I’m thinking about buying a rifle for general use and would appreciate any recommendations, features to consider, or useful after market products. In general I’d like something under 1k, can be used to teach my kids at the range, be able to take a deer if civilization collapses, and has ammunition that stores well.
I’m looking at a Ruger 10/22, but am open to any option.
I’ve had my eye on a few of those for some of the same reasons, and @twojarslave speaks Highly of their pack rifles. Folks on youtube seem very happy with their accuracy and ability to cycle through ammo too.
The only thing I’m dubious about would be its ability to bag a deer. For something like that I’d be thinking like .243 or .227.
Takedown 10\22 is definitely a neat rifle.
Just buy whatever .22 you want and get good with it.
For $1000 go but 2 rifles. Something in .22 to practice and plinking. And a big boy gun for big boy stuff.
10/22 is a fine gun, youll enjoy it. Personally i prefer bolt action rimfires. Check out savage.
Centerfire, i usually steer new rifle buyers toward .308. Ammo is plentiful and reasonable. Again, check out savage.
Obviously theres nuance to everything and we all have our preferences on brand. Go to gun store and look around, pick them up, try stuff out. The most important thing is practice. Get something and handle, load, shoot until it’s second nature.
Tagging @Bauber because he knows more about this than anyone else I know.
IDK to teach kids shooting - I’d always start with .22LR because recoil is virtually non-existent and ammo is cheap. Good for repetition without suffering much in costs… you can get a package deal in some places for like $300 and that includes rifle, scope, and bipod. They’ll all be cheap AF, but that’s kind of the point.
For more general purpose guns, AR-15 is always a good choice. Also not a bad trainer for kids as recoil is manageable. Can take down a deer, though I prefer a bit more stopping power personally.
.308 is God’s chosen preferred caliber, but ammo is more expensive and has some kick. WILL take down what you shoot at it.
Agree completely.
Agree with above guys about getting two. 10/22 is a great plinker and with the exception of its high capacity a great learner too. It’s not good for killing anything bigger than a football. Savage is a “decent” brand that makes a decent gun so get the Ruger 10/22 and a savage, tikka, or even another Ruger .308.
https://palmettostatearmory.com/ruger-10-22-carbine-22lr-18-5-10rd-rifle-black-31210.html
That depends upon where he lives. But it would be a good choice. People who haver fired a gun before get proficient after a few weeks of training in the military.
In most states using a 22LR is illegal for deer hunting because it is so ineffective at killing them.
A Ruger 10/22 is going to be a great overall training and plinking gun, but I would not recommend it for deer. Obviously in a societal collapse legalities go out the window, but in that situation you also don’t want to miss the head or heart by an inch or less and then never find the deer.
Shot placement is everything, but with a large caliber rifle round the wound cavity / shock gives you more room for error. A 22LR does not and good luck ever finding the deer as it will probably not die for days - if it dies.
If I had to pick one rifle caliber for what you are describing, it would be 308. In that price range probably a Ruger Ranch rifle. The round is plentiful and everyone has it for societal collapses. It is a bit much for kids though depending on their age.
Really 1 caliber isn’t going to cover everything you want very well.
Yeah. First rifle I ever shot was a .223 when I was just a little squirt. That first round taught me a lot! After that it was a 10/22 for a good while.
Many years later, I shot an FAL some. Woo! Like the AR on steroids! Will drop a deer, no doubt.
I’d imagine a .22 would deflect when it hits a rib bone, making the shot anybody’s guess.
He does a nice demo with a Mark IV. I just really like those. My ideal bug out kit would be that, a pack rifle, and and about 1000 rounds.
With a $1k budget you can go in a lot of directions.
A 10/22, a few extra mags and a LOT of ammo would be a great way to get trigger time in. You really can’t go wrong.
If you are intent on being a one-gun gun owner, an over/under rifle shotgun combo might be worth checking out. You can find many combinations, but .22 and .410 is common. Trigger time takes longer with a break action though.
AR-15 would also be a solid way to get versatility with reasonable ammo cost.
You will probably want another gun, so you can’t go too wrong with anything that’s been mentioned.
No, I just want one Lay’s potato chip.
I had zero intention of buying anything other than my Glock 19. On paper, it was everything I needed.
I have averaged one gun per year since, including totally unnecessary stuff like my Colt Python.
Rookie numbers, we gotta pump those up!
The 10/22 is a solid choice. You won’t be disappointed. They make so many different versions and aftermarket part choices are endless. If you decide to buy a centerfire, I would recommend a .30 cal bolt action. .308 and .30-06 ammo are plentiful and available in tons of different bullet weights and styles to accommodate hunting or target shooting. Both are enough to take any game animal in North America without being overkill for things like whitetail or pronghorn.
I know you specifically said rifle, but any interest in a shotgun? A 12 gauge shotgun is one of the most versatile firearms you can buy. Small game, waterfowl, big game, tactical etc. A shotgun can just about do it all. Not to mention mossberg runs deals where you get some combination of 28" or 26" barrel and an 18" in the $500 range. Sometimes cheaper.
A word to the wise: if you’re buying Mossberg, buy EXACTLY the gun you want. They will not have spare parts for you to make changes.
Not even a California non-compliant extender tube 
Short answer - I’d buy the 10/22 and enjoy it with your kids and plinking.
Then get a bolt action larger rifle to progress them into.
I have double digits of 10/22s and probably enjoy shooting them more and often than just about anything else regularly rifle wise.
Something nobody’s mentioned yet that can give you the perfect excuse for your 2nd gun is the pistol caliber carbine.
Ruger makes one that takes magazines from several different makes of pistol. Buy the pistol later.
Very low recoil in 9mm and a pretty good all-around option, plus you aren’t firing .22 if you ever end up needing to use it.
Cheap ammo, too.
Sooo, glad you said this! It is so important.
I would recommend starting with desired caliber vs desired rifle.
If you’re wanting a round kids can shoot that also can be sort of “all purpose”, .243 is great.
Easy to shoot, very flat trajectory for accuracy, will take deer as well as any other round I’ve used (and preserve lots of meat) et cetera.
Lots of brands make rifles chambered in .243 in your price range.