The first time I ever held a gun it just felt natural to me. The first time I shot a gun (my uncles M1903) I pretty much hit exactly what I was shooting at every time. Now, I'm not saying I havn't missed a few shots, but give me a decent rifle and I'll get the job done. I'm nowhere near as good as I could be though (and want to be) so I practice as much as I can. As of right now here are my options as far as rifles go:
Ruger 10/22... Pretty accurate at short distances, but I'd like to train with long shots aswell.
Marlin 60... See 10/22
Winchester 94... lack of accuracy due to short barrel, the whole lever action deal is not ideal for target practice IMO because you can't fire while resting the gun on a bipod, rifle rest, car hood etc. or the ground (prone).
Russian SKS... VERY accurate. Everyone that tries this thing pretty much hits dead on (even newcomers). It's got a chinese scope mount/scope with a slip on buttpud, internal recoil buffer, and I filled the storage compartment in the stock with lead to make it heavier. Used to have slam-fire and full-auto problems with it until I purchased and installed a replacement firing pin that utilizes a spring to eliminate the possibility of a slamfire or full auto burst. This is mainly what I use for target practice.
I realise these are not the best rifles to sharpen my skills with and I WILL be looking for a bolt action of some sort in the future. The rainy season is here so work is slim and I hardly have the cash to get something good not to mention something bad, so... for now, I'll have to make-do with the SKS.
On to my question...I live here in Northern California where anti-gun sentiment is palpable. We have one outdoor range and one indoor range nearby which is convenient but I perfer to be alone, where its quiet (go figure). I'd like to practice in a more practical environment, I dont want to hear a range instructor yelling at some dumb kid. Also, nothing is allowed on the range other then paper targets which is probably just fine, but I wanna shoot at things like playing cards and the steel (I think) targets that go "DINK!!" when you get a hit (the correct term is escaping me). What would be my best bet given my location and financial situation? I used to go on backpacking trips with my family and we went to some pretty remote places. Another thread here on THR got me thinking I could revisit some of these places (nation forest areas) with my rifle and some cheap lightweight targets, playing cards of course
. I doubt any of the local farm boys would give me the time of day so thats not gonna happen and I really don't have any gun-lovin relatives or friends with any land. My cousin, the one who got me addicted to shooting, used to take me to some private places he had access to but he died a few months back so now I'm on my own. My only connection to firearms is the local gun store, THR, and my own enthusiasm for the sport. I'm usually pretty fun to be around and safety is always first with me. So... if anyone has any tips on where I could go, who to ask, or what to say, I'd greatly appreciate it. Also, what would be a good rifle to look at?
Thank you for taking the time to read this post.
-Dev
Ruger 10/22... Pretty accurate at short distances, but I'd like to train with long shots aswell.
Marlin 60... See 10/22
Winchester 94... lack of accuracy due to short barrel, the whole lever action deal is not ideal for target practice IMO because you can't fire while resting the gun on a bipod, rifle rest, car hood etc. or the ground (prone).
Russian SKS... VERY accurate. Everyone that tries this thing pretty much hits dead on (even newcomers). It's got a chinese scope mount/scope with a slip on buttpud, internal recoil buffer, and I filled the storage compartment in the stock with lead to make it heavier. Used to have slam-fire and full-auto problems with it until I purchased and installed a replacement firing pin that utilizes a spring to eliminate the possibility of a slamfire or full auto burst. This is mainly what I use for target practice.
I realise these are not the best rifles to sharpen my skills with and I WILL be looking for a bolt action of some sort in the future. The rainy season is here so work is slim and I hardly have the cash to get something good not to mention something bad, so... for now, I'll have to make-do with the SKS.
On to my question...I live here in Northern California where anti-gun sentiment is palpable. We have one outdoor range and one indoor range nearby which is convenient but I perfer to be alone, where its quiet (go figure). I'd like to practice in a more practical environment, I dont want to hear a range instructor yelling at some dumb kid. Also, nothing is allowed on the range other then paper targets which is probably just fine, but I wanna shoot at things like playing cards and the steel (I think) targets that go "DINK!!" when you get a hit (the correct term is escaping me). What would be my best bet given my location and financial situation? I used to go on backpacking trips with my family and we went to some pretty remote places. Another thread here on THR got me thinking I could revisit some of these places (nation forest areas) with my rifle and some cheap lightweight targets, playing cards of course
. I doubt any of the local farm boys would give me the time of day so thats not gonna happen and I really don't have any gun-lovin relatives or friends with any land. My cousin, the one who got me addicted to shooting, used to take me to some private places he had access to but he died a few months back so now I'm on my own. My only connection to firearms is the local gun store, THR, and my own enthusiasm for the sport. I'm usually pretty fun to be around and safety is always first with me. So... if anyone has any tips on where I could go, who to ask, or what to say, I'd greatly appreciate it. Also, what would be a good rifle to look at?Thank you for taking the time to read this post.
-Dev
