First Gun...

M

Mossy500

New member
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Location
The range
People ALWAYS say that the first gun you should get is a bolt-action or single shot .22 rifle.

But I want to buy a 12 gauge pump or a mosin nagant 1891/30, other then more recoil whats wrong with owning something other than a .22 for a first gun.

Whats the main reason people always say that?
 
Because .22s give you an affordable and comfortable way to practice and perfect your shooting skills. If you buy a mosin for example, and are a new shooter. You will be focusing on the fact that your rifle is kicking the crap out of your shoulder, not on proper trigger pull etc., also you will pay vastly more per shot for anything other than a .22, but I would suggest buy all 3!
 
My first rifle was an Enfield, get whatever you want. That being said a .22 would be much easier on your wallet and your shoulder. :D
 
my first gun was a .45
i have a completely different take on this, i think if you start with the hardest, it only makes the rest easier.

starting with the easiest simply makes for a longer learning process, as you have to upgrade your skills everytime you go for a bigger gun.

Go with whatever floats your boat, don't mind what people are saying.
 
It's a suggestion, not a chissled in stone rule!

Shotguns are very useful, and if you start off primarily with light Trap loads, you should be just fine. For any shooter wanting to put magnums or 3" shells through it, make sure you have a good rubbery absorbing buttpad, otherwise you'll likely get a flinch, be turned off of shooting, or get poor results.

Nagants...might not be the best choice for a new shooter, I hear the felt recoil is substantial, but no one's going to stop you, and you might be able to find a nice "slip on recoil pad" that would eliminate that problem entirely.

Part of the reason the suggestion for the .22LR is that it's got many uses for dispatching "nuisance" critters...but if you are in the city this is of no use, since you aren't allowed to discharge firearm in the city and surrounding areas, and often the critters you want to be rid of are protected species (seagulls for instance, we call 'em "flying rats" but they are "endangered" apparently). Also, in the city we don't have livestock that we need to put down. But it's still accurate, basically recoilless and very inexpensive to feed, so it's still the #1 choice for a new shooter to gain firearms handling skills and experience.
 
I have shot air rifles for years so I already have lots of shooting skills.
I can handle trap loads quite well in a 12g, so I don't think recoil would be that bad on a mosin
 
I bought my first rifle few months ago, it was a surplus rifle like you want to buy, a gew 98. Then I bought a .223 bolt, and it was a better choice to pratice my shooting skills.
I have a .22 bolt too.

I think it depends on what you want to do with you guns. Shoot alot for fun or you want accurate shooting.
 
Buy whatever you like. I understand your airgun argument as I've used it myself. Sometimes 22 can be really damn boring and that's where the POW factor comes in. You understand that centerfire cost more than rimfire but who cares.

Start thinking about the firearms you want and what you intend to do with each one, (I have two 12 guages but neither would do well for ducks or turkey, whoops :redface:). Try to shoot each gun you want before you buy it. Think about how many rounds you plan to shoot with it each year and price ammo. 223 is way cheaper than 308 and 9 mm is way cheaper than 45. I used to think that reloading would negate the cost of the bigger rounds but now I look at bulk 9mm and 223 once fired brass and bulk bullets and realize how much more or cheaper I could be shooting.

A Nagant is a fine rifle and at the price they are available it really is a good deal, but price out 2000 rounds of ammo or components for the 7.62x54R, 308 and 223 and factor that into your equation. Guns are great but without bullets they get boring real quick.
 
Just get a 22lr rifle and a real centre fire rifle at the same time. Problem solved. :)

I personally will not spend the $$$ on a 22lr rifle. Learned that first hand when I shot my cousin's goodies in California. After having a few dozen shots with it, it was forgotten. We took it to a desert camping trip just in case; it just stayed in the trunk. It was just a waste of $$$ for my cousin and I know it'll be for me. That said, I see plenty that shoot 22lr rifles at the range. More power to them. I wish I can get the same enjoyment b/c it's cheap to shoot.

My Sig P220 in 22lr is just collecting dust in the safe now until I eventually buy the 45 x-changer kit. I had some fun with it with cheap ammo along with tons of jams but after I started reloading, I don't take it out any more. My first time shooter friends don't even bother using it when I take it to the range. lol
 
22 short,long or long rifle firearms are like training wheels on your frst bike sure there nothing to brag about but when you consider the advantages of learning from the bottom up its a win win situation and if you fall down it doesn t hurt so bad
 
My first gun was a Benelli Supernova pump action shotgun .12, it is very versatile...Very reliable also,i dont know what you want to do with it..hunting or sporting..??,but let me tell you Benelli is the real deal...With the comfort-tech on it, your shoulder will be just fine...;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom