blaxsun
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Since this question seems to come up over and over, I thought I'd just post a quick thread with some general advice to help steer people in the right direction.
First and foremost, determine what the end use is. Are you looking for a non-restricted that you can shoot or even hunt anywhere with, or a restricted that you can shoot at a range, competition, etc.? This will really drive the decision and help with narrowing down the options.
Second, decide on a budget. There's a big difference between something that you're just going to lug around for backpacking and one that you're expecting to get decent accuracy and reliability out of. Factor in additional costs for basic accessories like magazines, slings, etc. Don't forget optics and ammunition!
Third and final, opinions can and do vary. And I can't stress this enough. It's just like buying speakers: no one can tell you what sounds good for you. Read through a lot of threads and find as many different opinions as you can. Every black rifle has it's "quirks", from ergonomics, weight, accuracy, limitations with magazines, mounting options, etc. Where possible, try to actually handle the rifle and, ideally - see if you can find someone locally that might let you shoot a few rounds to try it out.
One last thing: Enjoy your new toy! If you ended up with exactly what you wanted (despite perhaps maybe going slightly over budget), be happy with your decision - and don't let any of the naysayers convince you otherwise! (a lot of us have owned numerous black rifles and we generally 'rib' one another on occasion, so take a lot of our jests with a grain of salt.
)
First and foremost, determine what the end use is. Are you looking for a non-restricted that you can shoot or even hunt anywhere with, or a restricted that you can shoot at a range, competition, etc.? This will really drive the decision and help with narrowing down the options.
Second, decide on a budget. There's a big difference between something that you're just going to lug around for backpacking and one that you're expecting to get decent accuracy and reliability out of. Factor in additional costs for basic accessories like magazines, slings, etc. Don't forget optics and ammunition!
Third and final, opinions can and do vary. And I can't stress this enough. It's just like buying speakers: no one can tell you what sounds good for you. Read through a lot of threads and find as many different opinions as you can. Every black rifle has it's "quirks", from ergonomics, weight, accuracy, limitations with magazines, mounting options, etc. Where possible, try to actually handle the rifle and, ideally - see if you can find someone locally that might let you shoot a few rounds to try it out.
One last thing: Enjoy your new toy! If you ended up with exactly what you wanted (despite perhaps maybe going slightly over budget), be happy with your decision - and don't let any of the naysayers convince you otherwise! (a lot of us have owned numerous black rifles and we generally 'rib' one another on occasion, so take a lot of our jests with a grain of salt.
)
