Hey guys so I’ve been thinking and checking my on line for rifles and shotguns for myself. Was thinking maybe you guys could help me out with some pros and cons with the few I’m thinking about purchasing
One is the Ruger American Ranch rifle in .308, but I’ve been told the mossberg predator in 308 or even mossberg mvp 308 is a good option as well as it comes with optics as well. I’ll be using something like this for hunting
Second is a .410 shotgun, Charles Daly 101 single shot brake barrel, all though I’m not sure where or if I can different chokes for that one to shoot slugs as well. I would like to be able to shoot bird shot as well as slugs from the shotgun but in .410. Also have thought about a lever action .410 but the wire quite expensive I’ve noticed
Then finally some .22s, whether it’s a gsg15. Derya tm22, or maybe a lever action or pump action for practise and fun shooting
Welcome to the shooting sports, and you've come to the right place to get good advice...if you're willing to take it. I can tell you I DIDN'T for at least 1/2 my years shooting..maybe thinking I knew better, I know budget played into it. Mind you, early-on, these were pre-internet/reddit/YouTube/web forum years when dinosaurs roamed the earth. lol
Anyhow, I probably agree with over 90% of the suggestions so far, but I'll start by saying that picking guns seldom looks like that^, like making a grocery list/checking off boxes. Here is what I think;
308=don't buy anything right now. Doesn't sound like you're anywhere near being able to own a 308 for at least 5 reasons that come to mind instantly.
410 shotgun=don't, unless you have years of shotgunning under your belt, completely understand it's limitations of attempting to hunt with such a low power round, and have a good budget for ammo. If you absolutely must buy a single shot, grab an older Cooey 84 in good condition. As others have said, 20ga would be a FAR better option for a host of reasons including a useful amount of power, modest recoil, ammo availability, ammo cost, gun availability, gun options=you name it. Worth noting-if you can't manage a 20ga, you probably shouldn't get a 410 either. I owned a Cooey 84 in 410, and as heavy as that gun was..I never loved shooting it with only a T-shirt on. lol There is recoil in both. You absolutely COULD buy a 12ga and manage it just fine too. Yes, there is recoil..but all shotguns have recoil. Good fit and good technique takes a huge bite out of it, so have an experienced person show you the ropes. 20ga will cover everything but ducks/geese and large game animals. Lots of people hunt deer with 20ga. but nobody would say it does that better than a 12ga. My 12 year old daughter used to love shooting 12ga slugs at frozen logs when we were scouting for groundhogs in the spring. All kinds of recoil, but no pain/no gain.
What 20ga? Mossberg 500 or Remington 870 would be hard to beat, with great parts availability and lots of aftermarket options.
22LR-this is where you should start if you only get one gun. Which I recommend. Buy a magazine-fed, bolt action.
Good levers/pumps are great, but fussier to load and good ones are expensive. More of a pain to clean too. Semis can be inexpensive to buy, but have poor/heavy triggers and are also a pain to clean compared to a bolt gun. I would suggest a wood-stocked Savage Mark II, any of the newer Savage B series bolt actions, Marlin, etc. If budget allows, a used CZ452, a new/used CZ457. If you could swing it, I think the Tikka T1x MTR (20" barrel) might be my top pick for the money.
Lastly-gun shows are notorious for high asking prices, so have a sense of what values are before you go.
Good luck!