Hi! I am a noob

[gunNoob]

Hello, I am new to the gun world and was wondering what a good first rifle would be? I want a Vector Arms AK47 but is that a good first rifle? Thanks for the help

 

[carlrodd]

hiya fella. if you're intrigued by commie guns, i'll be the first to suggest an SKS for your first longarm. any variety will do. if you still have the AK bug after you play with the SKS, you'll have a headstart on the ammunition since they fire the same round. welcome to the forum.

 

[gunNoob]

Thanks alot, I will check the SKS out for sure!

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

Moving to the rifle forum.

 

[gunNoob]

Thanks for the move

 

[soul_rapier]

sks is a good start if you can get one made by norinco or russian made they are good sks's i dont know crap about the yugo's .

 

[rangerruck]

if you dont have a 22lr, go to a pawn shop, get one of those, (usually a marlin mod 60) for 50 to 75 bucks, get a brick of ammo, and get good with that. then get a centerfire.

 

[soul_rapier]

He makes a good point .

 

[El Tejon]

Welcome to THR.

Nothing wrong with the CKC. They run about $120 around these parts.

 

[lionking]

I knew somebody whos first rifle was a Romanian AK.Later on he aquired more rifles.Yes a .22 should be part of your collection but get what you want because one that makes you want to go shooting will inspire you.

 

[iamkris]

Do you have any shooting experience at all? If not, save yourself money and frustration and go buy a .22LR rifle.

I can't think of a worse rifle than an AK to learn to shoot. You'll have (some) recoil, (some) muzzle blast, (probably) poor accuracy and an awful trigger that will teach you bad habits for the rest of your life.

Find someone who is a responsible shooter or find and NRA basic rifle class and go learn the fundamentals. They will stick with you the rest of your life. There is plenty of time to get a blaster later and burn through ammo.

 

[BIGDADDYLONGSTROKE]

Wow, I guess I did it wrong then, my first rifle was a a Remmington 7mm bolt action, and my shoulder felt every bit of it.

Now a few years later I agree with the 22lr ammo is cheap and a great way to practice for center fire.

Welcome to THR.

 

[AndyC]

A good first rifle for what purpose, exactly? Do you want to plink at the range, hunt, what?

 

[gunNoob]

Thanks for all the help guys and girls!

The purpose of getting a rifle would be to shoot it at a range. I have shot a few guns in my day and would just like to start shooting for fun.

p.s.- the reason I was asking about an AK is because I have loved the AK's look and feel for quiet a while now! ...And because I don't know of many other rifles

 

[MatthewVanitas]

Another vote for starting with a used .22

7.62Comm ammo is 12c a shot, .22 ammo is 2c a shot, do the math!

A good used Marlin 60 (or similar) .22 rifle will last for decades, and costs around $50-75 in Austin, TX.

There are some inferior or obsolete brands floating around out there, so stick to the Marlins. There's a good reason they've sold something like 10 million of them in the last 46 years.

The older ones hold 18 rounds in the tube-mag, the newer ones 14. Has a built-in groove to take a rimfire scope. Just enough recoil to feel like a real gun, but easy to handle.

If you go out and really practice (not just blast random rounds at the target) with a Marlin 22, you'll build up some major skills pretty quick.

After a while with that, you'll have a good feel for what you like in a rifle. You can buy something bigger, but I bet you'll still bring the Marlin every time you go to the range. I've fired everything from .177 to 155mm howitzer, and my $50 Marlin 22 gets the most use out of all my rifles. For handguns, its my Ruger MkII .22 pistol.

Good luck,

-MV

 

[gunNoob]

Thanks alot MV! I will definately check that one out!