graduation present - rifle or range bag?

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kayak-man

kayak-man

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Hey guys, I'm hoping you can help me out. A very close friend of mine is graduating from college next month. She has been living in Connecticut, but will be moving back to Washington in May. When she was visiting about six months ago, we went to the range, and she made three things extremely obvious: She loves shooting, she has at least some small amount of talent, and she wants to start shooting A LOT when she moves back.

I was thinking of getting her a rifle as a graduation present, and was hoping the THR family could give me a hand with what I'm looking for. I don't really know that much about the .22's and would like to keep this fairly inexpensive (yes I'm a cheap SOB, lets all just accept it and move on.)

What are some of the options other than a Ruger 10/22? Nothing against the Ruger, I think they are awesome rifles, I just want to explore my options.

As I was writing this, I was thinking maybe a better option would be to let her buy her own rifle, but start her out with a (mostly) complete range bag? maybe one of the nicer ones from Midway, and stock it with a bulk pack of foam earplugs and some electronic muffs, a couple pair of good safety glasses (Clear, Dark, Extra Dark), squib rod, universal cleaning kit, stapler, you guys get the idea.

Just looking for some input/brainstorming.

Thanks,
Chris
 
i think the range bag idea is great. it's those little things that are nice to have but really start to add up for new shooters. throw in a brick or two of .22 ammo if you can find it.

for the rifle, i think most (especially new shooters) would prefer to choose their own. if you really want to do the rifle though, most any of the major brands will be just fine. some have better sights than others, some have nicer stocks than others, but again a lot of this boils down to personal preference.

what guns did she shoot when she last visited?
 
Yea, the more I think about it, the more I think the range bag is the way to go.

When we went shooting, I started her out with a .22 bolt action Remington thats been in the family forever, then moved her up to the AR, the AK, and the 870.

For hand guns we did the same thing, with the Ruger MKIII and my Ruger SR9.

She ran both the SR9 and 870 like a pro.
 
As to a gun? When I decide to gift a gun I let the recipient decide. My wife learned the same when getting me a gun. That said, a good quality range bag is an excellent idea, especially with included range necessities. Personally I would run with the range bag and like the ideas you have for goodies.

Ron
 
My vote is range bag and accessories. I see a lot of people at the range with nice guns and carry very few accessories. I'm not talking about an AR that doesn't have an afg, quad rail and a million things mounted to it. I'm talking about folks who pull out a nice rifle and lay it on a concrete bench, no bags, case or blanket.
The accessory bag is a great idea. She can always upgrade stuff when she gets more into shooting and finds out what she does and doesn't like.
 
range bag and accessories; done it twice.

complete bag with e-muffs, range cleaning stuff & a couple of snakes ran ~350$
all ordered from Dillon and shipped to them. ---> life made easy ;)
 
I really like the range bag idea.

Some ideas to throw in:

-Staple gun, and extra staples
-Targets
-ear plugs (some people like to double up or prefer the foam)
-sand bag for a rest.

I agree with the above posters about the smaller things. Basically she would have all the necessities and she can pick out her own gun. I am going to have to remember this, great idea.
 
Typically I do both; a gun and a range bag with all the necessities (hearing and eye protection, extra mags if needed, ammo, etc.). When it comes to picking out the gun I usually leave that up to the person who will be receiving it.
 
An AR15 would be sweet for somebody who just left Conn. Easier to get ammo and just as cheap if not cheaper.
 
When my Daughter turned 18 about the time she graduated from high school I got her an AR15. My best friend bought her a life-time Texas hunting and fishing license. She's set. I would suggest a decent bolt action rifle in .22LR. Something she could keep forever. But that's just me.

Bolt-action .22s are legal practically everywhere in the world so I doubt regardless of where she ever moves...even Bloomberg and Hillary ain't gonna be able to get that one.
 
I think a CZ in either .22 or a 527 carbine in either .223 or 7.62x39 would be an awesome gift. classy and timeless, not horribly expensive and properly sized for someone of smaller stature.
They typically have nice iron sights, so I'd let the new owner decide if they want glass or not and let them fund that themselves.
Although a nice range bag with some thought put into it might have alot of things a new shooter might overlook out of inexperience. So maybe a more utilatarian savage bolt action and a modest Midway range bag with a few choice items (bore snake, bottle of hoppes, some active ear pro's, staple gun, ream of paper and a Sharpie, and a small set of screwdrivers/hex keys.)
 
I've done the range bag gift thing too, so it has my vote. A nice bag, staple gun, targets, hearing/eye protection, and other misc. shooting related items is a good idea for beginning shooter.

A .22 rifle would also be a nice gift. Either way, I don't think you can go wrong.
 
How about a Spotting Scope ?
But I think the range bag would be a more universal and Personalizable gift.
A rifle would be good, but I feel that should come from a Parent.
Passing guns down, or getting them as a gift from a family member , means so much more.
 
Go with the gun, they last forever and will be remembered long after a range bag is forgotten. A Ruger 10/22 is a great idea. The savages bolt actions are also nice at the same price range. If you are not dead set on a rifle, think about a surplus center fire pistol - P64, PA63, CZ 83, Zastava CZ99 etc. All can be had for under $300. The p64s in particular usually have beautiful bluing and make a wonderful pocket pistol.

Also, range bags are probably more personal than guns are. A bag you take to the range with a single pistol is likely different from a bag for a couple of pistols and even more from a bag for a rifle. The goodies in the bag are even more disparate - what size patches would you put in there, .223 or 12ga? Do you want bulky 33db muffs, or thinner ones for a better cheek weld?
 
I would choose a gun over accessories for a new shooter.
You can go shooting without a range bag...you can't go shooting without a gun. As said, a gun will last longer than a range bag.
New shooters don't know what they need in a gun yet, so use your experience to get them a good base, and let them accessorize as they see and develop the need.
A set of glasses and muffs would be a great addition to the rifle though.
I have many guns, and have never seen the need for a range bag. Muffs, eye protection, staple gun, a rubbermaid container full of ammo, steel targets, and gun cases are what I take. Then again, I shoot more than one gun at a setting, and go through more ammunition than the average beginning shooter.
Just because a person doesn't have every accessory under the sun, a hand stitched chamois blanket to lay their rifles down on, and a dedicated bag to put them all in doesn't mean they are lacking in what they need.
 
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If it were me, I would MUUUUUUCH prefer to get a rifle as a graduation present than a range bag. A .22 doesn't require much support equipment and its ammo/mags are tiny, and a range bag without a gun is sort of pointless and anticlimactic. And if she is trying to find a job and/or starting to pay off student debt, she may not be in a position to buy a rifle for quite some time, so the range bag alone might get stuck at the back of the closet and lie unused for years. Heck, if you can swing it, you could get the rifle, a .22 bore snake and some foaming bore cleaner, a $7 Walmart field box or $10 range bag to hold ammo and accessories, and an inexpensive soft case.

An alternative to a 10/22 is a Remington 597. They can be a little more accurate out of the box but are a bit of a pain to disassemble and clean, and can be finicky if you overtighten the bolt rails when reassembling. If you do get a 597 and you think she might want to put a scope or optic on it someday, pay the extra few dollars and get the Remington scope rail to go atop the receiver rather than relying on the tip-off groove machined into the receiver. I like my 597 a lot, but especially for a new shooter/first gun, I think reliability wins out over theoretical accuracy, so if 10/22's are reliable out of the box then I'd go that route. A Marlin Model 60 would also be a fine choice. A low-power scope on any of the above can make shooting more fun.

If you think she might like one, a Smith & Wesson M&P15-22 is a fun .22 by most accounts I've read, though it is more expensive than a 10/22, 597, or Model 60.

Don't forget to include some ammo, because unless she frequents local gun shops, she might not be able to find any ammo locally right now.
 
Bag and accessories, stapler and earmuff are good idea as listed above. I respectfully disagree about having the gun longer. Sometimes it is the small items I use most and frankly I may use one gun every few weeks to a month but my bag and stapler always go with me
 
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I would go with a good bolt action 22. There is too much emphasis on spray and pray. The apparent difficulty of getting ammo,especially 22 caliber is another good reason for a bolt action. My first gun was/ is a 22 single shot which I still have at 73 years.:)
 
A range bag is nice, but not required. I've been shooting for ~25 years now and have only even owned a range bag for the last 3 or 4 years. If she doesn't already have a gun the gun will be of more use.

How about getting her a used .22LR rifle? Seems like if you look around they're available for under $100 pretty consistently.
 
I was set to agree with the range bag option, determined to respect your frugality and dead set against breaking the rule on buying a firearm for someone else without input but...Post #19 changed my mind.

Firstly and foremostly I've spent a fair amount of time the past few years with new shooters and found that most shoot a semi-auto more accurately than a bolt action because they aren't picking up their head to cycle the bolt. What is also clear is that the fun factor in shooting an auto loader leads to instant gratification which in turn keeps new shooters interested. The great thing about the 10/22 is that it affords a number of opportunities for refinement that are free or silly cheap which will allow you more time with your friend, which I assume is your intent, else why buy her a gift.

If the majority of her shooting will be done with you, bring your range bag and you can clean together. $220 for the rifle, $40 for a case and extra magazine and throw in some ammo from your own stash. You can buy her a scope for her birthday if she doesn't add one herself.

Now back to not choosing firearms for others...you can always take her window shopping beforehand just in case she's set on something else then let your budget determine whether it's a consideration.
 
As much as I think a fully loaded range bag would be a great gift, I think that would be more for someone that is already an avid shooter.

I say this out receiving one gun as a gift for Christmas many years ago from my brother. It was a surplus K31 and it was not expected in coming. I didn't even know what it was at the time, but I was fully stoked from the receipt of that rifle.

I still have that rifle and seeing it every time I open the safe it is a much bigger moment than looking at a well equipped range bag that would now be 8+ years old.

The other side is, usually the gun is the biggest initial investment. A range bag can be bought and filled piece by piece over the coming months as needed. So, the gun is the easiest gift to afford for the recipient. Not counting all the ammo needed in the long run, of course. Just don't mention that one, okay? ;)
 
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