First rifle....bolt action or semi auto?

[Glockdaddy]

In an earlier post I asked for help,,,,I am a handgun shooter who wants to get a rifle for shooting targets at 200 yds plus. You all gave me some great advice and suggested that I go ahead and start with a .22 and learn how to deal with the wind at 50-100yds before making the jump to .223 or 22-250.

Knowing that you are all right, and thanks for the advice....my question is:

Do I really need to start with a bolt action, like a CZ 452,,,,,or can I consider a 10/22 with a target barrel as a good start? Seems like there are lost of guys having fun with these 10/22s and the accuracy appears to be pretty good if there is a match barrel involved. Would this be a decent starting gun? I found a nice laminated, bull barrel 10/22T at Gander MT, used for $299. Looks like a teaser....should I bite?

Opinions and recommendations appreciated.....

 

[mustanger98]

a nice laminated, bull barrel 10/22T at Gander MT, used for $299. Looks like a teaser....should I bite?

For $299, it sounds like a good deal considering when you personally add match parts, you'll very quickly have more in parts than you originally had in the whole gun. So if we're only discussing 10/22's, go for it.

But... a semi-auto will invariably encourage most new shooters to try and rapid fire and basically just hose the target down. This is why some of the more knowledgeable people advise to get a bolt action first. It slows you down between shots. And the shooter also knows that because he don't have a fast follow-up shot, it's best to make the first one, each one actually, count. After practice with the bolt action, hopefully this mindset will carry over with the semi-auto. It's just a matter of how much accuracy-oriented practice do you want vs. how much blasting right off.

I hope this perspective helps.

 

[MrMurphy]

What he said. I learned on a WW1 and WW2 pair of bolt actions, shooting from 10 to 950 yards with iron sights. And hitting. You learn to take your time and not hurry the shot. Get your breathing right, get everything down, and squeeze, without knowing "Got another one with a press of a trigger". You get it right, or else, with the first round. Cause then you have to work the bolt (which means you have to get back in position again).

 

[sm]

I suggest a Bolt to learn Rifles and Revolvers for handguns.
'Course I have been known to be wrong and in the minority on this.

I believe one learns better the CORRECT basic fundamentals of breathing, trigger control ,sight aquisition ....etc. with these platforms.

These Correct basic fundamentals learned with iron sights , enables a shooter to transiton these fundamentals to other platfroms , i.e. semi's, lever actions, peep sights, tang sights, scopes...etc., for example.

Having / keeping a Bolt gun in .22 lr with iron sights allows one to "get out of a slump" or "rid bad habits" that can and do crop up.

Same for the Revolver.