New to rifles and need some serious help.

J

JMack

New member
Hello to all

I am a big handgunner and have little experience at all with rifles in general. I do some hunting but always use a shotgun.

I want to get a nice rifle of some kind but do not have a ton of $ to spend so i am going to look for something used.

What are the best deals for your money out there right now. As far as calibers go I am open to anything, recoil is not a factor at all.

I was looking into the ARs, Aks, SKS but am not stuck on anything like that. What I really want is a good high powered rifle to take to the range that is not a single shot.

What do any of you recomend I look for? I will most likely be spending $450 (remember this is used) and really do not want to go over that. At that price I do realise the AR & AK are out but there must be some other good values out there for that kind of money.

I am looking for a fun shooter that will last me and that I will be able to afford to shoot. Something accurate to 100yds atleast.

Again,,,thanks for any feed back you may give.

Anything that I have not covered here please let me know. I am as new as a newby gets on this subject.

~Jason
 
You can still buy a nice AK (that takes hicap mags) for under $450 today, but maybe not tomorrow. They will hit man-size targets at 100 yards, but are not a target gun. Perfect for self-defense gun

If you want a target gun, look at some nice bolt actions like Remington 700 or Savage 110. Of ourse, you can buy a pretty good .22 target rifle for about that amount also.
 
My personal opinion is that the "average" hunter is first and foremost a deer hunter, with the occasional hunt for bear, elk or even moose.

You will have to work hard to find any rifle which is not adequate in its accuracy for hunting, out to 100 yards. Almost all currently made bolt action rifles will shoot to around one minute of angle, grouping within a four- to six-inch circle at 400 yards.

Regardless of one's ability to endure recoil, frequent shooting of relatively long strings of fire is more enjoyable with cartridges such as the .243 or smaller. If you do not reload, the cheapest ammo is either .223 or .308, as a lot of military surplus or equivalent is available. The AK ammo is also reasonably cheap.

One problem you have is the very broad choice of rifles. While I prefer bolt-actions, many have a high regard for the lever action, whether chambered for rifle or pistol cartridges. Others prefer such as the AK clones for casual plinking.

As you already have (a) pistols and shotguns, I'd imagine no need for self-defense would really enter into your requirements.

Do some thinking about just what you would be doing with a rifle, mostly. After the other posts, here, think some more.

Hope this helps,

Art
 
Jason, we could use some more information. Is your interest purely in punching paper at 100yds? Will you take this rifle hunting, and if so, for what game? Do you have any plans to enter any competition with this rifle? Are you, like me, fairly dependent on a scope in order to shoot effectively? Is ammo cost a conideration? Do you plan to shoot factory ammo exclusively, or are you an avid reloader? I'm not sure if your comment about single shot means you want an autoloader, or if a bolt-action repeater is okay. The only rifles you mention are semi-auto.

Just to get the ball rolling, let me offer a few ideas. If you are a milsurp kind of guy, there are TONS of very good Mausers, Moisin Nagants and Enfields being imported right now. There are some great deals out there, and 8mm milsurp ball ammo (Mauser)is CHEEEEEEP. Moisin ammo (7.62x54R) is not quite as cheap but still quite available. If the SMLE appeals to you, consider one of the Ishapore models in .308. Again cheap ammo in milsurp and lots of fine sporting and match ammo available.

If you're sold on autoloaders, then I'd suggest an SKS or an AK sporter if you can still find one in your price range. Again, the ammo is CHEEEEEP.

Any or all the info above could be out the window depending on the answers the the questions. Give more info, and I'm sure others will have some more suggestions.
 
This gun will not be for hunting but rather for a fun gun to take to the range and plink some cans and ter some paper.

I would want a rather potent caliber and also would like a semi auto not a bolt action.

The AKs look nice, I would like to get something with a wood stock, I do realise thats a cosmetic issue but I do not want to buy anything that is not nessecary after the purchase.

Another rifle I was looking at was the M1A, this seems like it would be a fun shooter.

Again, this will be mainly for fun and possibly home deffence. The cut and dry of this is that I would like to get something in the $400-450 range and not regret it afterwards when the thing falls apart.

If any of you could give me your recomendations along with what I could expect to pay for it used in good condition it would be a huge help.

Something fun with some good hard hitting power that can hit what your aiming at within reason for a good price.

Thanks a million for the replys, that was as fast as any firearm board I have been on.

Thanks again.
~Jason
 
One more thing.

As you can tell from the above, I have not a clue as to what I am looking for, nor do I know what I am talking about when it comes to rifles at all. I appreciate you for being able to bear with me on this, I am as new as they come folks,, :) :)

To help you help me, the whole reason I am so set on getting a rifle of some sort is as follows. When I was at the range yesterday their was a guy on the next bench over from me that was one cool S**T to talk with. He had this beautiful rifle that he was shooting, it was a semi and it was a potent caliber with a very loud bang. I am not new to guns in any way but to rifles I am a virgian. I did not get to talk with him that long but as he was packing up he handed the rifle to me for a couple of shots and this thing blew me away. It was the most refreshing fun I had had in years, and I only shot three shots.

I have no idea what caliber it was, or the gun for that matter, I asked and he said he built it, then told me it is like a springfield?

So as you can tell by that story I have not a clue as to what I am looking for, all I know is this guy sparked something in me that will not be ditinguished until I get a rifle of my own.

I just want something that is not a peice of junk that will give me some fun at the range that I will be able to afford. I would like a semi and would possibly mount a scope but I not sure on that one.

You have been great thanks for the patience, your info is greatly appreciated!

~Jason
 
M1 from the CMP. $519.95 plus a couple of hoops to jump through. It's a working piece of history, and a heck of a lot of fun.
 
Heres the low down.

Just called my local dealer here and he has a Russian/KBI SKS with Scope, bayonet and sling for $250

Now, to me that sounds like a deal.

Another possibility was he had a AK47 (romanian) with two 30 round mags and two 10rounders for $369.

For the most gun for the money what would you go for?

~Jason
 
I advise against the SKS or AK clones in 7.62x39.

Ammunition supply could be gone shocklingly fast.

I recomend your first rifle be a bolt-action in .223/5.56mm. I recomend you become very good with it.

[This message has been edited by Shin-Tao (edited August 21, 2000).]
 
JMack,

If your new to rifles, and want to have some fun, get a semi-auto .22. A Ruger 10/22 will set you back about $130-150, a brick of 500 rounds goes for less than 10 bucks, and you can shoot all day (practice, practice, practice) without killing your shoulder. Once your long gun skills have evolved, then you can decide what type of centerfire rifle(s) you need. I mean, you have more than one handgun don't you?

Have fun - JohnDog
 
Yup,,,,I have many handguns in my collection.

I guess I should have posted this earlyer but I didnt think about it. I do in fact own a Ruger 10/22 with a fluted barrell and a good ol scope already mounted. The 10/22 is a blast in every way but I really want something with a little more punch.

As far as the SKS goes, money wise that sounds like a great deal, but comming from me that means absolutely nothing.

Is their a serious threat that the 7.62X39m ammunition will be no longer available like Shin-Tao suggested?

It seems when you get excited about something there is a catch, in this case the ammunition not being around in a few years is a definate catch.

I have also read that the supply of Russian SKS rifles is on a serious decline and you should buy them up if you can get a good one, is there any truth to this?

Thanks again.
~~Jason
 
An SKS is a fine weapon. I haven't heard the reasoning behind WHY this ammo is going to become unavailable unless it's simply the IMPORT of the ammo that will be a problem. So it may still be available, but not cheaply. If you reload, it doesn't matter. If you're trying to save money, reloading is something you should investigate anyway.

Other than that, I'd stick with some of the better known brands and visit a store to look at their stock. If the gun is not visibly abused and the barrel has good rifling, it will probably make a fine plinking rifle.
 
If you want a semi auto with good power, I will second the motion on a CMP M1. Ammo is available and reasonably cheap, and the power is there. In addition, there is some historical value which will only increase as time goes by.

Take a look at www.odcmp.com for more info and ordering rules and forms.

Jim
 
JMack, since you have indicated that you are preferring higher-powered cartridges for your shooting, the SKS/AK style do not fit the picture.

The 7.62X39 cartridge is less powerful than the .30-30, and notably less powerful than the .308 (.308 Winchester is the same as the 7.62 NATO).

Later, Art
 
Hey Art,

That is true, what I meant by more powerful is in comparison to the .22

I am open to any suggestions you may have to give. Like I said, if this gun will last me and be somewhat accurate and I will be able to afford ammo for it, it will suit my needs.

What rifles are offered in the calibers that you have mentioned above?

I am just a little siked that my local shop here has a Russian SKS ready for me to take home.

Thanks,
~Jason
 
hey-

If you did some looking around, you could undoubtably find a good-condition Ruger Mini-14 for sale under $450. Theyre .223 caliber, which isn't all that powerful, especially compared to .308, or cartridges along that line, but the ammo is very cheap and abundant. Also, if it does fall apart, you wont regret it, cause ruger has a lifetime warranty. They'll replace anything free of charge.

the mini-14 is a fun little gun that you can shoot all day without hurting your shoulder, or your wallet.

thought I'd throw in my 2 cents

RugerKid17
 
Suggest you go to the range with your shooting buddies and shoot their rifles. Find out what you like, dislike and then take it from there.
 
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