Help: Have Rem 870 - what long gun next?

[TrailWolf]

SEE POST 21 FOR UPDATE


A buddy of mine is not as into firearms as myself, and only has a Rem 870 as of now and a few handguns. He wants to pick up another long gun to keep it company and looking for recs. He is not a serious shooter or hunter and just wants a general HD/SHTF/Plinker for all-around use and in case it gets a lot harder to buy firearms in the future.

I have been trying to sell him on a Ruger 10/22, but he doesn't really understand the cost/utility of one and sort of laughed off the caliber. He wants more power. I still think a 10/22 would be perfect

Given the above, if you already owned an 870 and wanted to buy another long gun, what would you recommend?

.22lr Rifle
Lever Gun (in 30-30/.357/.44mag etc.)
Bolt Action Rifle w/ Scope in (.308/.30-06/270 etc.)
AR15/AK47/Mini 14 Semi Auto Rifle in .223/5.56/.762

Thanks.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

If my only long gun was a Remington 870, I would definitely pick a .22 next. Especially if my intended use was for recreation -- you can do a lot of plinking for pennies with a .22. And if you need a defensive long gun, the 870 is as close to ideal as you can get, so you don't need another defensive weapon.

 

[firesky101]

Plus you can get a reliable and fun .22 for not a lot of money. Then you can buy something else even sooner.

 

[Steve51]

I would choose a .22lr. My personal recommendation would be the Henry H001 lever action .22lr. Fun to shoot and very safe since you have to cycle the lever action to load another live round. Also have the option to mount a scope, if desired. My grandkids really like to shoot it.

 

[Chevelle SS]

10/22

 

[TrailWolf]

I'm going to sit him down and show him some of the .22 effectiveness tests that are all over youtube and get him to shoot my 10/22 at the range.

 

[TAKtical]

AR-15. Cheap and easy to build yourself. 5.56 has plenty of power and AR's are just plain fun. Plus you can buy .22 conversions for the AR. Buy a stripped or complete lower and buy a complete upper. I usually buy uppers and build the lower from parts. Lower takes about 15-20 minutes to assemble. Take a look at New frontier armory.

 

[rcmodel]

10/22.

He might be able to afford enough ammo to learn how to shot a rifle accurately.

He sure won't starting out with any centerfire, including the AR-15, or AK-47/SKS or Mosin somebody is going to recommend pretty real soon!

rc

 

[wyohome]

760 is the natural mate for an 870

 

[crazy-mp]

Savage makes a great bolt action rifle, its a Mark II model BV. (.22 LR) I have sold several of them and I have one right now, I have them threaded and they sound great suppressed. They also come with the Savage accu-trigger which is adjustable.

You can plink around at the range with this gun, or hunt with it. If you don't have any long guns this would be a great gun to learn the basics with. like one of the previous post state you can literally shoot for pennies. You can go to wally world or you local gun shop, get a brick of .22 ammo for less than 25 dollars and literally shoot all day. If you buy 25 dollars worth of center-fire ammo you might get lucky and get 60 rounds, if you are looking for hunting ammo the box of 20 might be closer to 30 dollars a box.

You can get a .22 conversion for a AR, but the twist rate on the barrel is wrong and your accuracy will be affected, .22 LR are typically 1:16 where AR's are 1:7,1:8 or 1:9.

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

Seems like it's his money. If he doesn't want a .22 and doesn't appreciate the economy, no reason to shove it down this throat.

 

[content]

Hello friends and neighbors // A .22 would be my first choice. So many great designs/actions/lengths/capacities it would be hard to pick just one, probably semiauto.

After a .22, although it is not listed, I agree with Post #9 by wyohome.
The Remington 760 ,pump action rifle, is the perfect mate to the 870 and .30-06 is a good place to start for the listed expectations of the rifle.

Enjoy the search.

 

[duckqwacker]

I'd go with a Mini 14. While the ammo isn't as cheap as .22lr, it is much more fun and the Mini doesn't jam like every 10/22 I have shot. The Mini is also much more effective for game hunting and SHTF situations.

 

[marksg]

I would go the .22lr.The 870 covers hd/shtf. As rc said,if he's not had a lot of rifle time, the 10/22 would give him good practice at a good price till he was more comfortable shooting long gun.

Then,depending on the handguns he has, maybe the lever in .357 or .44, which ever he has. If neither of those calibers, then the mini 14 is a fun plinker also and eats almost any ammo.

But thats just my opinion,its his call

 

[P5 Guy]

While I did vote for the 22lr my second would be a Remington 760 if Remington makes this in a small caliber like .223.

 

[holdencm9]

A .22LR. If he just wants a bigger boom when he shoots tell him to get a 10/22 and then pair it with a mosin nagant.

 

[Darkbob]

Normally I'd have voted for a .22 rifle next, but since the OP says that the guy doesn't want a .22, my vote went to the AR/AK style semi-auto. Either are fun for general plinking.

OTOH, the cost increase for either an AR or AK is considerably higher than what he'd get over a stock 10/22 or Marlin 60. Prices starting around $500ish for an AK, $650ish for an AR, or $200ish for a .22, not even counting ammo costs.

But, if the guy doesn't want a .22, it's his decision/money after all.

 

[Road Dog13]

EVERYONE, if not needs to own a .22, should own one. If your friend wants alittle more bang than a .22, Id agree with Crazy-MP as far as the Savage. Savage is making and selling excellent "combo" package rifles. for example, the Axis series. Not alot of money, and comes w/a scope mounted, and available in a few popular chamberings. Ive personally shot the .223. for an out of the box combo...its surprisingly deadly accurate at 200yds. the .223 is fun, cheap if you find the ammo on sale. ( im gonna guess he isnt reloading ).
.....but if he was my friend,......id tell him to pick up a 1911.....

 

[AKMtnRunner]

Voted 22 LR. If he doesn't KNOW that he needs a bolt action with scope, he doesn't need it. And the 870 can essentially do anything a lever or carbine can do.

Everyone needs three firearms: 22 rifle, carry handgun, and a personal preference among shotgun, lever, or carbine.

 

[-eaux-]

voted levergun.
he's expressed that he wants more than a .22lr, and the longgun he has in the 870 is versatile and utilitarian. just like a .30-30 levergun.

 

[TrailWolf]

Update update update

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

Hey guys! Thank you so much for the responses - showed my buddy Keith the thread and then we went out to the desert today with my 10/22 and other toys.

He had a blast and is sold. He actually is thinking of not just getting a 10/22, but also a MKIII or Buckmark to join it. Also showed him all the Volquartsen stuff and just how sweet 10/22s can be outfitted. Of course I told him to shoot his stock for a while before tinkering, but the buffer, extended mag release and auto bolt release is a must

Now the question: Which model 10/22 does he start with? I'm thinking the Take Down is a no brainer...

Maybe I should start a new thread?

Thanks again guys - I don't think he would have been able to decide if he had not read the responses.

 

[Road Dog13]

the takedown is definately the no brainer choice. i have a 10/22 that my girlfriends father bought when he was 19ish. Itll still shoot the ass off a fly. also have the MKII. Both superb. ....... id still try to push him toward a 1911. Just kiddn. whatever choice he makes, its certain he'll have fun.

 

[Hardtarget]

Try to lean him toward quality guns. Read a lot befor buying. Try out the gun if at all possable. He is heading down a long and enjoyable road. After all, there are lots of great guns in the used gun rack! And they make great new guns every year!

Mark

 

[ForumSurfer]

His decision, his money.

But I've never met anyone who didn't grin ear to ear after using my 22's on steel.

Take him out and show him the thrill of the little 22.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[elrowe]

I was going to say stainless/synthetic until I looked at Ruger's site and that's the only takedown option they show anyway - although I'm certain I've seen other versions in takedown models over the last few months. I've hardly been able to put a scratch over however many squirrel seasons in my carbine with the same finish, and he'll never have to worry about cracks, warps, or rust from those materials.

If you hadn't posted the update, I'd have said to go for an 870 in a different gauge.