A little help from people who know!!!!

[cbr929rcr 1]

I am kind of new to the whole gun thing. I have a a few hand guns and a M&P15-22 which I love to shoot. But now I want to go for longer distant shooting like 150 yrds plus. Not sure what I should be looking for. Any help I would be very thankful.

[bry@n 195]

Why not look into getting a AR-15. Similar to your 15-22 can easily go from 50-300 yard shooting.

[vladtepes 1,060]

the AR recommendation is likely the best.. they are plenty accurate.. can be built in numerous configurations.. and so on.. what kind of budget do you have?just keep in mind when you say 150yrd + when you start to shoot at those distances it becomes far more challenging... and it is something you should build to as to avoid disappointment.... just saying.. 50 yards with a 22 is NOTHING like 200 yards with an AR15... also if you are going really far and looking for the MOST accuracy you could even do a bolt gun.. or if you want to do something cheap just to try distance.. pick up a Mosin..there is no one set answer. it is more about what goals you ultimately have.. and the budget you have to back those goals..

[Pew Pew Plates 358]

If its just for casual shooting a bolt action would be a whole lot easier, more precise, easier on the wallet for ammo, more reliable & easier to maintain.

 

If you want a "fun gun" look into an AK or SKS type. The SKS has an edge over the AK on accuracy.

 

ARs are icky!

[Krdshrk 3,878]

Mosin?

[vladtepes 1,060]

If its just for casual shooting a bolt action would be a whole lot easier, more precise, easier on the wallet for ammo, more reliable & easier to maintain.

 

If you want a "fun gun" look into an AK or SKS type. The SKS has an edge over the AK on accuracy.

 

ARs are icky!

 

I shoot center mass out to 150 with my AK but have to really question it much past there.. and since the qualification was 150+ I didn't even mention it.. although I had considered mentioning 5.45x39 AK..

[cbr929rcr 1]

as most of use here budget is always a factor. i was thinking along the bolt action style, but really dont know what model caliber ect.

and as always thank you guys for helping me out with this. There is just so much out there and very confusing.

[vladtepes 1,060]

as most of use here budget is always a factor. i was thinking along the bolt action style, but really dont know what model caliber ect.

and as always thank you guys for helping me out with this. There is just so much out there and very confusing.

 

lets start with your goal..

 

150YD +

 

next we need your budget... just a ball park number..

 

how precise do you want these shots to be?

 

are you going to use iron sights.. or do you need a magnified optic.. I can generally hit center mass sized targets at 200YD with a rifle.. not ALL rifles.. not ALL situations.. but in general... anything past that for me.. really calls for an optic.. if you need one or not will play hugely into the budget aspect..

[vladtepes 1,060]

FYI it is actually not that confusing (as you will grow to see) just need to know..

 

Goal..

Budget...

Skill Set/Ability...

 

and honestly.. the gun will get narrowed down pretty fast..

[cbr929rcr 1]

around $400-500 total for gun and scope and as far as skill level I am very new to this. And basically just shooting for shits and giggles

[cbr929rcr 1]

I am to the point were i would rather shoot the 15-22 than my glock, walther, or taurus

[cbr929rcr 1]

and by the way thank-you again

[vladtepes 1,060]

4-500 is not going to cut it in AR15 land especially with an optic... and it is kind of right in the middle of everything..

this is what I would consider..

 

Bolt Gun... (cheaper)

 

Mosin.. they are a fraction of your budget.. and eat pretty cheap (powerful) ammo.. the round is large.. and capable of some distance.. and work on fundamentals.. warning.. a bolt action mosin is going to be NOTHING Like your 22.. it will essentially be the complete opposite.. I am not sure what type of accuracy you could expect from that gun.. I am sure it will vary depending on teh quality and condition of the weapon..

 

Bolt gun.. (more costly)

 

you might find a used bolt gun in something like 223.. it is a far more mild cartridge and may be more manageable.. also ammo is going to be cheaper than in something like a 308 bolt gun.. and if you hold out long enough and add another $100 to your budget you MIGHT find a used 223 bolt gun with a lower end scope on it..

 

semi auto..(cheaper)

 

for what you want to spend.. I could have sold you a Saiga (AK) 3 weeks ago.. chambered in 5.45x39.. another really cheap round.. you will lose a little accuracy.. and I dont know how capable the round is past 150 yards.. but it certainly is a fun gun to shoot.. and is certainly more capable than your 22..

 

semi auto.. (costly)

 

the other choice.. is to sell the 22 take that money and apply it to the 4-500 which will get you close to a bare bones AR15.. the upside to an AR15 is it can serve several purposes.. and you can build various "uppers" to swap between a light 16in run and gun type setup and a more substantial 18in scoped setup.. the gun can have multiple roles for multiple shooting situations.. the down side is it is a money pit.. and $500 is not really going to cut it.. even without optics...

 

what kind of accuracy are you looking at.. if you are looking at "hitting the target" at 150.. then that is one thing.. but if you are looking to make holes in holes.. you need to save up a little more money IMO..

 

a not on optics.. pay for quality when you are ready... cheap glass in many cases will "lose zero" and you can waste an entire day of shooting being all over the place..

[vladtepes 1,060]

I buy and sell guns often.. sometimes I realize I have a gun I really dont need.. and sell it to fund another project.. you are looking into rifle now.. how many handguns do you really need.. lol if you can make back what you put out.. or close to it.. and shift the funds to another project.. sometimes.. that is IMO the move to make..

[hiker88 22]

150 yd rifle that's cheap to shoot... sounds like at .17 hmr bolt action with a scope to me.

[vladtepes 1,060]

150 yd rifle that's cheap to shoot... sounds like at .17 hmr bolt action with a scope to me.

 

dont know much about the round.. but he was saying 150+ isnt the .17 small and pretty prone to wind influence? especially out at those distances?

[bulpup 98]

Not that you mentioned it, but if there is an inkling of an idea that you might go hunting with such a rifle one day, none of the above is legal to use while hunting in New Jersey.

 

I know you didn't mention it but I thought I would put it out there.

[cbr929rcr 1]

how about a saiga .223 with a decent scope???? I noticed the rounds are plentyfull and cheap.....or i should say inexpensive

[vladtepes 1,060]

how about a saiga .223 with a decent scope???? I noticed the rounds are plentyfull and cheap.....or i should say inexpensive

 

I would go 5.45x39 over 223.. especially in an AK.. there are NO problems with any guns listed.. but the only issue is they may just not live up to your expectations..a 200 yard precision rifle is NOT an AK.. you will hit targets at 200 yards.. sure.. no problem.. but you are not going to see bolt gun groups.. that gun is mostly a mid range not.. not so much a long distance shooter..

 

but again it comes down to what you want..

 

a semi auto that can blast away rounds.. hit further than the 22.. and function as a multipurpose rifle? (you can still get rounds on target further, just less precisely.. )

or

a long range precision shooter that is (slowly) putting holes in holes..

[cbr929rcr 1]

man i just dont know what the hell i want!! I want a gun that is just going to be inexpensive when it comes to what ammo I use. Or would i just be better getting a bolt action .223

[henrym 19]

You can pick up a new remington 700 with a heavy varmint barrel in 223 fror less than 500 and it comes packaged with a scope. Great bolt gun for the price.

[Luke_WO 11]

At $400-$500 including an optic, it comes down to how you wanna split up that cost. A high quality optic usually costs more than 100 dollars, so it's about how much you wanna devote to that, and how much you wanna devote to the gun.

 

It also depends on what you wanna do with it, both now and in the long term. If you're looking to just start out and shoot some targets, a .22 rimfire like a Marlin might be the best option for you. You probably don't even need an optic if that's all you're gonna do. Not to mention .22 ammo is CHEAP. Or go for a Mosin and shoot off the iron sights. Those can be had for $100 all over the place, and they're just an awesome gun anyway.

 

If you're looking for something a little more powerful, then you might want to find a budget-friendly .223 bolt action. You can get a Savage or Weatherby or something similar for $400-$450, give or take, and that would leave you a little money left for the optic. You don't have to go crazy with that cost; I'm perfectly pleased with my Redfield Revolution scope that cost me $140.

 

Honestly, if you do what Vlad suggested and sell one of your handguns, that will leave you with even more wiggle room. That way, you could pick up a $100 Mosin or the Marlin that's on special at Dick's right now (forget which particular model it is) for target fun and still have money for a .223 bolt action with a scope. Because let's be honest, this isn't going to be your first and last gun purchase. You're gonna end up with a smaller target gun and a bit more powerful bolt-action rifle in the long run, anyway. But in terms of this particular purchase, it's all about deciding what you want for right now.

[Luke_WO 11]

The Marlin I mentioned is the Marlin 795. Discussed in this thread here... apparently it's cheap to begin with and Dick's is offering a $25 rebate that makes it even cheaper.

 

http://njgunforums.com/forum/index.php?/topic/29580-a-first-gun-22/page__pid__388677#entry388677

[tbtrout 141]

For $500 you should be looking at a 223 0r 243 if you want lighter recoil. A 22-250 or 308 if you want a bit more. Try a used Savage 110 or a new Stevens 200. Put a decent scope on it and you will be fine. It can be done for your budget. The next factor is how cheap do you want ammo to be? What you need do is fire a few and see what you like.

[vladtepes 1,060]

you have to decide if you want a blast away semi auto.. or a more precise bolt action gun... before you can do anything else you really need to figure that out..

[BOOMSTICK 6]

For $500 you should be looking at a 223 0r 243 if you want lighter recoil. A 22-250 or 308 if you want a bit more. Try a used Savage 110 or a new Stevens 200. Put a decent scope on it and you will be fine. It can be done for your budget. The next factor is how cheap do you want ammo to be? What you need do is fire a few and see what you like.

 

Just to clarify to the OP, the Savage 110 tbtrout is talking about is not the 110ba.