Knowing Now About Guns What Gun Would You Buy First?

BntBrl · July 20, 2008, 11:45 PM

What would your new gun choice be provided you didnt have any right now, say moths ate them or something.

1)Short range accuracy ( under 150 to 200 yards)
2) Reloadability (cost of brass, ammo, powder, etc) availability of new also.
3) .308 or smaller biggest game would be mule deer.

I am thinking of buying something for plinking and deer, maybe yotes too. I have a 300 weatherby already for elk, deer, and black bear, cougars I tihnk its a bit heavy for.

It can be military surplus if its accurate out to 100 to 150 yards. I saw a Carcano in mint condition for 100 dollars but the ammo and brass are high priced. at 2.50 each for 300 weatherby rounds I want to be cheap with this next one, and convenient.

What would you recommend for these parameters. I would like something pretty commonly chambered, fairly accurate at 100 yards or slightly further, and cheap to reload or buy factory ammo.

steve4102 · July 20, 2008, 11:49 PM

6.5x55

elkman06 · July 20, 2008, 11:58 PM

Without question,,,,,.243 Winchester. 100gr for deer, 80gr for yotes.
Deadly accurate. I have 7 centerfire rifles and if my life depended on one shot accuracy I would grab my Tikka .243. It' a 1973 model Tikka though, although I really like my late models too.
elkman06

jmorris · July 21, 2008, 07:52 AM

"Knowing Now About Guns What Gun Would You Buy First?"

.22lr

"Cougars I think it’s a bit heavy for."

They won’t want to carry it for you anyway. Dead is dead.

CPTMurdoc30 · July 21, 2008, 09:06 AM

600 SupershortLoudenboomerultramagshoulderdestroyersupersniper

of 600sslbumsdss for short.

same thing I did before 22lr.

jmorris · July 21, 2008, 10:51 AM

You forgot "tactical".

ZeSpectre · July 21, 2008, 11:08 AM

SIG 229 (plus a bunch of magazines)

CraigC · July 21, 2008, 12:13 PM

I'd find an older Winchester or Marlin .30-30, a pre-safety model that also readily accepts a receiver sight.

BigDog454 · July 21, 2008, 12:46 PM

260 rem or 257 roberts

FM12 · July 21, 2008, 01:40 PM

A Remington 700 in 25.06. Period. Everything you need in a medium caliber (<.338) and nothing you dont.

Scorch · July 21, 2008, 02:08 PM

I would choose a 7-08. I shoot a 7X57, and that is about as close as you can get nowadays with factory chamberings. It will do it all, from varmints to moose. Add a 22LR and a 12 gauge, and you're set for anything that walks of flies in the lower 48. You don't need a 300 Weatherby for anything.

Redneckrepairs · July 21, 2008, 02:20 PM

Honestly i would buy a ruger 10-22 first , its a fine gun to learn on an even on defensive 10 placed rounds trumps a miss.

Smaug · July 21, 2008, 02:49 PM

22LR first. They're fun, economical, and great for anything smaller than a yote.

243 Win next. 55 gr. for varmints, 80 gr. for yotes, and 100 gr. for deer.

I reload my 6mm Rem and really like the 243 caliber. I do a lot more target shooting than I do hunting, so the lighter recoil is much appreciated.

wncchester · July 21, 2008, 04:15 PM

For general purpose use, almost any .22 RF. I would prefer a Marlin 39A or Ruger 10/22.

For game, a 336C/.35. Solid steel, as fast handling as a wingshooting shotgun, powerful, plenty accurate for dependable kills to 200 yards, easy to reload.

Those are posed against my current centerfire rifles of .22-250, .243, 6mm Int., .308, .270, .30 Car., .30-06, 7.65, .35 Rem. and a rimfire rifle collection of an OLD Rem. single shot, Marlin 39A, 10/22, and a 1922 Springfield.

BntBrl · July 21, 2008, 05:14 PM

So far it looks like the most votes go to:

1) 22 rim fire
2).243

"You dont need a 300 weatherby for anything" Yes, but where would that extra money go I have to spend on ammo, but at the same time no one else wants to shoot my expensive ammo up lol...

res45 · July 21, 2008, 06:16 PM

22 lr.
30-06

You can take any game two or four legged in North American and beyond with those two rounds.

Sidetracked · July 22, 2008, 01:27 AM

Other than .22 LR...
If I had to start over...

My first do-it-all rifle would be .243 Winchester, if I could find it in a rifle I liked.
If the .243 was hard to find, I would go with .30-30 in a lever gun, or .270 Win in a bolt gun.

BntBrl · July 22, 2008, 02:02 AM

1) 22 rim fire
2).243
3)30.30 lever

NotSoFast · July 22, 2008, 11:06 AM

Quote:

What would your new gun choice be provided you didn't have any right now, say moths ate them or something.

The same thing I bought, a new Mini-14.

Quote:

1)Short range accuracy ( under 150 to 200 yards)
2) Reloadability (cost of brass, ammo, powder, etc) availability of new also.
3) .308 or smaller biggest game would be mule deer.

It can be military surplus if its accurate out to 100 to 150 yards. I saw a Carcano in mint condition for 100 dollars but the ammo and brass are high priced. at 2.50 each for 300 Weatherby rounds I want to be cheap with this next one, and convenient.

What would you recommend for these parameters. I would like something pretty commonly chambered, fairly accurate at 100 yards or slightly further, and cheap to reload or buy factory ammo.

Probably either a M1A or a Mini-30.

Smaug · July 22, 2008, 03:13 PM

NotSoFast - I hope you are hunting huge animals, hehehe.

(I've read that Ruger Mini-14s and Mini-30s are not too accurate, usually not doing any better than 3" at 100 yds.)

I always wanted one of those, but they seem to have AK47 "combat accuracy" and I want better than that.

Welcome to TFL!

NotSoFast · July 22, 2008, 07:26 PM

Smaug:

Part of why I bought is is SD, yes. But I bought the new 580 series with the heavier barrel. While it isn't MOA accurate out of the box, It's not too bad as is. Plus, I just got the go ahead to ship it to my gunsmith for rework of the trigger, bedding, cryo of the barrel, and a muzzle brake, all which help increase accuracy. I'll see what it does for certain after that.

Some Mini-14 owners are shooting 1.5" groups at 100 yards out of the box and the target model is showing MOA and subMOA results. Times they are achanging.

jdscholer · July 22, 2008, 10:45 PM

I'll third or forth the motion for 243 Win. Easy to find ammo, easy to load ammo, extremely accurate right off the rack, and extremely harmful to whatever it hits out to 300 yds. The average rifleman with a 243, will shoot better than the average guy with mobigger guns IMO. jd

mikenbarb · July 22, 2008, 11:14 PM

A Marlin .35 lever action and a nice single barrel .410 bore.

BntBrl · July 22, 2008, 11:19 PM

My first gun was a single shot .410 when I was about 8 years old or so. I killed a lot of squirrels with that gun.

DWARREN123 · July 23, 2008, 12:42 AM

Pistol - Glock 23 (with 22lr conversion kit)
Rifle - Ruger Mini 30
Shotgun - CD Field Grade 20ga or 12ga
22lr Rifle - Any CZ - Ruger 10/22
22lr Pistol - CZ - Ruger - Browning - see Glock

My choices may seem strange to some but these have worked for me.

July 20, 2008, 11:45 PM	#1
BntBrl Member Join Date: June 8, 2008 Posts: 95	Knowing Now About Guns What Gun Would You Buy First? What would your new gun choice be provided you didnt have any right now, say moths ate them or something. 1)Short range accuracy ( under 150 to 200 yards) 2) Reloadability (cost of brass, ammo, powder, etc) availability of new also. 3) .308 or smaller biggest game would be mule deer. I am thinking of buying something for plinking and deer, maybe yotes too. I have a 300 weatherby already for elk, deer, and black bear, cougars I tihnk its a bit heavy for. It can be military surplus if its accurate out to 100 to 150 yards. I saw a Carcano in mint condition for 100 dollars but the ammo and brass are high priced. at 2.50 each for 300 weatherby rounds I want to be cheap with this next one, and convenient. What would you recommend for these parameters. I would like something pretty commonly chambered, fairly accurate at 100 yards or slightly further, and cheap to reload or buy factory ammo.

July 21, 2008, 02:08 PM	#11
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,249	I would choose a 7-08. I shoot a 7X57, and that is about as close as you can get nowadays with factory chamberings. It will do it all, from varmints to moose. Add a 22LR and a 12 gauge, and you're set for anything that walks of flies in the lower 48. You don't need a 300 Weatherby for anything. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

July 21, 2008, 02:49 PM	#13
Smaug Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2004 Location: SE Wisconsin Posts: 3,210	22LR first. They're fun, economical, and great for anything smaller than a yote. 243 Win next. 55 gr. for varmints, 80 gr. for yotes, and 100 gr. for deer. I reload my 6mm Rem and really like the 243 caliber. I do a lot more target shooting than I do hunting, so the lighter recoil is much appreciated. __________________ -Jeremy "Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength." - Eric Hoffer

July 21, 2008, 04:15 PM	#14
wncchester Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2002 Posts: 2,832	For general purpose use, almost any .22 RF. I would prefer a Marlin 39A or Ruger 10/22. For game, a 336C/.35. Solid steel, as fast handling as a wingshooting shotgun, powerful, plenty accurate for dependable kills to 200 yards, easy to reload. Those are posed against my current centerfire rifles of .22-250, .243, 6mm Int., .308, .270, .30 Car., .30-06, 7.65, .35 Rem. and a rimfire rifle collection of an OLD Rem. single shot, Marlin 39A, 10/22, and a 1922 Springfield. Last edited by wncchester; July 21, 2008 at 05:49 PM.

July 21, 2008, 06:16 PM	#16
res45 Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2007 Location: NC Posts: 753	22 lr. 30-06 You can take any game two or four legged in North American and beyond with those two rounds. __________________ The Reloaders Network discord Channel https://discord.gg/Nafuzht

July 20, 2008, 11:49 PM	#2
steve4102 Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,968	6.5x55

July 20, 2008, 11:58 PM	#3
elkman06 Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2006 Location: Wyoming Posts: 885	Without question,,,,,.243 Winchester. 100gr for deer, 80gr for yotes. Deadly accurate. I have 7 centerfire rifles and if my life depended on one shot accuracy I would grab my Tikka .243. It' a 1973 model Tikka though, although I really like my late models too. elkman06

July 21, 2008, 07:52 AM	#4
jmorris Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 2006 Posts: 3,078	"Knowing Now About Guns What Gun Would You Buy First?" .22lr "Cougars I think it’s a bit heavy for." They won’t want to carry it for you anyway. Dead is dead.

July 21, 2008, 09:06 AM	#5
CPTMurdoc30 Senior Member Join Date: February 27, 2008 Location: Stafford VA Posts: 969	600 SupershortLoudenboomerultramagshoulderdestroyersupersniper of 600sslbumsdss for short. same thing I did before 22lr.

July 21, 2008, 10:51 AM	#6
jmorris Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 2006 Posts: 3,078	You forgot "tactical".

July 21, 2008, 11:08 AM	#7
ZeSpectre Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2007 Location: Shenandoah Valley Posts: 3,276	SIG 229 (plus a bunch of magazines)

July 21, 2008, 12:13 PM	#8
CraigC Junior member Join Date: November 28, 2001 Location: West Tennessee Posts: 4,300	I'd find an older Winchester or Marlin .30-30, a pre-safety model that also readily accepts a receiver sight.

July 21, 2008, 12:46 PM	#9
BigDog454 Senior Member Join Date: November 11, 2007 Location: NW Ohio Posts: 100	260 rem or 257 roberts

July 21, 2008, 01:40 PM	#10
FM12 Senior Member Join Date: February 5, 2007 Location: Monroeville, Alabama Posts: 1,683	A Remington 700 in 25.06. Period. Everything you need in a medium caliber (<.338) and nothing you dont.

July 21, 2008, 02:20 PM	#12
Redneckrepairs Senior Member Join Date: March 9, 2006 Posts: 666	Honestly i would buy a ruger 10-22 first , its a fine gun to learn on an even on defensive 10 placed rounds trumps a miss.

July 21, 2008, 05:14 PM	#15
BntBrl Member Join Date: June 8, 2008 Posts: 95	So far it looks like the most votes go to: 1) 22 rim fire 2).243 "You dont need a 300 weatherby for anything" Yes, but where would that extra money go I have to spend on ammo, but at the same time no one else wants to shoot my expensive ammo up lol...

July 22, 2008, 01:27 AM	#17
Sidetracked Senior Member Join Date: May 13, 2008 Location: Henrietta, FL Posts: 306	Other than .22 LR... If I had to start over... My first do-it-all rifle would be .243 Winchester, if I could find it in a rifle I liked. If the .243 was hard to find, I would go with .30-30 in a lever gun, or .270 Win in a bolt gun.

July 22, 2008, 02:02 AM	#18
BntBrl Member Join Date: June 8, 2008 Posts: 95	1) 22 rim fire 2).243 3)30.30 lever

July 22, 2008, 03:13 PM	#20
Smaug Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2004 Location: SE Wisconsin Posts: 3,210	NotSoFast - I hope you are hunting huge animals, hehehe. (I've read that Ruger Mini-14s and Mini-30s are not too accurate, usually not doing any better than 3" at 100 yds.) I always wanted one of those, but they seem to have AK47 "combat accuracy" and I want better than that. Welcome to TFL! __________________ -Jeremy "Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength." - Eric Hoffer

July 22, 2008, 07:26 PM	#21
NotSoFast Member Join Date: May 11, 2008 Posts: 22	Smaug: Part of why I bought is is SD, yes. But I bought the new 580 series with the heavier barrel. While it isn't MOA accurate out of the box, It's not too bad as is. Plus, I just got the go ahead to ship it to my gunsmith for rework of the trigger, bedding, cryo of the barrel, and a muzzle brake, all which help increase accuracy. I'll see what it does for certain after that. Some Mini-14 owners are shooting 1.5" groups at 100 yards out of the box and the target model is showing MOA and subMOA results. Times they are achanging.

July 22, 2008, 10:45 PM	#22
jdscholer Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2008 Location: Jefferson State Posts: 1,197	I'll third or forth the motion for 243 Win. Easy to find ammo, easy to load ammo, extremely accurate right off the rack, and extremely harmful to whatever it hits out to 300 yds. The average rifleman with a 243, will shoot better than the average guy with mobigger guns IMO. jd __________________ "We're all dummies, just in different ways." Old Okie Philosopher

July 22, 2008, 11:14 PM	#23
mikenbarb Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2007 Location: N.J. Posts: 1,111	A Marlin .35 lever action and a nice single barrel .410 bore.

July 22, 2008, 11:19 PM	#24
BntBrl Member Join Date: June 8, 2008 Posts: 95	My first gun was a single shot .410 when I was about 8 years old or so. I killed a lot of squirrels with that gun.

July 23, 2008, 12:42 AM	#25
DWARREN123 Senior Member Join Date: January 22, 2006 Location: BETWEEN TN & KY Posts: 1,758	Pistol - Glock 23 (with 22lr conversion kit) Rifle - Ruger Mini 30 Shotgun - CD Field Grade 20ga or 12ga 22lr Rifle - Any CZ - Ruger 10/22 22lr Pistol - CZ - Ruger - Browning - see Glock My choices may seem strange to some but these have worked for me.