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advice for a first rifle

pikeal1pikeal1 Member Posts: 2,707
edited January 2002 in Ask the Experts
I'm looking to buy a rifle some time in the near future. I don't want to spend too much money...about $500 most likely. I was looking for some advice as to what to get. I have never gone hunting, and living in South Florida, there isn't much here to hunt, atleast not that I'm aware of.I was looking for something to play with, and something that can be easily modified, if I chose to. I checked the prices of the SKS rifles, and some of the AK's offered here on GB, but am totally clueless as to what I should go with. I want a reliable gun, that I can take to the range and have fun with.Please pardon my ignorance,Alex
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Comments

  • He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 51,593 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Better to ask for opinions to base a decision on that buy something useless. Better define "fun" at the range though: do you want a precison shooter, a fully automatic to spray the country side? What sort of caliber? A lot of us that started shooting as kids started with a .410 shoot gun if we were hunters, and often first rifles were .22's. Not a bad place to start as ammo is cheap, recoil is nil, and I will bet a lot of folks on here still take the old (or new) .22's out for some plinking or target (if not squirrel and rabbit) shooing fairly frequently. You might consider a good used .22 to start with which would cost well under your budget. and then decide which way you want to go if you decide on something larger. There are folks here who can give you informed opinions on sporting rifles, "varmint" rifles, "tactical" hardware, and most anything you think you might like to shoot. Welcome to it, you have a lot of fun ahead. Don't forget there is game in other places as well.
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  • MNTNMANMNTNMAN Member Posts: 46 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    FOR FUN THE RUGER 10/22 IS IT, AS YOU HAVE ALREADY HEARD. PLUS THERE IS EVERTHING IMAGINABLE FOR AFTERMARKET PARTS. I ALSO HAVE A RUGER MINI 14 THAT IS A BLAST TO SHOOT AND HAS A LITTLE PUNCH TO IT.
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  • pikeal1pikeal1 Member Posts: 2,707
    edited November -1
    Thanks for the help, I think I'm gonna control myself and get me a 10/22. I bought a 30 round magazine for it about 5 years ago, and never got around to getting the rifle. I guess I'm just a bit concerned that the more I wait, the harder it will be to get some "good" stuff.HE DOG said a full auto to spray the country side, That would be fun, but how does one go about getting something like that without taking a shady route? As I understand it, autos are banned no?Al
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  • v35v35 Member Posts: 12,710 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Get the 10/22. You will probably buy additional guns but you wont sell the 10/22 after you've tried it.
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  • anderskandersk Member Posts: 3,627 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Speaking of .22's ... I'd sure suggest that you try out a Winchester Model 9422. They are available, not expensive and reliable. And they are lots of fun for plinking and target shooting.
    Ken
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  • JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    As for the full auto stuff, all you have to do is find a classIII dealer, fill out the paperwork, which is close to the same as pistol papers, then pay the classIII fee to register. It is a one time fee and you can then fill out new papers on other silenced or full auto guns in the future without having to pay it again. The background check and approval usually takes about 6 months around here. The price for legal full autos is way too high. You get jagged on the price because of the prestige of the full autos, they aren't worth the price unless it is a sale from an individual.
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  • niklasalniklasal Member Posts: 776 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    As soon as I saw you were looking for a first rifle, the first thing that came to mind was the 10/22. I have an AK, an SKS, and a 10/22. Of all three, the 10/22 is my favorite. It is can be modified the most of ANY rifle I have seen, including the AK and is the most inexpensive to shoot. There are a wide array of accesories for it, from bullpup stocks, carbon barrels, and folding stocks. As for full-auto, the right way to go about it is to go through a class III dealer for a conversion, but I can give you a web address that explains how it works if you are interested... for education purposes only of course...
    NIKLASAL@hotmail.com
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  • blazeblaze Member Posts: 233 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I bought me a 10/22 yesterday myself, I love shooting 22's mainly because of price, now if I could judt get home before dark so I could actually shoot it, good luck in having that mag from years ago, trying to find me a hi cap mag, but those damn things are high.
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  • groundhog devastationgroundhog devastation Member Posts: 4,495
    edited November -1
    Remington 597's are also cheap fun guns and I'll bet it won't be long till we see all kinds of aftermarket stuff for them just like the 10/22. You won't go wrong either way.
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  • groundhog devastationgroundhog devastation Member Posts: 4,495
    edited November -1
    Remington 597's are also cheap fun guns and I'll bet it won't be long till we see all kinds of aftermarket stuff for them just like the 10/22. You won't go wrong either way.
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