Guy at the gunshop said its Too much of a rifle for me...

Status
Not open for further replies.
A

Addicted2Shooting

New member
I've entertained the thought of learning to shoot very precisely at long distances. I don't have much experience with large caliber rifles, but definitely want to get something that will reach out to 500-100 yrds that I can become very good with.

I was talking to a guy at a gun shop and expressing my interest in the rifle. I was a little bit intimidated when he said its too much of a gun for me starting out, and that the ammo is super expensive. Now, the ammo being expensive I can understand, but just assuming that the gun is too much for me because its a big gun didn't sit well with me. I am of the mindset that if I want to become good at something, I need to practice and might as well have the best tool for the job.

What do you all think? Am I over reacting, or was the guy right?
 
Last edited:
GAG30M300.jpg


:rolleyes:
 
Don't let anyone talk you out of a .300 Win Mag. I've had one for over 20 years and it's my favorite rifle to shoot. You just aim and squeeze and don't worry about recoil. Mine doesn't have any junk on the end of the barrel for recoil reduction either. Did I mention I'm 65 years old?

And that rifle you're looking at should be a real tackhammer!
 
If you are just starting out it is probably too much at first. I certainly dont want to discourage you, but get comfortable with shooting. You can buy a 300 dollar rifle, get good with it, then buy that.
 
I don't believe in the start small go bigger theory. When I was young I started with the big guns and never had a problem. You just have to learn to squeeze the trigger.
 
Never fired that particular caliber. But I have some time behind their .338 L.M. And I actually found that to be surprisingly "light" hitting. And at that time I was only a twiggy 170lbs. In fact my T3 lite in .308 kicks significantly harder!

So yeah, I guess I wouldn't really care what he thought. That was pretty presumptuous of him. And I wouldn't be put off by it if that rifle feels right to you
 
I think the .300 win mag would be a good load for what you want but there is a lot of different ammo out there that is cheaper and can do what you want. i think the first question is do you know how to shoot long distance? have you ever tried it? you should check out the appleseed program to teach you the basics and then you can refine your skill on your own with practice.

http://appleseedinfo.org/
 
good grief...get the rifle...shoot it...be safe....shoot it some more...have fun and learn to shoot at long distances like you want to do.
 
While it is certainly possible to learn on a larger caliber, most people have better luck starting with something smaller and working their way up to the big boomers. Because of this, I personally wouldn't recommend a .300 Win Mag to a new shooter regardless of what the looked like they could handle.

Bear in mind too that there are other, lighter recoiling cartridges that are perfectly capable of good accuracy at ranges up to 1,000 yards. .308 Winchester, .30-06, .270 Winchester, 7x57mm Mauser, 7mm-08, and 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser would all be able to "reach out and touch" while providing less recoil and more affordable ammunition than .300 Win Mag would.
 
I need to practice and might as well have the best tool for the job.
Click to expand...
You said it best. Setting it up will cost a little moola, getting a good piece of glass atop it, bipod, reloading supplies... that sorta thing. It's only money.

I'd bet that you can shoot that 12 pound puppy all day long in .300 or .308. The .338 might wear on you after a while. ;)

Nothing like a panzerkampfwagen cannon muzzle brake to bring the muzzle CRRRAAACCK back to the shooter and those nearby. (They offer it on the .308 as well... why I'm not sure).

Buy it. Equip it. Shoot it. Tho, as I'm sure you are aware, you could spend less money and learn to punch holes at that distance just as easily using other equipment. It's only money. (but I repeat myself)
 
A .300 mag isn't all that big, it's just powerful. If that's what you want, go for it. I wouldn't want one, but that's just me. Almost no one on this forum want the kind of guns I have. If I was wanting a good cheap gun starting out, I'd look for a New England.
 
Come on now YOU know what you want,Gun shop guy dont know you. what makes him the expert on what you can do.Ive been shooting 300mag for years & really enjoy it. Sure I think the 300mag is a mans rifle,meaning its pretty powerful but its not bad to control.Just get that Bad boy & enjoy it GOOD LUCK!!!:D
 
Can't tell if that is a muzzle break on the end, but keep in mind that some ranges/matches do not allow that. Too noisy for your neighbor.

I would vote of 308 or 3006 myself - prolly 1/2 the cost of the ammo gives you more $ to shoot.
 
I agree completely that it is not his place to just come out and tell you that it is too much rifle for you.

That being said, I personally followed the, "start small and cheap for learning the basics, then move into the rifle you really want," method. Here is the logic that sold me on the idea:

Marlin 795: MSRP $150
1000 rounds of .22 bulk ammo: $50 (there is some variance here, but this number is perfectly reasonable)
That adds up to 1000 rounds of practice shooting for $200, and you get to keep the rifle.

How many rounds of .300 can you buy for $200? Now remember that the rifle is not included in that price. If money is not an object, congratulations, go for the more expensive toy. Otherwise, there is a lot to be said for picking up something smaller and cheaper for practice to get good before spending the money on the big gun. If you don't want a .22, there are still a lot of centerfire options that will be cheaper by far for practice - .308,.223,.30-06...
Just my $.02
 
Last edited:
My goodness... that's a BIG caliber!

You should spend at least 6 months shooting "air" guns (like air guitar) until you get used to that recoil.
Then, and ONLY then, you can move up to an airsoft gun from Academy.
Be prepared for another 6 months or so of becoming accustomed to the more "abrupt" recoil of those.
Once you've mastered the airsofts, you are ready to move into the rarified air of pump-up airguns, shooting real lead pellets. Of course, you want to start with the minimum number of pumps... something that will give you maybe 300fps with the pellets. After you've toughened up enough to pump it up to the max, and still not flinch, you are ready to look at a .22 rimfire.
Be sure to get one that will handle the CB shorts, longs, and long rifles.. make sure it's an adult sized rifle, with plenty of weight, to help dampen the recoil of the hotter long rifle rounds... some of those can be pretty brutal.

..........or, you could just get the .300 Win mag, and shoot the heck out of it. :D
 
Good shooting technique is the same whether you are using a 22lr or a .50 cal. I do most of my practice shooting with a .17hmr Savage and a Remington 700 in .223. It is a lot cheaper, easy on me and I like shooting those guns. I shoot my heavier calibers enough to be proficient with the particular rifle and load and for load development. But if someone likes shooting a shoulder cannon all the time, have at it. In the end it comes down to -- can you hit the target you need to hit consistently with the rifle you are using? If you are having trouble hitting a coke can at 50 yds with a 22lr, you will probably have trouble hitting a 6" gong at 500 yds with a $7500 custom rig.;)
 
I was talking to a guy at a gun shop and expressing my interest in the rifle. I was a little bit intimidated when he said its too much of a gun for me starting out, and that the ammo is super expensive. Now, the ammo being expensive I can understand, but just assuming that the gun is too much for me because its a big gun didn't sit well with me. I am of the mindset that if I want to become good at something, I need to practice and might as well have the best tool for the job.
Click to expand...

I think the guy was trying to help you out.

500 yards is a long way...

1000 yards is 2x as long a way...:D

Here is the scenario that I see why he is making that suggestion.

You buy this gun. You spend alot of money on it. You buy a $30 scope and put on it.

You go to the store and buy whatever .300 Win Mag ammo is cheapest, because they cost A LOT.

You take it out to your local 500 yard range. You put a pie plate on the target.

You lay down behind it like you see everyone on TV.

And you never hit a thing with it, the muzzle blast is so loud it peels the paint off the shooting position, and it kicks/bucks and jumps around all over the place because you aren't using good form.

You get discouraged, and you either sell it at a loss or put it in the safe and just take it out to make pictures of it or show it to your Brother in Law.

This is what A LOT of people do.

Most of them would be much better off buying a decent quality gun (like a Savage 110 FP or Remington SPS or 700P in .308), some excellent optics and start working your way up to that 1000 yards which may be what the guy was trying to help you with.

As long as you are buying it fully understanding that you NEED to get a high quality optic, you NEED to buy high quality ammo (or roll your own), you will NEED to learn to dial for wind and elevation and you aren't expecting to be shooting like a "sniper" at 500 yards on your 1st outing, go for it.
 
Crow Hunter said:
I think the guy was trying to help you out.

500 yards is a long way...

1000 yards is 2x as long a way...

Here is the scenario that I see why he is making that suggestion.

You buy this gun. You spend alot of money on it. You buy a $30 scope and put on it.

You go to the store and buy whatever .300 Win Mag ammo is cheapest, because they cost A LOT.

You take it out to your local 500 yard range. You put a pie plate on the target.

You lay down behind it like you see everyone on TV.

And you never hit a thing with it, the muzzle blast is so loud it peels the paint off the shooting position, and it kicks/bucks and jumps around all over the place because you aren't using good form.

You get discouraged, and you either sell it at a loss or put it in the safe and just take it out to make pictures of it or show it to your Brother in Law.

This is what A LOT of people do.

Most of them would be much better off buying a decent quality gun (like a Savage 110 FP or Remington SPS or 700P in .308), some excellent optics and start working your way up to that 1000 yards which may be what the guy was trying to help you with.

As long as you are buying it fully understanding that you NEED to get a high quality optic, you NEED to buy high quality ammo (or roll your own), you will NEED to learn to dial for wind and elevation and you aren't expecting to be shooting like a "sniper" at 500 yards on your 1st outing, go for it.
Click to expand...
Well said sir. :cool:
 
Addicted2Shooting said: I need to practice and might as well have the best tool for the job.
Click to expand...
Your money. Why should you not enjoy what it can buy. I've experienced counter help that think they know what is best for their customers. When in reality their customers are at times more informed about a product than they are. As far as the question of ammunition expense. There is a whole new hobby for you to get into and enjoy year round >(reloading) Your quote (above.) I firmly support 100%._:) SSMcG
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top