Thinking about starting to shoot

[sammy]

PM me if you want to try a few decent .22's out. I have 5 different .22 pistol and rifles to shoot. I'm located in the East Bay and go to USI in Concord. I am swimming in .22 ammo and am happy to let you shoot all you like. Range fees are $14.00 for non members.

[isthisreality]

Hm... I looked at bolt action .22lr's and the Marlin looks nice. Does anybody know if the adult size Crickett is any good?
(good point on starting with the bolts - in archery I burn through the arrows faster than anybody else, so this should teach me to make every shot count).

[nick]

Crickett is kinda small.

Look at Remington or Marlin bolt actions, if you must.

Personally, I'd get a Ruger 10/22 semiauto and exercise will power Marlin 795 is cheaper and pretty good, as well.

Check out the For Sale forum here, you're more likely to find good deals here than at a gun store.

[oaklander]

Used bolt-action .22s that are over 50 years old are common, cheap and reliable. And you don't even need to go through the 10 day wait, if you buy it FTF.

[isthisreality]

Well, I looked at their site and they sell adult sizes too... not to mention I'm on the small side...
The problem I'll probably have with auto loaders is that 1) While I'm going to take safety classes, as I'm starting at a relatively old age gun safety won't be as engrained in my mind and 2) I might burn through too much ammo (I'm a poor college kid after all).

The Marlin 925 looks damn nice though...

[maxwellca21]

if you going to get a .22lr rifle...go with semi...bolt action with a .22lr is like watching paint dry lol (my opinion).

[seanbo]

If you get a simi get a Marlin 60 of if you can find one a older Glenfield 60, cause it's got a 18 rd tube. If you get a bolt you cant go wrong with a Winchester 67. Also if you want to get a cheep to shoot handgun find something that shoots 7.62x25, it's like nine cents a round for surplus.

[thefifthspeed]

Well, I looked at their site and they sell adult sizes too... not to mention I'm on the small side...
The problem I'll probably have with auto loaders is that 1) While I'm going to take safety classes, as I'm starting at a relatively old age gun safety won't be as engrained in my mind and 2) I might burn through too much ammo (I'm a poor college kid after all).

The Marlin 925 looks damn nice though...

[luchador768]

The for sale section here has some good deals, also your local pawn shop might have some inexpensive bolt of semi auto .22's. 500 rounds from a 10 shot 10/22 will take you a few hours to burn through even if you shoot fast. Take your time learning the basics of safety and always remember that even the "lowly" .22 is a very deadly round. I learned with a single shot .22 rifle and 100 rounds would last me the whole afternoon.

[johnny_22]

Old age?

The problem I'll probably have with auto loaders is that 1) While I'm going to take safety classes, as I'm starting at a relatively old age gun safety won't be as engrained in my mind .

I started into firearms at 45! Never too old to start a fun hobby.

I recommend the class at Reed's Indoor Range (Bill Tidwell teaching NRA's First Steps). He has a pistol/revolver, rifle and shotgun class that are fun and a good introduction.

[xbimmers]

I recommend starting out with a used .22LR rifle!!!! lots of cheap fun!!!

Ok, so after having read about gun ownership/etc/etc, I figured I'd like to try starting to shoot. However, I'd rather not start something that I would not be able to afford nor be proficient enough at. So I must ask, how much money, say, would it take to practice shooting bimonthly, say, a .22lr rifle for practice and a .223 centerfire rifle (I'm looking at the marlin 60 and handi rifle), and enough to be proficient at it as well? I would be able to do this if this weren't California and everything is more expensive x1.5, so I don't know how much it'd cost me. I'm dirt poor (for the time being) so I need to know these sorts of things before I start something. Any input would be appreciated.

[isthisreality]

Ok, so in the end, I decided this summer, I'm going to be looking for a used Marlin 925 to start learning to shoot... as soon as that's done I"m going to take a few safety/beginner classes.
Thanks for all the input!

[SJgunguy24]

To the Op, you should put at least a general location on your info. I'm in San Jose and I always do whatever I can to help out a fellow gun owner/Calgunner. My 22 is a POS but i'm sure I could get it running for you.

Instead of saying "I wanna get into shooting but..."
Try this... "Hey I need to learn how to shoot, i'm in Palo Alto and poor as dirt. Can anyone help a brother out!"

IIRC Asphodel has a 22lr shoot at San Jose Muni on one Saturday every month. I know Nicki like's to have 22 shoots for people just like yourself.

[pullnshoot25]

My problem is that I have 0 friends who are or would be interested in shooting (I'm in college), so I can't rent firearms (or take the safety classes as it involves renting) in any of the ranges within my ... range.
Buying used sounds appealing... after all, the two main .22's are supposed to last a lifetime... but is there anything I should look for when buying a used firearm?

And also, if there are any Bay Area people out there, how much does .22lr and .223 cost here anyways?

What college are you at? PM me and we can chat. Marksmanship Club @ UCSD does first-time gun buyer workshops and we have some good info on that sort of thing

[andalusi]

Well, I looked at their site and they sell adult sizes too... not to mention I'm on the small side...
The problem I'll probably have with auto loaders is that 1) While I'm going to take safety classes, as I'm starting at a relatively old age gun safety won't be as engrained in my mind and 2) I might burn through too much ammo (I'm a poor college kid after all).

The Marlin 925 looks damn nice though...

If you're looking for a bolt action, the Savage Mark IIG might be worth a gander. My wife has one and we both love shooting it. Not heavy, either, despite the wood stock. Not crazy about the sights, but they're fine and anyway, we'll probably buy a cheap scope for it eventually. The trigger is fantastic, though.

I have a Marlin 795, which is a semiautomatic and is also fun to shoot (especially after putting on new sights). Also, it's extremely light.

I really don't think you should pick between semiauto versus bolt action simply because of safety concerns. You'll learn trigger discipline right away no matter who's teaching you, as well as to point the gun in a safe direction and always treat it as loaded.

As for ammo, you're screwed either way: once you start shooting rimfire rifles, you'll be hooked. Luckily the ammo is dead cheap!

And as for the cost of the rifle, you can wait for one of the frequent sales at Big 5 on Marlins and Rugers. You also should check out the Marketplace forum for a good deal (I've bought several guns from fellow Calgunners and can vouch for their honesty and how well they take care of their firearms).

Finally, you can take a $50 basic handgun safety class at Jackson Arms (this includes a rental pistol and ammo) to learn the safety rules that apply for *every* firearm. You'll also get to spend an hour shooting a .22LR pistol. Or as someone else above me suggested, consider enrolling in the more intensive class offered at Reed's.

Edited to add: Oh hey, you're at the Farm! Not so far away. Send me a PM when you're feeling ready to shoot at a range and maybe we can meet up at Reed's or Jackson Arms some weekend. I've got plenty of .22LR ammo lying around, so you can shoot the two rifles I mentioned above to get a sense of which action you'd prefer. I can bring my Sig along, too, if you're curious about shooting a pistol.