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New to pew pews... where to start?
- Thread starter JeepGeek
- Start date
Quick tip #2:
If buying, you should value items at what you think they're worth and divide by two.
If selling, you should take all the recent deals on Gunbroker, average the values, and multiply by two!
You're welcome in advance!
If buying, you should value items at what you think they're worth and divide by two.
If selling, you should take all the recent deals on Gunbroker, average the values, and multiply by two!
You're welcome in advance!
Welcome!
Taking what you've said so far, here are my recommendations. Some things it's better to start budget and upgrade as you develop a feel for it, and I don't have any idea as to your skills, practice, or training, so here's a good basic starter list:
Ruger 10-22 or Henry lever action H001 in .22LR. .22 rifles are the beginner's go-to for very good reason; you can get bricks of 400+ rounds of ammo what it would cost for even 40 rounds of regular high grade centerfire rifle ammo. Low recoil, much quieter than anything else without a suppressor, and this combination of factors means you can shoot all day without wrecking your ears, shoulder, or wallet. Great for practicing form and skill, because your focus can be on shot placement. The 10/22 is semiautomatic, so you'll likely spend more time loading magazines than actually shooting, but their standard models are sturdy with almost no issues. The Henry is for if you feel like a cowboy gun would be more up your alley. Slick action, smooth cycling, and good capacity (the H001 holds 12 rounds of Long Rifle, if I remember right) but because you do have to manually cycle the action, most people subconsciously spend a little longer picking and lining up their shots, which is exactly what you want to practice since you're new. I know there are .22 bolt action rifles, but I have zero experience with any newer ones. I've had the same Marlin 981T for almost 20 years, and if they still made it, I'd recommend it in a heartbeat, but unfortunately, I don't know of any manufacturer currently making a tube fed bolt action.
Savage Axis or Mossberg MVP in .308 or 5.56/.223. Ammo is relatively cheap and common, and if you upgrade, they'll resell for close to what you got them for. The MVP can also take AR-style magazines, so you can get 10 rounds really easy in a bolt action platform instead of the 3-5 round standard. Great for range practice, but the 30-round mags make shooting prone kinda suck. There are, of course, other options, but it's kind of hard to beat the value of either of these, especially if you find a combo that includes a pre-mounted and boresighted scope.
Mossberg Maverick 88 and a Mossberg 500 or 590. The Maverick is a workhorse, good for range, ranch, and home defense, and they're cheap, so if you manage to somehow break it, you won't be out a bunch on replacing it. The 590/500 is similar, just higher tier of basically the same thing with different options. Since it doesn't seem like money's an issue, I'd get the maverick and either a 500 or 590 in 12- or 20-gauge. Just pick one gauge and run with it for awhile. 12-gauge is cheaper with way more availability, so that's what most people go with, but if you try other gauges, you might find you really like how one feels vs how it patterns, etc. It's something that people used to spend their whole lives choosing and honing, and now it's basically down to 12 or 20 gauge unless you also get into loading your own shells or you're made of money. The maverick is fun, and definitely good to have if, say, a family member needs a loaner gun for a move out to the country or something like that.
Ruger SP101 in .357 Magnum. I'd recommend a 3 or 4" barrel, as it's the best balance between comfort in carry and control. You can shoot .38's in a .357, but you can't shoot .357 magnum in a .38, so with a .357 if you want to you can get cheaper/ lighter kicking loads in .38, and keep .357 in it for defense, or whatever combination you prefer. If you don't care about carry at all, then there are a bunch of manufacturers with models having 5, 6, and 8" barrels, with gives you a longer sight picture and helps absorb more recoil, but those can get heavy pretty quick.
Glock 19 in 9mm. 9mm is everywhere, and so are holsters, lights, accessories, and holsters for the Glock 19. No, it doesn't have the best trigger. No, it doesn't have a manual safety, but in terms of simplicity and reliability, it's pretty hard to beat. If Glock doesn't appeal to you, or the 19 is a bit small for your taste, there are plenty of manufacturers making polymer-framed, striker-fired 9mm pistols, but basically just pick one. If you're more into steel and wood, I know there are makers of 1911 platform pistols making them in 9mm, but if you're going that route, you'll probably want it in .45 ACP, just because that's what they've always been made for. Up to you. Hard to beat the G19 for the money, though.
Hope this helps.
Taking what you've said so far, here are my recommendations. Some things it's better to start budget and upgrade as you develop a feel for it, and I don't have any idea as to your skills, practice, or training, so here's a good basic starter list:
Ruger 10-22 or Henry lever action H001 in .22LR. .22 rifles are the beginner's go-to for very good reason; you can get bricks of 400+ rounds of ammo what it would cost for even 40 rounds of regular high grade centerfire rifle ammo. Low recoil, much quieter than anything else without a suppressor, and this combination of factors means you can shoot all day without wrecking your ears, shoulder, or wallet. Great for practicing form and skill, because your focus can be on shot placement. The 10/22 is semiautomatic, so you'll likely spend more time loading magazines than actually shooting, but their standard models are sturdy with almost no issues. The Henry is for if you feel like a cowboy gun would be more up your alley. Slick action, smooth cycling, and good capacity (the H001 holds 12 rounds of Long Rifle, if I remember right) but because you do have to manually cycle the action, most people subconsciously spend a little longer picking and lining up their shots, which is exactly what you want to practice since you're new. I know there are .22 bolt action rifles, but I have zero experience with any newer ones. I've had the same Marlin 981T for almost 20 years, and if they still made it, I'd recommend it in a heartbeat, but unfortunately, I don't know of any manufacturer currently making a tube fed bolt action.
Savage Axis or Mossberg MVP in .308 or 5.56/.223. Ammo is relatively cheap and common, and if you upgrade, they'll resell for close to what you got them for. The MVP can also take AR-style magazines, so you can get 10 rounds really easy in a bolt action platform instead of the 3-5 round standard. Great for range practice, but the 30-round mags make shooting prone kinda suck. There are, of course, other options, but it's kind of hard to beat the value of either of these, especially if you find a combo that includes a pre-mounted and boresighted scope.
Mossberg Maverick 88 and a Mossberg 500 or 590. The Maverick is a workhorse, good for range, ranch, and home defense, and they're cheap, so if you manage to somehow break it, you won't be out a bunch on replacing it. The 590/500 is similar, just higher tier of basically the same thing with different options. Since it doesn't seem like money's an issue, I'd get the maverick and either a 500 or 590 in 12- or 20-gauge. Just pick one gauge and run with it for awhile. 12-gauge is cheaper with way more availability, so that's what most people go with, but if you try other gauges, you might find you really like how one feels vs how it patterns, etc. It's something that people used to spend their whole lives choosing and honing, and now it's basically down to 12 or 20 gauge unless you also get into loading your own shells or you're made of money. The maverick is fun, and definitely good to have if, say, a family member needs a loaner gun for a move out to the country or something like that.
Ruger SP101 in .357 Magnum. I'd recommend a 3 or 4" barrel, as it's the best balance between comfort in carry and control. You can shoot .38's in a .357, but you can't shoot .357 magnum in a .38, so with a .357 if you want to you can get cheaper/ lighter kicking loads in .38, and keep .357 in it for defense, or whatever combination you prefer. If you don't care about carry at all, then there are a bunch of manufacturers with models having 5, 6, and 8" barrels, with gives you a longer sight picture and helps absorb more recoil, but those can get heavy pretty quick.
Glock 19 in 9mm. 9mm is everywhere, and so are holsters, lights, accessories, and holsters for the Glock 19. No, it doesn't have the best trigger. No, it doesn't have a manual safety, but in terms of simplicity and reliability, it's pretty hard to beat. If Glock doesn't appeal to you, or the 19 is a bit small for your taste, there are plenty of manufacturers making polymer-framed, striker-fired 9mm pistols, but basically just pick one. If you're more into steel and wood, I know there are makers of 1911 platform pistols making them in 9mm, but if you're going that route, you'll probably want it in .45 ACP, just because that's what they've always been made for. Up to you. Hard to beat the G19 for the money, though.
Hope this helps.
Slippery slope. First you buy a handgun and hit the range every month or so. Next thing you know, you’re divorced with 50 guns and having ammo delivered by the pallet.
Probably looking for reliability & performance. Don’t care about collectibles or rarity for this.
There’s an aspect of preparedness and also I would like to become skilled at shooting, just seems fun.
Where’s the downside?
Quality carry gun, a solid entry to mid level AR-15 of reputable brand, a hunting rifle that can take anything in North America, a dependable shotgun wether it be for hunting or home defense, a decent 22 rifle and handgun to shoot for cheap.
That pretty much covers your bases, everything after that is just for fun.
That pretty much covers your bases, everything after that is just for fun.
I think I got the itch again after seeing a 10/22 subsonic (might have been a Marlin?) and the squirrels around here were driving me nuts. 😅
I’m still digesting all your information but thanks for the thorough response!
10/22 is a Ruger model. Subsonic is an ammo type. A suppressed .22 is a lot of fun. Especially on squirrels.
