Need Help With Purchasing My First Rifle

[Sam Bhullar]

Hey guys,

The only firearm I've ever owned is Springfield XD Compact 45acp. I was told .45 is too big of a caliber for a first handgun and go with 9mm instead. I am so glad I didn't take that advice. There is a recoil to it but it's so much fun to shoot. Lesson learned: Never compromise on caliber.

Now I am looking to purchase my first rifle (hunting & sniper combo). I have never hunted but would love to go out soon. Anyone planning a hunting trip, hit me up.

I have been researching a lot and like all newbies, I started looking for 1000+ yard rifles. But based on my research, I have found that there aren't any ranges to go shoot at 1000 yard plus in Houston and around; which totally kills the purpose of owning one. But at the same time, I think maybe I should since there's no harm of owning something which is an overkill. What's there to lose besides some $$$. It's not like a 1000+ yard rifle can't shoot well at 100 yards.

So help me out with what's out there for someone like me who just wants to get started. I definitely don't want to buy something basic and feel like buying something better a year down the line. That to me is a waste of money. I'll rather buy something good now, even if I can't use it to its full potential on an ongoing basis.

From what I have researched, I found this one to be a good contender: Remington 700 XCR Compact Tactical Rifle 20" Barrel 12" twist (308 Win) OR Remington 700 Stainless Steel 5-R 20" Threaded Barrel 1:11-1/4 twist (308 Win) with Vortex Optics 6-24x50 Viper PST FFP Riflescope. These are some which seem to be in a moderate price range and be able to do what I want. What do you think about these and if there's anything out there which would fit in?

There are a couple that I really like/love but they start from $11,500 and I can't spend that much on my first rifle("probably never will"). So send me some options in the price range of the above-mentioned rifles.

In short, I need something accurate, easy to maintain, packs a punch, yet moderate to afford for hunting/sniping.


PS: Please don't give me generic answers like a gun is as good as the shooter etc OR build as you go.

 

[outdare]

What is your budget?

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[Sam Bhullar]

Around $1500 for the rifle and $1000 for the scope. I definitely want to stay under $3000 for the package.

Btw, what is a healthy budget for a good rifle?

 

[kyletxria1911a1]

I have a dpms ar 10 and a nikon 4x12x25 i can get out 1k yds
Mine 1,100 otd

 

[jpfabricator]

There area few questions yo u need to ask yourself.
What am I going to hunt?
What has the most available ammo?
What has the most, and affordable aftermarket parts?
How fancy do I want this to be?

If you want to shoot whitetail ,and an ocasional hog then you wont need anything bigger than a .30 cal IMHO. Magnum rounds are an overkill on anything on the North American continent. They won't be fun to shoot if you plan on going to do a lot of shooting and Ttarget practicing.They won't be cheap either.
Whatever caliber you decide on make sure there is a wide array of ammunition localy available unless you intend to start handloading. A .308 has tons of different ballistic weights and ballistic characteristics.
Different rifles have different features the, vulnerable 700 Remington has tons and tons of aftermarket parts such as triggers , stocks, scope rings available at a very good price because of the flood of the marketplace.
The most important part of your purchase will be your scope if you plan on shooting over 500 yards expect to spend as much on the scope if not more than you did on the rifle. Steer clear of the combo packages unless you just don't mind to have a unused scope laying around.
There are many aftermarket addons, and upgrades that you can do yourself such as lapping the bolt lugs mounting a scope lapping your scope rings bedding the stock and the action.
Look on YouTube there's several people who have taken Remington 700 and made them six hundred and thousand yard rifles there's several people who have taken a Savage and made them thousand-yard rifles. If you want more information and need more advice please feel free to p.m. me at anytime! Good luck and Godspeed

Sent from somwhere in east Texas by Jake!

 

[Dawico]

Get a Savage Stealth in 6.5 Creedmoor or .308 Winchester. $1000 or less (Academy has them on the shelf usually but they can be found cheaper online) and are ready to go out of the box.

That Vortex is a good choice.

 

[Bozz10mm]

Get a Savage Stealth in 6.5 Creedmoor or .308 Winchester. $1000 or less (Academy has them on the shelf usually but they can be found cheaper online) and are ready to go out of the box.

That Vortex is a good choice.

I second the motion. Also consider the 7mm-08 caliber.

 

[jrbfishn]

Listen to Dawico. His advice is sound. Whatever you get, make sure it has a heavy barrel. .308 has more readily availavle ammo at fairly low prices.

from an idgit coffeeholic

 

[Charlie]

Get a Savage Stealth in 6.5 Creedmoor or .308 Winchester. $1000 or less (Academy has them on the shelf usually but they can be found cheaper online) and are ready to go out of the box.

That Vortex is a good choice.

This^^^^ Some believe it is inherently accurate. I am one of those.

 

[shortround]

Your first rifle should be in .22 Long Rifle caliber. It can be a single shot, bolt action, lever action or semi-automatic.

That rifle will allow you to learn the fundamentals of rifle marksmanship.

If you don't know how sensitive you are to recoil, muzzle blast, and hearing, then start small, get comfortable with that rifle, then go bigger.

.22 LR ammo won't break the bank either.

Be well.

 

[Sam Bhullar]

I am fairly impressed by 110 BA Stealth 300 Win Mag over the Remington 700 5-R I mentioned above... liked the 338 Lapua but the ammo is 4:1 in terms of cost. Seems like 110 BA Stealth with Vortex optics 6-24x50 should be a good combination.

Any recommendation on a good bipod for it or would any be just fine? Any idea about Ohuhu 6"-9" adjustable handy spring bipod? It seems to have good reviews.Thank you guys for the feedback. I am going to keep an eye on the forum and keep reading your suggestions.

 

[deemus]

A buddy has the Savage mentioned below in 308 and he has hit 1K yd targets. He loves it. I would not advise the Vortex. The ones I have looked through had inferior glass IMO. There are much better scopes out there.

I think he paid around $1200 for the rifle, and bought a Swarvski scope for around $2K. I would suggest a Harris bipod. They make really good gear, and have ones that swivel and are adjustable for uneven surfaces.

You can find a myriad of ammo for 308 too. Good luck!

 

[deemus]

Your first rifle should be in .22 Long Rifle caliber. It can be a single shot, bolt action, lever action or semi-automatic.

That rifle will allow you to learn the fundamentals of rifle marksmanship.

If you don't know how sensitive you are to recoil, muzzle blast, and hearing, then start small, get comfortable with that rifle, then go bigger.

.22 LR ammo won't break the bank either.

Be well.

That's really good advice. An alternative would be a Savage 93 in 17 HMR. But ammo cost more for that one.

 

[Vaquero]

Check with the ranges you plan to frequent.
Lots of ranges restrict .338 Lapua.
Others may restrict higher power chambering as well.

.308 is always a good choice.
6.5 Creedmoor or Grendel also.

 

[nlghthawk]

Way too much to educate you on, but if you got an AR 10 it would check most of the boxes you are trying to check in one rifle.

 

[Dawico]

I am fairly impressed by 110 BA Stealth 300 Win Mag over the Remington 700 5-R I mentioned above... liked the 338 Lapua but the ammo is 4:1 in terms of cost. Seems like 110 BA Stealth with Vortex optics 6-24x50 should be a good combination.

Any recommendation on a good bipod for it or would any be just fine? Any idea about Ohuhu 6"-9" adjustable handy spring bipod? It seems to have good reviews.Thank you guys for the feedback. I am going to keep an eye on the forum and keep reading your suggestions.

300 WM (or 338 Lapua) isn't a good choice for a beginner. Excess recoil, noise, and expense are not the best way to learn.

22lr is a very good option to work on basics.

 

[Wiliamr]

I do not know you or your shooting experience. I can only go off what you posted. I will make a couple assumptions. 1) You have never fired a large caliber rifle. You have never fired a 300 win Mag or 338 Lapua. If that is so, find your strongest friend and ask them to full body weight, punch your shoulder holding nothing back. That will give you a good feeling for what the large calibers feel like. Not trying to be an ass about this, but I have seen too many new shooters show up with a heavy recoiling rifle at the range, and fire a few shots only to walk away in disgust. A 22 LR rifle would be a great way to learn basics of rifle marksmanship. For any game in North America short of a moose or grizzly, 30-06 is all you need with .308 Win, 7mm-08 .270 Win being more than adequate. For Texas deer .308 is fine or .270, .243 are more than enough.

As far as going hunting, you will most likely need a Hunter Education Class, license and about 1500 to 5000 dollars for a lease. Odds are not many people with a lease are going to invite a new hunter on a lease. You can try for a Texas Parks and Wildlife hunting drawing, but your odds of being successful without a great deal of experience are low. Your best bet is to find someone who is an experienced hunter to take you under their wing and tutor you on the science and art of hunting.

 

[Sam Bhullar]

Wiliamr, I have fired .45acp handgun, which I currently own for the last 10 years and amongst rifles, I have fired an AK 47 a few times. I am extremely accurate with an AK and had no issues with the recoil. Not sure about the difference in the recoil of AK and .300 Win Mag. I definitely enjoy firing guns that have a kick to it and am comfortable with them. I am definitely going to the range and fire a few rounds of .300 win mag before making the purchase. My intention here is to get as much info as I can about a good rifle that I can purchase and use for both sniping and hunting purpose.

As far as hunting is concerned, I have no experience. But we all have to start somewhere.. right? I did check about hunting in Texas Parks in/around Houston and the gun requirement is a shotgun, not a rifle. I am hopeful to find and join someone on a hunting trip where I can learn first hand and in exchange, may be, I can offer something of value to them. There are plenty of good folks out there and hopefully, someone will be willing to help me get my feet wet.

Also, I would appreciate, if you or anyone else can guide me about the hunting process and where to look for info regarding it so I can expand my horizon.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Wiliamr, I have fired .45acp handgun, which I currently own for the last 10 years and amongst rifles, I have fired an AK 47 a few times. I am extremely accurate with an AK and had no issues with the recoil. Not sure about the difference in the recoil of AK and .300 Win Mag. I definitely enjoy firing guns that have a kick to it and am comfortable with them. I am definitely going to the range and fire a few rounds of .300 win mag before making the purchase. My intention here is to get as much info as I can about a good rifle that I can purchase and use for both sniping and hunting purpose.

As far as hunting is concerned, I have no experience. But we all have to start somewhere.. right? I did check about hunting in Texas Parks in/around Houston and the gun requirement is a shotgun, not a rifle. I am hopeful to find and join someone on a hunting trip where I can learn first hand and in exchange, may be, I can offer something of value to them. There are plenty of good folks out there and hopefully, someone will be willing to help me get my feet wet.

Also, I would appreciate, if you or anyone else can guide me about the hunting process and where to look for info regarding it so I can expand my horizon.

If you don't have friends who already own some of these rifles to try out a little bit, look for some Appleseed events or Rever's Raiders events to attend or at least go take a look. Look for an NRA rifle instructor and tell them what you've said here. They should have some options for you to may be try out if you take a class.

If none of that works, where are you shooting your 45? Any one there you've met who may shoot rifles? Join a club, look for where you are going to shoot this rifle if you buy one. May be someone there may let you shoot up some ammo you've brought.

If none of this is working for you and you still think you just need to buy and fly, get the 22. By the time you have a couple dozen dead things at your feet you'll have saved yourself a couple thousand dollars worth of just guessing what you want or need in high power rifles.

 

[Wiliamr]

Wiliamr, I have fired .45acp handgun, which I currently own for the last 10 years and amongst rifles, I have fired an AK 47 a few times. I am extremely accurate with an AK and had no issues with the recoil. Not sure about the difference in the recoil of AK and .300 Win Mag. I definitely enjoy firing guns that have a kick to it and am comfortable with them. I am definitely going to the range and fire a few rounds of .300 win mag before making the purchase. My intention here is to get as much info as I can about a good rifle that I can purchase and use for both sniping and hunting purpose.

As far as hunting is concerned, I have no experience. But we all have to start somewhere.. right? I did check about hunting in Texas Parks in/around Houston and the gun requirement is a shotgun, not a rifle. I am hopeful to find and join someone on a hunting trip where I can learn first hand and in exchange, may be, I can offer something of value to them. There are plenty of good folks out there and hopefully, someone will be willing to help me get my feet wet.

Also, I would appreciate, if you or anyone else can guide me about the hunting process and where to look for info regarding it so I can expand my horizon.

1) You say you checked Texas Parks around Houston.... Did you not understand the reference to Texas Parks and Wildlife? That is the Texas state agency that regulates hunting in the State of Texas. They have drawings for hunts in Texas. They are also the ones who authorize the Hunter's Education class what you are required to take if you are born after Sept. 2 1971. I know for a fact that there are places around Houston where you can hunt with a rifle.

2) Saying you are accurate with an AK is a telling comment. You fail to mention at what range, and what size groups you shot. AK's are not known for accuracy. In my mind accuracy is off hand shots holding a 1 inch group at 100 yards or rested - 2 inch groups at 200 to 300 yards. With iron sights I can hold on 200 yard targets a bout a 2 to 3 inch group most any day. at 600 yards with iron sights - 8 inch group is easy with most rounds inside the 9 rings on an NRA MR- 1 target.

Listen to the many people who have told you to start with a .22 rifle to learn on. You do not start mountain climbing by scaling Everest your first outing. You learn on short cliff sides and small hills, then short mountains...