Rifle for a beginner?

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I've been thinking for a while about getting a gun. I don't want to go through the pain of getting a pistol permit, and I don't want a shotgun, so that leaves me at some sort of rifle.

So what would you recommend to learn with? I'd like the gun to be relatively inexpensive (used is fine) and take easy to get, relatively inexpensive ammunition.

Thanks!
 
I would say a .22 like a ruger 10/22. Its always good to have a .22 around even if you have other guns. But .22 ammo has gone up in price and its harder to buy locally.
 
Pistol caliber lever action. Rossi R92 or Marlin 1894 in .357/.38 special. No recoil, low noise, relatively powerful, durable and reliable, lots of options for ammo, and better yet, since it is a tubular magazine, it is exempt from the NY Safe Act 7 round loading limits.
 
I am a bolt action fan...and the new Ruger American .22 has a street price of about $270...not much more than the 10/22...

While .22 is a bit scarce right now, it is by far the cheapest ammo out there, and a great way to learn the fundamentals.
 
I would have, under anything resembling normal circumstances, second the recommendations to get a .22, specifically a Ruger 10/22. Since .22lr is hard to find at a reasonable price these days; I would recommend a Hi-Point 995TS. It takes 9X19 ammo (a.k.a. 9mm Luger) and is IMO a great long gun to start with. Videos are on YT to show how to field strip and clean. Fair warning, many, many otherwise reasonable people will become apoplectic at the mention of Hi-Point firearms. To this I say there are two kinds of people; those that have one and those that "heard from a cousin's ex-brother in law twice removed that they're [censored] and dangerous and he almost had his gonads blown off by one....."
If you find you don't want a HP, I would then advise a lever-action carbine in .357 magnum. I know that Marlins are easier to clean than the Browning and it's clones. With a .357, you could also shoot .38 specials for less. A benefit of a Pistol Caliber Carbine is that they make a really dandy home defense arm! Masad Ayoob called the lever-action a "Brooklyn Special", that would give a home-owner a good gun and not run afoul of the peck sniffs in Albany or Gracie Mansion that have armed security.
Moving up the ladder would take you into AR or AK-land, and I can't help you there.
In most cases (.357/.38, .44 mag./.44spl.) it will pay you to learn how to reload. .22LR can't be reloaded; 9mm, AR and AK ammo is still cheap enough that reloading for volume isn't worthwhile...so far.
 
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10/22 or Marlin model 60 came to mind.

I have a Mossberg 702 which is a cheap Marlin knockoff which is also very cheap light and very fun to shoot although they have a tendency to jam right out of the box until cleaned very thoroughly and broken in a little.

Buddy has a Henry pump .22 dont know the model # that is sweet. Fun to shoot and extremely quiet also.
 
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My first gun was a used Winchester 69 22lr bolt action. Held a 5 round detachable magazine. Fun gun and if you are new to guns bolt actions are nice because they have few moving parts and are more forgiving to neglect and easier to take apart and clean.
 
Is it just for learning? Ruger 10/22 or Marlin 60. Or even a Henry lever action. When you buy it though, demand the store to let you buy a brick of 22 if they have them sitting in the back room.
 
I would suggest a Marlin 22. It was my first gun and still one of my favs.

If you want something with a lot of power a Mosin Nagant would be my vote if you want something cheap, super accurate, with dirt cheap ammo.
 
Depends on the Mosin Nagant. My 91/30 was made during the "freakout" period when it looked like the Germans would be rolling into red square. The thing shoots about 6 inches off aim at 100 yards and looks like a blind mental patient with a hand-file was in-charge of making the receiver.
 
I'd like to recommend a Mosin-Nagant M44. It's cheap, cheap ammo, and recoil is very mild; like a gentle nudge.
 
Originally Posted By: 2cool
I would have, under anything resembling normal circumstances, second the recommendations to get a .22, specifically a Ruger 10/22. Since .22lr is hard to find at a reasonable price these days; I would recommend a Hi-Point 995TS. It takes 9X19 ammo (a.k.a. 9mm Luger) and is IMO a great long gun to start with.


It's a pretty sad when people may not consider/buy a .22 firearm these days because .22LR ammo isn't cheap and available like it use to be.
frown.gif
 
Thanks for the input, guys.

Part of the reason I asked this is that I've heard .22LR is very hard to find lately.

Also unfortunately the Hi-Point 995 is a no-go, since I live in NY.

My brother recently got a Mosin-Nagant M9130... it was made in 1943 and may have been in combat. As a bit of a history nut, I find that fascinating.

OK, carry on! I will be looking into pistol-caliber carbines.
 
Exactly how hard to get is .22LR?

Is it along the lines of you can generally find but only take home one box, or more like you have to be at the store right as the delivery truck comes in and slip the driver a $20 to get any?
 
Nate, I just saw your latest. Yeah, you just about have to be there to get any. I just paid my smith $60 for a brick of 500, or .12 each By comparison, I can load a .357 down to a mouse-phart for .27 each !!
Very important to know about the Marlin 1894. The way they're built, the lever can cause a feeding malfunction known as the "Marlin Jam". Not all of them get it, but one can't tell without taking the lever out. Do a google search, or go to the Marlin Owners forum and look at the pics. To tell if it has or will develop the problem, all you need is a good non-serrated blade flat screwdriver to take out the lever screw and look inside. I have had this happen to my gun, and I've engineered a fix. All things considered, I'd still take a Marlin, even with the jam that can be fixed, over the Browning clones because their shortcomings CANT be fixed; e.g. no optical mount possible, the mechanism is much more complicated and has higher parts count.
The longer barrel will almost double the energy of a .357, which will mean that a round in the center of mass will be a one-shot stop, unlike a pistol. Also, there won't be any propellant flash, and it seems to me to be a little quieter.
Best of luck and feel free to PM me if you want more info.
 
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.22 ammo will come back online and be readily available again shortly. 18 months ago, AR15's were selling for $2000 plus. Now the market it flooded and you can get one for $410.

A good first rifle is a bolt action .22, such as a CZ452, Ruger American, Savage or any other bolt action .22 really. Learn the basics and then go up from there.
 
You must have different rules there. I obtained a pistol permit, went to the store and bought the pistol and was using it in the range within about 45 mins. I must confess that I was very surprised!
 
Originally Posted By: Whitewolf
You must have different rules there. I obtained a pistol permit, went to the store and bought the pistol and was using it in the range within about 45 mins. I must confess that I was very surprised!

It takes 9-12 months from submitting the application to when it's approved. You get fingerprinted, background checked, you have to provide references...
 
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