What should I get for my first rifle??

[wheathead]

My wife bought me a hunting rifle for Christmas. Actually, she gave me "permission".( haha) I already have a nice assortment of shotguns and .22's. I'm looking for a drop and stop rifle. One that will drop a deer and stop an "evil-doer". So, what should I get???

[Travis McGee]

YOu can’t go wrong with that package!

[PugetSoundSoldier]

But don’t forget our fellow Freeper wants a gun to do double duty. He wants to hunt deer. For that he needs a rifle or shot gun. I don’t know of any state that would let you hunt with your choice of home defense weapon.

Montana. You can hunt with a 22 LR if you want. Which is why the FReeper's State (residency and intended hunting grounds) is important.

[Sylvester McMonkey McBean]

That’s a pretty solid package there.

If the magazine isn’t blind and has a hinged floor plate, Id say that’s about all anyone could ask for a basic rifle.

[soonerborn]

If you had around 1000 then I would go with an AR but...

if you are sticking to the 600 range I would go with a Romanian PSL/RPK They are commonly referred to as dragunovs but are similar in appearance only to the original dragunov. They are based on the AK platform so its a clip fed semi auto. It shoots the 7.62 x 54R which is readily available and cheap. 880 rounds packed in 2 tins can be had for about 150 bucks.

J&G sales has one with scope for 599 and shipped will be about $635 total. http://www.jgsales.com/product_info.php/products_id/2392

Do not get on that is in a kit or assembled here in the US. These at J&G are imported and the ones at Century are also. You will find some available at different places that are kits that have been assembled here in the US.

Do not use the heavy ball ammo with this gun, stick with the light ball. They really do good with the Czech silver tip ammo.

Dont worry about getting corrosive ammo (which alot of 7.62x54R is) either, just clean the barrel after you use it and you will never have a problem.

Here is some good ammo, 880 rounds of FMJ for 167 bucks. just remember to stay away from bullets heavier than 180gr with this gun. It can shoot them just fine but they arent made for it and several people have run into problems shooting it, nothing serious but its a pain to have a new trigger group and firing pin put in.
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/browse/rifle-ammunition-caliber-762x54r.aspx?c=96&s=954&stk=1

Also in the future you might think about upgrading.
Scopes for these can be found at Kalinka optics, check out the PSOP there.

The trigger can be replaced with one from Red Star Arms. They have a nice fully adjustable one that they can install for you, highly recommend this upgrade.

The only drawback to this gun is that you will most likely have to get a 5 round clip for it for it to be legal to hunt with. Check your state regs. You may be able to fashion a plug for the 10 round clip. Extra clips are not cheap.

I would figure this rifle to be a near perfect fit for what you are wanting. You can stock up with large quantities of cheap FMJ. Plenty of stopping power for man or beast, most dependable automatic rifle platform ever built and it comes in right at your 600 dollar limit.

[CarmichaelPatriot]

“As I stated already, I have a nice assortment of shotguns and ammo. My budget is around 600$.”

“Get a Ruger Mini 14. “

I concur...

[chuckles]

For a rifle, get a .308 or 30-06. I prefer the 30-06. I would prefer a used quality rifle to a new cheap rifle. Most used guns are not that used. It's up in the air which are "good" brands and what aren't. Usually they all shoot pretty well. I like Ruger, Browning and Remington. I had a Savage and was disappointed. Maybe better now.

For evil doers, shotguns and pistols you already have.

Check the local papers and gun shows for people wanting to sell a gun. $600 is going to limit what you can get with a scope. A 30-06 will get any North American animal out there. Larger calibers cost more for ammo and smaller ones will start to limit you. 308 would be minimum for me unless deer hunting would be the largest game you hunt. .308 will get an elk, but I just like 180grn-220grn bullets for large game. .30-06 is just better,IMHO.

[blackbart.223]

Reliable and not too expensive.

[davetex]

OK, I’m starting to get it now. 5 MOA=roughly 5” of “covered target” @ 100 yards. It’s one of those things I never had to think about with my 40 year old lever action. I’m trying to get into the 21’st century. Lot’s to learn. Thanks again Soldier.

[az.b1bbomberfxr]

Just watched the video on the Barrett 50 caliber...I’ll second that suggestion...WOW!!!

[PugetSoundSoldier]

Well, in Kansas you cannot hunt with anything smaller than 0.23" diameter, so the 223 is out (unfortunately, it's actually a good cartridge for small-mid sized deer).

Since you want to hunt, and zombies are secondary, I think I'd go with the recommendation of others, and look for a good lever gun. In Kansas, you can use pistol calibers of 357 Magnum or larger.

Given that, and knowing that you'll be in a lot of scrub brush (long rifles suck in that kind of stuff!), I'd go with a lever action chambered in 357. I'd look at the Rossi 20" lever action which holds 11 rounds of 357 Magnum. Stainless is good for a working rifle too - keep it clean and it'll never let you down!

Also, it's a good price at Bud's ($424) meaning you can afford a decent scope - like the Barska AC10032. Plenty of magnification for 100 yard shots; heck, you can do 600 yard shots if you put it on a stronger rifle. The 3X is plenty for those 100 yard shots, though, it'll make them a snap. And as your eyes get worse (we all age!) you can simply upgrade with a little twist on the scope, dialing in more magnification as needed.

Now, some will question the use of a 357 Magnum for deer hunting, but out of a 20" barrel that 357 (with a 160 grain bullet) will thwack out 1200 lb-ft of energy, which puts you within spitting distance of a 30-30. It's a LOT of energy, a lot of thump. Yes, it will reliably take whitetail, let alone men.

You should be able to put this package together for $500; get a good sling, and a lot of ammunition and you're still under your budget.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

No problem! They’re not too worthwhile on longer-range weapons, but for up-close-and-personal use, they’re amazingly quite and accurate. You don’t “look” at the sight with one eye - look at your target and the scope dot appears to float in air. Where you see that dot is where the bullets go (once dialed in). It’s perfect to keep you looking out over everything, not getting locked in on the focus through a scope.

[RAWGUY]

Rule #1: Your choice of weapons is a lot like your nose, having someone else pick it is just...WROOOOOONG!!!!

[Seven plus One]

Marlin Guide Gun .45-70. Just a good all-purpose rifle.

[chaosagent]

Bookmarked

[Pontiac]

sounds like a bargin

But the 30-06 is way too much power for a home defense round.

It would go through the burglar your house and your neighbor’s house.

[Pontiac]

Well one out of fifty is better than nothing.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

It depends upon what and where you hunt; in Texas you can hunt hogs with 9mm, and in Iowa it used to be illegal (until about 2-3 years ago) to hunt deer with anything but a shotgun! And some States restrict what you can have as a legal firearm. So the locale and intended hunting grounds play a HUGE role in what firearm should be considered.

[Pontiac]

So the locale and intended hunting grounds play a HUGE role in what firearm should be considered.

Agreed. It is hugely important what is legal in your state or the state in which intend to hunt when choosing your weapon.

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

Give up any hope of stopping an “evil-doer”. The government’s got more power than you do. Remember Waco?

[Osage Orange]

LOL