So I've decided to start with a 22lr and I need your input...

[AnotherCanuck]

Brand new to target shooting - going for my pal/rpal in April. Yes it will be a while before I can act on any of the below but I'm excited

Searched around quite a bit and the Savage BTVS has caught my eye (this week) though I'm always open to other ideas. For the below lets just assume it'll be a bolt 22LR

What gear do I need to get started?

I'll only ever be making holes in paper with it and I'm really lost on where to go from here. I want to use a scope and there is an abundance of choice which has totally baffled me. Mil-dot reticles vs simple crosshairs? Suggestions for reticles I should be looking at? Fixed power worth considering? I'd like to keep the scope around 250 though I'd consider up to double that if there's a good reason.

Bipods, sand bags, eye protection, ammo? What items do you recommend? I'm on a tight budget so the best bang for my buck is the goal.

Also any general advice for a new shooter is very welcome!

 

[alter3d]

Brand new to target shooting - going for my pal/rpal in April. Yes it will be a while before I can act on any of the below but I'm excited

Great to see a new shooter!

Searched around quite a bit and the Savage BTVS has caught my eye (this week) though I'm always open to other ideas. For the below lets just assume it'll be the Savage or something similar (accurate bolt action 22LR)

The Savage Mark II series is awesome. I have a Mark II F that I've been using to train my girlfriend (who's new to the shooting sports), and it's a tack-driver for sure. I just bought the girlfriend a Mark II BSEV for her own scoped target rifle.

What other gear do I need to get started?

A lot of the answer to this question will depend on your range's setup, what gear they have available for you, what distances you'll be shooting at, etc.

You'll need, at a minimum:
- Eye protection
- Ear protection
- A decent gun case
- Trigger lock (both of my Mark II's have come with cable locks, but they're not great -- I'd recommend getting a decent one)
- Ammo (neither or my Mark II's have been too picky. Buy a couple different brands and use whatever works best for you.)
- Cleaning equipment (rod kit, patches, gun oil, etc)
- A smallish toolkit with tools suitable for fixing problems at the range (e.g. a rubber mallet in case you need to hammer open your bolt due to a failure).

"Nice-to-have" gear might include, in rough order of "price-to-value for a new shooter" order:
- Caliber-specific ammo boxes
- Extra magazines for the gun
- Shooting mat (even if you're not shooting prone, they provide a nice surface for your elbows if shooting supported and they can help you police brass)
- Spotting scope (especially if you're shooting at distances beyond where you can easily see bullet holes with your rifle scope)
- Shooting bags or bipod (I'd recommend NOT starting with these though -- learn the fundamentals of marksmanship without them first)

I'll only ever be making holes in paper with it and I'm really lost on where to go from here. I want to use a scope and there is an abundance of choice which has totally baffled me. Mil-dot reticles vs simple crosshairs? Suggestions for reticles I should be looking at? Fixed power worth considering? I'd like to keep the scope around 250 though I'd consider up to double that if there's a good reason.

I bought a Vortex Diamondback 3-9x40mm (just over $200 at SFRC) with the "V-Plex" reticle (pretty much simple crosshairs) for my girlfriend's Mark II BSEV. TBH, I don't think mil-dots, etc, are required for any rimfire shooting unless you're shooting at very long (for the calibre) distances. I chose simple crosshairs for the simplicity factor, and the fact that she'll be shooting at static distances (i.e. once she sets up at the range, she probably won't vary distance for at least 100 shots or so), and adjustments can be done with the turrets at that point.

Fixed power is worth considering if you expect all of your shooting to be withing a fixed range of distances, but TBH unless the glass quality is insanely better, you're probably better off buying a variable power one... just gives you a little more flexibility.

Also any general advice for a new shooter is very welcome!

Try to find an experienced shooter who's willing to mentor you a bit. Marksmanship is really one of those skills where spending 5 minutes with an expert is worth 3 weeks of messing with stuff on your own. Knowing that you're hitting high and right doesn't mean anything unless you know what you need to fix to correct it.

Also, if you can, try to get into handgun shooting as well. Handguns, by their nature, amplify the effects of basic marksmanship errors (trigger control, breathing, etc). If you become halfway proficient with a handgun, I promise that rifle will seem a lot easier.

 

[ea187]

This i a setup i have and love it, it would be a great starter setup. I started out with a savage mkII as my first gun and liked it so much i bought this little beauty.

Savage mkII fv-sr, scope is a 3-14x44 and is only $150 and way more than needed for a rimfire. crystal clear glass and a great scope.

 

[Joe549]

The rifle you have chosen is a great rifle, I might suggest you think about going with the Model 93 BTVS, .22WMR, though. You will be able to shoot longer ranges more accurately. The ammo would be more expensive but I think you might enjoy it a bit more as you can extend your distance as you become a better shooter.

I have the one I mentioned and I have a Bushnell Banner 6-24x40 mil-dot scope mounted on it. At about $140, it is one of their lower level scopes but I have found that it works very well on this rifle, I even bought 2 more for a couple other rifles and they seem do hold up quite nicely. The clarity at maximum magnification is not crystal clear but you can still read the printing on your targets at 100 yards and see clearly where your shots are landing.

I use a Caldwell 6-9 pivoting bipod. About $70. Again, not a top of the line like Harris, but works very well at half the price.

alter3d pretty much covered everything in his post so there's no need for me to reiterate it all. Whether you go with the MKII or the Model 93, the BTVS is a great stock design and a pleasure to shoot.

 

[ea187]

while the .22WMR is better for longer distances and more punch as a first rifle i still would go with a .22LR for ease of finding ammo and it being so cheap. you can practice alot more for much cheaper.

 

[smiley1]

while the .22WMR is better for longer distances and more punch as a first rifle i still would go with a .22LR for ease of finding ammo and it being so cheap. you can practice alot more for much cheaper.

.22lr is much cheaper! Guns are cheap it's the ammo that gets you! When learning get in lots of shooting as cheaply as possible.Nice choice of first gun.

 

[.22LRGUY]

.22lr is much cheaper! Guns are cheap it's the ammo that gets you! When learning get in lots of shooting as cheaply as possible.Nice choice of first gun.

^x3 I'm a huge fan of .22WMR, but don't think (for the OP's application) that it's the best choice. I've also found that my Savage .22WMR is the most ammo-fussy rimfire I've ever owned. Might be unique to my gun, but I ran 10 varieties through it about 3 weeks ago, and it liked 1....tolerated 1 other. Shot 8 pretty poorly at 100 yards.

Price is a factor too, and while .22WMR is a fraction of the cost of good centerfire ammo, it is about double the cost of .22lr. I think if you're after tiny little groups, off a rest, at a range, a .22lr will just serve you better than a .22WMR. Just my opinion.

As an aside, reading your post, I have to admit..I was struck by your comments that this first firearm of yours will be a range-gun only. That's 100% cool, but I had a brief "flashback" on the thousands of hours I've carried .22lrs through woods, fields, farms, knocking over pop cans...sniping 1/2-frozen apples off of fence posts, etc. In fact, I'm packing-up my Marlin 795 in 10 minutes for an outing like that this afternoon. Heavy-barrel range guns do not shine for offhand shots (standing, no support) because they are heavy, and muzzle heavy too. I think if you're range-bound, they're awesome, but a little more limited if the gun is for field use. Not your application, so I'd urge you to start window shopping for your second .22lr once you get a few hundred down the pipe on your first one.

Oh yes, scopes...meant to say, I'm a big fan of mil-dots for hunting with my .223, .22WMR but for range only, I like simple crosshairs, as fine as possible.

 

[jjohnwm]

For me, .22Mag is a hunting cartridge, pure and simple. It costs much more to shoot, and there are far fewer available loads to try...and with a rimfire, you are going to need to experiment with lots of loads to find the best one(s) for your individual gun. Your choice of rifle sounds great. I would go with a variable scope, and depending on the distances at which you shoot an adjustable objective (AO) might be a good idea. If you are shooting at 100 yards, then a centerfire scope would be fine, but at closer ranges an AO will remove parallax and let you achieve the best accuracy even if your head position is not quite perfect.

Shoot for a few months and you will have a much better idea of what features are important to you when you start looking for your second gun!

 

[Joe549]

^x3 I'm a huge fan of .22WMR, but don't think (for the OP's application) that it's the best choice. I've also found that my Savage .22WMR is the most ammo-fussy rimfire I've ever owned. Might be unique to my gun, but I ran 10 varieties through it about 3 weeks ago, and it liked 1....tolerated 1 other. Shot 8 pretty poorly at 100 yards.

.

It's not just yours. Mine is pretty fussy too. I have tried several types of ammo in mine and it shoots the CCI 40gr JHP the best with Hornady pretty close. Everything else pretty much sucked.

 

[AnotherCanuck]

Thanks for all the input gents, much appreciated!

I'm fairly stuck on 22LR just due to the price. My idea of a day at the range goes back to trap shooting with my dad from 9am till dusk! A 500 brick of ammo for $20 is very appealing.

I will start looking at some glass today, I think simple fine cross hair mentioned above makes a lot of sense.

 

[cyclone]

Thanks for all the input gents, much appreciated!

I'm fairly stuck on 22LR just due to the price. My idea of a day at the range goes back to trap shooting with my dad from 9am till dusk! A 500 brick of ammo for $20 is very appealing.

I will start looking at some glass today, I think simple fine cross hair mentioned above makes a lot of sense.

There you go !...