Help With Rifle Selection

Sadosubliminal

Sadosubliminal

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Hi all!

I've had my acquisition license for a few years now, I got it on a whim, and now I want to buy a good rifle before it expires in 2013. I never owned a gun before, and I know little about them. I would greatly appreciate any advice on my first purchase.

Being a newbie, I have a list of things I am looking for in a rifle that may be what I think I need as opposed to what I actually need. Here is the criteria I am looking for:

1 - Simple to maintain
2 - reliable
3 - accurate enough for an amateur
4 - inexpensive ammo that is easy to find ( I hear NATO 556 is pretty cheap and abundant...)
4 - semi-auto

Please try not to use acronyms in your response. I'm not up to speed on gun terminology, brands, etc.

As well, if you could tell me what the limitations of my aforementioned criteria are (i.e. "556 ammo has no stopping power" or "semi-auto rifles are harder to maintain"), that may help me understand the correct choices better.

I'm sure there have to be rifles out there that can fit my criteria, I just don't want to buy one and find out it's not what I need or impractical in the real world.

Thanks in advance!
 
You don't mention if you have any plans to use it for hunting, even varmint hunting, my recommendation for a first rifle if you're just target shooting is a .22 Long Rifle. In your case a ruger 10/22 or the TC r-55.
 
I'll have to agree with the 10/22 suggestion.

...Unless you're like me and you'd like a little extra bang, then I'd highly recommend an SKS. The 7.62mmx39 ammo can be found for pretty much the same cost as .22LR ammo. Keep in mind though, that this cheap surplus ammo is typically corrosive, so a good cleaning is required after every shooting session.

I'm very happy with my first rifle, being an SKS modified with tactical accessories. It's cheap to shoot. Great inexpensive first gun to learn everything. And, mine being all tactically modded, it's kind of cool too :D.
 
Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I don't want to go with a 22 to start with. I want something that can hit a target at a good distance with decent penetration. No, I don't have experience doing this yet, but I want to learn how to accurately shoot a formidable rifle. Besides, my wife has a tight grip on my wallet, so if I do buy a rifle, it's likely I'll only ever get to buy one (spare me the whipped jokes, she's way better at finances than I am. I fix things, she counts pennies).

To answer the question of why: simply to challenge myself. I have always been attracted to guns in general, but my family is not a hunting/gun owning type of family. My father achieved sharpshooter status in the military, but he never owned a gun at home. As such, now that I have acheived a measure of financial stability in my life, I would like to indulge myself and get... well, a really cool rifle and learn how to use it properly. Some people like to knit, I like the idea of shooting targets and eventually hunting, killing, preparing, and eating a tasty animal - when I get good enough at it.

So how about that Russian SKS, theroots? If you don't mind, could you tell me the following about it:

- How would you rate it as a long distance rifle?

- Would you recommend getting a variant like the Type 56 (if you can even find that in Canada)? I'm just looking to save a buck, but I don't want to get a lower quality rifle.

- Could you mount a scope to it?

- Is it easy to maintain and is it reliable?

- You said that 7.62mmx39 ammo is almost as cheap as 22LR, which is fantastic, but is it easy to find at your local gun shop, or would you have to order it specially as it is not a native North American ammo?

- Finally, I would assume that the 7.62mmx39 round is more powerful than a 5.56x45mm NATO round, simply because its a bigger round. If that's true, how do you find shooting the rifle?

Thanks for bearing with my many questions, but I gotta learn somehow. And in case anyone is wondering why I keep referring to AR-15 ammuntion, it's the only point of reference I have. As a guy who likes guns but has never owned one, I have heard enough about the debate on AK47 vs M16 to get a vague undertanding on the attributes of 5.56x45mm NATO ammo, so that is the only thing I can draw a comparison to.

Thanks again!
 
sks is okay up to 200 meters. Anymore then that and you might as well try aiming for a side of a barn.

plain old russian tula is the best way to go.

yes you can mount a scope on it.

yes it is easy to maintain and it is reliable. if you use russian surplus ammo you have to do a thorough cleaning after each use.

most gun shops will have 7.62 in stock. it comes in crates of 1120 rounds. it should run you around 200$ a case plus tax.

yes it is a larger round then a .223 shooting a sks is a breese. no gimped shoulders afterwards.

in my honest opinion every new shooter should get a ruger 10-22 and a sks on the day they get their pals.
 
Sadosubliminal said:
I want to learn how to accurately shoot a formidable rifle.
Click to expand...

The fundamentals learned with a .22 rimfire rifle (grip, stance, sight alignment, breathing, trigger pull, follow through, tempo) will transfer over to full-bore rifles. And the price of .22rf ammo is conducive to frequent training...its cheap to shoot.
 
Thanks for the info, Ebola. I think I will try to track an SKS down. Anyone know how much one would run me? My budget is $1000 or less.

As for learning to shoot on a 22, skeetgunner, I understand this is probably the most logical thing to do. I wanted to get a starter rifle, a semi-auto pistol (love the Beretta 92fs INOX), a good shotgun, and then a high power rifle, but with my budget constraints, I literally will only be able to buy one rifle ever (unless I can get my wife hooked on shooting). I'd love to start small and work my way up, but it was hard enough to convince my wife to "toss our money down the drain" so I could get any gun. I want something that I can use for a long time for many purposes.

On a separate note, I'll tell you what I really wanted: a Springfield Armory SOCOM II. God, what a beautiful rifle. I know, everyone would laugh at me going hunting with something that looks like an assault rifle, but it just looks so awesome. Unfortunately, it's also bloody expensive.
 
Sadosubliminal said:
Thanks for the info, Ebola. I think I will try to track an SKS down. Anyone know how much one would run me? My budget is $1000 or less.

As for learning to shoot on a 22, skeetgunner, I understand this is probably the most logical thing to do. I wanted to get a starter rifle, a semi-auto pistol (love the Beretta 92fs INOX), a good shotgun, and then a high power rifle, but with my budget constraints, I literally will only be able to buy one rifle ever (unless I can get my wife hooked on shooting). I'd love to start small and work my way up, but it was hard enough to convince my wife to "toss our money down the drain" so I could get any gun. I want something that I can use for a long time for many purposes.

On a separate note, I'll tell you what I really wanted: a Springfield Armory SOCOM II. God, what a beautiful rifle. I know, everyone would laugh at me going hunting with something that looks like an assault rifle, but it just looks so awesome. Unfortunately, it's also bloody expensive.
Click to expand...

roughly 200 to 300$ for a decent sks. go and read up at the red rifle forums for all the sks info you will ever need.
 
Here's another suggestion...

First off, after shooting 10/22 for a while you will probably get a little bored with it and it will be up for sale here on the EE in no time. The SKS is ok for a cheap rifle but you will probably not enjoy the accuracy so much. Both are super cheap to run but I have owned both and they spent most of their time in the safe after a few months. Not trying to offend the 10/22 and SKS crowd here, but Ive been there and moved over to the AR platform. Look at the Norinco AR15 as an option, they are more expensive to run but there's lots you can do with them and you can build a great rifle with optics for under $1500. Have a look at the black rifle section here and you can see what some of the guys are doing with them for a reasonable price. The biggest problem with AR's is that they are restricted and limits your options for shooting dramatically. Just another option for you.....

Happy shooting
 
I'd suggest something that will teach you proper shooting technique, something like a Ruger 10/22. Not only that, but it will be useful if you ever take another newbie out with you.

You really don't need to get ahead of yourself. You don't have enough experience or knowledge to truly know what hobbies you'll be taking up. I think starting cheap and simple, then learning from others around you, particularly at the range as to what sparks your interest most.

Cheers,
Sand
 
Well, if you're going to be limited to 1 rifle and you want to do some long range/target shooting, and hunting then you're going to want to look into something in .308 Winchester or maybe 30-06 Springfield. The reason i say this is because both are very versatile rounds and can be used for target shooting out to 1000ish yards (if you do your part) and they both will kill most North American game. i.e. bears, moose, deer etc... 5.56 nato (.223 remington) is to small in most folks opinions to kill most big game animals. If you're looking to kill coyotes, groundhogs etc. then the 5.56 should be sufficient.

I agree with pretty much all of the above posts that you should be looking into a .22LR or an SKS to help you get the basics down first but if you only have the chance to get 1 rifle, then go with the most versatile rifle you can get your hands on. Spend a LOT of time shooting, carrying and cleaning your rifle. You'll know it inside and out in no time. Take your time, go to gun shops and look around.

Here are some things to consider:

1. Figure out if you like synthetic or wood stocks.
2. Whether or not you like detachable or a hinged floorplate styles of magazines.
3. Whether you'd want open sights on it or not.
4. Do you like stainless or blued steel?
5. What types of scopes you should be looking into for the type of shooting that you'd like to do.

There are a lot of variables when buying a gun and you don't want to end up making a choice that you'll later regret if you can't just go out and buy a new rifle.

Good Luck with whatever you decide upon.

Dorian
 
IMO, don't be afraid to get a larger caliber. you already stated what you want and what criteria you require.

As for firearm choice:

Again IMO all what you want is okay but I would be inclined to go with a bolt action due to reliability and ease of maintenance.I will second Dorian's .308 suggestion. You can get ammo extremely easy for it at fair prices. It will take down anything up to and including Moose.With a little shopping you will be able to find a fair price on even a new one. Handle a few see what fits your frame/body , go with what feels right and is comfortable.The .308 in the right hands is a very formidable tool.
 
Wow, thanks everyone. This is a lot of food for thought. I guess I need to do some extensive homework before I make any real choices. Any suggestions for a decent, inexpensive .308 rifle in both semi-auto and bolt-action? What kind of prices should I expect to pay? I am more inclined towards semi-auto to help me with follow up shots, but I might get a bolt-action if the price was right.
 
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