What would you choose for your first long gun?

Status
Not open for further replies.
M

MeanStreaker

Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2005
Messages
206
Location
Dayton, OH
I've been building my handgun collection over the past couple of years and figure it's time to round out my holdings.

My Dad has quite the .22 rifle collection that I grew up on, and now that I think about it I need to retrieve the Marlin and 10/22 that are technically "mine." :)

I'm not a paranoid, live-in-a-bomb-shelter type of guy, but I want the first long gun I purchase to be practical in case I need to ever protect the homefront and provide food for the family. With that being said, I'm completely ignorant about which caliber, model, etc. to explore. 30-30 rifle? 12 gauge Shotgun? AR-15?

Help me find my way. Thanks!

Edit to Add: As I'm completely ignorant, I'd appreciate it if you'd help me out by listing specific manufacturer's/models that I can research along with your general vote of "shotgun" or "AR." Thanks!
 
Lets start out with a vote for the AR15
Lots of options and you can add on for years
 
Well, for all around use it's hard to beat a shotgun. That's why so many pioneers who could only afford one gun picked a shotgun. It's a good close range home defense weapon, good for small game for the pot, and with deer slugs usuable for deer and hogs providing you're a good enough stalker to get close enough for an effective shot.
 
If I didn't have no long gun at all I would like a 12 ga. 36 inch single barrel.:
 
Most practical all-arounder is a 12 ga shotgun. Pump action are more robust. Can't go wrong with a Remington 870 or a Mossberg 500.

Next most practical is a 22 lr. Looks like you have that covered.

Third, something with common ammo that can reach out further than 12 ga slugs. 30-30, 30-06, 308. Bolt or lever action.

The AR is nice and accurate and light, and a 22 lr conversion unit can be dropped in in a couple minutes.
 
If it helps my first long gun was a Remington 700 BDL 3006
First Shotgun was Winchester 1200 12 gauge.
Got a M1A Super Match for my first bad boy.
We will not talk about the other 9 bad boy black guns OK.

The down fall was the Blaser LRS2 in 300 Win Mag.
That was when collecting long guns started getting expensive.
Including the Blaser, I've spent over $21,000 on 4 guns in four years.
Those darn long range two legged varmint guns are getting real expensive.:evil: At least they are real pretty.:D
 
12 gauge shotgun, especially if you already own a .22 rifle. Good for home defense, and with a variety of loads is good for everything from doves to bear.

ETA: For a specific model I like the remington 870
 
My first long gun was a Remington....

Model 11 Sportsman 16 ga my Grandpa gave me in 1957. The Rem 870 is hard to beat for a shotgun. You might want to look at some of the milsurp rifles out there in the 100 buck range, Mosin Nagant 91/30 and Turk Mauser, and ammo is cheap........Ruger 10/22 22 cal rifle is hard to beat......chris3
 
I would say in order:
1. Shotgun (something like a Remington 870).
2. A .22 rifle of some kind.
3. AR-15 or AK47
4. M1 or 1903A3
 
I must agree with many other here.

1. shotgun: makes a great home defense and close range hunting weapon. Remington 870 is my favorite.

2. Rifles: an AR15 in .223 makes a great small game gun where as a .308 makes a great medium range gun. Another reason I like both of these rounds is PRICE. Both can be bought real cheap in bulk military surplus. For the .308 a Remington 700 is a great gun (in many ways the industry standard) but can be somewhat pricey. The new savange stevens m200 has gotten great reviews and msrp is only $330.
 
I agree with everyone. Protection + hunting capability = shotgun. Nothing else even comes close. Plus, the numerous shotgun-oriented shooting games are just plain fun! :D

Specifically, I've found the interchangeable-choke tube shotguns to be very practical. Use improved cylinder and buckshot for defense, modified for trap games, etc. My 870s have always been good to me.
 
A .22 is a good starter rifle and will keep you in small game; I am partial to bolt-actions but there is something to be said for every possible way of cycling a rifle.. Shooting a rifle is a slightly different art to shooting a handgun; starting out with something you can shoot a lot cheaply is a good idea.

In larger calibers, I don't know how the SKS is for hunting but it's good for most other purposes - and the price is right. Some sneer at the power and caliber. Rounds are pretty cheap and a good SKS is a well-behaved little machine. Probably not going to bag a moose with one.

--Herself
 
Remington stocks anyone?

870 remington, 12 Gd. get the long chambered version,3 1/2"Doesn't add much to the cost but allows you to use all loads,handi thing in a survival situation.Stock up on slugs as these are a proven life saver"for you"and a life taker"for the bad guy"
 
Rifle, maybe Rem 700 or Win Model 70 if you can find one, in 30-06 best all around catridge ever developed. Shotgun only if you plan on doing any bird or rabbit hunting, or take up skeet/trap etc. Then you need a pistol, starting with the .22 revolver, then infamous 45 ACP 1911 type.
 
One of my first long rifles was a russian SKS. I got it from my buddy Nightcrawler. There are enough of em around that they don't cost too much and you can find em just about anywhere that firearms are sold. The ammo is relatively cheap and in good supply. Disassembly and cleaning is easy to do and requires no special tools.
 
Mossberg 500 or Ithica 37 if you can find it. Both great pump guns, with Ithica being my favorite. As for a rifle, I'd suggest the Marlin 336 in .30-30, because you can't beat it for a brush gun or in a crunch a home defense gun.
 
MeanStreaker; First I would check your local hunting regulations, do you have a shotgun only restriction for whitetail etc. 12ga. is about as close to being universal as you can get. Consider the ammo availability of your choice. If you roll with a shotgun for a 1st long gun I would recomend a pump over an auto.
Good shootin'
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

K
  • Locked
What Guns would you choose
Replies
2
Views
492
GroovedG19
G
N
  • Locked
What would you choose?
2
Replies
37
Views
2K
Kendahl
K
S
  • Locked
What do you need to reach a "comfortable completion" to your collection?
2 3
Replies
61
Views
2K
Jonah71
J
CAS700850
  • Locked
What long gun...
Replies
7
Views
535
Brian Williams
Brian Williams
N
  • Locked
$2000 to start gun collection- what would you buy?
2 3 4
Replies
79
Views
9K
biohazurd
B
Back
Top