new rifle new caliber

[moose243]

okay so im 17 and looking for a new rifle i don't want any blackguns, currently i have a .243 win , and a .22lr both by Savage Arms. i have a 20 gauge but i sold it. so im looking for a new caliber any not for anything specific (varmit, preditor, deer,... etc) so any ideas thanks

[NYBuckhunter]

Um..... what? You want suggestions on a rifle for no specific use? Do you just want to hang it on the wall and look at it?

[moose243]

okay geuss you didnt understand i dont care if its for varmits or deer etc i just want a good shooting caliber

[moose243]

so im looking at a 22-250, a .223, and a 357 combo 20 ga nef

[DocHolladay]

I would suggest something from .17 Remington up to and including a .416 Rigby.

Honestly, you can just go to a gun store, put on a blind fold, spin around 5 times and point. You would come out just as well as asking us and not being specific about what you want. If you dont have a specific use, just buy one, any caliber and go shoot. Now, if you want a better answer from us, be specific about what you are wanting to do. Each and every caliber excels in a specific area, but some can do multiple things well. Take a .243 for example, you can shoot varmints all the way up to deer and elk at close range(it has and continues to be done successfully). Now, you wouldnt want to shoot varmints with a .416 Rigby, but it excels for large and dangerous game. You could use it on hogs and elk too as it does well with those animals.

If you are looking for something to shoot varmint, predators, deer, etc, then you have it in your .243Win, IMO. You can go larger if you want with the .308, .25-06, .270, 6.5-284, .257 Roberts, 6.5x55 Swede, 7mm-08, and the list goes on.

[NYBuckhunter]

Wow.

Well, I guess if you idolize Rush Limbaugh, then all you have to do is add drug abuse to your vagueness and attitude, and youll have the act down pat!

Seriously though, Doc is exactly right, which is why I asked you to be a bit more specific in the first place.

[over drawn]

I dont see why you want a new rifle in the first place, the .243 is the best gun i have ever used. A couple of years ago i droped a Rockey Mountian elk in his tracks in one shot with the .243 Its like an all pourpus rifle(Coyotes, Pigs, deer, and even like i said elk!)

[DouglasSpear]

I think we're being a little hard on him, he's simply a young guy thinking about getting a new rifle to shoot. You have to remember that firearms aren't JUST for hunting, people like to shoot just for fun, or for that matter for protection. So how about we stop questioning him about what the purpose is and just suggest our favorite calibers indifferent to the ones that he already has. What's wrong with Rush Limbaugh, NYBuckHunter? Maybe your comment was sarcasm, but he's not a drug abuser. He admited he had a problem and took care of it. Him having Rush's quote in his signature doesn't exactly prove that he "idolizes" him? I personally find it an intelligent quote because firearms aren't just for hunting, anyone who thinks they are needs their belief in freedom checked.

How about a .30 M1 Carbine or the vast rifles chambered for 7.62x39?

[NYBuckhunter]

Douglas, what I said was definitely tongue in cheek, except for the fact that I cant stand Limbaugh. I find him to be a phony, talking head for the extreme right wing, just as bad as Obama and his cronies. Its not like I havent heard him or his radio show, extensively. My father is a fan of listening to the man's drivel. You really want to get into a discussion about Rush Limbaugh not being a drug abuser? He admitted to abusing prescription medication (controlled substances), how is that not being a drug abuser?

Nobody is being hard on Moose, hes asking for an opinion based on too open of a question. Almost every single caliber out there has its place and can perform well to some sort of standards. Its like asking

"I have $50k to spend, what vehicle should I buy?"

[DocHolladay]

"I have $50k to spend, what vehicle should I buy?"

I would answer, 21' Ranger bass boat with a 250 Merc or a Stratos 294 with a 200 Evinrude!!


vehicle.... pffffff

[NYBuckhunter]

"I have $50k to spend, what vehicle should I buy?"

I would answer, 21' Ranger bass boat with a 250 Merc or a Stratos 294 with a 200 Evinrude!!


vehicle.... pffffff

How about a Nitro Z-9 with a hydraulic jack plate and a 250 Merc. Youd be right around the $50k budget with that. You also be able to go 70 in about 8 inches of water lol.

[DouglasSpear]

Ok, on the Rush Limbaugh thing I can understand if you don't like him, he's one of those people you either love or hate. But to correct you, like I mentioned before he is no longer a drug abuser, he fixed that problem. So just because he once had the addiction doesn't mean he is still a drug abuser. By your premise I could say you wear diapers since at one time you did. (that is if you even wore diapers)

I would still have to disagree on the questioning as to why he needs a rifle simply that you don't need a reason for any particular caliber. Each may have their purpose, but shooting a rifle is shooting a rifle, period. So why he needs it is irrelevent. I told my uncle what firearms I had and asked him what I should get next, we were talking ideas and he mentioned AK-47, so I got one. If you were to ask me what vehicle you should by with $50k I'd just tell you what I would buy...but that's just me. I think the intent of the question was to be open, especially since he said "not for anything specific" and "any caliber...any ideas."

P.S. I'd buy a nice 4x4 quad and either a bass boat or another truck.

[NYBuckhunter]

I know that Limbaugh says hes no longer addicted to the pills, but addictions like that dont usually go away very easily. Since neither of us know him personally, its all speculation on both of our behalves.

We are going to have to just agree to disagree. To me, guns are tools. Each type and caliber has its positives and negatives. If you just want to know what is a good shooting, versatile gun, I recommend 2.

First one, an AR platform in 308. Accurate, dependable and you can do almost anything you want with it. If you dont want a black gun, you can get them in camo.

Second, a TC Encore. You can make it into a pistol, rifle, shotgun or muzzleloader in just about any caliber with a change of stock, barrel and forearm.

Neither of my recommendations answer his question though, which was "which caliber".

[DouglasSpear]

I know that Limbaugh says hes no longer addicted to the pills, but addictions like that dont usually go away very easily. Since neither of us know him personally, its all speculation on both of our behalves.

We are going to have to just agree to disagree. To me, guns are tools. Each type and caliber has its positives and negatives. If you just want to know what is a good shooting, versatile gun, I recommend 2.

First one, an AR platform in 308. Accurate, dependable and you can do almost anything you want with it. If you dont want a black gun, you can get them in camo.

Second, a TC Encore. You can make it into a pistol, rifle, shotgun or muzzleloader in just about any caliber with a change of stock, barrel and forearm.

Neither of my recommendations answer his question though, which was "which caliber".

I think I can agree to agree to disagree since I see your point too. I also like the .308, don't have one, maybe my next. On Limbaugh though, I didn't want to pull this out of the bag but that's speculation (that neither of us know him), now I don't know him personallu but in fact my uncle knows both he and Michael Reagan, which he has gone on cruises with. Limbaugh talked about it in great detail. After his spinal surgery he was in great pain and his doctors said his weight contributed to the pain. After 2 failed attempts to kick the habit in rehab he decided to lose the weight (which is why he has lost so much weight over the past year or so).

[KwackWacker]

Now that everybody has agreed that they like to argue about totally pointless things, can we get back to the subject at hand? Nothing wrong with a good discussion but unless it has to do with this guy's choice in a rifle, take it elsewhere. Feel free to start a new thread in the open forum and argue about Rush all you want. As a matter of fact, I did that for you. Go to the open forum, look for a new post titled "The Great Rush Debate".

Want a new caliber to shoot? Go to a gun shop and walk down the ammo aisle. Close your eyes and randomly point at a box of ammo. Open your eyes and buy the caliber that you have your finger on. If you're looking for something to shoot a lot that doesn't cut too deep into the wallet, well you have to go with the popular calibers, .222, .223, .243, .270, .280, .308 or .30/06 etc. Personally I love to shoot my .22 hornet but ammo isn't too cheap for that so I buy from a guy that reloads them for me.

[backwoodsman]

Fun shooting and semi cheap caliber I'd go with the surplus ammo and guns. 7.62x39 SKS is one of my all time favorite fun guns. Russian/comblock bolt action rifles ie:M-44 carbine etc are fun and rather cheap to feed and acquire right now, for now anyhow. Swiss K-31 are slick. SMLE or Lee-Enfield .303 British. Other calibers that are relatively cheap to feed are the .223's/5.56mm, .308's(7.62 NATO). Any caliber that has been a military caliber in the last 50 years should be reasonable on the surplus market. I like that .22 Hornet for varmints/plinking but the price for factory loads is getting too high to shoot it often. I had some soft point handloads that cheapened the pain considerably. Could always go with a muzzlelaoder too since you didnt list one? Rimfire 5mm is fun too and the ammo is on the comeback for now anyhow. I like the .30 carbine also but the ammo cost is absurd.

[ironhead]

Good call on the .303 Enfield,,,,would be a perfect rifle for a young man on a limited budget.

[DocHolladay]

I have had a .303 and I find it to much rifle for a young man. The one I had, had a decent punch when it came to recoil. It could have been the ammo I was using, but it mule kicked me on more than one occasion.

[backwoodsman]

Doc was that .303 still in the military wood? Some of them kick worse then others for some reason even with the same ammo. I believe its the stock? Some were rather light that were slapped together during WW2. We had a few that were pre-war and they werent as bad. Supposedly the ones made after WW2 and up until they were declared obsolete were the best ones? All of'em are good shooters and from what I gather still popular on homesteads etc in Canada?

[DocHolladay]

From what I was told and the research I did, it was a WWII era rifle. It was pretty heavy. It was in the original military stock. The only change was that a scope was added. If I fired 20 rounds, 12-15 of them kicked hard, the other 5-7 didnt. It was a weird situation.

[backwoodsman]

That sounds more like the ammo to me? Really odd whatever caused it.

[AR VARMITER]

Moose,

If you are just wanting a small rifle to shoot that has some speed is cheap to shoot and impressive accuracy wise. Here it is. I have many rifles in many different calibers and configurations. But honestly one of them I enjoy pl inking or shooting the most came from Wal-Mart. It is a Marlin Bull Barrel 17 HMR. I put a Rifle Basix trigger in it set at 2.5 lbs. A box of 50 rounds is about $12.00. 2500 FPS and flat shooting. The little feller shots 1/2 MOA groups or less at 100 yards and just fun to shoot. Mounted a good 1" tube scope on it and have a blast shooting it. But as the guys have mentioned you have a 243 Win cal. Rifle and that is a fine piece for bigger varmints and deer as well as pigs.