Which rifle to buy??

[ajoyce21]

Hi there,

I'm new to the forum and I was wondering if you could offer any opinions or ideas. I was in ROTC in college and was pretty good with an M-16 (I was a sharpshooter twice and expert markswoman once) but that was about 15 years ago. I would really like to do some target shooting... just maybe 25 and 50m and I went to my local gun shop and asked what the civilian version of the M-16 would be since that's all I've ever shot and they handed me a very nice $1200 rifle haha. I handed it back and said "Ok... that's very nice. What would be a step down from that?" They then handed me a $900 rifle...

My budget for everything right now is about $450-$500 so I've been told that I could buy something called a Ruger 10-22 for about $250-$300 and then get a decent scope for the top and be within my price range. Does anybody have an opinion on this Ruger 10-22 or have any other ideas for my price range? Eventually I'd like to do some competing, but for right now I'd just like to go to the range with something that isn't going to break the bank for me and have some fun. Thanks so much for any help you could give me!!

[2shotjoe]

10-20, you already got your answer.

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[dtp]

Any .22 by Savage, Marlin or Ruger would serve you well. Also Henry.

If I had that much to spend, I'd probably get a Savage, put a decent scope on it and use the rest of the money to stock up on ammo.

[ptroxx]

Ruger makes a great bolt action rifle at a great price...
I just got the american rifle in 308 and added a nice scope and I have about 550.00 in this rifle with dros and transfer. I got it out of state.. 359 for rifle. 100 for scope and about 100 for fees after all done.

[lmudave]

Well it depends on what you are looking to do with it. If you are used to shooting an M16 (known as an AR-15 typically now to civilians) then you will probably want something that is semi-automatic like the m16 you used to shoot. A bolt action might be a bit slow for you, however they are extremely accurate.
A 10/22 is a great idea, but know that in a lot of ways they feel like a larger version of a pellet gun. You can adjust the stock and barrel and make it feel like a larger gun, but the recoil will still be almost non-existent. I collect .22's and love them, but to a lot of people that are used to shooting larger rounds, stepping down to a .22 just won't cut it.
Think about if you plan on shooting this gun with Iron Sights (like you did in ROTC) or if you'd rather have a scope for improved accuracy.
There are a lot of options out there that you can consider (Kel-Tec Su-16, Mini-14, Saiga, SKS) Are all larger caliber rifles that would be more similar to what you were used to shooting and can be found around 4 - $500 if you look hard. But the ammo costs will be more than if you go with a .22 caliber rifle.
I think if you don't need to shoot past 100yds, don't need to feel recoil, and just want to get back into shooting for fun, then a 10/22 is probably the best route. Plus you can get a set of Tech-Sights ($70 or so) to go on the Ruger 10/22 that pretty much mimic the iron sights on the M-16 you used to shoot.
Either way good luck with your choice and welcome back to the shooting sports.

[Ron-Solo]

The Ruger 10/22 is an excellent rifle. Plus, there are a lot of accessories available to customize it to your liking. Everyone should own at least one. There are five in my safes. One for me, be for my son, and one each for my three grandkids.

If you want something that looks like an M-16, check out the Smith and Wesson M&P 15/22. It s a great little rifle and very fun to shoot. I have one and it goes out on every range trip. It is always the most popular among my friends.

Welcome to CalGuns!

[Excaliburr]

Everyone should own a Ruger 10/22. If buying a new one, why not consider the Ruger 10/22 Take Down? Some places sell them for like $299. After tax/DROS you should still have enough to fun a decent scope. If you insist on an AR-15, then go with a S&W M&P Sporter. You will have to bring up your budget on that to about $750. You could also think about a bolt action .223 rifle, but you will probably need to add a few $ for a nicer scope than your budget allows.