Thread: Looking to buy my first rifle...

I have a small arsenal of handguns and shotguns but I've never owned a rifle. I grew up shooting my grandfather's hunting rifles but have not done so as an adult--the most vicious prey I ever felled was a paper plate with a nasty disposition. I really just want to get a rifle for target practice and "entertainment". I may try a little hunting later but that isn't my current motivation. I see where a surplus...

If you're looking for a "target" rifle, I'd recommend getting a good .22LR like a Ruger 10/22 or Savage bolt action rifle. Rifles can be found in the $200 - $300 range, and .22LR ammunition is very economical. If you're looking for a bigger caliber, I'd go with the recommendation of Festus and pick up something in .308. gf

I just fired about 50 rounds through my buddy's Nagant a couple of days ago. Clay pigeons (4" clay discs) at 80 yards were easy targets with the iron sights. One shot and they were obliterated... They are cheap rifles, and the surplus ammo is also cheap. Easy to maintain but you have to get a good one out of the box first! My friend went through a couple of them before he got one with a good looking bore. The bores are almost...

Get a bolt action .308 Win. It is inherently accurate. It does not kick as hard as a mosin nagant. You can get a used one from a pawn shop for less than 300 in most cases. 7.62 mm NATO is completely interchangeable. It can hunt the nastiest paper plates known to man (you know chinet and Bounty) You will not be disappointed. There is a reason most free countries use it for a sniper round. and also for a LMG round.

I currently have a nagant and it is fun to shot. But if you just want something to put holes in paper a 22 cal. would be better. If you are planning on long range shots (500-700 yds) then get the nagant but check it over good there are some bad ones out there. And clean it after you use it, the bore is bad to rust, as it has been posted.

Get a mosin nagant! They are a hoot to shoot and there are lots of aftermarket parts now. You can still get spam cans of surplus ammo reasonably cheap. If you want quality ammo the Wolf Gold and Sellier and Bellot make nice soft points for hunting. Even one with a bad bore will do fine under 100yds. I guarantee you will learn alot by working on your mosin. TIP: Easy-off oven cleaner will strip strip down a stock for re-finishing. Clean the...

+1 on the .22 I may be wrong, but you're looking at probably 50% of the links from Google if you search "Mosin Nagant" are likely to kick back something on "how to refurbish". Needless to say, many require a decent amount of work.