I own an 870 Express 12ga and a Marlin .22 semi, and both are very reliable, sturdy, and were inexpensive.
I also love my SKS! Just put the folding digital desert camo stock on it, trigger mods are next and a nice little fixed 4X scope. Looks damn cool and only cost me around $180 CND.
Sorry to the Americans, but I love my 14 inch barreled 12 gauge Norinco shotgun. Exactly the same as the 870 down to the fact that I screw on a 24 inch barrel when I go skeet shooting.
Nice and blacked out with the meat grinder muzzle break, and at 14 inches, its a scary looking gun. I also own a fairly used 870, but when me and buddies go skeet shooting, they use that.
As far as hanguns, my baby desert eagle in .40 is a solid, fun to shoot gun.
Also, a cheap and cheerful M14 (Norinco) is a fun .308 to shoot and military murplus ammo is cheap as hell.
Finally, my first gun, the Ruger 10/22. Best .22 for the money, put a decent fixed scope on it and a 30rd banana clip and you can shoot a brick of 500rds for under $20.
[quote]gendou57 wrote:
derek wrote:
Ruger 22/45 - Handheld .22 caliber tack-driver. Great for kids and new shooters. Very accurate and inexpensive.
I seriously loled when I thought about how some of my liberal friends would read that. “Great for kids!”
-Gendou[/quote]
Yeah, that’d sound like fingernails on a chalkboard to most liberal people I know.
The truth is that the first firearm I ever shot was a replica muzzle-loaded pistol when I was a kid myself.
I’ve always liked guns of all types but since the facination was gone long ago, (and the fact that my dad would’ve kicked my ASS) I never fooled around and always was very respectful of what I had in my hands.
SaveTheGuns.com is my brother’s website (the name speaks for itself!).
This is my home defense weapon of choice. It’s a lot faster than calling 911 (and I’m a VERY light sleeper!).
Mossberg 500
[quote]midnightamnesia wrote:
I am on a bit of a budget ($500 or less), and want to get both a shotgun (for hd and fun) as well as a .22 rifle (would love to get a handgun, but, alas, I am 20 and I have been told that fedral law requires you to be 21 to get a hand gun).
I was partly wondering what to get first; the practical and powerful shotgun, or a fun and cheap .22?
texasguy1 wrote:
I love my SKS. Easy to modify, fun to shoot and cheap bullets!
How much was your SKS? I have been a real fan since one of my friends let me use his :).[/quote]
If you can find an SKS for $200 and below. You can find relatively cheap shotguns too and could easily have both for $500.
Mossberg isn’t a bad choice for a cheaply priced shot gun, and it will use the same shells as a $2000 berretta.
If you go that route, you should avoid the .22
An SKS is a fun plinking rifle, more powerful and much cooler.
The bullets are slightly more expensive but still cheap.
You won’t need a .22 and an SKS.
Neither. Get a Savage 7mm Rem Mag. You can usually get one at Walmart with a cheap scope for around $400. They are one of the best out of the box brands. I have a .243 varmit rifle made by Remmington with a $1,500 scope on it. I like my cheap ass Savage (did upgrade the scope, though) better than it.
If you think the cracking of a shotgut pump is scary, just pull the trigger on the 7 mag. I can touch 3 rounds at 100 yards. The magnum will reach out and touch someone. All my deer have been one shot one kill with the magnum. The two deer I shot with the .243, I’ve had to slit their throats. They both went down, one neck shot and one head shot, but neither were killed. I went back to the magnum because of this. It seems a lot more humane. I have a .357 Magnum for home defense.
I don’t like my SKS. It seems like a waste. It seems to spray bullets more than pin point them. I can’t get a decent patter past about 50 yards. If you just want a plinker rifle, go with the .223. You can get rounds for about 10 cents a piece.
I think you should get the .22 rifle first.
You will be able to practice your marksmanship more often for two reasons:
1)It is cheap to shoot, you can buy 100+ rounds for $20.
2)They are easy to shoot, they recoil is very slight and they are quiter than centerfires.
When you are a new shooter flinching is your worst enemy, you need to condition your self to resist the flinching impulse.
You need to practice, practice and practice at this stage in your shooting endevours. This is easier to accomplish with a .22, you can litterally shoot one all afternoon with out fatigue.
Centerfires are great fun, but they becoming taxing to shoot after a while.
Even an accomplished marksman starts to fatigue/flinch after 20-40 continous centerfire rifle shots…It also gets pretty freakin expensive to shoot 100 rounds of rifle cartridges every weekend.
My vote for favorite fun gun:
A levergun chambered in .357 Magnum.
It’s not a tackdriver but it is great fun to shoot with .38 specials, especially if you have access to a cowby action range. Cowboy .38’s kick little more than .22
If you install a reciever sight you can shoot minute-of-beer-can all day long.
A .357 magnum fired from a 20" barrel is nothing to laugh at from a defensive standpoint.
A levergun in .44 Magnum is acctauly pretty frightening.
[quote]Dirty Tiger wrote:
I think you should get the .22 rifle first.
You will be able to practice your marksmanship more often for two reasons:
1)It is cheap to shoot, you can buy 100+ rounds for $20.
2)They are easy to shoot, they recoil is very slight and they are quiter than centerfires.
When you are a new shooter flinching is your worst enemy, you need to condition your self to resist the flinching impulse.
You need to practice, practice and practice at this stage in your shooting endevours. This is easier to accomplish with a .22, you can litterally shoot one all afternoon with out fatigue.
Centerfires are great fun, but they becoming taxing to shoot after a while.
Even an accomplished marksman starts to fatigue/flinch after 20-40 continous centerfire rifle shots…It also gets pretty freakin expensive to shoot 100 rounds of rifle cartridges every weekend.
[/quote]
Exactly right. If you are serious, get a .22 rifle and pistol. the amount of time you will get to practice if done properly, will quickly develop your proficiency. and if you have never shot before, you’ll need it.
So many people I have seen have started out with a 9 mm, high powered rifle or 12 guage and are downright horrible at shooting. They think they’re okay, but they have never learned such things as a sight picture, trigger squeeze and so on.
Stay away from an SKS in my opinion. to me, they’re junk. they are very inaccurate shooting in the 4 moa range. An out of box Remington rifle should shoot about 1 moa for example.
For .22s, the Ruger 10/22 is fairly good and cheap. If you want a bolt action, their synthetic model is pretty decent, but a little pricey. their Mark 2 and 22/45 pistols are also worthwhiel.
[quote]hoosegow wrote:
Neither. Get a Savage 7mm Rem Mag. You can usually get one at Walmart with a cheap scope for around $400. They are one of the best out of the box brands. I have a .243 varmit rifle made by Remmington with a $1,500 scope on it. I like my cheap ass Savage (did upgrade the scope, though) better than it.
If you think the cracking of a shotgut pump is scary, just pull the trigger on the 7 mag. I can touch 3 rounds at 100 yards. The magnum will reach out and touch someone.
All my deer have been one shot one kill with the magnum. The two deer I shot with the .243, I’ve had to slit their throats. They both went down, one neck shot and one head shot, but neither were killed. I went back to the magnum because of this. It seems a lot more humane. I have a .357 Magnum for home defense.
I don’t like my SKS. It seems like a waste. It seems to spray bullets more than pin point them. I can’t get a decent patter past about 50 yards. If you just want a plinker rifle, go with the .223. You can get rounds for about 10 cents a piece.
[/quote]
Yeah but slitting their throats is the most ferrel, manly, connected with nature part of hunting.
If only we could run as fast as deer and just chase them down with a knife.
[quote]tom63 wrote:
Dirty Tiger wrote:
I think you should get the .22 rifle first.
You will be able to practice your marksmanship more often for two reasons:
1)It is cheap to shoot, you can buy 100+ rounds for $20.
2)They are easy to shoot, they recoil is very slight and they are quiter than centerfires.
When you are a new shooter flinching is your worst enemy, you need to condition your self to resist the flinching impulse.
You need to practice, practice and practice at this stage in your shooting endevours. This is easier to accomplish with a .22, you can litterally shoot one all afternoon with out fatigue.
Centerfires are great fun, but they becoming taxing to shoot after a while.
Even an accomplished marksman starts to fatigue/flinch after 20-40 continous centerfire rifle shots…It also gets pretty freakin expensive to shoot 100 rounds of rifle cartridges every weekend.
Exactly right. If you are serious, get a .22 rifle and pistol. the amount of time you will get to practice if done properly, will quickly develop your proficiency. and if you have never shot before, you’ll need it.
So many people I have seen have started out with a 9 mm, high powered rifle or 12 guage and are downright horrible at shooting. They think they’re okay, but they have never learned such things as a sight picture, trigger squeeze and so on.
Stay away from an SKS in my opinion. to me, they’re junk. they are very inaccurate shooting in the 4 moa range. An out of box Remington rifle should shoot about 1 moa for example.
For .22s, the Ruger 10/22 is fairly good and cheap. If you want a bolt action, their synthetic model is pretty decent, but a little pricey. their Mark 2 and 22/45 pistols are also worthwhiel.
[/quote]
Great points if the OP is after accuracy and competition shooting. If he just wants to have fun, 12ga shotguns, SKS rifles etc are excellent for just shooting shit.
You can’t go wrong with the 870 or a .22 rifle. Both are fun to shoot and easy to maintain. My advice lies more on the timing of your purchase.
You might want to wait until late summer to buy because by that time hunting sales are in full swing and you should be able to score some great deals at the local sports shop! Just keep your eyes open for the junk mail from Dicks and Cabella’s! Good Hunting!
[quote]hoosegow wrote:
Neither. Get a Savage 7mm Rem Mag. You can usually get one at Walmart with a cheap scope for around $400. They are one of the best out of the box brands. I have a .243 varmit rifle made by Remmington with a $1,500 scope on it. I like my cheap ass Savage (did upgrade the scope, though) better than it.
If you think the cracking of a shotgut pump is scary, just pull the trigger on the 7 mag. I can touch 3 rounds at 100 yards. The magnum will reach out and touch someone. All my deer have been one shot one kill with the magnum. The two deer I shot with the .243, I’ve had to slit their throats. They both went down, one neck shot and one head shot, but neither were killed. I went back to the magnum because of this. It seems a lot more humane. I have a .357 Magnum for home defense.
I don’t like my SKS. It seems like a waste. It seems to spray bullets more than pin point them. I can’t get a decent patter past about 50 yards. If you just want a plinker rifle, go with the .223. You can get rounds for about 10 cents a piece.
[/quote]
I’ll second the opinion on Savage rifles. I have a Model 10FP in .308 with the accu-trigger and it is the most accurate rifle I own. 1/2 MOA to 200M and still less then 1 MOA at 300M. $500 new. Spent $300 on a Nikon scope to go with it. I have spent more on rifles that don’t shoot nearly as well.
Get yourself a Ruger 10/22 for plinking around. It will shoot forever and TONS of aftermarket goodies. It’s very reliable. As far as a shotgun goes…you really can’t beat a good ol’ Remington 870. Fairly reasonably priced and rock solid reliability. You can always upgrade later.
They hold their value pretty decent. On a side note…One of the funnest shotguns I’ve ever owned is a Saiga S12. It’s an AK style semi-auto 12 gauge. Looks freaking sweet and you can really blow some shit up!
[quote]hedo wrote:
hoosegow wrote:
Neither. Get a Savage 7mm Rem Mag. You can usually get one at Walmart with a cheap scope for around $400. They are one of the best out of the box brands. I have a .243 varmit rifle made by Remmington with a $1,500 scope on it. I like my cheap ass Savage (did upgrade the scope, though) better than it.
If you think the cracking of a shotgut pump is scary, just pull the trigger on the 7 mag. I can touch 3 rounds at 100 yards. The magnum will reach out and touch someone. All my deer have been one shot one kill with the magnum. The two deer I shot with the .243, I’ve had to slit their throats. They both went down, one neck shot and one head shot, but neither were killed. I went back to the magnum because of this. It seems a lot more humane. I have a .357 Magnum for home defense.
I don’t like my SKS. It seems like a waste. It seems to spray bullets more than pin point them. I can’t get a decent patter past about 50 yards. If you just want a plinker rifle, go with the .223. You can get rounds for about 10 cents a piece.
I’ll second the opinion on Savage rifles. I have a Model 10FP in .308 with the accu-trigger and it is the most accurate rifle I own. 1/2 MOA to 200M and still less then 1 MOA at 300M. $500 new. Spent $300 on a Nikon scope to go with it. I have spent more on rifles that don’t shoot nearly as well.
[/quote]
Given the choice, I’d take the gun in your avatar.
DB
[quote]hedo wrote:
hoosegow wrote:
Neither. Get a Savage 7mm Rem Mag. You can usually get one at Walmart with a cheap scope for around $400. They are one of the best out of the box brands. I have a .243 varmit rifle made by Remmington with a $1,500 scope on it. I like my cheap ass Savage (did upgrade the scope, though) better than it.
If you think the cracking of a shotgut pump is scary, just pull the trigger on the 7 mag. I can touch 3 rounds at 100 yards. The magnum will reach out and touch someone. All my deer have been one shot one kill with the magnum. The two deer I shot with the .243, I’ve had to slit their throats. They both went down, one neck shot and one head shot, but neither were killed. I went back to the magnum because of this. It seems a lot more humane. I have a .357 Magnum for home defense.
I don’t like my SKS. It seems like a waste. It seems to spray bullets more than pin point them. I can’t get a decent patter past about 50 yards. If you just want a plinker rifle, go with the .223. You can get rounds for about 10 cents a piece.
I’ll second the opinion on Savage rifles. I have a Model 10FP in .308 with the accu-trigger and it is the most accurate rifle I own. 1/2 MOA to 200M and still less then 1 MOA at 300M. $500 new. Spent $300 on a Nikon scope to go with it. I have spent more on rifles that don’t shoot nearly as well.
[/quote]
I have a Savage 110 bolt action in 30-06. They are not the most handsome rifles on the market but they are very accurate. It is my experience that an off the shelf Savage is more accurate than an off the shelf Remington, Winchester or Ruger and at a much better price.
[quote]hoosegow wrote:
Neither. Get a Savage 7mm Rem Mag. You can usually get one at Walmart with a cheap scope for around $400. They are one of the best out of the box brands. I have a .243 varmit rifle made by Remmington with a $1,500 scope on it. I like my cheap ass Savage (did upgrade the scope, though) better than it.
If you think the cracking of a shotgut pump is scary, just pull the trigger on the 7 mag. I can touch 3 rounds at 100 yards. The magnum will reach out and touch someone. All my deer have been one shot one kill with the magnum. The two deer I shot with the .243, I’ve had to slit their throats. They both went down, one neck shot and one head shot, but neither were killed. I went back to the magnum because of this. It seems a lot more humane. I have a .357 Magnum for home defense.
I don’t like my SKS. It seems like a waste. It seems to spray bullets more than pin point them. I can’t get a decent patter past about 50 yards. If you just want a plinker rifle, go with the .223. You can get rounds for about 10 cents a piece.
[/quote]
I agree the 7mm Mag is an excellent round and I have killed antelope, mule deer, and elk, with it. But, to recommend it to a newbie interested in learning about shooting is a bit foolhardy IMO.
Hell, ammo will break the bank alone. I bought two boxes of Federal Premium 175 grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw’s and forty rounds was damn close to a hundred dollars (true it’s premium ammo). Not to mention it’s a magnum that a newbie probably wouldn’t like getting his shoulder bruised to hell on.
OP being that you are new to this a 22, a 22 Mag, or the relatively new 17 HMR would be good choices. If you start to hunt likely it will be small game or predators and these rounds are good to start on that. The new 17 HMR is small and fast and you can reach out to one hundred and fifty yards with it.
100 yards further then a reg. 22 or fifty yards further then a 22 mag. I have a Marlin I put a thumbhole stock on with a Bushnell 3x12 powerscope on and can group two inch to an inch and half with at 150 yards. Whoever put up that pic of the Ruger 22 auto pistol, I have one and many a cottontail was put in the fry pan do to it.
D
[quote]hoosegow wrote:
I don’t like my SKS. It seems like a waste. It seems to spray bullets more than pin point them. I can’t get a decent patter past about 50 yards. If you just want a plinker rifle, go with the .223. You can get rounds for about 10 cents a piece.
[/quote]
I really like my bud’s SKS. Every American should own and train with a military pattern rifle. I carry a Saiga AK, chambered in .308 and it only set me back $350. After I converted it with some peep sights, stock, new trigger and pistol grip it got me to $500. But for what it’s worth the SKS is a good rifle. I’m hitting about 3-4 MOA with Wolf ammo in my buddy’s Norinco. I couldn’t hit a thing with it until he converted the leaf sights to a peep sight, then I was hitting sub-3 MOA instantly.
The cool thing about the SKS is the price though. If you want something harder hitting and more accurate, I would recommend an Enfield. They cost less than $200 and are a great rifle.
mike
A 357 Mag. or any “bullet” firing weapon is not exactly ideal for home defense and any rifle is usually a bad idea for the same reasons. Even if you expect ideal conditions for a perfect shot at an intruder, the bullet may very well exit the body and penetrate sheetrock and eventually innocent people (sleeping kids etc.)
That’s why I recommend a shotgun of some type for home defense. Using birdshot can even fatally penetrate sheetrock at short distances but it’s the safest way to kill someone!
Aside from home defense, I like most of the choices above.
[quote]texasguy1 wrote:
Yeah but slitting their throats is the most ferrel, manly, connected with nature part of hunting.
If only we could run as fast as deer and just chase them down with a knife. [/quote]
No it is not. It sucks. The hunt is the connected part of nature, not the kill. The kill is the worst part. You kill as humanely as possible.