Best beginner rifle (Vanity)

Vanity ^ | 10-18-03 | Me

[TexasCowboy]

"We need a fall shoot somewhere, Cobby."

Workin' on it, Jim!
I'm as antsy as you are!

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Everybody should have at least one Ruger 10/22 in their collection.

[Double Tap]

Yeah, that is a valid comparison.

[lodwick]

Yep - this one fact is about my only hope for the future of our Republic - an armed people can still remain a free people.

It's also the reason that the powers that be are trying so desperately to take our Second Amendment rights away from us.

Stay safe, stay armed, America.

[Colorado Doug]

I'll second the 30-30 for a first rifle, except with iron sights. Great all around rifle. Don't need much light if you want to shoot a varmint but you can still drop a deer at 100 yards. I would never part with mine.

[patton]

You know, I have never owned a shotgun?

Never even fired one, except when the army forced me to (m1200) and when it was socially rude to refuse (skeet). Might have to correct that.

But yes, I know from barrel life. Stainless is the pits - literally.

[Travis McGee]

I'd get a Ruger 10/22 and a Ruger Standard Model .22 pistol, and then put a gazillion fun rounds through them.

Then you will be a shooter, and you will know what appeals to you for your next purchase.

A Savage 110 would be hard to beat for a .308 bolt action that "does it all" for little cost.

[ExSoldier]

"The .308 has the added advantage of very cheap military surplus ammo so you can parctice a lot. I would probably go with the .308 for that reason."

The same is true for the venerable .30-06, except that most of the surplus rounds will be of the AP vaiety! Strangely these armor piercing rounds in THIS caliber are not (yet) illegal. So I bought a TON for my Garand waaaay back when.

I'm of the opinion that in the region cited, for price, accuracy, recoil and weight....you just can't go wrong with either a Marlin or a Winchester .30-30 lever action. In addition it makes a fine defense gun for the woods.

Jeff Cooper calls Winchester M94 carbine the CHICAGO SPECIAL because so many folks he trains from that antigun area are not allowed the necessity of a handgun, but a rifle is fine. I'd say there are few attackers who could withstand a 170gr slug travelling at rifle velocity, when struck in the chest. An added benefit is that it is unlikely to go thru a body AND thru a wall.

[TexasCowboy]

I didn't mean to sound condescending about hunting deer with a .22 rifle.
The fact is that I've killed more mule deer with a .22 rifle than with any other gun, but I always picked my shots very carefully. I've never lost a deer.
In West Texas I carried a .22 rifle and a 12 gauge shotgun in my truck all the time.
In the evening when the blue quail are out on the gravel roads eating gravel, I'd shoot one quail through the body and let the others gather round to watch it kick.
Then I'd make a skillet shot across the top of the covey and get ten or twelve with one shot.

Yeah, I know, that's not very sportsman like, but I always hunted for meat, not for sport.

Sometimes a mule deer would walk out on the road and I'd take him (or her) down with a clear head shot if he/she was less than fifty yards and standing still.
I used .22 long rifle hollow points with which can drop a mulie with a heart shot if you know exactly where to hit.

I never hunted horns. I never found a way to cook 'em.

[LOC1]

After looking at all these replies and thinking about Louisiana some more, if I were going to buy just one gun, it would be a pump 12 gauge chambered for the 3 1/2' shells. Shoot steel shot in it for ducks and geese, use lead shot of appropriate size for squirels and doves, use 00 buck shot or slugs for deer and turkey. Only good for close ranges, but can hunt a lot of different game. And not an expensive gun, particularly if bought from some dude who gave up on slugging thru the mud to hunt geese.

Remington makes a pretty good pump 12 gague.

Happy hunting.

By the way, one of your biggest hunting expenses in Louisiana is going to be the cost of the hunting lease. Most of the public hunting areas are a little too crowded for my liking, and probably for yours. If you do try one of those, make yourself very visible.

[ExSoldier]

" Good luck and when you need venison recipes I am sure there are many available on FR."

Ted Nugent has a great game recipe book out: "Gotta KILL IT to GRILL IT" or something like that. Made a big stir among the antis when it came out. I believe anybody who does THAT must be rewarded! LOL

[supercat]

After looking at all these replies and thinking about Louisiana some more, if I were going to buy just one gun, it would be a pump 12 gauge chambered for the 3 1/2' shells.

If the shells are 42" long, how long's the barrel?

[Varmint Al]

The Remington Model 7 makes a very good starting rifle for varmint hunting. There is an excellent article about the Rem Model 7 here. Early on, I used my light weight Rem Model 7 in 223 Rem, shown here, for coyotes, but it was a little too light for the occasional long shot. This Rem Model 7 also is made in 243 Win and 7mm-08 calibers. The 243 Win caliber is a very good all round rifle. A number of my rifles have had the camo paint job.

Good Hunting... from Varmint Al

http://www.varmintal.net/ahunt.htm

The 17 HMR is too light a caliber for anything larger than ground hogs, in my opinion.

[ExSoldier]

We oughta get your 19 yr old girl together with my 22 year old girl. My little girl (she'll ALWAYS be "my little girl") likes to shoot her DAO SP 101 .357 maggie. Now I've gotta bring her fiance up to her skill levels so he won't be the embarrased husband after they're married in July 2004.

[lodwick]

[I got the rope]

http://www.gunblast.com/Savage-93R17.htm

Buy this one. I just saw one with a bull-barrel all blue with a synthetic stock for $250.

I grew up in West Texas where you could get shots over 300 yards on deer. I rarely did this. My weapon of choice growing up was a Marlin bolt-action .22 mag or a 10/22 Ruger. I hunted for the meat too. If you know your weapon, there is no reason why you shouldn't have a neck shot 99.99% of the time at 100 yards or less. Hunting with a rimfire round is illegal, but I was always hunting on my friends property and we dressed everything on site.

Personally I believe the smaller the caliber the better. You don't ruin the meat. Get a .308 Ruger M77 Mk2 Varmint if you really want to go long. It's my personal favorite.

[I got the rope]

Then I'd make a skillet shot across the top of the covey and get ten or twelve with one shot.

ROFLMAO! I knew I wasn't the only one doing this!

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Irregardless of your age, if you are just now thinking of starting to hunt, think again. The first thing you want to do is take a NRA certified hunter's safety course. The cost is minimal and the benefits are immence.

You will learn not only how to do it right, but you will be able to converse with instructors who are top notch hunters and able to help you select the right firearm for the game and hunting conditions you will be confronted with. When it comes to gun safety, there are no stupid questions.

And always remember, first, last, and foremost, there is never under any circumstance any such thing as a unloaded gun, "EVER".

[longrider]

If you will be hunting in heavy brush, don't forget the marlin 35 rem. It will bring down anything you might incounter. I have two and the first shot was at a 5" paper plate at a hundred yard. open sight and dead center. could have been a little luck, but one sweet rifle.

[LOC1]

smile.....ok, 3 1/2 inches