12-13-2015, 06:24 PM
Hey there -- I can't precisely pin down why, but I've been having a desire to to own a long rifle again.
Backstory: When I was a kid, my folks got me involved with my local NRA Jr. Rifle League, which was a target shooting club for 12-18 year olds. By the time I was 18, I was working on the top ranking (distinguished expert). Not having a place to shoot, and needing money for what would become one of my favorite motorcycles ever, I sold my target rifle.
My best friend is a committed shooter (he excelled at 3-gun competition, before work sent him to New York) and when I visited him, we'd take his .308 rifle and go out to the desert and shoot 300+ yard targets. Good fun.
Anyway, I'm thinking I'd like a long gun again. I'm totally not into the "black/plastic/tactical" nonsense that seems all the rage. I looked at Cabella's website, and it seems you can't even buy a semi-auto rifle with a wood stock anymore. Plus, I don't want to wind up on a federal watch list because I bought a wicked-looking black gun. (OK, yes, they are bad ass, but I still don't want to own one.)
I figure there's a number of factors, each with sliding scales...
Fun to shoot -- I like precision target shooting. Fast shooting with big clips isn't all that cool to me. To me, the challenge is precision at a distance.
Not too expensive to buy -- my target rifle was $300 40 years ago, or about $750 in today's coin. That's a good bit more than I want to spend.
Cheap to shoot -- Can't beat a .22 for cheap to shoot, but they don't go very far... the next cheapest seems to be .223 Remington.
Places to shoot -- I know our local outdoor range has a 100 yard range which is open daily, but their 200 yard range is only open on Fridays (WTF?). (They also have a skeet/trap range, which is good fun). There are also indoor ranges which are available that seem to cater more to pistol shooting. Small caliber guns are, I assume, easier to find places to shoot. Is that a correct assumption?
I was thinking a .223 bolt action rifle would suit these criteria, but I'm open to suggestions.
Thoughts on these things would be appreciated. Reading/website recommendations also appreciated.
Also, thoughts on buying used? I rarely buy anything used except vehicles & machine tools, but that is probably emotional baggage.
Last question: what's the scoop on kits? A friend mentioned AR and AK receiver forgings which need to be machined. How does the price break down, and what's the legal implication/benefit of a kit? What about scratch building?
Thanks for the patience with the noob questions.
Backstory: When I was a kid, my folks got me involved with my local NRA Jr. Rifle League, which was a target shooting club for 12-18 year olds. By the time I was 18, I was working on the top ranking (distinguished expert). Not having a place to shoot, and needing money for what would become one of my favorite motorcycles ever, I sold my target rifle.
My best friend is a committed shooter (he excelled at 3-gun competition, before work sent him to New York) and when I visited him, we'd take his .308 rifle and go out to the desert and shoot 300+ yard targets. Good fun.
Anyway, I'm thinking I'd like a long gun again. I'm totally not into the "black/plastic/tactical" nonsense that seems all the rage. I looked at Cabella's website, and it seems you can't even buy a semi-auto rifle with a wood stock anymore. Plus, I don't want to wind up on a federal watch list because I bought a wicked-looking black gun. (OK, yes, they are bad ass, but I still don't want to own one.)
I figure there's a number of factors, each with sliding scales...
Fun to shoot -- I like precision target shooting. Fast shooting with big clips isn't all that cool to me. To me, the challenge is precision at a distance.
Not too expensive to buy -- my target rifle was $300 40 years ago, or about $750 in today's coin. That's a good bit more than I want to spend.
Cheap to shoot -- Can't beat a .22 for cheap to shoot, but they don't go very far... the next cheapest seems to be .223 Remington.
Places to shoot -- I know our local outdoor range has a 100 yard range which is open daily, but their 200 yard range is only open on Fridays (WTF?). (They also have a skeet/trap range, which is good fun). There are also indoor ranges which are available that seem to cater more to pistol shooting. Small caliber guns are, I assume, easier to find places to shoot. Is that a correct assumption?
I was thinking a .223 bolt action rifle would suit these criteria, but I'm open to suggestions.
Thoughts on these things would be appreciated. Reading/website recommendations also appreciated.
Also, thoughts on buying used? I rarely buy anything used except vehicles & machine tools, but that is probably emotional baggage.
Last question: what's the scoop on kits? A friend mentioned AR and AK receiver forgings which need to be machined. How does the price break down, and what's the legal implication/benefit of a kit? What about scratch building?
Thanks for the patience with the noob questions.