What are you going to shoot with a 30-06?

It's a great calibre, but far too expensive to use just to get some experience and hone your shooting skills.

I'd recommend a good .22, something like a BRNO Mod.1. My son is using his Grandfather's, it's 45 years old and still shoots well. God only knows how many rounds it's had through it, I estimate that I put 10 - 15,000 rounds through it.

Learn with a weapon that's cheap to shoot and put your skill into practice with the calibre of your choice later.

good point. i was just looking at ammunition prices and the .22lr is much cheaper than 30-06.

My first rifle was my .22 . I got a pre-World War 2 Cooey for $50 here in Canada. A box of fifty rounds is about $2. I got a scope on it and I'm waiting for it to some come back from the gunsmith. Great gun, very accurate, cheap, ammo is cheap and has no recoil.

Our rifle doesn't have a clip and it's bolt action so it's a pain to open the bolt, take out the old buring hot shell and put in a new then close the bolt. I'd recommend getting a semi-automatic one because it's gonna be easier and a lot more fun with a clip when you out in the range or whatever.

Springfield Armory 1911 Commander .45 ACP

Originally Posted by Cdt Matteo

Our rifle doesn't have a clip and it's bolt action so it's a pain to open the bolt, take out the old buring hot shell and put in a new then close the bolt. I'd recommend getting a semi-automatic one because it's gonna be easier and a lot more fun with a clip when you out in the range or whatever.

You must be very fast getting that shell out, if you leave the bolt closed for about a second they are barely warm. Semi automatics do not encourage accurate shooting and unless you think that you may be attacked by a hoard of wild chipmunks or some such you will be far better of with a bolt action and they are more accurate anyway.

Unless you are a naturally gifted shooter, it will be many years before you can get off a worthwhile, accurate second shot at anything that's alive. If it ain't alive it will still be there for successive shots five seconds later. Save your money and buy a good quality bolt action.

One accurate shot is far more impressive than 10 misses in the same time.

It's been many years since I've seen a Cooey, They were nothing special to look at, but they generally shoot very well and lasted forever. They were quite comon here in Australia, as I remember they had to have fitted sight rails for a telescopic sight.

You can shoot just as well with a semi-auto. I, personally, think they're more fun as well because if you've had enough target practice for the day you can unload a mag or two on the old, useless item of your choice for some quality stress relief. Hitting my old power supply with the Mosin was a blast - I still can't find some of the parts. If you like blowing up crap like that like I do, I'd definitely recommend a centerfire rifle. Maybe a WASR-2 5.45x39mm? The fit and finish isn't so great but it's a reliable semi-auto AK-74 clone from Romania. 5.45x39mm is cheap as dirt these days, and it kicks like a pussycat if you're worried about developing a flinch...

Its been over 10 years, so I don't remember the model, but I do remember that a Springfield .22LR single-shot Bolt Action was my first joy.

Yet another sad thread in which i realise i can never own my own firearm....espcially a rifle....

Non the less it would seem, based on my shooting experience(mainly with military rifles, i have to admit), that small caliber semi auto is the way to go. as for semi auto causing you to shoot unaccuratley, well, that depends. When i go into the range thinking-"im gonna put them one inside the other", i usually do. When i say "scr** this lets have some fun", i usually shoot very avrage or below. Even with a shortend M16, which is a semi-auto, relativly(to small caliber) high kick, and very poor balistics(the IDF idiot who decided to chop off the barrels of long m16s and call it a carbine should be hung) you can still shoot very good and have alot of fun. Than again military shooting training is not exactly what you call a fun day at the range(mor like a traumatic day at bootcamp)

Well I decided on the ruger 10/22. it was on sale at sports authority so i went and got it. I also got 1000 rounds of ammo with it(500 was free bc they screwed up the paperwork and i had to go back.) Now I just have to get to the range and try it out. Its a semi-auto b the way.

Good choice. That's the first firearm I remember shooting back when I was four or five years old. You can spend $200 on the rifle and $2000 on after market parts if you really need something to waste money on. Point is, there are a ton of things you can do with a pretty simple rifle.