Need Help with a Rifle

[joe2004]

I want to get a rife but don’t know much about them. So I figured this will be a perfect place to ask.

1 I want something that’s pretty powerful

2 Ammunition COST I want something that’s not to EXPENSIVE

3 I would like something with a magazine or some type of auto loading so I don’t put one at a time

4 Price willing to spend $500 to $1000

5 Decent company Brand 

6 Scope will be option I can always get it later

I hope this is enough info to help me out

Thanks guys

 

[Smokey Joe]

We can advise you better,

Joe 2004, if you could give us some indication of your intended use of this rifle.

Also helpful would be some indication of your level of experience with shooting--if not with rifle, then with pistol perhaps?

And why don't you want to "put one at a time?"

 

[goon]

I'd start with a CZ-452 trainer in .22 LR. IIRC, you can get one for about $250 out the door. Add in $50 worth of ammo, which will be about 2500 rounds. It doesn't get any cheaper than that to shoot.
Go out and shoot all that ammo up, then buy another brick (or bulk pack from walmart.
While you are burning up that ammo over the course of a few months, do some thinking about what you really want a rifle for.
You want to hunt with it? Competition shooting? Cowboy action? Long range shooting? Homeland defense?
Think about what you need this rifle to do.
Do your research (you were right about asking on here... It is a great place with a lot of guys more knowledeable than me). Then you will be ready to spend the other $700 on whatever rifle will work best for you.

This fits your budget, cheap shooting, magazine fed, great company name, and on top of that mine and the others I have shot are remarkable accurate.

If you have to go with something more powerful, I'd suggest the standard SKS variant. Even with high ammo costs anymore, they are still way cheaper to shoot than many others.
If not that, maybe a Mosin Nagant. But Mosins do have some recoil and I wouldn't suggest one to a new shooter.
But .22LR is still the best place to start IMO.

 

[joe2004]

Smokey Joe

i have a 357 Mag that i have been using for a while and i wanted to get in to rifle its just that it seems more fun to me.


goon
i was using a Marlin .22 LR today and its nice but its not strog enough i got board after a while. for Fun i guess its cool to have one its Cheap like you said.


as far as the usage mostly for long range shooting and it will be used for hunting sometimes

 

[goon]

In that case, you will need one of those guys I mentioned who know more than me.
Hunting and long range are not what I use guns for. I mostly just shoot at hub caps, balloons, and other miscellaneous stuff at various ranges.
About the only advice I can give you on hunting rifles is that Savage hasn't been a bad brand for me. But compared to old military actions like Enfields, Mosins, and Mausers, all sporters just seem lacking in the department of toughness.

But if you ever decide to try out something militaryish I might be able to help. Good luck

 

[tbtrout]

What is your idea of long range, what will you be hunting?

 

[kennyboy]

I don't know what you are looking for... a rifle to hunt with or a rifle to plink with or a rifle for home defense. For $1000, you can get an AR-15. I recommend a RRA Entry Tactical. Mine cost about $1100, but I had them put in some custom features. I would recommend the chrome-lined barrel add-on. Even with the chrome-lined barrel, the rifle will probably be under $1000, even after shipping and taxes and any other fees are applied. The ammunition is cheap. You can easily find ammo for $5-7 for a box of 20 rounds. If you buy in bulk, it is much cheaper than that.

If you want a hunting rifle, I recommend a Remington 700. There are a number of variants so it is all basically up to your personal preference. If you can, I recommend a stainless steel barreled rifle. As far as caliber, I don't know what you would consider to be "powerful". Power is all relative, but if you want it for deer/medium sized game, get a rifle in .30-06 or .308. There calibers will cost about $11-12 for 20 rounds, cheaper if you buy in bulk. If you want something to shoot targets or varmints, get the rifle in .223.

 

[Sav .250]

Subject to change but for now................30-06.

 

[TimboKhan]

Well, for most long range/hunting/centerfire rifles, the scope really isn't an option because the rifles don't have iron sights. Long range shooting and hunting are sort of two different animals, and the scope that would work best for one isn't necessarily good for the other, although that certainly isn't a hard and fast rule.

As far as caliber goes, I guess if I were you I would limit my caliber choices to one of the following two: .308 or .30-06. Both are extremely easy to find, neither is super expensive, both have reputations for accuracy, both are easy to handload if thats your bag, and both are available as surplus rounds.

My advice to you is to do some research so you can see whats what. No offense, but you sound like your pretty new to the game, so rather than ask us what you should get, find some rifles (and scopes) that your interested in and then see if any of us have practical experience with them. That will avoid you getting a huge list of personal choices that really won't help you out that much. A rifle is a pretty personal choice based on functionality, ergonomics, aesthetics, mysticism and the ability to interpret chicken bones, and you could put a hundred rifle shooters in a room and not get two of them to agree on one particular combo!

 

[Clipper]

Mosin-Nagant 91/30...$100.00
ATI stock...$60.00 OR Boyd's wood sporting stock $80.00
880 rounds of milsurp for practice..$100.00
200 rounds of reloadable hunting ammo $120.00

(these prices are ballpark, and probably slightly high)

7.62X54R is comparable to 30/06, and the milsurp ammo is easily the cheapest full power ammo you can shoot. The hunting ammo can easily deal with anything a 30/06 can, which is just about anything in the Americas. Some of these old guns are surprisingly accurate if you do your part and examine them closely for condition. You can easily and cheaply add a scout-type scope setup, or alter the bolt handle to use a more conventional scope.

 

[def4pos8]

DISCLAIMER: I am a Ruger (RGR) stockholder.

Much of the earlier advice is valid. Anything available at Ruger.com is a safe purchase. I like CZ products too. The CZ 452 would be an excellent tool to learn and enjoy the sport. Ruger's Mini-14 in .223 Remington is a decent, simple, easy to learn/shoot/clean self-loading, centerfire rifle. There are infinite choices available. Decide what your objective is and pick one. This is one of the greatest joys and privileges of being an American!

 

[azhunter12]

DON'T GET A MINI 14That said. I say if you want a bolt rifle get a Remington 788. If you want a cheap semi get a sks. In the remington I think you can't beat the .243 for power and cost. Just my .02cents.Azhunter

 

[TimboKhan]

Please, I have a mini-14 and I like it fine, as do a lot of people. The fact that yours sucked or sucks isn't indicative of the overall rifle. Despite the common thought that anything that doesn't shoot into a half-inch is crappy, the mini is just fine. Is it the greatest? No, but it is fun to shoot and if you have reasonable expectations on what it was meant to do, it will never let you down.

 

[K.L.O.sako]

I'll have to second the SKS. it was the first real rifle i bought on my own and i shure learned alot with it. bought it in 1990 for 150$ at a local gun shop. the owner let me make payments of 20$ a paycheck (try that at wall mart) and i've loved it ever since. i have at least, 4000 rounds through mine with narry a problem. open sighted, it held under two inches at a 100 yards in 1990, and it still does today. there is some wear marks on the bolt and carrier, but function is still 100%