Best for Beginner: .308 vs .22lr

[Haunt]

I'm going to buy a Rifle from a local pawnshop.
Long story short, I'm a new shooter is a .308 to strong for me?

[repubconserv]

Probably not too strong. I will say though I had the EXACT same dilemma when I bought my first rifle. The people on here told me to do a 22 first. I wanted to be tough though so I bought a 308 first. It was fun, but it was damned expensive to feed. I have put 250 rounds through it... have not really improved at all.

I bought a 22 about a year later(also happens to be about 1 year ago) and have 3000+ rds through it. right now I wish I would have gone for the 22 first.

I can't tell you what to do, but strongly urge you to go 22 first. It seems cool to go with the big caliber first, but you will probably have 100X more fun with the 22.

[badfish71]

"Strong"... I would say no. Most people can handle .308. However, being a new shooter it would help to focus on fundamentals first (trigger control, sight picture,, etc). It is much easier to develop these fundamentals over time with repetition (cheap 22 vs expensive 308). Shooting is skill easily lost without practice. YMMV

[BJames]

22 for sure! Right now, we can't find any ammo to shoot, but hopefully that will change and it's a lot cheaper to shoot.

[skosh69]

Go big or go home! Just kidding.

What can you afford to shoot? Ammo price would be a major deciding factor here.

Also, what's it's intended purpose? Range only? No sense sending high priced 308 ammo downrange at 100m targets when cheaper 22 lr can shoot the same target, right?

Then again, I'm a pistol guy...no long rifles here. But if I ever get a long gun, an AR-10, 308 is what I would like.

[Haunt]

Damn, thanks a lot for the info guys.
I'll definitely reconsider and buy 22 then; 308's are pretty pricey to use for practice in the first place.

[colossians323]

.22 and move on, especially with todays ammo prices

[Capybara]

.22 all the way, but hopefully you can find some ammo.

[diverwcw]

22 cal all the way! For all the reasons mentioned above.

[Haunt]

.22 all the way, but hopefully you can find some ammo.

Is the ammo crisis really that bad?

[AndRenner]

Is the ammo crisis really that bad?

Crawl out from under that rock lol

[Shasta Frog]

Is the ammo crisis really that bad?

I haven't seen any .22 ammo since January.

[Intimid8tor]

.22 is the way to go with your choices. .08 per round vs .80 per round. Take your pick.

[Haunt]

Crawl out from under that rock lol

I'm new to the whole firearm's thing.
I had no idea that .22 ammo was so scarce.

[DPmax]

Buy a basic Ruger 10/22, shoot it in its stock configuration until you can shoot one ragged hole as far as you can see with the iron sites... Then buy a scope and shoot it as far as you can see until you make one ragged hole... Then buy an aftermarket trigger group like a KIDD (that costs as much as the original rifle) and try to get your ragged hole even smaller.
Along the way do an Appleseed or two.

THEN look at buying a 308.
Your marksmanship will be so high by the time you get the 308 that with just a short time getting to know the new rifle/caliber you will shoot sub MOA at any distance the 308 can reach!

Have fun, shoot safe.