HELP! Choosing a Beginners Rifle.

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ds1973

New member
Hello all. I took my wife (and a bag of balloons) to the local indoor range this weekend and rented her a little bolt action 22 with 6 round clip. This was her first time shooting and you should have seen the grin on her face when she popped her first balloon! Anyway I think it would be a good idea for me to get a 22 rifle to have on hand to introduce friends and relatives to shooting. It's a very mild, yet fun caliber. My AR-15 is "scary" to some and my 45 ACP pistol is too much of a kick. Can anyone recommend a good beginners rifle. I'm thinking either Bolt or Lever action. Something not too expensive (a couple hundred), but fairly accurate. Also, what do you say to people who don't "see much point in shooting if they don't hunt or want to kill animals?" I mean, it's fun.. What else can I say? I mean some people don't buy the fact that every American should handle a firearm at least once in their lives. They're an integral part of this country and its heritage.


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The first step is registration, the second step is confiscation, the final step is subjugation.
 
I'll second the Ruger 10/22 as an affordable and fun 22 to shoot. However, if I had to go lever, it'd be the Marlin 39A. For bolts, I love the ChiCom Mauser K98k lookalike. Course it's no M2 Springfield, but what a blast.
 
O.K. my reasoning for bolt or lever action, as opposed to semi, was to get the new shooter to focus on lining up the sights after each shot as opposed to being tempted to fire away as they might with a semi. Also, the semi would be more prone to jamming.

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The first step is registration, the second step is confiscation, the final step is subjugation.
 
With beginners, always remember the KISS principle. In my opinion, were I doing what you are thinking, I would get a decent bolt-action, clip-fed rifle. Probably a relatively full-sized version, since you'll be working with adults; kids, generally, can at least *learn* from the larger rifle.

Best luck, Art
 
The Czech made CZ bolt 22's are perhaps the best all around good deal at this time.
The Romanian trainers at all the shows and most gunshops are an incredibley cheap deal for a substantial 22 bolt gun.
Any decent show or shop should have a selection of used 22 bolt guns. They are so simple and cheap, it is hard to go wrong. Just pick out one that somehow appeals the most. Remington 541's are often said to be the best bolt 22 for the money and features. That was "Gun Tests" conclusion last year ($399 actual retail), but they did not compare it to the Czech rifle.
Cooper's are probably the best made 22 bolts now on the market, but are way out of your noted price range, probably over $1,000.
 
yeah an inexpensive .22 is the way to go, I wish I had bought my .22 rifle alot sooner.

As far as "what is the point of shooting". Have you ever seen the look on someone's face when they bowl 300, when they run their first game of 9-ball, or when they make their first hole in one on a golf course. That is the same look someone gets on their face the first time they put five shots in the same hole at 100yards. Shooting is a recreational sports if nothing else, and therefore has a reason for existing. My $.02


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Know Yourself, Know Your Weapon, Know Your Enemy; then Know Victory! DaHaMac
 
I see your point and for the same reason, I won't bring a 10/22 out for my nephews. That lesson was taught to me by my friend's son who, when given his father's Ruger Mark I, would not follow instructions and proceeded to empty the gun as fast as he could squeeze the trigger. It's either a chipmunk or a Stevens-Savage 20 ga/22 LR combination gun for the kiddies.

When the graduate from single shots, it'll be a bolt action and when they're bigger, I'll let them shoot the adult size 22 LRs.
 
I agree that a semi would not be a good choice for brand new shooters. The temptation to let loose is too great and learning shooting basics would go out the window when that happens. How about Ruger's 96/22 lever action or bolt action 77/22. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but, I think the mags will fit the 10/22. If you decide to get a 10/22 later on, you have an extra mag for it already.

The only bad thing, in my opinion, about the regular tube fed lever actions is the hassle of loading them. This might put hem off a little. Or, it could be of benefit as it will give you a brief pause for discussion, compliments, etc. between shooting strings.

- Ron V.
 
I just got a Ruger 10/22 and went shooting with it for the first time yesterday! The thing is darn accurate, and I love it and I think that gun will last forever. I don't know if there is a bad thing with the semi's, I believe it's in the training. Good training is what prevents someone from squeezing a million shots off in their Ruger. Not the limitation of the gun.

A Ruger 10/22 + good training is better than a bolt action + poor training.

Albert
 
I bought one of the Romanian 5-shot bolt action rifles and am very happy with it. For the price, I don't think you could go wrong buying one of these. I had intended for it to just hang in the rack of my truck and not worry about it, but it is a good enough shooter that I am thinking about fixing it up a little.
bergie
 
Savage is making the Stevens Favorite again for about $185. It's a single shot. I think it's a falling block (tipping block?) replica of the original.

I think I'd like to have one!

[This message has been edited by sensop (edited April 17, 2000).]
 
Sensop, I'd say definitely go with the
favorite. as well as its basic KISS design,
it has a classic look that just can't be
beat! I have an old one ( abt 1908 ) that
I rebuilt from a rusty, bare receiver.
crankshaft
 
For the kind of use you describe, a bolt-action .22 sounds like the perfect thing. If kids and rank beginners will be shooting it a lot, go with a single shot. Most of the better (=bigger) gun shops will have used ones in the fifty dollar range. They may look doggy, but will often be surprisingly accurate when everything is tightened down. You might find something like a Winchester 131 clip fed repeater, used These are not nice enough to have attracted collector interest and can be had for little money. I just fixed up one of those for a pal to use as a camp gun, and it shot around 3/4" 50-yard groups after the stock and the trigger was cleaned up a bit. He paid only $60 for the gun and a few bucks for refinishing supplies, plus $30 for a used Bushnell Sportview 'scope. If you don't trust buying used, I'd go with a new Marlin 15N single shot, or 25N repeater for around $250 tops: both of those have shot well for friends of mine, with minimal work. --slabsides

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If they take our guns, I intend to let my hair grow long and acquire the jawbone of an ass.
 
Well, something that is important here is that the rifle must be accurate enough to warrant mounting a scope later on. After the shooter learns iron sights, all you'd have to do is mount a scope on it instead of buying a whole new setup. Just something to keep in mind....


Hueco
 
How about one of the new Rossi or Taurus "gallery guns"? They're not real expensive, pump action, and I've seen scope mounts for them.
 
I'm going to throw my hat in for the Ruger 10/22. It's a great gun, and tons of fun for beginners and experts alike. If you have a trigger happy kid, just single load it until he's cured. Another thing about the 10/22 is it can be left stock, or customized to your heart's content. Here's a customized version.
smile.gif


Click here to see Customized Ruger 10/22

{Image change to link to decrease Tipic Load time - Schmit}


[This message has been edited by Schmit (edited April 19, 2000).]
 
For johnwill's Ruger 10/22 custom picture: Very pretty gun. Very nice.

I have a 10/22 Sporter Deluxe with a beautiful walnut stock. Shoots great.

As to a beginning rifle, mine was an old Ithaca lever action single shot .22 I bought used for 25 dollars. I think the first gun a youngster should shoot is a single shot .22 (don't think they make them anymore however). A good way to learn dicipline. Any good brand lever or bolt action .22 is a good start. Ya gotta love Ruger's though.
 
I don't see the problem with teach with a AR-15. I've done it and the people have all fell in love with shooting. I think teaching on the AR kills two birds. 1) introduced people to shooting 2) Makes a "scary" gun not so scary. Anyone who has shot an AR-15 knows its bark is louder than its bite.

Maybe I've been lucky, or maybe its because the people I was teaching were older or maybe the AR-15 just lends itself to be accurate even when you just unload the mag. I say, "line the post up with the what you want to hit, and then put the post in the ring and squeeze the trigger" and it they always seem to unload mags in within 6" groups at 50 yrds. that's not that bad for the first time out.

Bolt actions. I like my dads browning A-bolt in 22 I learned to shoot on that. And it was shot for the first time in 6-7 years earlier this year and it still shot really well. Only thing is I don't think it has iron sights on it. I am a firm believer in learn to shoot with the iron sights before you start using the scope, cuz the scope may not always be there.


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It ain't mah fault. did I do dat?
http://yellowman.virtualave.net/
 
Bought my wife one of the new Stevens Favorites for Valentines' Day as she had had one as a farm kid. We've had it out a couple of times and finally got it zeroed. It has a ferocious hammer spring and heavy trigger pull (can't be too safe, you know) but with all that it shoots pretty well and is a lot of fun. BTW I am a firm advocate of single shot .22s, especially for first guns. I particularly like the little Marlin 15Y youth gun--great for kids and adults can use it just as well. My daughter has a Glock 19 with high cap mags and she shoots it well and carefully because of her training with that first little single shot. There is no way to slow down a kid (or adult?) if they know they have a whole magazine full of ammo on tap. Make them do it right.

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