First rifle suggestions

I am going to start saving up for a rifle. I am seriously thinking of getting a 9mm Rugar. I would like to get a Rugar takedown 22, but I like the idea of the 9mm Rugar and they’re about the same price. I could shoot both of these rounds at the local range I go to regularly (18yd max) And 9mm/ 22 is cheap to buy. I could also save up for an AR15. They’re cool, and they have fair priced ones. My brother just bought his first R700 and I’m excited to shoot that with him (him buying a rifle makes me want to get one as well).

I know @Scotty recommended a rifle round rifle. He said it would be a whole new experience.

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First rifle. I would go with whatever you are most comfortable with. Mine was a lever action 30-30. Should have been a precision .22 but that’s a different story.

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Check your local ranges to see if they have rifles you can try. The local range here has a variety of rifles for rent.

Here’s a list of ranges that might help:
https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/resources/find-a-shooting-range/

My first rifle was a .223 - LOVE it!

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Get something YOU like. That said, in a few minutes, and with little modification, an AR can be converted to several calibers. A different upper, maybe a mag well adapter, and it becomes a whole different gun.

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Personally, my first rifle was a 10/22. I still plink with one today, as it is super fun. I have a couple others I won’t mention because I don’t shoot them as often since I moved (no AR), but if I was to do it over, I would still get the 10/22, then an AR 15, and then a bolt action in 7mm-08 or higher.

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As others have said the 10/22 is my first choice. There are countless parts available for you to ‘make it yours’. Ammo is cheap and easier to carry and store in larger amounts. It will feed you and yours. It will ‘teach’ skills. Hard to find anything that can fill the bill in more ways than the 10/22.

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Hi Scoutbob. Congrats on this! You’ll love trying a few out to pick your first. Consider the cost of ammo, as 22lr is about .03 whereas 9mm is about .18…that’s 6X more. When ammo goes up in price, that won’t make you want to shoot it more.

I suggest finding a range with a rent per caliber system. Shoot a bunch of 22s and then a bunch of 9mm on another visit. Pick the ones you like best and come back to us before you buy!

I love my Ruger (e not a) 10/22 and my Beretta CX4 and would highly recommend both. The 22 is a LOT cheaper to buy and shoot. I’d like a Ruger PC9, but I don’t want to incur the cost of yet another set of mags, so I’m waiting until someone comes up with a Beretta mag well for it.

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My first rifle i bought was a Russian sks. Was really nice bur it wasnt what i wanted. I eneded up selling it for a profit and the bought myself a Cetme c308 from century arms. I really love that gun, doesnt have he biggest avail9 market. But there are some h&k cultist websites that have parts and upgrades for future.

I would suggest, just shooting a few different rifles if possible and go with what you like. Its better to save up for what you want than to settle for less and end up not being as happy. I’ve learned that the hard way ith hand guns.

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First rifle was a 10/22. In 1977? Wow. I’m old. Still my favorite rifle, and I have more than a few now.
What are you planning on doing with your rifle? Just plinking? Defense? Hunting? Long range?
There are lot of different directions you can go.
I think a good all around rifle is an AR 10 in .308. Great round, great rifle. I’ve shot animals, targets, you name it with that rifle. Accurate, light recoil, hits hard. While I hear great things about the 6.5 Creedmore, price of ammo makes it not worth my while, and my .308 is already a better rifle than I’ll be a shooter.

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I really like the 10/22, but I want something with a tad more oomf. I really enjoyed my brother r700 .223 today. Really leaning towards the 9mm Rugar still. I could see myself setting it up for home defense. It can shoot rapidly and accurately at a fair range, I could do a lot of fun upgrades if I wanted to, and I could run jhp for home defense. (I posted this in the wrong thread originally, so this is a copy of a post of mine I accidentally posted in the wrong spot).

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@Fotinos Welcome to the community, thanks for posting and sharing.

You’ve gone back to the Ruger, so, I would say that’s the one for you. You can run the supplied Glock mag adapter, with some 33 round Glock 18 mags. 33 rounds of 9mm +p would make an excellent home defense gun, with little to no recoil.

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My perspective is that of a firearms hobbyist that reloads his own ammo and casts bullets for all of the centerfire calibers he reloads–rifle and pistol. (Bias alert/COMPLETED)

It is hard to fault the idea of a Ruger 10/22 as a first rifle. They do many things very well.

I “get” it about wanting more OOMPH, and using a Ruger PC-9 to achieve that end. A handgun cartridge in a long arm has some merit. It is a time-tested idea that has existed since cartridge arms came on stream c. 1873. Just keep in mind that A LOT of calibers have a lot more OOMPH than the 9mm has–that Rem 700 x 223 you spoke of is one such example. A bolt-action or semi-auto in 223 is no slouch as a first rifle either, and the 223 cartridge is SUPERBLY accurate at far longer ranges than any 9mm can muster. And, the 223 is considered something of a small rifle cartridge.

The late Townsend Whelen said it best–“The 30-06 is NEVER a mistake.”

I’ll suggest a book for you to buy before you plunk down significant dollars on a rifle–“Cartidges of the World”. It is in its 15th Edition, and it will give you a glimpse into the calibers available to you to accomplish the goals you are seeking, with comparisons on performances and capabilities. Best of luck on your search.

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Shooting that .223 was special. I guess the middle ground would be an AR. I would be really happy with any rifle… honestly I would be happy with any new gun :joy:. I can’t get anything yet, I’ll have to save up. I am leaning towards a 9mm carbine because of price and practical use and I think they’re cool. I would prefer a semi automatic because I could potentially use it as a defense weapon if necessary.

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Some guys I know whose experiences I trust and respect have a lot of good things to say about the Ruger PC-9 carbines. They adapt to Glock magazines readily, and with decent ammunition are pretty accurate to 50 yards.

9mm Colt SMGs (AR-15-based) did some good work for my teams over the years. the 9mm carbine has definite utility as a defensive tool. They are almost “boiler-plate” for tactical/entry teams.

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First rifle I bought myself, other than little plinking things, Ruger AR556.

Now I am building an AR style collection.

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I love my AR-10, .308 is a great performance round. About all you need to do to an AR-10 is slap a good optic on it.

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@Zavier_D

I put a $35 Amazon scope on my AR10 and even after 100rds, it’s still hitting steel at 400yds and zero at 100yds.

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If shooting at indoor range (18 yards?) be sure they will even allow rifle cartridges to be used-most will NOT. Otherwise you may find yourself with a really cool piece and no place to shoot ( if you’re a city dweller). Check out a CZ Scorpion- they’re fun to shoot 9mm carbines.

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I have a local range that has traditional ranges that are limited to pistol calibers (one of the reasons I’m leaning towards a PCC) but they have private lanes wear rifle calibers, shotguns, rapid fire and drawing practice are allowed. It is more expensive though.