Posted on 06/25/2006 2:59:07 PM PDT by ThePythonicCow
My 17 year old son would like to learn to shoot a gun.
I used to shoot a .22 rifle as a kid, and had to qualify once a year with a handgun in the military, many decades ago. But since then I've not used a gun, and we've never had guns in our house.
There is apparently a good gun range nearby in Livermore California. I'd like to sign up my son and myself for a beginner's class. I think that means I will need to first purchase a gun.
What gun would be good for this?
I'm not even sure if it should be a rifle or pistol.
A possible secondary use for this gun -- I am hoping to move out of this leftist town, once my son leaves home in a year. My wife intends to move to Berkeley, and I'm looking fondly at west Texas. I could use a good gun or two in west Texas, I presume. The marriage has already pretty well gone South, as they say.
Riight!
Which brings up another possibility. An SKS, which is cheap, doesn't recoil much, and the ammo, while not as cheap as .22 LR, is pretty inexpensive. Has the advantage of being perceived as a "real gun" ('cause they are, firing the same round as the AK-47 series0 ;. Heck even Texas Cowboy's have been known to shoot 'em, now and again anyway.
(and we all have been known to miss those Cowboys, way more than now and again)
But they are find for young guys too.
or for young gals
In fact I think a nice lever action in .357 would be excellent. (Although I'd go for the .44 or .45 LC myself)
Winchesters might be a good investment (factory shutdown), especially new in the box, but once you fire them they'll lose value.
I've had a Marlin in .44 mag for 20 years and still like the rifle.
The CZ has a 5 or 10 round magazine standard.
The version that I had my hands on came equipped for single shot only as standard and the 5 or 10 rd mags were an option, but I see that most current models now come with a 5 rd mag as you state (or 10 - is there a 25 available through aftermarket?)...
Don't konw about the 25, I'm not a high-cap kinda guy.
My father taught me to shoot using a 22 revolver when I was six. By the time I was 17 I was very proficient with his .45ACP Colt Government Model 1911 (with either hand). When I bought my first gun myself a few years later it was a S&W Model 29 in .44Mag (I still have it almost 30yrs later). In my opinion a .38 Revolver or 9mm auto would be good to start with at that age.
I lined them up on a plank at about 75 yards, sat down and proceeded to pick them off with the rifle using the stock unadjusted iron sights right out of the box. They stopped shooting to watch...
It is a great brush gun for back in the breaks here, and a nice size for carrying in the vehicle or out in the boonies as well. (8^D)
My first was a Browning .22 lever action. I don't think you can even get a lever action anymore.
The rifle costs around $160 new. A Simmons 4 x 28mm compact scope costs $50 - $75. It includes rings, and it was designed to fit on a .22, so it doesn't look ridiculous there.
The .22 is cheap to shoot, most handgun ranges will let you shoot a .22 rifle. It's a bolt action, so there won't be any 'oops,' second shots fired.
Speak to anyone who shoots a lot - they have at least one .22. The things are awesome.
I've got a feeling that there's a Savage bolt action Accutrigger .22 rifle in my future.
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