For beginner where to start to learn Rifles

[charlesc]

2 questions

1 For beginner where to start to learn Rifles

2 what Rifle caliber and what Rifle brand would be best all around Rifle for American game - from grizzlies to turkeys? or would you need more than 1 rifle for the purpose?

[Art Eatman]

To begin the learning curve with a rifle, I recommend the .22 rimfire, preferably a bolt-action in the mid-range of costs. Marlin, Winchester, Remington, Anschutz as examples.

For serious hunting it takes several, given the range of size of animal you point to. Some states, turkeys are legal only with shotguns. It doesn't take much of a rifle to get a clean kill on a turkey, but the problem usually is not ruining the breast meat--and that means a careful shot on the head, usually.

For deer and elk, and black bear, the .243 is approximately the low end and such as the .30-'06 represents the high end. Such as the 7mm Mag and the .300 WinMag extend the clean-kill distance over the '06, but are not needed for shots inside of 300 yards.

Grizzlies? That's getting into thumper country, with such as the .338 WinMag or the .375 H&H.

There are many other equally good cartridges, but the above is a start. You can find a wealth of information about them in Wikipedia.

I'll let others offer "How To" reading. :)

[Doyle]

Art has it right - learn on a .22

There is NO one chambering that will do all things. Some will cover a fairly wide spectrum but forget about a single rifle that will do all things. As to that, just where do you think you'll be shooting grizzleys? For that matter, where do you think you'll be shooting turkeys with a rifle (illegal in most states)?

[Ruger480]

I'm not sure why I feel such a compulsion to comment whenever I see the statement that no chambering will do all things. But I feel it. And so I comment: The 30-06 will/can and has done it all!
No, its the necessarily the best choice in certain situations but no one can make the argument that the '06 can't do it. Because it will.

[Sierra280]

1. Practice, practice, practice. If you don't know someone who can teach you (or even if you do) Appleseed events are great.

Definitly start with a 22lr. I still have my first gun (remington 581), and still love to shoot it.

2. This has been debated at great length, I personally think the 308 is a great choice. Ammo is relatively cheap and plentiful and it can be used to hunt anything (laws allowing) in North America. Having said that, the 7mm-08 is possibly a better choice (better ballistics, slightly less recoil). I'm only partial to the 308 because I like to use cheap NATO surplus ammo (7.62x51) to practice my shooting.

[FALPhil]

Sierra280 wrote:
Definitly start with a 22lr. I still have my first gun (remington 581), and still love to shoot it.
That is a great rifle. I keep a 580 around to teach beginners with. The action is so robust, I often have the urge to rebarrel it in 17HMR, and then I realize I wouldn't have a single shot that would be apprpriate for beginners.

[Brotherbadger]

I'm not sure why I feel such a compulsion to comment whenever I see the statement that no chambering will do all things. But I feel it. And so I comment: The 30-06 will/can and has done it all! No, its the necessarily the best choice in certain situations but no one can make the argument that the '06 can't do it. Because it will.

I've never heard of anybody going duck hunting with a 30-06. :D

To the OP: yes you will probably need 2 or more guns if you want to hunt a wide array of game. First thing you need to do is check your state laws(or the laws of the state you plan to hunt in) and see what is legal to use. Then, decide which game you realisticly want to start hunting. At this point, you can decide what gun you want to use. After that, find out what caliber you want to use(availablity, recoil and cost being major factors).

As others have said, start with a small caliber and work your way up. Go to a range and get used to manipulating the action of a 22 rimfire, until it become second nature. 22LR is a cheap way to get into shooting, and to help develop your skills.

[Armed_Chicagoan]

I still have my first gun (remington 581), and still love to shoot it.
That was my first gun too, bought it new in 1980 when I was 13 with money from my first job. I still have it, and it shoots as good as ever. Just put a new scope on it a few months ago.

Can't go wrong with a bolt .22 as your first gun. Definitely not a grizzly gun though. :p

[perpster]

Umm, see the name of this forum? Get the book by Col. Cooper of the same name. ;)

Get a .22LR rifle to start with, then decide where you want to go from there in terms of larger caliber and rifle platforms.

[MrBorland]

I'll echo what others say:

1. Get a .22. It ain't just for beginners, either.

2. There are versatile calibers, but none that are do-it-all. The link below to a current TFL thread might give you some ideas. You'll note that the .22 is almost universally recommended.

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=531516

[taylorce1]

While I'd normally agree with everyone saying get a .22LR, right now I'd say buy a .17HMR instead. I have no problem with .17HMR in stock locally, can't say the same for .22LR.

[Nathan]

A 22 lr bolt action is the best way to get started.

Since ammo is a little more available, a 223 Rem might be a better starting rifle in the short term. Something like a Savage 10, 11, 12, 14 with a good 3-9 variable.

[2damnold4this]

A .22lr is definitely a good way to start. I've got other rifles but I still enjoy shooting the .22lr.

Finding someone to teach proper fundamentals is also important. My father got me started but a class in summer camp with the boy scouts and later competing with a National Guard rifle team exposed me to some great instructors.

[Colt46]

(after you learn on the .22), get something easy to shoot well. Novices don't need rifles that recoil hard enough to intimidate them. Easy shooting calibers like the .260 rem, 7mm-08, 6.5 Swede, .257 Roberts, etc. will give you excellent pop for deer sized game.
I could even make a case for the .243, but I think it's a little on the lower end of what you may want.

[Chaz88]

Taking something like an NRA basic rifle qualification course is a good way to start. You have to get better and better scores to move up the qualification levels. This will help you focus on improving marksmanship skills rather than just sending lead down range. A .22 is great for this kind of course but there are plenty of other options for the courses also.

[Wyosmith]

I would say to start with BOOKS.

Some of the NRA publications are good.

The USMC Marksmanship Manual is weapon specific, (M14 or M16) but the principals of marksmanship are covered extremely well.

Jeff Coppers "The Art of the Rifle" is excellent.

[MarkCO]

While there is some good info, I would say skip most of it and go to an Appleseed clinic: http://appleseedinfo.org/

Depending on which one is near you, they usually have guns and ammo to loan out. Get the fundamentals down and keep a journal of your progress.

Not to belabor the point, but as a total newbie, you can easily get swayed by the internet collective into going down a path that may not be best for you. The hands on instruction will give YOU the tools to be able to pick what is right for you as you improve your skillset. Welcome and good luck.

[Dc777]

I'm a firm believer that every man should have atleast one .22 rifle. It's the first gun I ever shot, and I own several of them. They are inexpensive to learn on, and despite people saying they are weak in power, it's amazing what the little bullet will kill.