New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

[Sorte]

So I'm turning a year older soon enough, and I decided to get myself a rifle, along with my concealed (in FL) and then saving for a pistol eventually.

So I've been researching rifles and the ones that really catch my attention are the PSG1/MSG90.....and then I took a search online to see how much they cost and....yeah, not happening anytime soon

So, a co-worker of mine suggested to building a clone if anything. Thing is I never built a rifle before, and work doesn't really allow us time to go through detail and detail with the components of a rifle.

So I searched on le google to find a forum, and bam. Found snipershide.


Thanks for your time on reading my newbie post of probably millions on this forum!

 

[Andy T]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

New guy advice:
1. Don't build.
2. Don't buy something exotic.
3. Buy a common, <span style="font-weight: bold">quality</span> rifle - probably an AR. Shoot it. Then start buying niche stuff.

 

[Sorte]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

Well, I wouldn't be building it myself, last thing I want is for something to blow up in my face. How hard would it be to source all the parts, I'm guessing it isn't worth from what I can tell. But then again to each his own I guess.

But it wouldn't hurt building something exotic huh?

 

[PatrickChewing]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

I think Andy brings up good points. I think it's fine if you want to build and that gives you endless options. Start with an AR based platform. Parts and info are easy to find and you can build something mild to wild.

 

[KillShot]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sorte</div><div class="ubbcode-body">So I'm turning a year older soon enough, and I decided to get myself a rifle, along with my concealed (in FL) and then saving for a pistol eventually.

So I've been researching rifles and the ones that really catch my attention are the PSG1/MSG90.....and then I took a search online to see how much they cost and....yeah, not happening anytime soon

So, a co-worker of mine suggested to building a clone if anything. Thing is I never built a rifle before, and work doesn't really allow us time to go through detail and detail with the components of a rifle.

So I searched on le google to find a forum, and bam. Found snipershide.


Thanks for your time on reading my newbie post of probably millions on this forum!</div></div>

Welcome to the Hide and actually, there's over 2.3 million posts on this forum.

The PSG1 was good in its day but since that time, there are better alternatives. The first thing to determine is your budget.

How much can you realistically afford to spend on a rifle and optic?

 

[Sorte]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

About 4kish at once more or less. But if I'm buying part by part, the possibilities are endless ;D hahaha. I'm in no rush really.


I heard a lot about the AR, I like it but, it's not really something I'll feel so comfortable good about putting money into.

 

[KillShot]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

If you don't feel good putting money into an AR then your other option is a good bolt rifle but a premium AR-10 is going to be more of what you're wanting, IMO.

For $4000, you can have a nice AR-10 and optic but it's your money so buy what you feel suits you best.

 

[Equitum]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

If you're just starting with your first rifle ever, I would go for a bolt action. The bolt-actions I would recommend are the Remington 700 or a Savage in .308. Take your pick on model - for the most part you can't go wrong. If you end up going the bolt action route, send me a PM - I just recently picked out my first bolt-action pretty recently and I learned a lot doing it.

If you're dead set on a semi-auto, I would go for the AR platform. You can't go wrong with Noveske or POF for 5.56/.223 or even .308. I would recommend one of those two calibers, by the way, to start out with. Another AR you could look into would be an AR-10 in .308. If money's not an option, I would look into GA Precision's GAP-10 for that - lots of people on SH have, shoot, and love their GAP-10s.

Either way you go, make sure you budget for good optics, all the accessories and equipment you'll need (cleaning kit, carrying case/bag, bipod and/or monopod for forend and stock, shooting mat) and of course ammo. I would recommend optics from Leupold, SWFA's SS line of scopes, the Millet TRS or LRS, and the Falcon Menace (which I personally bought and use).

 

[sic65stang]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

+1 for Andy's advice. Get something fun to shoot and go out and shoot. Get used to shooting and build up from there, you dont have to go all in on the first hand.

 

[Luke]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

IMHO you won't find a more reliable, accurate, modular, lightweight, simple, or affordable semi-automatic rifle in the United States than the AR-15/AR-10 variants.

If you're just looking for a cool rifle to own and aren't overly concerned about practicality, well, the world is your oyster.

If you want a bolt action, there's many, many, excellent rifles to choose from, and it all comes down to personal preference.

 

[Conrad101st]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

Get a 22 long rifle. Marlin or Ruger are fine. A brick of 500 rounds is less than $20.

That will get you going and is the essence of shooting. You want to do CQB drills try shooting rabbits that bust from cover in the briar patch. You want to be a precision shooter, do head shots on squirrels while moving slowly through a creek bottom. You want to practice your standing shots, shoot bullfrogs as you ease around a pond.

 

[ilocanosniper]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

ill go with AR flatform then go from there

 

[mtrmn]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

If you DO NOT OWN ANY RIFLE, I'd say get a .22 LR first. You'll have more fun and learn more of the basics of marksmanship due to being able to shoot more. I have Ruger 10/22's and my favorite Henry lever action, for example.

Or get a Colt model 6920 AR15 (16" barrel, collapsible stock etc) for $1k and get a CMMG dedicated .22LR upper for it.

 

[Bayou1535]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

If your interested in AR's then get one, I have a Rock River and it's a good rifle. I have also built two high end AR's and believe me it's not hard, honestly they are like lego's. You could also build one down the road and thus it will give you a better understanding of the rifle and parts.

 

[tsavo303]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

yep, get these 2 first (10-22 and colt 6920)
then get a good ar-10 if you really need a .308
The HKs look sexy, but are overrated IMHO, so many better options out there now

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

I would stick with factory offerings and common chamberings at first, and I would also be certain to include a simple and reliable .22lr bolt gun early on in the process. Developing good marksmanship discipline and skills requires a lot of repetition, and <span style="font-style: italic">nothing</span> serves that purpose as well as that .22LR I'm suggesting. While semis are cool, they may not be the best approach to fostering good fire discipline.

You may treasure and cherish your first firearms, or you may decide to reinvest them as part of your personal marksmanship growth process. Either way, the more generic they are, the better they will serve your initial purposes.

Better to not mess around with modifying them. This can detract from their resale value by making them interesting to a diminishing audience, and is an open invitation to buggering an otherwise desirable firearm.

It doesn't take a fortune to outfit your initial kit. Consider used firearms; with good advice, you can sort out the good ones, and the savings can be substantial and enabling.

There is some wisdom to putting a substantial investment into optics, but no individual purchase should come at a price that delays your entry into the shooting/learning process.

Learn the meaning of the word 'adequate', and the difference between that meaning and the meaning of 'extravagance'. Until you can take full advantage of an extravagance, all it can serve to do is deplete your resources without a reasonable return on the investment.

I agree, the ARs are a good investment. I recently acquired a Stag Model 6 Super Varminter, and I'm very impressed with it and the rest of the Stag Product Line. While relatively new as a producer of complete rifles, Stag has been a respected, go-to supplier of components to other AR makers for decades. I consider them to be a highly underappreciated resource.

Greg

 

[Equitum]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

+1 on Greg's advice.

I would advise not only getting a .22LR first, but getting it as a bolt action. Being forced to cycle the bolt for every shot will let you focus on trigger control and the individual shot.

If you are dead-set on the AR platform or semi-autos to start with, get a run-of-the-mill 5.56 AR-15 and either a .22LR conversion kit or a .22LR upper. Once you've put hundreds of rounds through the .22LR (it won't take long - the ammo is cheap so you can shoot tons without feeling it in your wallet), switch back to the 5.56 and apply what you've learned from the .22LR.

 

[Bayou1535]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

Yup, forgot to mention Stag also. You can't wrong with them either, just don't pay attention engraved deer on the side.

 

[NoFail]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

I'm sure you don't reload ammo. .308 factory ammo is allot more $$ than .223. I think that is a consideration for lots of people but I don't know about you. I like the AR platform and for you I like AR-15 .223 for now. They are less expensive than AR-10 platform and you can deck it out, get a decent optic for it and a good side arm all for that $4000, even less than that come to think of it. An AR-10 then no, just that .308 AR and good optic can easily eat that 4K if you let it. It ate my 4K but I did get quality.

 

[Ianski]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

I had an itch for something that was a little out of the ordinary as well. I scratched the itch and built an M1A EBR... and now I'm getting rid of it to get an AR-10... if you are still hung up on that PSG-1 you could get a PTR for a decent price, but it won't do what an AR-10 can.

 

[DavidAR10]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

Screw .22s and lesser rifles. If you have skills but are a virgin, than starting out with a .308 rifle of known repute is not a wrong answer. Wasting money and time is.

http://accurateordnance.com

Have them build the Multi Purpose Tactical with an action of your choice. Should only be about $300 more than truing a da-da-damn store bought 700 mass production piece of funk.

Then call Skylar at SWFA and get in on the SH's 5-20x50/1-6x24 group buy and be put on a cash purchase hold. That will let you pay for it when the funds come in without losing out the the final payment day using a CC. Skylar will get you squared away. Sell the 1-6x24 for @ $700-$800 dollars and you will have a non-iluuminated 5-20x50 SWFA highly respected scope on the cheap.

So:{don't know how this will turn out}

<a href="http://accurateordnance.com/cgi-bin/imcart/display.cgi?item_id=customboltrifle05&cat=26&page=1&search=&since=&status=&title= Code expires on 21JUN12. You get..., do the right thang... and have a blast!!!

 

[icarus2005]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

hi there.
1st congrats on excersizing your 2nd amendment right and being a part of what makes America great!

Now then, I was just in your same spot, only I was wanting to build 2 guns, a sniper 308 and something I could 3-gun compete with.

Like you am NOT rich, so I did a lot of research into what opetions are out there (A LOT!) and it can get confusing. The AR15 platform is certainly the way to go.

that said, you need to consider what you really NEED it to do for you. No one rifle will fit every bill, so if you are like me wanting to one rifle to do more things than one, then you should consider the things I did.

1. Barrel length and weight. This should be your biggest decision. I knew I wanted accuracy, but couldn't deal with a the wieght of a varmint bull barrel. I had to be able to move quick with whatever I chose yet still be able to shoot out several hundred yards with great accuracy.
I decided I wanted a heavy (not bull) 18" or 20"

2. platform type. Do you want the handle and raised sights on classic style, or flat top? Again, it depends on your needs. For me flattop was best because I would be mounting a good scope.

3. Stock. A2, magpul MOE or countless others. I know you think that doesn't matter because you will just change it to what you want later. But if you can find what you want already on an exisiting gun which saves you 50 bucks or more then why not go that route.

Those are the 3 basic things to look for. Of course then you decide your budget and start sifting through countless pages to narrow it down to just a few.

(note: be sure you choose a gun that shoots 5.56 nato, not all guns marked 223 can and it is dangerous to try!!)

I chose the Sig Sauer M400 hunter because of the barrel, flattop, MOE stock and the fact their there is no slope between teh upper and lower. I only paid $799 brand new! thats the other reason I chose that one.
I will be changing the trigger and going to freefloat 3-gun styl floating forarm. that will run another $300 making 1100 total for a very nice basic rifle

Scopes area nother matter. I went with a IOR Valdada 2-12x32 tactical that has paralax adjustment and illuminated MP-8 retical. got amazing deal at SWFA for $999 as a demo

OPTIONS out there if you want of the shelf ready to go

Stag 3G which runs about 1300 best price, is pretty nice and if you want one get it quick because the prices will go up soon as many 3-gunner are using it and winning with it. many places it 1400 to 1500

Rock River Arms Fred Eichler predator series is 1400

DPMS Predator has a couple models from 1200 to 1500

if you cant afford that then do like me, and upgrade rail and trigger later when you have the cash so meantime you can be shooting!

BTW, I went with the FNAR for my 308 sniper rig. put a Valdada 3-18x42 on it and it is sub MOA. trigger needs work though

 

[mescalito]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

You can learn and practice your skills much more practically with an inexpensive .22
Even if you go big out the gate, I promise you'll end up purchasing that .22 and spend more time behind it.

 

[icarus2005]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

For all you fellows telling this chap he should buy a 22, I'd like you to think back to when you were turning 21 years of age.

Let's say you hadn't "owned" a rifle yet and were looking to buy your first. If a bunch of guys who didn't know you told you you should by a 22 so you could "learn to shoot", when you clearly had stated you were in the market for high end quality sniper rifle, would you be offended? Would you think they were treating you like a child?

This guy is turning 21. I'm sure many of you served when you were 18 or 19, and many of you may know of someone that age who gave their life for our country. Because they lack your age and wisdom does not give you the right to treat them like children! Did you think to ask him about his experience before insulting? How do you he's not a Marine Sharpshooter or something along those lines?

My response to him was based on the assumption he already has considerable shooting experience. I know that I, and I suspect most of you as well, had a CRAPLOAD of shooting experience long before I ever actually baught my first gun!

I know snipers tend to think they are GOD, but you are NOT, and you should treat others with the same amount of respect you would want them to treat you with.

That's my humble opinion, and you can take it to the bullseye

 

[KillShot]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Ivan R</div><div class="ubbcode-body">For all you fellows telling this chap he should buy a 22, I'd like you to think back to when you were turning 21 years of age.

Let's say you hadn't "owned" a rifle yet and were looking to buy your first. If a bunch of guys who didn't know you told you you should by a 22 so you could "learn to shoot", when you clearly had stated you were in the market for high end quality sniper rifle, would you be offended? Would you think they were treating you like a child?

This guy is turning 21. I'm sure many of you served when you were 18 or 19, and many of you may know of someone that age who gave their life for our country. Because they lack your age and wisdom does not give you the right to treat them like children! Did you think to ask him about his experience before insulting? How do you he's not a Marine Sharpshooter or something along those lines?

My response to him was based on the assumption he already has considerable shooting experience. I know that I, and I suspect most of you as well, had a CRAPLOAD of shooting experience long before I ever actually baught my first gun!

I know snipers tend to think they are GOD, but you are NOT, and you should treat others with the same amount of respect you would want them to treat you with.

That's my humble opinion, and you can take it to the bullseye</div></div>

Clearly, you are missing the point in why they are suggesting a .22LR as his first rifle. The .22LR will be MUCH, MUCH cheaper to learn with. If he learns the fundamentals of precision shooting with a .22LR, he won't spend anywhere near as much ammo when he decides to get a larger caliber rifle.

It's like getting your pilots license. They don't start you off in the cockpit of a 747. You start off with a small aircraft and work your way up. That's all the guys are suggesting by telling him to get a .22LR first; not being disrespectful or speaking to him like a child.

 

[George63]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

I will say start out by shooting the 1st 1000 or so rounds from a 22 but no reason you need to buy one - sign up for 1 or more appleseed events and contact the shoot boss to arrange a loaner - but do not be the usual freeloader so leave the rifle owner with a brick of .22

buy an AR - once you get down the fundamentals with a 22 switch to the AR - by doing it this way you have saved 300 $ on ammo while building fundamental skills

.223 is very reasonable price ammo for centerfire over starting with 308 - if you do not care for the AR after a while you can easily move it along for a 100 less than purchase as long as it is not too exotic or you did not take an initial screwing

IMO 6 months to a year into rifle shooting would be more the time to look into nice bolt or other setup in the 4K range - not as a starter

 

[flash-bang]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

First... Figure out what you want to do.
Do you want to shoot close in, or empty magazines as fast as you can fill 'em?(short 16" barrel, flat top, red dot, flashlight etc Basically a Close Quarters Battle rifle?
-or-
Do you want to shoot stuff as far away as possible with the biggest bullet in your chosen caliber? Buy good glass, a bipod, free float the front stock. no front sight post. (instead use gas block with BUIS Back Up Iron Sights).

BUT I AGREE...
Basically what Andy said:
New guy advice:
1. Don't build.
2. Don't buy something exotic.
3. Buy a common, quality rifle - probably an AR. Shoot it. Then start buying niche stuff.

I bought a stock, new, (unaltered; basicly not buying someone else's oops they want to get rid of.) Colt AR6920. (I carried one for years, my Uncle let me borrow one of his.) There are a lot of great out of the box shooters being made right now. Buy lots and lots of bullets (2k) and practice shot placement and change stuff you don't like about the rifle while you get to know your rifle. One last word of advice: Buy a quality piece of glass. It's worth it. It seems $$$, but hey its you money and this is free advice.

 

[rideHPD]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

I think a question you should really ask yourself is what you look gain out of shooting. Is it just going to be a casual hobby and just another thing to do on the weekend, or are you looking to become a serious shooter. This isn't meant to be a snarky question; some people like to keep their shooting leisurely, others, myself included, are beyond addicted to it and spend nearly all their waking free time working on guns, shooting guns or on this or other forums. If you just want to plink around an AR or other semi auto is great and a novice can figure out what's going on enough to have fun with it. But if you really want to be the best shooter you can be, and are willing to invest A LOT of time, get an accurate but economic .22LR. Believe me, I've only been shooting rifles for about 2 years now and I'm only 20 years old, but if you start off mastering the basics with a low recoil rifle and learning how to shoot properly, you will be set up with the knowledge and familiarity to understand what makes a rifle a good fit for you. You'll come to appreciate length of pull, cheek weld, trigger hand grip, etc.; all things that you really won't notice until you learn. My first rifle was a 700P in .308, but my grandfather thought me how to shoot an air rifle when I was 7, and I shoot everyday to the point where I could put every round into a quarter at 50 yards. Now two years later I'm taking myself back to school and getting a .22 so that I can shoot even more over summer, and progress my shooting. If you can answer that question then you'll be better able to determine what we say is applicable to your case.

 

[intrepidagent]

Re: New guy looking into buying my first rifle.

I would concur with anyone suggesting a Colt 6920. Although it's a steeper entry price than many other AR type rifles out there you will always be able to get your money back out of it if you decide to move on to something else. You can't always say the same for building a "kit" rifle from a lower receiver + uppers and parts from different manufacturers. Everything from the aftermarket manufacturers in terms of rails, uppers, accessories will fit it so you can tailor it to your personal preferences. Just my $.02