I know this isn’t quite what you’re getting at, but I have to pick on you because I notice this slightly misguided sentiment from a lot of competitive shooters. Some newbie will ask what gun to get to have a good time with and the experts jump in with their Zen perspective that the tool is irrelevant to being proficient, or winning, or self-defense. It’s a powerfully revealing philosophy for the intermediate shooter but they sometimes forget that people occasionally just want to have fun and get something they like!
It can be a bit of a humorous broken record sometimes. On the benos forums I asked about a cheap red dot for an AR and explicitly spelled out multiple times that I wanted to exchange my dollars for fun, not to win or any other particular reason. Still had multiple people come in and tell me that “all I needed” was iron sights or whatever. I empathize since 99% of the people who ask these things need to slow down, but in my case I wanted to throttle them. :) Just a funny mannerism I’ve noticed.
Not at all, I’m saying learn how to shoot before worrying about equipment. Anyone can shoot anything. The glock’s trigger will feel odd, but the 1911’s overly complicated design will be daunting. And the bigger point is that going to a range and renting guns isn’t learning, any more than buying a motorcycle and starting to drive with no instruction at all is learning how to ride. You may get there eventually (I discovered at age 30 that I had no idea how to shoot properly, and that was after 25 years of shooting.) but why not do it right?
See above, but face it: you can’t recommend a magic gun that will work for everyone the first time, so the correct answer is no answer at all.
Telling someone to use irons when they ask about a dot is silly. If the question was “I want to get into shooting, what dot should I buy?” then pointing out irons is correct.
Now, if Woolen is just going for plinking, then I do apologize. Ruger .22, rifle or pistol, and never look back. But his post about MP5s, etc. suggested he might be interested in beefier calibers for serious purpose.
Edit: So it comes back to, Woolen, what were you wanting to do with said firearm?
He said target practice, which I took to mean having fun punching holes in paper with a bit of an eye toward learning and improvement. For this application, picking a gun that fits you or that you like makes more sense than sticking to Zen competitor philosophy.
The better way to phrase what we are trying to say is put it in terms of not fretting over the decision you eventually have to make. Certainly go try some things out but if you can’t decide between two of them, flip a coin because in the long run it’s not as big of a deal as people make it out to be, though still more than the grizzled vets think of it. :)
Sig P226R 9mm, two-tone for the looks. I love this gun, but I am terrible with it. It’s my first handgun, and the high bore line makes it a bit hard for follow-up shots. I shoot my friend’s Glock 19 so much better, it’s silly. I still love the ergonomics of the Sig, though, and practice makes perfect.
Remington 870 Express, 18" and 28" barrels. I live in Oakland.
Ruger 10/22 Stainless. Love shooting this thing. Irons at 50 yards all day long. I keep meaning to sink some money into it and turn it into a real accurate plinker, but it hasn’t happened yet.
To buy list:
CA-compliant AR15. Our laws are downright stupid. Mag locks and 10 round maximums = failure.
Glock of some sort. I shoot these too well to ignore owning one.
Wheelgun. I love shooting revolvers, I just haven’t picked one out yet.
Frank, you’d regret not getting a 625 for the wheel. Moonclips make revolvers so much more fun, it’s shocking. Or a 610 or 627, depending on your caliber tastes, but the 625 is about perfect.
Not to go too off topic, but you are right. Bore axis only really matters if you’re trying to set the world on fire. You can still work your grip and technique so that the sights settle down in the exact correct position after firing.
I think I will grab a S&W revolver since I don’t own any guns from that manufacturer, but next is probably a 1911 for steel challenge (again, merely for variety).
Also, ask at ranges about upcoming manufacturer days (there must be some internet search term that coughs this up, but I’ll be damned if I can find it). When I was shopping around, both SIG and Glock had days where for the cost of ammo alone you could test any of their guns.
And yeah, I was listing my guns and gun choices not so much as a recommendation but because I thought that + a rationale was what the OP was looking for. No matter what, investing in the class first (I said it after I’d listed my guns, but Houngan is right to emphasize it) is a great idea.
What kind of barrel is that on the 10/22 and is that a std synthetic stock? I am looking for a sporter barrel for mine and it seems that green mountain is the main player in town. Unfortunately all of their production is tied up with military contracts so I can’t find a 16.5" in stock anywhere!
I have the same 10/22, but I haven’t replaced the barrel or added any accessories to it (besides a cheap banana mag). I bought it totally on a whim while buying an AR receiver, and it has been by far the best shooting purchase.
The cheapest price I have seen on the 10/22 is at walmart by about $50, btw… assuming they aren’t sold out.
Good advice, thanks! I actually have been looking at all of the 6 series revolvers for a while. It’s just a matter of pulling the trigger (ba dum bum) on one or the other.
I’ve mostly been teaching myself how to shoot, so I haven’t been able to figure this out yet. I keep trying new things, I’m sure I’ll get there eventually.
Big, noisy, cheap, robust? Taurus. .44mag or .454 Casull. Keep in mind that those are about as big a round as you can go (S&W X frame guns notwithstanding, and not cheap) and pretty damned uncomfortable for anyone to shoot. I wouldn’t want to shoot them very much, and I put 600 rounds of ammo downrange this weekend. But they meet the criteria, and Taurus makes a good gun for a great price. Next would be Ruger, then up to Smiths, which are the most expensive.
Doubtful, the only thing left stock on that is the receiver =) Aftermarket stock, barrel, scope (the scope is a Leupold variable tactical), Harris bipod, trigger assembly, etc.
But yeah, it’s a great gun, awesome for plinking and target shooting and ammo is much cheaper.
Check out the link I posted above for article and videos to make sure you’ve got a good foundation. Might be fine just with that, but if you still need to adjust the actual mechanics of making the sights return it can take a little more work.
