've got a Blue brewery right here in town, in fact, every sports venue here is named after it.

And thanks for all the info, I'm making sure I take note of all of it when the time comes to be investing in this. There's a centre here in town as well where I can and will be seeking some formal training in basics and safety.
 
Are you using said rifle for hunting big game, target shooting, home protection, all of the above? You could get a marlin model 60 .22 lr for plinking for $80 American used, and a ruger m-77 30/06 for $350 American-used. scopes would be extra. An autoloading centerfire rifle is pretty expensive, and the calibers differ with the price. More info is needed.
 
I know you said one gun, but i would vote for a shotgun for home defense and a ruger 10/22 for recreation. I would buy the 10/22 first and have fun with it as it will do for home defense until you are able to get something else. I just recently purchased a 10/22 to use at Appleseeds (www.appleseedinfo.org). 22's are a lot of fun to shoot and CHEAP to shoot which means you can shoot more often. I've also read that the skills learned on the 22 will translate to a larger caliber rifle.
 
I've also read that the skills learned on the 22 will translate to a larger caliber rifle.
Click to expand...

I can agree to that. My grampa got me started on bb guns, then .22's, and now I have an AR-15 with a slowly growing collection...

I love having this for a hobby :D
 
Well I'm set on a .22, that's what's been recommended to me by my dad, Disturbed1 and everyone here, the thing now is finding what's decent for a decent price. Obviously I won't be spending a huge chunk of change on something that's going to be used to learning on, but don't want to end up buying something of low quality to save money.
 
CT: Welcome to the forum and the world of shooting! I can't agree more about starting off your shooting adventure with a Ruger 10/22! They are rugged, reliable, accurate, affordable and you can leave it stock, or customize it to the moon and back, (everything from folding stocks to carbon fiber barrels - high capacity magazines and optic packages - you name it). I can't even begin to tell you how many 22LR's I've sailed through mine. I purchased it in 1984 and put thousands of rounds through it in the first year alone! It still runs like a top. :cool:
 
Another reccomendation.... Check for used rifles as well, you can get these rifles mentioned here for WELL below MSRP price and that means more ammo money for later on and cleaning supplies.

But for best quality, new is the way to go. Because then, you have a warranty covering your investment.
 
My first rifle was a rust covered and stained Remington 341-P (.22 bolt action) purchased from an auctioneer for around $75.

Half of the fun was bringing the old girl back to life, the rest of the fun was having a cheap and fun rifle to shoot. As much as I love powerful cartriges, recoil and noise are a nuisances that .22's don't have.

If you decided to go the used rifle route, you could probably afford a .22 and a decent military surplus rifle at the same time.
 
Disturbed1 was right...great folks here. Thanks for the welcoming MassMark.

Any tips on where to start off in terms of finding a professional to take a few lessons from for general use, safety and usage? My way of thinking is that I just go to the range here, find a qualified employee that will give the adequate tips and lessons...is it that straightforward or are there any more subjects I should be touching on with that person?

Also, (after getting my license) suggest meeting someone FIRST and then buying a rifle, or rifle and then finding someone?
 
Hello CT - everybody is talking about the .22 like it is only a beginners rifle but it is also an old folks rifle. Once the eyes and budget start going you return to that old .22. I not only have my Marlin model 60, I have my father's Winchester model 74 that I shot as a boy. I have high power competition rifles but I can not remember a range trip where a .22 did not come along. They are a great investment because they are just plain fun when handled with care and respect.
 
The only reason I can come up with for not getting a gun prior to training is safety. But, the most important rules are ones that are fairly easy to follow: 1) Always point the muzzle in a safe direction (usually down with a rifle)
2) Always treat it as loaded.

I am fairly confident that by following those basic rules, it would not hurt to go ahead and pick up a good deal on a rifle if you see one, as long as you could resist the urge to use it prior to training.

I would lean towards getting your gun prior to training so that the instruction can be specific to the gun you will be operating.
 
Alright, so the training is definitely a good idea. Do pros normally charge for stuff like that, that I should be factoring into my costs?

Is it a good/bad idea to take tips from others at a range? (non employees)
 
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