Okay I finally received my PAL in the mail today and I would like to get into target shooting. I was thinking of starting with a rimfire rifle because the ammunition is cheap and I figure at my stage I will need lots of practice. I don't have a clue as to the best type of rifle to start with, do I need a scope, if yes what's the best type (I wear prescription bifocal glasses so is that a consideration). Is a gun shop the best place to get advice on the best rifle and get a feel for different ones. I don't belong to a range, so I will be looking for one of those as well - is there anything I need to know about choosing the best range (indoor vs outdoor, for example). I've tried reading the forums here but quickly get bogged down in terminology and different people suggesting different rifles - the choices seem a little overwhelming. Any advice on where or how to start my journey would be appreciated.
Newbie Needs Help
- Thread starter ford06
- Start date
Ford...
Start simple and basic.
You do need to answer some questions though.
- How much do you want to spend on a .22 rifle? (be honest/max. amount)
- Do you have a preference for a certain type of rifle? (bolt, semi auto, lever etc ??)
- Do you have trouble seeing distance looking through iron sites?
There are LOTS of good people here and we'll help you get started....no worries.
We were ALL in your shoes at one time in our lives!
Start simple and basic.
You do need to answer some questions though.
- How much do you want to spend on a .22 rifle? (be honest/max. amount)
- Do you have a preference for a certain type of rifle? (bolt, semi auto, lever etc ??)
- Do you have trouble seeing distance looking through iron sites?
There are LOTS of good people here and we'll help you get started....no worries.
We were ALL in your shoes at one time in our lives!
You can't go wrong with a Ruger 10/22 or a Henry lever action .22
You can shoot both for the rest of your life and have tons of fun. A few of the dealers always have 10/22 deals with scopes (Frontier Firearms).
A scope on a .22 will make you feel like a rock star sniper, but regular sights are great and will help you with the basic skills.
You will end up with stacks of guns eventually (trust me...) so don't worry too much about the first one being absolutely perfect.
Enjoy!
You can shoot both for the rest of your life and have tons of fun. A few of the dealers always have 10/22 deals with scopes (Frontier Firearms).
A scope on a .22 will make you feel like a rock star sniper, but regular sights are great and will help you with the basic skills.
You will end up with stacks of guns eventually (trust me...) so don't worry too much about the first one being absolutely perfect.
Enjoy!
The first thing you need to decide is what type of .22 you want. Semi-automatic, Lever Action or Bolt Action?
Personally, I start all "new shooters" out with a simple Bolt Action repeater. They are simple to use, easy to maintain and reliably accurate. You can pick up a used, but still very usable) Cooey for $100 or less.
If you are shooting indoors, you won't really need a scope. Not saying you can't use one, but at 25 yards it's not really needed.
Ranges: Indoors is certainly much nicer in the winter. But, indoors tends to limit range to about 25 yards, some up to 50 yards. You'd need outdoors to reach beyond that. Many ranges have Indoor and Outdoor shooting zones. Some are only 1 or the other. Outdoor only means you're shooting int he snow andrain, which will remove about 1/2 your available shooting time if you don't like being in the elements.
I don't wear glasses, so I'll leave that aspect for someone else to answer.
Personally, I start all "new shooters" out with a simple Bolt Action repeater. They are simple to use, easy to maintain and reliably accurate. You can pick up a used, but still very usable) Cooey for $100 or less.
If you are shooting indoors, you won't really need a scope. Not saying you can't use one, but at 25 yards it's not really needed.
Ranges: Indoors is certainly much nicer in the winter. But, indoors tends to limit range to about 25 yards, some up to 50 yards. You'd need outdoors to reach beyond that. Many ranges have Indoor and Outdoor shooting zones. Some are only 1 or the other. Outdoor only means you're shooting int he snow andrain, which will remove about 1/2 your available shooting time if you don't like being in the elements.
I don't wear glasses, so I'll leave that aspect for someone else to answer.
Thanks for the help - my budget for the rifle is $500 max, and I'm leaning to the simplicity of a bolt action rifle knowing that I would like to try (and probably acquire) other types later on. Not sure if I have trouble seeing through iron sites as I've never tried it - I'm new to shooting so I'm learning everything from scratch.
Thunderbolt, thank you for the offer, just may take you up on it - will respond to your PM.
There is an indoor range nearby which does allow .22LR single shot rifles which I plan to visit but in the summer I would like the opportunity to try shooting outside, would that change what type of rifle I need to look for?
Thunderbolt, thank you for the offer, just may take you up on it - will respond to your PM.
There is an indoor range nearby which does allow .22LR single shot rifles which I plan to visit but in the summer I would like the opportunity to try shooting outside, would that change what type of rifle I need to look for?
No, indoors or outdoors will not change anything as far as Rifle Requirements. The only real difference will be if you decide you want/need a scope for outdoors stuff at greater distances. If you shop smartly, you can get a 22 that is already set up to accept a scope (pre drilled or has a rail for mounting scopes to).
Also, a bolt action is considered single shot at any Range I have seen, so the bolt action repeaters will be fine. Some ranges are concerned about Semi-Auto rifles.
Also, a bolt action is considered single shot at any Range I have seen, so the bolt action repeaters will be fine. Some ranges are concerned about Semi-Auto rifles.
Only problem that i found with iron sight is that if it's dark you can easily lose your focus on the target and start to second guess yourself when trying to aim.
To explain it better, with iron sight you need your eye sight to pass through 2 points and this is how you know that the place you're looking at is the place you will hit. In the dark you will see the first point cause it's right besides your eye but seeing the second point will be hard cause everything is black including the point you are looking for.
To explain it better, with iron sight you need your eye sight to pass through 2 points and this is how you know that the place you're looking at is the place you will hit. In the dark you will see the first point cause it's right besides your eye but seeing the second point will be hard cause everything is black including the point you are looking for.
Congrats Ford06 on your choice to get into one of the most enjoyable hobbies you can do for a lifetime. I recommend going to the range of your choice, there you will meet like minded people most likely willing to discuss and share their ideas as well as their firearms. Many clubs have an everyone welcome day, in which they will offer instruction and firearms of all types to use (possibly by donation or a simple entrance fee). That would be a great time to decide what type of caliber, action and sighted rifle to choose as your first. That being said, I always prefer to start a new shooter on a bolt action .22. However if you prefer a semi-auto. you really can't go wrong with any Ruger 10/22 model. Good luck on your choice and as an old time shooter (competive handgun/shotgun and military rifle) but new to CGN, I can tell you that these CGNer's are full of good sound advice. Now go get Zeroed-In. (Don't forget to bring your hearing protection, eye protection and PAL with you).
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I use a 10/22 but I see now it wasn't the best choice for pure target shooting. Fun but not as accurate as it could be, still shoots better than I do though.
If it's target shooting most folks at the range (25-50m) use Savage Mk II (I think), can't remember exactly. The one with the thumb hole stock.
Good trigger is a key point. Light, clean break.
Glasses.
If you can accurately see the front sight but have problems with both the front and rear sights in focus then peep sights do work for me anyway, the rear aperture is out of focus but you can still keep it centered.
Otherwise get a variable scope. 4-12 or even 4-16x
For a .22 you should look for an AO scope, Adjustable Objective, eliminates parallax errors at close range. Everything with a .22 is close range, under 100m.
If it's target shooting most folks at the range (25-50m) use Savage Mk II (I think), can't remember exactly. The one with the thumb hole stock.
Good trigger is a key point. Light, clean break.
Glasses.
If you can accurately see the front sight but have problems with both the front and rear sights in focus then peep sights do work for me anyway, the rear aperture is out of focus but you can still keep it centered.
Otherwise get a variable scope. 4-12 or even 4-16x
For a .22 you should look for an AO scope, Adjustable Objective, eliminates parallax errors at close range. Everything with a .22 is close range, under 100m.
