JohnnyKCCO
New member
- Location
- Toronto, ON
After all the help I got from CGN, I felt obligated to write a post about my experience buying my first rifle and attempt to give back to this awesome forum.
***DISCLAIMER - I'm not a seasoned shooter by any stretch of the imagination. I do not claim to be an expert in any capacity and I only offer my opinion as a "new shooter" to my fellow "new shooters"***
As most people who are eager to buy their first rifle (and I speak in general terms here), I spent countless hours researching which rifle would be best as my first purchase. I watched countless videos, read endless forum posts (thanks again CGN!!!) and scoured the internet for any information I could find claiming to provide insight into what I should be looking for in my first rifle. All my research resulted in one thing; second guessing every opinion, review and post I read. With all of the contradicting opinions out there, I found it close to impossible to make a decision. Although I agree that researching a purchase before dropping some major coin is extremely prudent, my recent experience buying my first rifle hit me with a serious dose of reality.
Everyone has different wants, needs and objectives, which makes every review subject to opinion and preference. Remington vs Savage, Winchester vs Browning or whatever comparison you can thing of, there is no right or wrong answer. In my humble opinion, what matters most is getting out to the range and shooting.
After all the time I spent on trying to figure out which rifle would be best to start with, I had finally decided on an Tikka T3 HB Varmint chambered in .308. Once I finally went out to purchase my new rig, due to a lack of availability, I just couldn't get my hands on one. I ended up buying a gorgeous Winchester M70 Coyote Outback I found on the shelf, which I did next to no research on. Once I brought it out to the range, I quickly realized that the rifle I bought isn't the most important aspect of shooting; It's all about getting out there and learning how to shoot.
At the end of the day, my advice is simple; get a rifle you like and learn how to shoot. As a new shooter, I can almost guarantee that you will not be able to shoot nearly as well as the rifle's potential. MOA accuracy out of the box doesn't mean squat if you can hit paper at 100 yards. Focus on the fundamentals, buy something you like and once you feel you've outgrown your rifle, get another one. You wont out-grow it overnight. I promise!
If anyone out there has any other advice for us noobs who are trying get into shooting sports and are unsure of how to get started, please share it! I know that there is a lot of first time shooters who would benefit from your experience and input.
-JohnnyKCCO
***DISCLAIMER - I'm not a seasoned shooter by any stretch of the imagination. I do not claim to be an expert in any capacity and I only offer my opinion as a "new shooter" to my fellow "new shooters"***
As most people who are eager to buy their first rifle (and I speak in general terms here), I spent countless hours researching which rifle would be best as my first purchase. I watched countless videos, read endless forum posts (thanks again CGN!!!) and scoured the internet for any information I could find claiming to provide insight into what I should be looking for in my first rifle. All my research resulted in one thing; second guessing every opinion, review and post I read. With all of the contradicting opinions out there, I found it close to impossible to make a decision. Although I agree that researching a purchase before dropping some major coin is extremely prudent, my recent experience buying my first rifle hit me with a serious dose of reality.
Everyone has different wants, needs and objectives, which makes every review subject to opinion and preference. Remington vs Savage, Winchester vs Browning or whatever comparison you can thing of, there is no right or wrong answer. In my humble opinion, what matters most is getting out to the range and shooting.
After all the time I spent on trying to figure out which rifle would be best to start with, I had finally decided on an Tikka T3 HB Varmint chambered in .308. Once I finally went out to purchase my new rig, due to a lack of availability, I just couldn't get my hands on one. I ended up buying a gorgeous Winchester M70 Coyote Outback I found on the shelf, which I did next to no research on. Once I brought it out to the range, I quickly realized that the rifle I bought isn't the most important aspect of shooting; It's all about getting out there and learning how to shoot.
At the end of the day, my advice is simple; get a rifle you like and learn how to shoot. As a new shooter, I can almost guarantee that you will not be able to shoot nearly as well as the rifle's potential. MOA accuracy out of the box doesn't mean squat if you can hit paper at 100 yards. Focus on the fundamentals, buy something you like and once you feel you've outgrown your rifle, get another one. You wont out-grow it overnight. I promise!
If anyone out there has any other advice for us noobs who are trying get into shooting sports and are unsure of how to get started, please share it! I know that there is a lot of first time shooters who would benefit from your experience and input.
-JohnnyKCCO
