first post. looking for some input... / help

Z

zeus1gdsm

Inactive
Ive been lurking here for the last few months researching and reading.

And i need some help making my decision on an SD firearm.


I currently have a 12g and a old remington .22 handmedown..

I have come to several conclusions and would like some input.

I am hung up on what would be my best choice as funds are limited.

Now my area is currently out skirts of a very small "city" but i come from the country and would be headed there in the event things go bad for whatever reason.


Currently considering:

Beretta storm CX-4 and a pistol to match mags however I cannot decide on a caliber. 9mm .40 or .45

my choice in the beretta storm comes down to the simplicity of design and easy field stripping. and the quality of berretta handguns and of the course the magazine compatibility.



I am torn on which caliber to choose.


The other option would be to get a standard Remington 700. however in the larger capacities ammo is quite expensive for my blood. As well as the low magazine capacity......

on a side note also considering the S&W MP 15-22 as it has larger capacity and the .22 ammo is dirt cheap and i have a ton allready.... however this would not be much help in terms of taking down whitetails or true stopping power.



So in your own opinions is the magazine compatibility a better choice over a larger capacity rifle i.e. sks, AR. something similiar


Have allready looked at ruger carbine options however opinions are to varied in terms of reliability, accurracy etc. same goes for HI-Point and Kel Tec.

Also Marlins combos however they are way out of budget. and hard to find



I guess im looking for opinions on pistol/carbine combo or just get a larger caliber rifle and carry 3 diff. types of ammunition (pistol, shotgun, rifle) at a steep cost.


Please feel free to comment on anything contained herein. And thank you
 
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I like the CX idea, especially trying to mate your pistol and carbine. Does Beretta make a .45 pistol with mags that fit the CX? If not, go with 9mm, the ammo is much cheaper and more common than .40.
 
Havent really gotten into the .45 ACP mainly due to price and availability. did find 20rnd mags for the carbine but not any pistols.

Its really the age old debate of 9mm vs .40.

however i dont know if a larger rifle caliber would be a "prefered" setup. mainly the thought of having to buy such costly ammunition and only having it be viable for one rifle is a bit of a turn off for my purposes in my opinion 3 smaller rounds will ideally do the job of one larger round. provided the shooter is up to par. and 12g slugs should be fine for whitetail in my area.
 
Picking guns is fun. Go to a shooting range and rent as many guns as you can. Go to gun stores and fondle as many guns as they'll let you.

It is a good idea to start your collection with a good .22lr bolt action rifle. From targets to filling the pot the .22 is a very versatile round. It also has the advantage of being a good and inexpensive training round.

A good .22 semi-auto pistol such as the Ruger MK or the Browning Buckmark are also good first buys because they are fun to shoot and are less expensive to train with.

Getting some training under your belt will help you pick out a centerfire rifle or handgun.

Don't be in a hurry, the world isn't going to end that soon.
 
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If been trying to find a local range. Have yet to find one that rents and isnt a membership situation... we normally just take our. Rifles to a local sand pit...
 
Welcome to The Firing Line, zeus1gdsm!

My first question is: Given your plans & budget, do you really need a new SD weapon? If budget is an issue, consider that carefully.
zeus1gdsm said:
. . . .I currently have a 12g and a old remington .22 handmedown..
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Do not underestimate the utility of that 12ga. I consider a 12ga shotgun a basic firearm that belongs in every shooter's stable. The 12ga is perfectly capable for SD and hunting, both of which came up in your post. Just swap out the ammo, and you're good to go. It's an extremely versatile weapon, with lots and lots of readily available ammunition.

Between the 12ga and the .22, you can take down any game from squirrel to deer (assuming you do your part). That's a pretty good start on the hunting front. Both have lots of readily available ammunition, very reaonably priced.

With that said, if you find that you really do need a new SD weapon, that's fine. There are plenty of 9mm v. .45 threads around here, and they often devolve into something like the old "Tastes Great, Less Filling" commercials. Personally, I prefer the .45 acp, but it is expensive, and pistol capacity is generally lower.
 
The other option would be to get a standard Remington 700. however in the larger capacities ammo is quite expensive for my blood. As well as the low magazine capacity......
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Handloading makes practice ammo affordable. It's not roocket science.



Have a look at the Ruger GSR. Utility rifle.
 
ooooooooo Ruger GSR...... maybe next year. dont think i could rationalize that price with the wife outta the tax return this year lol.. Definately going on my list though.

Spatz:

Thanks for the welcome :) I couldnt agree more on the debate every thread ive read here and other places eventually becomes a school yard debate. even some of the more professional "test" findings ive found essentially say it all comes down to personal preference.

And yes you caught me i dont NEED another rifle... but.... i have a bad hankering for a new guilty pleasure ! I think im leaning in the tacticool direction as i keep finding myself looking at the SW MP 15-22 and Beretta storm which i could load down with a bunch of uneccessary electronics and weight :) but hey it'll look cool. and cost less than an AR lol
 
9mm vs .40:

Terminal ballistics of a 9mm projectile are about equal that of the 10mm projectile if there is no medium between you and the target. The heavier slugs in the .40 provide better barrier penetration (car doors, windshields, etc.) and maintaining terminal performance over heavier 9mm projectiles. So if you are more likely to shoot through barriers enough to justify sacrificing the 2 or 3 round capacity decrease go with a .40, otherwise a 9mm in a modern hollowpoint will perform just as well as a .40 in a defense role.

If you can afford to shoot .45 I would recommend it over either .40 or 9mm as you will have a rifle platform which makes target acquisition and follow ups faster. For me the decrease in capacity is more than made up for in terminal performance of the .45 ACP.
 
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zeus1gdsm said:
ooooooooo Ruger GSR...... maybe next year. dont think i could rationalize that price with the wife outta the tax return this year lol.. Definately going on my list though.
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I can sure understand that! The Ruger GSR looks like lots of fun.

zeus1gdsm said:
Spatz:

Thanks for the welcome I couldnt agree more on the debate every thread ive read here and other places eventually becomes a school yard debate. even some of the more professional "test" findings ive found essentially say it all comes down to personal preference.

And yes you caught me i dont NEED another rifle... but.... i have a bad hankering for a new guilty pleasure ! I think im leaning in the tacticool direction as i keep finding myself looking at the SW MP 15-22 and Beretta storm which i could load down with a bunch of uneccessary electronics and weight but hey it'll look cool. and cost less than an AR lol
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LOL! I suspected as much. There's nothing in the world wrong with wanting another rifle, but it's not the same as needing another rifle. I don't know enough about the S&W MP 15-22 to know if it's any good, but if I'm looking at the right one, it looks like it could provide a whole lotta cheap (in terms of ammo costs) fun!
 
Thanks for all the great info guys!

Fo all intensive purposes i would consider this thread closed.

Thank you again. lots to digest.
 
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