Rifle or shotgun

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Spec ops Grunt

Spec ops Grunt

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Hi. I'd like to introduce myself to this forum.

First off, I'm going to get a gun soon and I was wondering rifle or shotgun.

If its a rifle I'm looking at the Winchester Model 94 Ranger 30-30 or the Henry big boy .44 mag. Which one is better?

For shotgun I'm thinking about a Remington 870 Express 12 gauge.

So which one?
 
Hi Spec Ops Grunt-

The simple answer is, "Depends."
  • where do you live
  • what do you like to shoot
  • will you go hunting with this gun
  • what are the laws/rules in your area
  • what is the intended purpose of this firearm
Let us know and we'll give you some additional detail...Welcome to The High Road!

~ Blue Jays ~
 
I live in Oklahoma.

I want to hunt most things with one gun.

When it comes to hunting laws. No rimfire besides .17

I want to hunt with it.
 
I'd recommend the shotgun first. More versatile. If you are like the rest of us and like shooting you're going to end up with at least one each of everything eventually.

Edit to add: WalMart or a local dealer can probably get you a Rossi Arms combo gun for about $200. They come in 12/20 ga with interchangeable barrels in .223, .243, .270, .30-'06 or .308. They are good quality for the price. They are single shot but if you are a beginner they'll force you to be a better marksman (with practice).
 
There are very few animals on this planet that can't be hunted with a 12 gauge shotgun and a bolt action .30-06. You can get both AND a scope for the rifle for well under $1K (probably under $700 if you shop carefully). But not to worry; you'll soon find needs for other firearms. Make that many needs for many firearms. And once you've filled all your needs, you'll start buying guns just because you like them or it was a good deal:D
 
Spec ops Grunt said:
Out of the two rifles I picked which one is better?

Also are Remington 870s good?


Also are USPs good?
Click to expand...

The .30-30 is going to be a more flexible hunting round, with more range.

870's are fine. There's only a few million of 'em out there. A gun does not become as popular as the 870 without a solid reputation.

USP's are good pistols, but not comfortable for all shooters. They are kinda big and blocky. Reliability and accuracy with the stainless fullsize .45 I had was great, but I sold it in order to buy a S&W 1006 which is more accurate and more pleasant to shoot. IMO, the USP is a bit overpriced when one considers how many other nice pistols are out there for well under the USP's $800 price tag. But if you like it, get it. I don't think you'd be disappointed.
 
Depending on how much you want to shoot for fun, the .44 mag will be cheaper to shoot. Without volume discounts ~$18 for a box of 50 .44mag vs. ~$12 for 20 30-30 cartridges.

Another bonus of the .44 - 10 rounds in the magazine.

As mentioned above, the 30-30 offers longer range.

If ONE gun is your thing, a shotgun is the most versatile.
 
MachIVshooter said:
But not to worry; you'll soon find needs for other firearms. Make that many needs for many firearms. And once you've filled all your needs, you'll start buying guns just because you like them or it was a good deal:D
Click to expand...

When I was getting started, I definitely found need for other firearms. I would save 1 live round from every type I shot. Next thing I knew, I had all of this ammo but no guns to shoot it with. Solution: Buy more guns... :D

Berek
 
I imagine the winchester .44 levergun will run you anywhere from $250-400, depending on if it's new or used. Others with more experience with that will chime in.

Just take what you get to the range and shoot the heck out of it. Then decide whether or not you are unsatisfied with the sights and think you'd be better served with peeps.

Anyway, I think it's a decent choice for a first firearm, though I would further reccomend that you get a .22 LR caliber bolt action rifle instead of, if not in addition to, the levergun. I only suggest this because you can shoot all day with a .22 for practically nothing and really concrete the fundamentals. You will never outgrow it. If money is an issue for getting both, then you could consider looking for a used model for both.
 
There is no perfect answer to your questions as the variables of what you hunt and what you like help determine the best for each person.

The shotgun you mentioned is great and would be first choice if you hunt mostly birds for example . It is also the most versital by far . The 30-30 has more power than the .44 mag and can shoot game at greater distance if your in open country.

If your going with a .44 mag rifle your shots on deer for example should be done at about 100 yds or less . Not that it won't reach farther than that , but you need enough energy to kill cleanly when it gets there.

Out of the three guns you mentioned , I suppose the Henry in .44 mag has more "sex appeal" and certainly fun to shoot , but it is also the highest price.

So many guns - so little time ! There are a lot of good choices - just depends on a lot of things including what you hunt .
 
A Bass Pro Shop is opening up soon and they have a Winchester Model 94 Ranger 30-30 for $299.88. Thats what I want to get.
 
apples and oranges. 2 totally different tools for 2 totally different jobs. I like shotguns alot and skeet shooting all day long is what I would do if I won the lotto. however I find it very difficult to find an outdoor gun range let alone a skeet range in my area. Target ranges, rifle ranges in particular indoors are around here so a rifle would be shot more often. I comprimise now and own mostlly handguns. easier to carry. :)
 
First off I'd like to say welcome. I am also from Oklahoma. If you message me I can tell you where there is a gun shop with 30-30s as far as the eye can see and are dirt cheap. I love the henrys, but a good Winchester or Marlin
30-30 are hard to beat. Even a good .357 lever gun will do a good job on deer here in Oklahoma. That gives you an excuse to get you a .357 revolver as well. Although I guess you could argue the same thing with the Henry 44. .38 specials are also pretty cheap to plink with in a rifle or revolver.
 
Berek said:
I would save 1 live round from every type I shot. Next thing I knew, I had all of this ammo but no guns to shoot it with. Solution: Buy more guns... :D

Berek
Click to expand...

Before I had a 10mm pistol, I picked up a couple hundred rounds cheap. Within a year, I had 3 10mm guns. Later, I bought a box of .17 Rem. After about 8 months, a model 700 LVSF jumped into my arms.

I still have some unused .350 Rem mag and 8mm Rem mag I can't shoot...........................yet!:evil:

PS: I think the wife is beginning to figure out my strategy. Guess I'll have to get her that blue-grey Nighthawk .45 she wants before I get another. There goes $2,200 I don't have.:banghead:
 
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/search-ng.gsp?search_constraint=0&search_query=Mossberg+500+12&ics=20&ico=0&Continue.x=30&Continue.y=8

I would suggest one of the three combo's (probably the third one for $270). That gives you everything you need to to hunt both fur (24" Rifled slug barrel for deer) and fowl (28" field barrel with the right choke and ammo will take anything from doves to pheasants.) Also you can keep the 24" barrel on it and keep crusier ready (hammer down on empty chamber, magazine loaded with slugs/buckshot) for goblin/zombie/home defense. Yeah the buckshot patterns out of the rifled slug barrel will suck, but at HD ranges +/- 15 FEET, it'll do the job. Better choice is to buy a 18.5" smoothbore barrel, those can be had for less then $75. MidwayUSA has them for $71, but they are currently out of stock. http://www.midwayusa.com/esearch.ex...+Begin+Search.x=11&Click+to+Begin+Search.y=12 Part# 90015, you can probably find one cheaper locally but you can always order from Mossberg. http://www.mossberg.com/acatalog/pricebarrels.htm

The most important thing about a shotgun is fit. It's got to feel right. Better to spend more on a shotgun that fits then spend less and end up hating it. If you get a chance, get to range and see if you can try some out.

You might want to check out Mr. McCracken's "Shotgun 101" threads. http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=2766 Lots o' great info in there...

HTH
 
Should I get a youth 870 then?
Click to expand...
I can repeat the good advice I got when I was looking to buy my first shotgun 6 months ago. Handle a lot of different models and see witch ones fit you. When mounted for firing, with the stock butt firmly in the valley of your shoulder (between the rounded part and your chest) you want 1 or 2 inches between the tip of your nose and where your thumb meets your hand. With the stock comb (top of the stock) comfortably against your cheek, you want to be looking right along the top of the barrel to the bead (or be looking right through the sights.) And you want it to feel right.

There are all sorts of ways to adjust shotgun fit (changing the stock, cutting the stock, different thickness recoil pads, comb pads, Morgan pads, etc) if you find the perfect gun that doesn’t quite fit perfectly.
 
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