Choosing a starter rifle and shotgun - East of Toronto

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armstrong101

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Hi folks

I'm completely new to this. Got my PAL early in 2020. Looking to acquire two long guns. Intended use is to primarily to have something in the event of mild SHTF (I figure in major SHTF, I'm mostly doomed). Priorities are something inexpensive and reliable.

My thoughts are to go with one rifle and one shotgun. I've discovered the Ruger 10/12 and it seems to have excellent reviews, and an excellent pricepoint. Is this a good pick?

As for shotgun - any recommendations? I haven't gotten any good ideas yet.

If anyone is located geographically close to me and has stuff they want to sell that might be suitable for me, please reach out as well. Otherwise, was looking at visiting Gagnon Sports picking up stuff from there.

Thanks in advance.
 
My suggestion is a Mossberg 500. Lots of choices, lots of after market parts if you want a different stock or whatever, good quality for money. Same for the Remington 870 but I don't have one of those.

Gagnon is a great store but so is Firearms Outlet Canada in Ajax. They seem to have Mossbergs regularly in stock.
 
armstrong101 said:
Thanks!

Is the Ruger 10/12 a good pick for a rifle?

Edit: so it seems shotguns cost more than rifles do?
Click to expand...

Mossberg 500/590 are good. 10/22 is fine but maybe a rifle more suitable for taking down a deer or something similar if you're thinking SHTF?

Around 10/22 price point... SKS works lol.
 
Look for an 870 in 12g. If you can find a combo kit with the 3 barrels, even better. You’ll be able to hunt pretty much anything with it.

10/22 will take most game upto deer in shtf. But should be kept for small game. Incidentally, small game is more likely to keep you fed than hoping to score a deer if things go bad. Hunting depredation happens quickly when people are hungry. Most game animals disappeared back in the 30’s….
 
A 10/22 is an excellent choice and many would agree. I love mine. It's popular and has lots of upgrade options, but you don't "need" them. A stock one will work just fine, but the stock trigger is a bit "gritty". It took me a few years of experience to really get a feel for what that means and I only recently got an upgraded Ruger trigger for it. Anyway, it's a great beginner choice and if your taste gets more refined over time, you can easily do some upgrades. One mistake I made early on was to put a bit too much oil in the receiver after cleaning. This caused the finish inside to gum up a bit and cause occasional malfunctions, maybe 1/50. Since I learned to keep the receiver mostly "dry", it runs 100%.

For variety and availability of ammo for whatever application, I suggest 12 gauge. 20 is also widely available but not as common as 12. I wouldn't start with heavy loads, just so you can get used to it.

Regarding cost, it's kind of hard to make a general statement. A basic new Mossberg 500 is a bit more than a basic new 10/22. There are less expensive, foreign made 22 rifles and shotguns. Still, most 22 rifles are less than $1000. Shotguns get fancier and fancier into the thousands.
 
Someone I met at the PAL class said that it's recommended for gun owners to get "lawyer" insurance. So I assume what he's saying is that we pay a monthly premium for the possible services of a lawyer should an incident arise.

Is this strongly recommended? What is the approx running cost of such a thing?
 
Off hand Id say get an sks... It was my first....cf rifle(was already shooting BP for years by that point when I finally got my PAL).
It generally a cheap rifle, ammo is relatively inexpensive(im assuming you can still buy bulk surplus), And it has enough that you can to some shooting out aways and/or maybe hunting later on(with the appropriate ammo)....
One main point I found... Itll take quite a beating for maintenance(or lack there of, if you forget to clean it), but teaches a good amount of discipline to maintain a firearm in good working order and the functionality of these machines.

A .22 cal is also a good choice, many to choose, but go with what you can afford, do some research, go from there....

Im also a mossberg fan. Cant go wrong with one of those....Sometimes you can get a multi barreled/stocks set and can tailor that to your liking....
I shoot more trap, than anything, so I eventually swapped out the factory stock for a MagPul "tactical" stock. This has an adjustability with spacers for length of pull and also a comb set to raise/lower how it sits to your shooting style, or if you want optics ect. An excellant buy...
 
Here's one that I use, with a discount from being a CSSA member:

https://firearmlegaldefence.com/

Annual premium, about $200 / year. Gut feel, I'd say it's more important for people with restricted firearms because there's more room for misunderstanding of the regs and unfair charges. But even with having two non-restricted guns, there's always a possibility of some kind of unfair charge. In general, you're usually fine by just following all the laws for storage, etc. This also depends on personal circumstances (obviously I know nothing about your personal situation, but for example, going through a relationship breakdown, sometimes a vindictive ex will report a gun owner with no actual basis).
 
armstrong101 said:
Hi folks

I'm completely new to this. Got my PAL early in 2020. Looking to acquire two long guns. Intended use is to primarily to have something in the event of mild SHTF (I figure in major SHTF, I'm mostly doomed). Priorities are something inexpensive and reliable.

My thoughts are to go with one rifle and one shotgun. I've discovered the Ruger 10/12 and it seems to have excellent reviews, and an excellent pricepoint. Is this a good pick?

As for shotgun - any recommendations? I haven't gotten any good ideas yet.

If anyone is located geographically close to me and has stuff they want to sell that might be suitable for me, please reach out as well. Otherwise, was looking at visiting Gagnon Sports picking up stuff from there.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Gagnon's is good. So is Easthill Outdoors on Hwy #115 north of Newcastle. Actually,they have a larger selection. Ruger 10/22 is excellent. As for shotguns,they're all really good with a tremendous selection. Good Luck.
 
I think a .22 and a 12 gauge shotgun are both necessity's. I would also add in an SKS with a crate of ammo. Buy a few boxes of non corrosive 7.72x39 to plink with and try it out. for the .22 I think the 10/22 is great. As for the shotgun I would go into a store and try different ones in your hands. Buy something that feels good to you. I think pump action for cost and reliability.
 
Many thanks for everyone's replies. I definitely feel like I have a direction with my purchases.

Quick Q. I posted a WTB ad looking for a gun cabinet or gun case in the "Exchange of All Other Stuff" forum. The post seems to have been deleted, or at least moved, as I don't see it. Anyone know why/where it went?
 
I would also go with a mag fed bolt action .22. More accurate than semi auto plus you will use it for hunting small game, not for gun battles. If you dont hit the target with one shot its not likely you will hit it with 10. I have scoped Toz 17 for that purpose, not suggesting that model, just decent scoped bolt action. .22 is surprisingly potent round if person behind the rifle knows what they are doing. Friend of mine who comes from a family of hunters took down coyotes with .22. But you really have to know what to aim for, so I can suggest taking hunter education as well course. And of course like many others suggested - SKS :) Cant go wrong with that. But for the love of God dont go scope an SKS. Maybe better stock with pistol grip, adjustable stock for comfort.
P.S for SHTF scenario I also suggest looking into getting a .22LR pistol. Most people I shoot with pretty much came to a consensus. Scoped .22LR bolt action rifle and a .22LR pistol with 4-5 10rd magazines. Out of all .22 pistols I've tried IMHO Ruger MkIV is the best option.
 
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