First long gun purchase! Need some advice!

[Notalentbum]

I've had two Savage model 11VT's and just bought another one a few weeks ago. While it is a lower end rifle, they shoot extremely well and their Accutrigger is fantastic for a off the shelf unit. Dicks sells them and are currently on sale for $449 after $50 rebate. If you apply for a Dicks credit card, you can also take another 10% off your first purchase. I did this a few weeks ago when I bought one in .223. This put final out the door price around $435 with tax. I paid off the card as soon as the bill came and cancelled it after the payment cleared. The scope that comes with it is junk and the stock isn't the best but functionally it is a great rifle. My .223 version took about 5 rounds to get the scope dialed in pretty decent and then was able to shoot 4 out of 5 groups to sub MOA and the 5th was out only due to a flyer.

Also highly recommend doing an Appleseed or the Revere's thing. I've done a few and still learn each time I go.

Matt

 

[Notalentbum]

FWIW, there is a Revere's Riders event this Saturday at Hamilton county range. I'm going to try to make it. I have several suitable .22 rifles if you'd want to borrow one. Did you take a turn with my 10/22 this past Saturday at the meet n shoot?

Matt

 

[stephen87]

in all seriousness, when my kid asked what car he should get to learn how to drive, I said "a bugatti". so I bought him one.

That mod money must be nice. No wonder CM took the position.

 

[TheJoker]

I see that the OP is fairly heavily resisting going the 22LR route as a starter rifle. Everyone can do as they wish, but solid shooting fundamentals should not be ignored. Typically, these fundamentals are developed with rimfire rifles.

OP, why don't you consider holding off on your purchase, borrow one of your buddies 10/22's and take an Appleseed or Revere's Riders course to get a better understanding of being a rifleman?

This is great advice. Then, once you complete the Appleseed or RR course, you would be eligible to have "the greatest battle implement ever devised" from the CMP delivered to your doorstep.

 

[roscott]

I will second the bolt action suggestion. Cheaper than an AR, and you tend to slow down and make your hits count with a manual action rifle.

I will also second the .223 suggestion. Inexpensive, plentiful, and FMJ ammo, which is cheap will provide good hits on target. (No need for expensive hollow ppoints.) As many have said, can't go wrong with a Ruger American, Remington 700, Tikka, or similar. However, I would make the jump to a magazine fed bolt action. The Mossburg MVP or Ruger sout rifle in 223 are both good choices. That way if you choose to add a scope, you don't have to try to feed rounds into the open chamber under the scope. Also, if you are a "end of the world prepper" guy at all, a mag fed rifle would be much simpler to run.

 

[Cet2survivor]

Have you thought about a mosin Nagant. A mosin was my first rifle. It's relatively inexpensive . Ammunition is relatively inexpensive. Most of them are pretty accurate. I love my mosin, it shoots well , it kicks like mule, it has historical significance, and it's not expensive to take to the range and shoot.

 

[98cirrus]

What about a heavy bbl .22 target rifle with peep sights. Best way to learn marksmanship and ammo is cheap. There is a dealer in Kalamazoo with a bunch of old ones in good shape that can put 5 shots in one hole at 50 feet. That's fun too. They are about 250$. Imported from Holland. I like mine a lot.

 

[MohawkSlim]

The best thing for a beginner is to get a rifle you like. The next thing is to shoot it. A lot.

There are many good recommendations on this thread already. One of the best is probably getting trained at an Appleseed or Revere's Riders event. There's no substitute for good fundamentals and it's a lot more fun to shoot rifles when you're making solid hits on your targets and it's not beating you up in the process. Good training will save you money in the long run and both AS and RR are great values. Additionally, the volunteers there probably have a myriad of rifles they'd be willing to lend you for free. Email them and ask if you can borrow theirs before you buy yours.

Personally, I'm an AR guy because they're stupid easy to use and ammo is pretty cheap. Plus it's the most popular rifle in America so not only should you know how to use it, you should get good at using it. If you're good on an AR, being good on a bolt is one of the most satisfying things in the world.

If your heart is set on a bolt gun, the Savage 110 is hard to beat. I'd stick with .223 or .308 because ammo is cheap and easy to get. Remember, when you're training and getting to know your rifle you don't want to be spending $18.95/20rds. You want to be spending $5/20.