What rifle for first time owner

Beware of some really worn-out old semi-auto .22s. Maybe many others work better.

I paid $75 for a range buddy's Marlin 60, which began to constantly jam with almost every round.
It was then taken to the gun smith who ordered two parts for it. Another $45. Now it only 'stovebolts' (jams) after five-seven rounds. :(

It is much easier to load single shots in a bolt action, than in the narrow action Marlin 60 from the side.
The mistake was not realizing how little I would have paid for a brand-new, reliable semi-auto .22.

By the way, even though I have an SKS, five Enfields, Garand etc, my friend's (S&W?) .22 which resembles a short AR-15 and has a scope, is a blast to shoot at small solid objects.
Almost no muzzle-rise as you watch the multiple impacts through the scope is really nice.:)
 
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Ok, So I finally made a decision! I decided to buy a 22lr and then after half a year or so once I learn the basics of shooting I will buy the ar-15 I want.

So I was gonna buy the marlin 60 at walmart for 147 but ended up going to dicks and buying the marlin 795 for 135 minus 25 rebate(so 110). From my research the gun is just as accurate if not more accurate, except it has a cheaper stock and a clip. That turns out great because I actually like the plastic over the wood and prefer a magazine.

Then I went with a 3-9X40mm tasco scope for $30 at walmart. I feel like its a good start, and if it gives me trouble I can return it within 90 days! (and by then I will also know if I am gonna stick to shooting, and will have no problem investing in a nice glass).

Bought 2 box's of 525 remington golden jacket hollow point bullets for 17 a piece, and now im ready for tomorrow!

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I will be painting it myself in 'camo' colors sometime soon! Admittingly kinda corny, but I love how it looks that way.
 
Congratulatons on the new Marlin 795. Had a feeling you might want the detachable magazine versus under-barrel tubular magazine.

Next thing is ammo.... I hope the Reminton's work out for you. I think the Federal bulk pack ammo from Walmart is a better choice overall due to less fail-to-fires (FTFs) (on average), but almost all the economy 22 ammo has FTFs.

I have a Tasco scope on one of my 22 rifles. Admittedly, it's a 4x, but I have had no problems with it. I used to believe a 4x scope was the best all around scope for a 22 rifle. Still think it is a very good choice. But as I get a little older, it is nice to be able to see the target more clearly.

One of the cheapest "military type" rifles that are good for deer hunting is the Chinese SKS (7.62x39). The caliber is a bit light, but it will do. I would also pass on the AK types, but the AR-15 type rifles are very popular (if legal in your state). They just tend to be a bit clumsy for deer hunting in my opinion. I think they make an excellent varmint rifle where quick followup shots are very useful.

Big Bill's suggestion is also good and cost effective for a "deer rifle".
 
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Im sorry I didnt read all the other post, but for your needs, I would recomend buying a Ruger M77 MK2 .308 and topping it with a Leupold Vx2 3x9x40
You should be able to put this together within your $1000 boundry. and you will have a great rifle, with a great cartridge, that has lots of options for reloading, as well as surplus ammo.
This rifle would be just right for hunting deer also.
 
I have a Marlin Model 60 with a inexpensive scope and my wife has a ruger 1022 stainless with extended barrel. Both are fun to plink with and reliable.
Recently we were at Bass Pro Shop and found a couple of Sako's on sale for $499.00 They only had 423 and 270 calibers left. My wife bought the 423 and had a Nikon Monarch 2.5X10-50mm scope ($479.00) mounted on it.
After taking it home I naturally fondled it and sighted through the scope a bit and fell in love with the scope.
Next week I was back at B. P. Shop where I bought a Thompson Center Venture in 30-06 for $479.00 and had the same scope mounted.
Both the Sako and T/C Venture are deadly accurate! I like the fact that they both have detachable mags and loaded/cocked indicators.
Many gun manufacturers make inexpensive guns that are very accurate. The scope is the most important part of accurate shooting (aside from the shooter), so buy a good scope.
Now I have two 30-06's! My old Savage 110 will become a closet queen or a loaner for a while I guess.:confused:
 
And now for something totally different.

Find a slightly used 7.62 NATO Norinco or Poly Tech M14 and learn to shoot with iron sights.

These rifles sell for around $1K, but $700 deals still happen. Be aware that the Chinese M14s need a little tweaking,
but you don't have to do it all at once - you can work your way up to full domestication as time and money permit.
You will get some negative comments on the net about these rifles... I suggest taking them with a large grain of salt.

The Browning BAR is a decent alternative.
 
Now buy a Mosin 91/30 for a deer/SHTF rifle and your set for life. S&B soft points can be had for huntiing and russian surplus can be had for $80 per 440 rounds for practice :D
 
For hunting I would either go with a .30-06 or .308. For rifles, I like Remington 700 or Ruger M77. Lots of great caliber and rifle choices out there, but I'd choose one of these.:D
 
First, congratulations on the .22 LR as a first rifle.

You are well on your way to learning marksmanship. As you shoot more you may discover that some guns work better for you than others. One thing I'd like to point out, given your fondness for the AR style rifle, autoloading rifles are not legal in many jurisdictions for hunting. The "old standby" and traditional rifle for hunting is the bolt action.

I was resistant to bolt action rifles for years, and still am to some degree. With that said, I find that the bolt action is better suited to the hunting role than any AR, unless hunting bipedal quarry, and even then it is very limited in it's usefulness.

If one were to have only one rifle for hunting I'd suggest a .308 or 30-06 in a bolt action. I myself prefer the .308 because of it's short action, faster bolt throw, and what I consider to be better ballistics for the cartridge size vs bullet weight. Either caliber is common and factory ammo is easily acquired.

As you are considering various rifles I would look at Ruger, CZ, and Savage as they tend to give you good value for what you invest in them. Off the shelf I myself would give a slight nod to Savage out of the box, but I shoot a Ruger and one of my partners shoots a CZ.

Biker
 
So I just got back from a day at the outdoor range!

I have good news and slightly expected but bad news. The gun is exactly what I wanted. At 25 and 50 yards it could do 1 inch groups, which is pretty damn good considering this is my first time shooting rifles(other then once or twice renting a rifle for 20 minutes at the indoor range). So the gun itself surpassed my expectations for accuracy. The slightly bad news is the scope. After 15 minutes or so I fine tuned it at 50 yards to where I was either hitting the red dot or right by it consistently. So the only reason I wasn't at that point was lack of skill. Then something happened that you guys predicted. I reload and start shooting, and all 10 bullets were in a 1 inch group but literally half a foot below! The scope lost zero, out of no where. From there on, I would get it back to right on and have 30-40 rounds before it would reset for some reason. So I am definitely gonna be looking for a new scope. I am thinking I want something that has a higher zoom then 9x. At 50 yards I could BARELY tell were the bullets are hitting, and at 100 yards I could aim but had absolutely no idea if it was even hitting the targets until we walked up to it. So that kinda sucks. For hunting you obviously don't need to know where you hit it, but for targets I want to know, so I can adjust accordingly.

My last complaint would be that maybe one out of every 30-40 bullets would get jammed one way or another. Wasn't the biggest deal as it is easy to clear, but was a tad annoying. I assume its the cheap ammo. Definitely worth clearing the bolt once in a while but paying a lot less for the ammo.

Im gonna look over scope recommendations throughout this thread, but does anyone else have any advice on what to put on it?

Otherwise both me and my girlfriend loved it, and even with the bad scope it was fun.:D
 
I think you made a cool choice for the rifle.
I may recommend not camo-painting it just yet. Give it some 'black rifle' time...
When you do get your official 'black rifle', the AR15, you can think about other caliber choices for the upper for hunting...

As for the scope you just bought, if you feel you got your 30$ worth and don't wish to go through the trade-it-back process, make it your most fun target when you get a new scope!
NIKON; Redfield; even a Simmons 22; for your replacement scope.
4-16x40 power range or something like that.
I've been lucky with my TASCO scopes, but they are much older models, if that has anything to do with it.

A better scope will really make your new rifle a lot more fun!:)
 
anyone have any experience with the BSA 6-18X40. It looks like it might be the right scope for me, and has great reviews on amazon.
 
M4Sherman: Now buy a Mosin 91/30 for a deer/SHTF rifle and your set for life. S&B soft points can be had for huntiing and russian surplus can be had for $80 per 440 rounds for practice
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seconded!!! AR15 is NOT something i would use to hunt deer (one of the OPs requests)

Mosin gives u .308 balistics (7.62x54 is nearly identical) so its good for just about any game animal in North America, its a military rifle so it covers that "tacti-kool" aspect, it can be scoped several diff ways, and most importaNTLY its CHEAP!!!! if u bargain hunt the rifle can be had for under $100 and the ammo is dirt cheap as well
 
I just read that with the 795 alot of people experience 'scope walk' thats where the scope moves on the rails because the rails that hold them are very bad. So before I buy a new scope, does anyone know if that could of been my problem? Would scope walk cause the Point of impact to lower many inches out of no where? It was never a gradual thing where it would lower little by little, which sounds like what scope walk implies. It was always something where it shot 100% dead on and then next minute was half a foot off at 25 yards.

Also I checked my scope mounts, and pulling and tugging with decent force doesn't move it at all from the rails.
 
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I dont know if this has been mentioned, but if you are new to shooting, go to an Appleseed project. They are a great way to get way better shooting in just two days and it is cheap. $75 if you are a man for two days of learning.
 
Best $ you'll ever spend.... http://www.appleseedinfo.com

$70. if you pre-register, and with the NEW ROC (Rifleman Opportunity Card) for an extra $20, you have up to 1 year to qualify for no extra charge! (other than range fees)
 
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So what do they do there? is it we shoot at a firing range and they just look over our technique?

Also here are the questions I still had unanswered

anyone have any experience with the BSA 6-18X40. It looks like it might be the right scope for me, and has great reviews on amazon.
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I just read that with the 795 alot of people experience 'scope walk' thats where the scope moves on the rails because the rails that hold them are very bad. So before I buy a new scope, does anyone know if that could of been my problem? Would scope walk cause the Point of impact to lower many inches out of no where? It was never a gradual thing where it would lower little by little, which sounds like what scope walk implies. It was always something where it shot 100% dead on and then next minute was half a foot off at 25 yards.

Also I checked my scope mounts, and pulling and tugging with decent force doesn't move it at all from the rails.
Click to expand...
 
Is the "rail" you are referring to the integral dovetail that appears to be standard?

If the scope rings you have fit the dovetail and tighten securely, I don't think you'll have trouble with scope walk.

I had a Browning SA-22 scope mount that didn't match up very well with some scope rings that were designed for a .22 dovetail, and they were loose when tightened down all the way. So I know problems can happen.

I saw a picture of a Marlin 795 that had a Weaver adapter rail mounted to the receiver, but this appeared to be aftermarket.

Also, you can have scope walk if the rings don't fit the scope. You have to determine what is moving to fix the problem... :)

But, if you can't find anything loose, and the scope won't hold zero, it is most likely an internal problem. Replace the scope.
 
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