Posted on 09/27/2005 5:35:15 AM PDT by beaureguard
Thanks for your following letter, Matt, which I received this afternoon:
Do you think at some point you could write a column on some of the basics of getting into the world of firearms? Specifically, I'm looking for tips on acquiring weapons for home defense and hunting. While I'm not a survivalist weirdo, I have no intention of waiting for any level of government to ride to the rescue, should bad times come along.
Since I have been hit with numerous requests (mostly post-Katrina) from people looking for that first firearm, I am pleased to respond with a column on the topic. Since you used the word “weapons” (plural) and spoke of “getting into the world of firearms” (again plural) I have a number of recommendations for you. And here they are:
Marlin .22 Magnum, Model 25 MN. We are going to start you off with an inexpensive gun you can easily pick up at WalMart. I bought my Model 25 five years ago for just $150, although they cost about $170 now. Take your new .22 magnum out to the country and fire a few shots at a paper plate taped on the side of a tree stump. Start out at 25 yards. When you get confident, you can put an inexpensive Simmons scope on it for those 50-yard raccoon shots. I have a big back yard and, for me, a part of home defense is getting rid of those raccoons that tear up everything in sight. Your varmint problems will soon be a thing of the past with this little bolt action rifle. It will also teach you patience and shot discipline better than a .22 semi-automatic. Remember, Matt, every shot counts so don’t waste ammo. In fact, make sure that you always buy more than you just shot after a day at the range. Some people call that stockpiling. I call it an investment in your future.
Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum, Model 686. I usually recommend a four-inch barrel but I want you to get a six-inch stainless model. This will help you in the realm of hunting and self-defense. For example, a 145-grain Winchester silver tip will stop that coyote you run into while deer hunting. It will also help stop any intruder (it will even stop his pit bull, for that matter). Keep this gun under your bed and loaded at all times.
Also, this is a great revolver for your wife (assuming you are married, which is another choice I recommend) to get used to shooting. Put some light 110-grain .38 Special rounds in it and see how she likes it. With a big six-inch barrel, it will be easy to handle with hardly any recoil.
Benelli Nova 12-gauge. I have a couple of Remington 870 pump shotguns. But, recently, I bought a 24-inch barrel Nova with Advantage Timber camouflage. I will use mine – a super magnum that takes 3 ½-inch loads – to hunt a turkey this Thanksgiving. You can use yours for varmint hunting, quail hunting, and a number of other purposes with the right 2 3/4 –inch load. Some light buckshot will also make this a good home defense weapon, provided you are in an open space (the barrel is a little long for this particular function).
Stoeger Double-barreled 20-gauge Supreme Coach Gun. If you really want your wife to get into this (to make it a family affair), she needs her own shotgun. I recommend the nickel-plated version because it’s so darned pretty. Let her keep it under her side of the bed and, please, stay on her good side. For more details, see this link: http://www.stoegerindustries.com/firearms/coach-supreme.tpl.
Ruger Mini-14 Ranch Rifle. A lot of people who saw what recently happened in New Orleans have concluded that every man needs an assault rifle. I came to that conclusion years ago. Go to WalMart and get this nice .223 semi-automatic for around $500 (I got mine when they were $375). Then get a scope (the rings are included with this model). I would also recommend several 30-round magazines by Thurmold. I have fired hundreds of rounds through mine without a single jam – even when firing as rapidly as possible. You might also want a flash suppressor, which will keep the muzzle low while you fire away. This is a fun gun that helps explain why I never picked up golf.
Browning A-bolt .270. And, of course, you will need a long-range bolt action rifle when you start bagging deer. My 30.06 Browning A-Bolt Medallion is probably my favorite weapon. Deer, black bear, and boar like it much less. I recommend the .270 to the novice because it has less recoil and will still get the job done. Winchester Power Point rounds (130-grain bullets) are very cheap and more than adequate. Mail me later for venison recipes.
Ruger Super Redhawk .454 Casull. I have no business recommending this gun to you, Matt. Nonetheless, buy it anyway. This gun takes Colt 45 rounds that are great for home defense. When, somewhere down the road, you feel like handling a very powerful handgun, this will provide some great entertainment with the .454 Casull rounds. Get the model with the 9 ½-inch barrel and kill a wild boar. Then kill a black bear. Then put a scope on it (the scope rings are included) and kill a deer at 100 yards. After you are done with your assignments, call me and let me know whether I have given you good advice.
Thanks for writing, Matt. And welcome to my world.
When he runs out of .454 he could always use .45 LC, oops! I mean .45 Colt.
Pictures!
I once read a test of .45 ammo out of a Thompson carbine and it was only slightly more powerful than from a pistol.
If you know the exact number you have, you don't have enough.
Mike's principles and advice are good, but one would do better to read Boston's Gun Bible for far more detailed and useful advice.
For starters, the recommended collection omits the one thing that is the most essential for securing liberty: a 30 caliber assault rifle. (M14/M1A, FAL, HK 91, etc.)
Clearly a thinking man....hope he has recipes for yote ......:o)
Kinda off topic, but why would one wish to make loud noises with a .357 mag while hunting deer? You might as well pack your accordion, just in case.
Yes, he'll have a tasty coyote dinner to savor, while he wonders why he shot it, and frightened all the deer away...or why he wounded a deer with his coyote load!
I will not count on finding "spare" .45 Colt rounds these days either. The .44 is much more common, and if you do find them, they are likely to be cowboy loads, which leave a bit to be desired...but .44 Specials are currently loaded to wild pressures and velocities, and with 180gr. JHPs, they reach out almost as well as magnums. I can hardly even find any 210 grain LHP Special rounds, which was a great self defense load.
Actually T_S, I was thinking of the .219 Donaldson Wasp...but then again...I always do...or was it the .221 Fireball...?! Anyway, Squantos and I intend to be carrying weapons in obscure cartridges, so the dirtbag who kills us can't find ammo for it!
Yes, he'll have a tasty coyote dinner to savor, while he wonders why he shot it, and frightened all the deer away...or why he wounded a deer with his coyote load!
I will not count on finding "spare" .45 Colt rounds these days either. The .44 is much more common, and if you do find them, they are likely to be cowboy loads, which leave a bit to be desired...but .44 Specials are currently loaded to wild pressures and velocities, and with 180gr. JHPs, they reach out almost as well as magnums. I can hardly even find any 210 grain LHP Special rounds, which was a great self defense load.
Actually T_S, I was thinking of the .219 Donaldson Wasp...but then again...I always do...or was it the .221 Fireball...?! Anyway, Squantos and I intend to be carrying weapons in obscure cartridges, so the dirtbag who kills us can't find ammo for it!
figured.
sorry.
Hmmmmmmmmm. Accordion.......
Mine is RealTree camo.
Even better, a Smith 53 in .22 Jet without the .22LR inserts. That's a real man's gun.
True.
Exactly... As has been stated here, .22 Mag can be a problem to find, although in bolt action, I believe that you can shoot .22LR just fine, although the accuracy might not be quite as good.
On the other hand, the .454 Casull is a fine hunting round, especially when using the Freedom Arms revolver. The best part is, that if you're out hunting dangerous game, once you've lit off the five rounds, if it's not dead yet, you can bludgeon it to death with this massive, heavy revolver!
Mark
I'm glad they're making CAS loads in .44 special. I've got a 1927 vintage 3rd Model HE Smith that I'd hate to beat up with hot laods.
It looks like it's hotter than most 45 ACP ammo.
http://www.handgunsmag.com/ammunition/winchester_ranger/
When I lived in Western Kansas, the TG&Y store was going out of business. They kept cutting prices until it got to something like 60% off everything.
I stopped in and all the guns were gone as was all the ammo. I think someone had put a lot of .22 ammo in a hiding place because they had a bunch of Remington Green bullet hp, and a bunch of CCI .22 mag hp.
I ended up spending several hundred dollars on .22 ammo and doubt I will ever need to buy any more although I have purchased odds and ends since.
In fact I doubt I will ever have to purchase any kind of ammo again, and my Son-in-law and Grandchildren will end up with most of it.
I do very little plinking with anything other than .22 or 9mm, both of which are cheap.
Everyone should have enough ammo to last a lifetime in a pinch.
Everyone should have enough ammo to EXTEND his/her lifetime in a pinch.
Oh absolutely. They's just specialty loads now, since things have advanced. They aren't readily available in LHP as far as I know, or even FLAT point, which is always VERY useful, perhaps even more useful than the hot stuff, at the lower velocities, for defense.
It would appear that things these days are polarized between purely recreational target shooting, and overboard screaming high velocity rounds, many with light for caliber JHPs, which may tend to fragment, and/or penetrate shallowly...not good in a real "using" utility load. As an example, if .38 Spec. 200gr. SWC +P were around, a lot of those heavy old 4" PD .38s would retake their place as useful, even formidable farm/ranch/rural home tools. Even bump up snubnose performance to something rather more effective as a defense cartridge. Even 180 grains would be an improvement.
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