First Time Advice Needed!!!

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Caleb ConDoin

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I am 15 years old and i have wanted a gun for a long time and my folks finally gave in and they are gonna let me get one. I know almost nothing about guns except which end is which. I really just want to know which gun should be my first and the only specifications is that it is a bolt-action, one shot rifle. I am not sure if that is the real terms, so sorry in advance. Please and thank you.

P.S I don't wanna spend more than 300 bucks.
 
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I am 15 years old and i have wanted a gun for a long time and my folks finally gave in and they are gonna let me get one. I know almost nothing about guns except which end is which. I really just want to know which gun should be my first and the only specifications is that it is a bolt-action, one shot rifle. I am not sure if that is the real terms, so sorry in advance. Please and thank you.
 
Definatly a good choice with the bolt action. I'm a firm beliver that a new shooter should start out on a single shot. It teaches them good shot placement so they make every shot count because you might not get another one. Savage makes a good quality product at a resonable price. They're quite accurate and will take a beating without complaint.
 
I would get the MARK I-FVT with Peep Sights -- now with AccuTrigger!!!!!!!.

I have a MARK II-BTV and it is one of my favorite guns to shoot. There's just something about putting multiple .22s into the same hole. The accutrigger is great.

Also, take a hunter safety class. While you might not want to hunt, it will teach you some great things.

Plus, what about a BB gun? Cheap. Quiet. Less chance of messing something up. And you can generally shoot in your back yard.
 
Centerfire can be silly expensive so if you want to shoot lots to learn 22rimfire is the way to go.

Bolt action is fine but many think the Ruger 10/22 (semi auto ) is also a fine first gun. The basic gun is reasonable in price and quality and there are untold spare parts and accesories available for it
 
All good advice so far.

But I'll add something I haven't seen here yet.

Legally, you can't buy a gun until you're 18. I'm not sure about the legalities of parents buying one to give to you, and that was common practice in the small town I spent the first half of my life in. If even that's not legal, I don't see any major problem with one of your parents buying a nice little rifle and... letting you take care of it for them. :)
 
I know your requirements are single shot...but really take a hard look at the Ruger 10/22.

CZ makes a great trainer...look at the CZ military trainer (and should be around $250).
 
Welcome young man.

I will follow the crowd here and cast a vote for Savage rifles. Everyone that I own in any caliber has been a great shooter. Decent priced rifles with high dollar accuaracy.

The other rifle I would be in favor for is a Henry accu-bolt.

h007_acubolt_lg.jpg


mark1g.jpg


Good luck sir and welcome to the high road.
 
http://www.thegunzone.com/therules.html
Click to expand...

...Ahh the four ...um three... um four... rules. To the first time owner, Please take to heart the one about "A gun is always loaded". Here's why: When you own one gun, or three or six, you may remember what's loaded and what's not. But like has been said here before, if you know how many guns you own, you don't own enough... it just seems to progress that way. This may seem silly when you're fifteen, but when you're fifty, you won't know how many forks and knives are in your drawer, or how many fire extinguishers you own, and you will store them under the assumption that they're "ready to use". Same goes for guns. Are all my guns currently loaded? No. But anything I'd grab in a defensive situation is, so I must assume that they all are, and store them and handle them accordingly. Don't trust your memory. You must train yourself to assume that they ALL are always loaded.

Sorry if this is too much of a thread swerve.

I also vote Savage.

les
 
CZ 452 Scout. They make really nice rifles. Nice wood and very accurate. It's a good idea to go to a shop and try some rifles for fit.

I was 16 when my mom bought me a Marlin bolt action for my birthday. No one in my family was a shooter. But I was lucky to find a mentor to get me started safely.

Always think safety.
 
wow, 300 is alot for a single shot. .22 caliber bolt action single shot is the best to start off on, except... I would say get a single shot shotgun first. My first gun was a 20 gauge nef shotgun I bought for 90 bucks. get a single shot shotgun to allow you to hunt EVERYTHING. or do a really smart thing and buy one of the rossi combo guns and get a 20 gauge and .22 barrel for about $170
 
An important first step I'm not seeing mentioned here is taking a safety course of some sort. The NRA, or the Department of Natural Resources(this may be called something else where you live, they're the ones that issue hunting licenses) both offer wonderful firearms safety courses.
or do a really smart thing and buy one of the rossi combo guns and get a 20 gauge and .22 barrel for about $170
Click to expand...
I second this choice. It leaves you more versatile and with options, also leaves a bit of cash for ammo.
 
Congratulations!

Good suggestions so far.

I will add that you can find great deals on used .22 bolt action rifles made by Remington. The other advantage to them is their price. Often available for well under $150 you can find them in excellent condition.

It is important for the rifle to fit you as well. A stock that is too long can make it more difficult to enjoy shooting as it frustrates aim.

Good luck and welcome.
 
Caleb if your folks are giving you the limitations of a single shot rifle they are probably concerned because your a still young, I say learn the basic rules for gun safety, range safety and etiquiette, muzzle awareness, and proper loading, unloading, clearing, and maintence procedures to let them know you are serious about learning and are willing to take the proper precautions with firearms. Maybe then they will let you get a 4 rnd bolt or a Ruger 10/22. 22lr is a great round to learn with and ammo is very inexpensive so you can have lots and lots of shooting time.

Always treat the gun as loaded.

Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.

Always keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.

Always keep the gun unloaded until you are ready to use it.

Never point the gun at anything you don't intend to destroy.

Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.

Learn the mechanical and handling characteristics of the gun you are using.

Always use proper Ammunition.

Be sure the barrel is clear of obstructions before loading and shooting.

If your gun fails to fire when the trigger is pulled, hold your shooting position for several seconds; then with the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, carefully unload the gun.

Don't rely on the gun's safety to keep it from firing.

Be aware of your surroundings when handling guns so you don't trip or lose your balance and accidentally point and/or fire the gun at anyone or anything.

Always be aware of others around you.

Since you are a young buck when you clear your weapon make sure you visually inspect your chamber to make sure its empty and allow your parents to check it too to verify. A single mistake is all it takes.
 
Glad to see more teens intrested in shooting! I also vote for the Savage MKI-G, or a MKII if your parents will let you. As for training, see if there are any state run Hunters Ed courses nearby, they are usually free (IIRC) and have the benefit of getting a orange card when you are done.:D

Stay safe and have fun!
 
Caleb, first gun I ever held was my grandfather's Winchester Model 67. If you can find one, or something along those lines, I highly recommend it. It will shoot 22 short, long, and long rifle. Stay away from the CCI Stingers with it though. Over time they will chip the extractor and you'll have to replace it.

There are also other single shot / bolt action 22s out there. There are so many pluses to a rifle like that it's not even funny. They're relatively safe, very accurate, and being single shot a box of 50 rounds will take a while to go through.

Best of luck, and enjoy!
 
Caleb ConDoin,

First welcome to the high road.

Your parents are wise in suggesting (requiring) that you start with a single shot bolt action rifle. And as mentioned above a .22 LR is the best round to learn on. It's capable of excellent accuracy and is affordable by a young person. In fact hang on to that rifle when you get it because many of us have gone full circle and come back to a .22 as our favorite rifle.

A bolt action will allow you to concentrate of the basics of trigger control, breathing, and stance much better than a semi-auto. There will be time for that later.

You don't have to buy a new rifle to get a good one. There are many good old bolt action .22s around, you'll just have to find out what gun stores carry them in your area.

Good luck, and let us know what you get.
 
Caleb, you made a great choice, Savage makes a great rifle, and single shot definitely instils the "make each shot count" mindset in the shooter, plus with that rifle, you can shoot multiple different lengths of .22, Short, Long, and Long Rifle

Welcome to THR, and the start of a wonderful, addicting hobby, and make sure you have Jeff Cooper's "Four Rules" burned into your mind

Definitely hold on to this gun, I made the mistake a while back of trading my first .22 that I got got for *my* 16'th birthday for a "bigger, better" firearm, because I was in my ".22's are too wimpy" stage, that "bigger better" gun is long gone, as I never liked it, I really miss that little Marlin 25 .22, and now, at 39 years old, I've come back to .22, and enjoy shooting them *more* than my "bigger" guns, out of all my firearms, the "lowly" .22 sees the most use, as it's simply the most fun to shoot

I have a Savage Mark II-G (the 10-shot bolt action version of your gun), and I absolutely love it, growing up with the Marlin 25 (which looks almost identical), that little 7-shot Marlin taught me to make every shot count*

Welcome to the sport, be safe and have fun :)





*in fact, I have a hard time playing first-person-shooters on my computer because I simply *can't* "spray and pray", I want to line up the shot, and squeeze off one single, effective round, and always end up getting shot because I'm taking too long
 
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