I was at my cousins house over the holidays and he is a hunter. He was showing me a bunch of geese he shot and some of the shotguns he uses. Now i have always had an interest in guns, and this rekindled the flame. I am thinking of buying one, however i dont have any idea of what to look for. I know i should start with a small caliber, like a 22. And i would like a rifle to shoot targets with, and something pretty cheap, like under $200. I live in NY and i know there are pretty strict laws around, so any advice is welcome.

Originally Posted by therise21

I was at my cousins house over the holidays and he is a hunter. He was showing me a bunch of geese he shot and some of the shotguns he uses. Now i have always had an interest in guns, and this rekindled the flame. I am thinking of buying one, however i dont have any idea of what to look for. I know i should start with a small caliber, like a 22. And i would like a rifle to shoot targets with, and something pretty cheap, like under $200. I live in NY and i know there are pretty strict laws around, so any advice is welcome.

With the advancement of modern day rifles, recoil is greatly reduced. If you're looking for a cheap rifle with cheap ammunition the .22 is the way to go. If you are looking for a target rifle I would recommend you start with a .243. If you are looking to go old school, you can get a WWII rifle for dirt cheap. My DDR Mosin Nagant only cost me $100, and the ammunition is very cheap: the rounds I shoot cost $60 for 440 rounds. I also hunt with my black-power .50 cal. I shoot a break action CVA muzzle-loader. You will find that getting the materials to shoot the thing will end up costing you a good bit but some muzzle loader are cheaper than others. I first started with a $75 one and it was a great shooter. It all depends on what you're going to use the gun for: for a hobby I would recommend a muzzle loader, if you're going to use it for rigorous target practice I would recommend the .243 for a starter rifle (I use my muzzle-loader but I have a lot of time to waste..usually takes me an hour to an hour and a half to clean). All in all good luck with your gun hunt.


Best regards,
FutureMedic

My first guns were a Romanian Model 56 SKS made in 1958 and a Mosin Nagant 1891/30 made in 1938 at Tula. They're both great choices for beginners because they're simple to maintain properly, are very reliable, and they fire cheap ammo. They're also just great rifles for the price. Just make sure you have the headspace checked out before firing the Mosin if you get one.

Originally Posted by major liability

My first guns were a Romanian Model 56 SKS made in 1958 and a Mosin Nagant 1891/30 made in 1938 at Tula. They're both great choices for beginners because they're simple to maintain properly, are very reliable, and they fire cheap ammo. They're also just great rifles for the price. Just make sure you have the headspace checked out before firing the Mosin if you get one.

Yea, if you get a Mosin make d@mn sure the bolt is in good condition and check the firing pin. Make sure it also has strong rifling with no signs of pitting.

thanks for the help guys. all advice is much appreciated.

If you looking for a fun, economically affordable, easy to maintain and clean rifle. I think a Ruger 10/22 Rifle is just what you're looking for. It's a Semi-Automatic magazine fed 10rd capacity .22LR rifle.

There are many accessories and add ons that you can get for it. Also if you ever decide to resale it you will not get all of your money back but you will make a nice sum.

http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firear...ding&famlst=39

What do you guys think about buying a Mosin-Nagant off of this site?
http://www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/Russian_M44.html

Its cheap, and i think the ammo is also. Do you think the 7.62 round is too large for someone just learning?

Originally Posted by therise21

What do you guys think about buying a Mosin-Nagant off of this site?
http://www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/Russian_M44.html

Its cheap, and i think the ammo is also. Do you think the 7.62 round is too large for someone just learning?

I would recommend having the gun in-hand and being able to check it over before purchasing; they firing pins can be damaged or the barrel riffling could be damaged. They aren't as accurate as modern-fire arms but I love mine. The recoil is mild. The size of the slug won't make a difference. Happy Shooting...

Thanks for the tips guys. I think i a, going to buy either a Marlin 60 or the Ruger 10/22 after my finances recover from the holidays. Although i may still opt for a bolt action.

sorry for hte double post but i was in a sporting goods store and the had a remington 710 in 30-06 on sale for $250. Whats your opinion on buying this as a first rifle?