Whats a good starter/first timer rifle?

[madness3120]

In the 1,000$ range...or cheaper

 

[0331]

What do you need it for? Hunting? Defense? Plinking?

 

[jimbobborg]

10/22. Pimp it out with the rest of the money.

 

[boule]

Any .22 rifle will do...... think more like $200 with scope if you buy something used.

 

[Zombie_013]

if you want a bit more punch, go with the Ruger Mini-14...$600.00 - $700.00 new.

 

[erwos]

10/22. Pimp it out with the rest of the money.

All I would bother with are tech sights or a scope, and an extended mag release. It's a perfectly fine rifle without throwing a fancy set of furniture on it.

If you were looking for something centerfire, I'd jump straight to an AR-15. Plenty of good options there at the ~$700 price point. But I would personally recommend starting with a .22LR rifle...

 

[smokey]

a .22 is the way to go for a first rifle to learn marksmanship fundamentals for cheap. If you want a bigger thump...try this..
http://www.basspro.com/Remington-Model-700™-ADL™--308-Rifle/product/10218754/160566
They're on sale and come with a hard case and sling.

http://www.basspro.com/Remington-Model-700-SPS--223-REM-Varmint-Rifle/product/10218336/36938
this would give you lots of cheap ammo options and is a fantastic shooter. The extra $400 can go to a good mount and scope.

http://www.basspro.com/Savage-12-FV--223-REM-Varmint-Rifle/product/10217955/94249
savage also makes a DAMNED fine gun similar to the remington.

 

[Mooseman]

Ruger 10/22 is a great starter rifle. Get a takedown for one that is a little different and easy to clean.

 

[Ganegrei]

Get a 200 dollar .22 and an 800 dollar scope.

Or grab yourself a real nice Winchester lever action rifle. Classic cowboy gun!

 

[0331]

Get that .22, and then get a nice centerfire rifle. There are LOTS to be had for under $800, for all different uses.

 

[justiw]

Get a 200 dollar .22 and an 800 dollar scope.

+1

The scope will be a good lifetime investment. You can transfer it to other rifles as you eventually upgrade. I'd suggest the 10/22 or a savage bolt action in .22lr, and it should have open sights as well (shoot open before you mount your scope, it's the best way to learn). I would not get anything other than a .22lr Unless you want to hunt deer sized prey right away. Also, if you plan to hunt do some research on the rules for the land where you plan to go. Many counties specify shotgun or muzzle loader only.

 

[sgt23preston]

Sgt Preston here...

A budget of up to $1k will buy you a lot of rifle...

Here's what I would do...

Go to an indoor gun range and rent a 22 Caliber...

The 22 Caliber is a starter Caliber that you will probably get tired of pretty quickly...

The 22 has "0" recoil, but doesn't do well outdoors over 75 yards with a mild breeze...

?? Will you ever hunt with a rifle..??

If so a 22 is too small a caliber, but it's fun & cheap to shoot...

So what I would recommend is a 223 Bolt action, magazine fed rifle for a starter...

It's a manual operation as opposed to a semi-auto...

223's is a good accurate round, the ammo is cheap & readily available...

It's also fun to shoot, with low recoil...

Hope this helps...

And if you ever needed it for self defense it would work very well...

 

[HarCo.45]

Sgt Preston here...

A budget of up to $1k will buy you a lot of rifle...

Here's what I would do...

Go to an indoor gun range and rent a 22 Caliber...

The 22 Caliber is a starter Caliber that you will probably get tired of pretty quickly...

The 22 has "0" recoil, but doesn't do well outdoors over 75 yards with a mild breeze...

?? Will you ever hunt with a rifle..??

If so a 22 is too small a caliber, but it's fun & cheap to shoot...

So what I would recommend is a 223 Bolt action, magazine fed rifle for a starter...

It's a manual operation as opposed to a semi-auto...

223's is a good accurate round, the ammo is cheap & readily available...

It's also fun to shoot, with low recoil...

Hope this helps...

And if you ever needed it for self defense it would work very well...

This seems like good advice. I don't have any experience with the rifle, but that new mossberg MVP seems like it would fit the bill,and you could top it with a Zeiss 3-9x40 and come in at budget. engage armament in the IP section has a thread with pictures of the rifle, they may even still have some.

 

[madness3120]

I was thinking more of the lines of ARs, carbines?

 

[smokey]

I was thinking more of the lines of ARs, carbines?

colt
spikes
bcm

they're all around $1000

if you want to spend substantially less, s&w m&p-15 sport can run down near $700 and are solid. Their regular m&p-15's are more mil-spec, except for their barrel twist and steel.

 

[jimbobborg]

ARs are not starter rifles, in spite of what a lot of people think. Drop the coin on a 10/22, learn the basics, then spring for the bigger gun. You'll get a LOT more practice out of the 10/22 since the ammo is so cheap.

 

[Mooseman]

Sgt. Preston, I have been shooting for close to forty years. I never get tired of shooting .22. As far as it being to small to hunt with, I have never hunted squirrel with anything but a .22. I have bought 4 .22s this year alone. I own many guns of all different calibers or gauges but I never get tired shooting my .22s. I personally feel everyone should start out on a .22.

 

[mikec]

ARs are not starter rifles, in spite of what a lot of people think. Drop the coin on a 10/22, learn the basics, then spring for the bigger gun. You'll get a LOT more practice out of the 10/22 since the ammo is so cheap.

Another benefit of the .22 rimfire is that there is less muzzle blast and recoil.

Every gun owner should have at least one .22 rimfire handgun and rifle.

 

[dist1646]

I would pick a bolt action single shot .22. You will learn the fundamentals and the real importance of making that first shot count. Blasting away may be fun but it does not ecourage or reinforce the dicipline that a single shot will.

 

[bigjsteelerfan]

go cheaper and start with a cheap 22. fun and cheap to shoot all day.