Complete Newbie

What do you intend on hunting? 243 can do a lot and i'm not kicking it for any reason but starting out saying 30-06 and going to 243 is a pretty big reduction. 30-06 will rattle your teeth where as 243 shouldn't be as rough on you.

Someone of your height and weight should be able to take both just fine. The 243 of course would be more enjoyable and cheaper.

There are online gun shops and auctions that you can look at for used. Then I think the stuff gets shipped to your local FFL for you to pick up. I've never done it that way so i don't know as much but others here do.
 
I only intend on hunting white-tailed deer because it is the biggest game I got on Long Island. I don't see myself hunting bigger game than that until much later.

Another reason why I might go for a .243 is because as someone mentioned, I didn't really consider how expensive it would be to shoot a 30.06 at targets.
 
If I'm not mistaken, the deer hunting on Long Island would typically be at relatively short ranges (less than 200 yds and really more like less than 100 yds). That opens you up to a whole lot of other choices with less kick than a 30-06. Think about 30-30, .44 magnum, etc.
 
Welcome aboard D1.
Lots of good suggestions already made. Here's mine. Feel free to ignore any or all:
I have a friend who started with a Ruger semi-auto in .22, but I'd recommend that you start with a bolt action 22 simply b/c it will force you to slow down and think about each shot. I'd also recommend that you start with iron sight shooting and move to a scope on your 22 later.
When you choose to move up to a centerfire, you'll start shooting with a scope straight away, but the good habits will be there.
If you're just shooting white tails on long island. My hunting buddy came from Long Island and from his stories a .243 would be fine. If you think that you might head west for any larger game hunting, you might think .308. 30-06 is a fine round, and it's what I shoot currently, but it's not something a hobbiest can shoot all day for reasons both financial and physical.
Happy Shooting, be safe.
 
Ok, I've decided on a .22LR (Bolt Action). Decision was made purely on the fact that the only way to become a better marksman is to practice. And to practice the most on a budget is cheaper rounds.

Looking online for used Ruger Americans or Savage Mark II's. Anyone have any previous experiences with these? Or recommend other rifles?

By the way, when I buy a rifle and have them ship it to my FFL dealer, as a first time buyer, what do I need to bring with me?
 
DueceOne said:
Ok, I've decided on a .22LR (Bolt Action). Decision was made purely on the fact that the only way to become a better marksman is to practice. And to practice the most on a budget is cheaper rounds.

Looking online for used Ruger Americans or Savage Mark II's. Anyone have any previous experiences with these? Or recommend other rifles?

By the way, when I buy a rifle and have them ship it to my FFL dealer, as a first time buyer, what do I need to bring with me?
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Add any Marlin bolt action .22 to your list. I've had a 25n since I was 10 and it's capable of stunning accuracy with match ammo. These can be had for $100-$200 used/new depending on the configuration.

They're also cheaper than the Ruger or Savage rimfire guns and, imo nicer looking.
 
I'm just a college student.
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Just to make you feel bad, when I was in college if I wanted to learn how to shoot I could go over to the physical education department and sign up for a rifle course. If I did well I could join the school's rifle team. They supplied the guns and ammo...guess THOSE days are gone.

If you can find a range, a lot of them have some kind of league shooting or classes to teach you to shoot. That might be one way to go. There's nothing like competition to help you focus on what you're trying to do.
 
DueceOne, I'm also a Long Islander ( Plainview ) shoot indoors in the winter Mitchell Field Range. Brookhaven Range in the summer outdoors. CZ 452 Varmint 22 LR bolt action is a very accurate rifle. Thats my winter indoor rifle, Remington 700LTR 308 cal. is my summer outdoor benchrest rifle. There is alot of shooters here, if your getting into 22's check out rimfirecentral.com Also hunting deer on Long Island is only shotgun or bow.
 
By the way, when I buy a rifle and have them ship it to my FFL dealer, as a first time buyer, what do I need to bring with me?
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In Washington state I need to bring my drivers license and money. New York might be different.
Consult your local laws about what it requires to legally buy a firearm.

When you buy on line the company might have your local FFL on file and that's real handy. If not you'll need to send proof that your FFL is indeed an FFL.

Many companies that sell on line give you a couple days to inspect your gun and if not satisfactory, ship it back.
So you'll need a bit of knowledge on how to inspect a gun.
If you take an introductory firearms class, they should be able to give you that knowledge.

The Savage Mk II is a fine gun.
I really really liked the CZ Lux that a friend let me shoot. I've also heard good things about the whole CZ line of .22s.

Find gun shops and try different models on for size.
 
I've had a 25n since I was 10 and it's capable of stunning accuracy with match ammo. These can be had for $100-$200 used/new depending on the configuration.
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Marlin 25N hasn't been produced in over a decade. It was replaced with the 925 which has been replaced with the XT-22.

I've been looking for a good 25N myself. I kick myself for letting a good one pass a few months ago.
 
Looking online for used Ruger Americans or Savage Mark II's. Anyone have any previous experiences with these? Or recommend other rifles?
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The Savage MK II is generally an excellent rifle. They have a reputation for great out-of-the-box accuracy. Their weakness has been in their magazines. Most of the time, the one that comes with your rifle will be OK but their quality control has let some bad ones slip past. They have also had some trouble with the magazines breaking. However, since Savage MK II magazines are relatively cheap and very easy to buy don't let that keep you from choosing it.
 
When you are starting out, don't over look the BB gun or a pellet gun. They can be very useful for learning sight picture and trigger control, with the advantage of they can be used almost anywhere.
.22s are great for learning as you can get copies of a number of guns chambered in .22, everything from a colt SAA, 1911, M1 Carbine, UZI.
as far as a 30-06, as others have said, they can be expensive to feed. You might look at the Mosin Nagant as they are cheap, as is the ammo.
One thing I was told when I started shooting was you should have a good 22, a 9mm or larger pistol, a shotgun, and a center fire rifle, once you have those, you can take your collection in what ever direction you wish.

Good luck and have fun with what ever you decide to get.
 
Been looking around, and see some guns of interest. I am keeping my eye on this used Savage MK II, but it doesn't have the factory sights. It does have scope mounts installed and I was wondering how much would an OK scope cost me?

The item is ending soon and not a single bid has been placed, it's currently going for $.01 with no reserve set...I feel like something is keeping people away from the rifle.

EDIT: Nevermind, it does have a reserve set.
 
Buzzcook said:
The Savage Mk II is a fine gun
...I've also heard good things about the whole CZ line of .22s
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Savages have a reputation for excellent accuracy, but I don't have experience with them. I do, however, have experience with CZ452s, and can vouch for their quality and accuracy.

If I were looking for an excellent all-around .22LR rifle, I'd seriously look at the CZ452 Trainer. Built on the 452 action, it's got excellent iron sights and the beech stock keep the price down. CZ transitioned to their newer 455 line, but here's a 452 Trainer on Gunbroker:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=464364002

Scope? I suggested a "decent" one, but that doesn't mean it has to be crazy expensive. I'd avoid the real cheapies, though. The Mueller APV has been a very popular choice among rimfire shooters.

A CZ452 Trainer with a Mueller APV would be an excellent combo, and one you'll likely not outgrow for a very long time.
 
There's lots of good 22s out there.

When I was building a biathlon rifle, I bought a bunch of 22s to look over while contemplating the project.
I had an older Mark 2 (pre-accutrigger). I loved the smooth action and it was ridiculously accurate. It was a bit heavy. I hear that the recent Savage Mark 2s with laminated stocks are lighter and the trigger better, although I loved my trigger on my old mark2. I traded it to a buddy and he loves whacking prairie dogs with it. He still buys me beer.
I also bought a Winchester 69a. It was very light and very accurate as well. Weight doesn't sound like it will be an issue for you. I kept it for my kids' use, but it was too light to build up to a biathlon rifle. (There's a minimum weight limit).
In the end, I built up a marlin 2000. It was ok, but a bit heavy b/c of its bull barrel and the trigger was not as good as the others.
I sold the 2000 project rifle after I bought a Savage 90b biathlon rifle. The savage has a better trigger.
There's tons of good 22s out there; don't over think this. Find a rifle that fits you, b/c you will be shooting all day and a bunch of spare magazines.
 
I have a couple Marlins and a Rossi 22lr but the one I like the most is my Remington 581. Well that and the Stevens Favorite my mom has.

22's are horrible rifles because eventually you want to collect them all.
 
For me I usually take them apart and clean them but that's more for used guns. Some guns you buy covered in grease like the last rossi I bought

Yours probably won't come like that but I would probably learn how to pull the bolt out of the action and check the bore. Might also unbolt it from the stock to see how that's made.

Are you planning on mounting a scope on it? If so I would find a set of low rings and a nice scope. 22lr is drops off pretty quick after 100 yards so figure that's max range. Some like expensive scope and some like me don't mind inexpensive ones. I think the price of scope really matters more when you want to reach out way past 100 yards.

Beyond that just get familiar with it.
 
What are the basic things to know/do when getting a new rifle?
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Get on Youtube and see if there are any vidoes on cleaning the MK II. Most new guns are shippied with a type of protective lubricant/oil on the metal parts that isn't the same as regular gun oil/lubes. You'll want to get that stuff off and replaced before shooting. Give the bore a good cleaning too and then a LIGHT re-oiling. When I say light, I mean just enough to leave a protective film. I usually oil up a patch, run it through, then run a couple of dry patches through it until they come out without showing anything.
 
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