New shooter (sorta) looking for advice

[mountain_cowboy]

I'm not sure I understand some of these suggestions. It seems a lot of folks are suggesting really cheap firearms, when $750 seems to me like a great amount of $ to work with. If Zook buys used, especially at one of the auction sites, he should be able to get a lot more for the money than some are suggesting. He's already said he has a separate allotment for optics and accessories. Why settle for a HandiRifle when you could get a Savage or Remington bolt? Why buy a Star, when you could get a Glock, Springfield, or Smith? You can purchase used, big name, bolts easily for under $350. I can buy Glock, Smith, and Springfield autos all day long for $375 each. Not that there's anything wrong with NEF's or Star's, but you always want to buy the best you can with the money you have available. That will also be important if the time comes to sell them and upgrade. The better guns will keep there resale value and be easier to move.

As for the suggestions of .30-30 for the rifle caliber, why not pick a cartridge that can at least do 250 yards? If he's gonna get one gun, don't limit it to a 125 yard brush-buster. A 20 inch barrel .308 can be just as handy as a Marlin 336, plus afford you the opportunity of more accuracy, longer shots, and cheaper ammo.

 

[only1asterisk]

I'm not sure I understand some of these suggestions.

Let me help you understand.

Our man Zook says "I need a carry gun and a deer rifle." "If I spend more than $1000, SWMBO is going the go ballistic."

To some guys that means a SIG and a Remington 700 and they'll by the rest later a bit at a time (so as not to alarm the Mrs.). My approach is to fit the whole package in the budget, while buying every bit of quality you can.

While it is true that there are nicer rifles than I suggest, those on my list should be adequate to kill game at ranges to and beyond 300 yards with regularity. My suggestion includes glass adequate for the intended purpose and well matched to the quality of the rifles. The mounts budgeted are quality as well. I saved $100 on the rifle and put it to the purchase of better glass and good mounts. A rifle is only as accurate as its sights.

Why a $300 handgun instead of a $400 one? So long as the $300 gun is reliable and otherwise adequate, the additional money can be better spent on leather. Concealing a handgun in Texas heat is made much easier with a quality holster and belt. I don’t know where anybody else shops, but my world is short on Glocks in the $300-350 range.
I certainly don’t think spending $125 for a belt, holster and magazine holder is out of line. I wouldn’t think anyone wrong for spending more, but $125 gets better than decent leather.

The Stars strike me as being esp. appropriate for our friend. Very compact for their time, and with a reputation for quality beyond their price, the various small Stars seem like a good place to start. I can get used Glocks or S&W autos (and SIG’s too), sometimes at very good prices, but only the S&W’s routinely drop under $350. The 4006 is not likely to be something I’m going to carry anytime soon (of course, I can afford to say that). If the man decides to carry a bit bigger gun and/or make spending a little more money on a handgun his priority, GOOD.

Mr. Cowboy, I believe in buying quality, but that doesn’t stop with the gun. I want a quality scope, quality leather, quality cleaning rod, an extra magazine or two and a selection of decent ammo and I want to bring it in under budget.

Buying a Remington 700 and putting a $50 scope on it smacks of false economy, like Wal-Mart tires on race car.


David

 

[GEM]

Hello from TX:

1. Glock 27 - $450 at a gun show
2. A lever action 30-30 at Walmart - $280

Thus, we are in at $730 - not really as we have tax but close.

 

[Brian Dale]

is there any good reason to consider a rifle caliber other than .308/30-30/30-06?

Sure. First and foremost would be that you liked a particular one. Maybe you like .243 Win or .257 Roberts or .300 Savage, and you find a nice used rifle in one of those calibers, or another. No problem.

However, the answer to the other side of that question:

"is there any reason NOT to choose either .30-30, .308 or .30-'06?

would be NO, for almost all of us. They work, and you can get ammo for them everywhere. The .308 and .30-'06 will give you more reach than the .30-30 and they'll have more recoil, but pick the one that you like best.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

And if you handload, it's no trick at all to download a .30-06 or .308 to .30-30 velocities and recoil level.

 

[chopinbloc]

at first, i thought your budget would make it all but impossible to get want you want, but after consideration, i realized you can do pretty well for about $750. to start off at the bottom of the price range, a mosin nagant can be had for under $100 "new" and the 7.62x54 cartridge will take care of anything in texas. ditto for turkish 8mm mausers. the ruger p series pistols can be had for around $500 new. glock can be had for about the same used. that gives you plenty of room in your budget. you mentioned you're a big guy, so i'd lean towards the p series as they tend to fill the hand better for a big guy than most other pistols. a double stack glock in .45 does a pretty good job too. revolvers are cheaper, ruger and taurus both make high quality, inexpensive revolvers. stay away from 1911's unless you're willing to keep throwing money at them until they work. i love my 1911's but it wasn't cheap to get them running right. bottom line? i recommend ruger p-90 and turkish mauser (i think the mauser has a better trigger)

 

[hobbeeman]

I shop the pawn shops and often find many deals better than the ones on this thread. (I currently have a Marlin 30-30 with a Leopar scope from CDNN on layaway at a pawn shop, price before tax, $225. I also bought a Daly DDR .45 for $260) It is not uncommon to find a shop owner that is easy to make freinds with and he then will make you a better deal on multiple purchases, especially when he finds out that you have served your country! There are even some shops that have their own firing range to test the weapon before you purchase. Welcome back to Texas!

 

[Wedge]

Is your budget just for the guns or is ammo included in your budget? You don't want to have guns that you can't afford to shoot. I would lean towards the pistol and shotgun combo as well. You can get a nice combo shotgun (Mossberg $260, Remington $350) that will have both a slug and a bird barrel.

DO NOT put a cheap scope on a shotgun (or a rifle). I missed a nice deer because the zero had changed and the scope was shooting about 14" low at 50 yard (where I had zero'd the stupid thing). I got with the scope should cost about as much as the rifle. The rifle sights on the slug barrels are pretty good, and you don't have to use sabot rounds...I just used the standard foster slugs in my rifled barrel...good accuracy (when the scope was in the proper place in the garbage) and they were cheap so I didn't mind shooting a few of them. The biggest downside was the severe leading that required a lot of elbow grease and chore boy.

$750 is a hard combination especially for a carry gun. When I bought my first two guns I was pretty hard up on cash and I bought a $260 - Mossberg 500 and then about 8 months later I bought a $360 - Ruger Blackhawk .45 Colt/.45 ACP. Total about $620 leaving money left to buy a holster, belt, sling and ammo.

If I had to do it over I probably would have bought the Remington 700 Combo and bought a Glock 19 - but now the package price is closer to $850 (figure $350 for the combo and $500 for the Glock).

There is another option. Buy a nice pistol, belt, holster, magazines, ammo and some range time. Find someone who can loan you a rifle for deer season. I hunted with a loaned shotgun for 2 years. That way you will have a nice handgun for now and can save up for a rifle that you really want later on. I am done rambling on...have fun!

 

[bearmgc]

Its hard to beat a Ruger SP101 in .357 for a well built but reasonably priced carry gun- $325, maybe cheaper. Then consider a bolt action in 30-06 for anything from prairie goats to elk to hogs. A used Savage, Ruger, Howa could get you in the $300 ball park. Then time to look for a used Bushnell scope like the Trophey, or a Weaver. That would cover all the bases. Of course, it wouldn't hurt hurt to consider a used Marlin lever action in .444, or maybe a used Remminton 760/7600 pump in 270 or 30-06. Found a great 760 in 30-06 last year for $250. Took an antelope with it, using a Bushnell Trophey scope that I got for $79.00 new. It pays to shop around. There is a Witness .45 semi auto handgun in the local pawnshop for $225 in pretty good shape, and a Rem 788 in .270 also in good shape for $299. My pawnshop dealer is always willing to dicker on price.

 

[zookrider]

Good Idea

There is another option. Buy a nice pistol, belt, holster, magazines, ammo and some range time. Find someone who can loan you a rifle for deer season. I hunted with a loaned shotgun for 2 years. That way you will have a nice handgun for now and can save up for a rifle that you really want later on. I am done rambling on...have fun!

After reading all of the great advice I'm leaning toward this approach. I arrive in Tx in Jan and that gives me a while before deer season. I think I'll spend the $1000 on my carry piece and accessories and just wait (I hate that word) on the rifle. Probably be happier in the long run.

 

[only1asterisk]

Now you're talking!

David

 

[ozarkhillbilly]

You should have no problem at all finding a good name brand handgun and rifle for $750 in Texas. While I do not live in Texas I can not believe the gun prices are that much more then Missouri or Colorado were I have bought guns. What works for me is to have the money on hand to buy when a good deal comes along and they do more often then you would think, get to know some local police officers they always have guns to sell or know someone that does. Some of my recent good deals, a third gen glock 22 .40 cal with 3 15rnd mags $375, a beretta tomcat .32acp never been fired $195. a colt 1991 comander for $400 turned it down I already had one, I've kicked myself for not buying and just having two. Also turnd down a Sprindfield XD .40cal for $350, these within the last year from private trasactions no tax no ffl fees.

I have seen alot of like new winchesters and marlin 30-30s go for $200 to $250. Right after deer season you can buy bolt action Rugers, Savages and Remingtons all day long for $250 to $350. There is nothing wrong with mil surplus either I have a Enfield 303 $150, a Russian sks $110 would not sell it for anywhere near that price, mosin nagant $95, plus alot of others.

What Iam saying is that you can find good guns at great deals if you keep ears open and put in alittle effort. Skip the scope year one and get a real good one year two but only then if you get a good name brand rifle. Good holsters can be had for around $50 if you look.