[taps50]

I am just starting out, and have a small budget. I am looking for a rifle that I can hunt with as well as protect myself with, what rifle good rifle can I get for around $400, and in what caliber?

 

[taps50]

I am looking to hunt anything I can find really, I live in Wisconsin so there is a lot to hunt for around me.

 

[Rigged for Quiet]

There are a lot of high end rifles out there, but for bang for the buck Ruger American in .308. On average they run about $325 without optics.

 

[BigCheeseStick]

http://www.prepperforums.net/forum/...ns-sks-ak-ar/5430-how-far-will-22lr-kill.html

 

[AvengersAssembled]

Hmm, well for that price I'd personally recommend a Ruger American. Synthetic stock, bolt action, 4 round capacity detachable magazine, comes in the following calibers: 22-250, .243, .270, 7mm-08, 30-06, and .308. I have it in the .308, I've never had a problem with mine and it shoots well. It has no bells or whistles, just a simple rifle. I got mine new for $320. Of course .308 is a large caliber, so it may not be for your hunting needs. It's not the prettiest rifle (for sure), but it shoots straight and is priced well!

 

[Ripon]

If you are not an experienced shooter I'd use the $400 in a basic 10-22, extra 4 magazines, good cleaning kit, case and some ammo to get some practice in.

 

[Smitty901]

Lot of 30-30 used in Wisconsin for Deer . We are not known for places flat enough for real long shots.
You can pick up great used 30-30 for a very fair price.
Check out Fleet Farm , they have some amazing sales on bolt action rifles

 

[Meangreen]

Don't be afraid of the rifles in Walmart for new and check your local pawn shops and gun shops for used rifles.

 

[Smitty901]

Don't be afraid of the rifles in Walmart for new and check your local pawn shops and gun shops for used rifles.

Meangreen he is in Wisconsin. Here we have Fleet farm they quietly enter into gun sales some years back. While not a well know gun dealer they offer a lot of good weapons and their sale prices are hard to beat anywhere. So much that the Walmart near by has all but stopped selling fire arms.

 

[Fuzzee]

In reality the aspect of hunting for food is going to be very hard for most. In any area with a large population who are hungry, game will get scarce fast and mainly those willing to travel and skilled at hunting will find game, because everyone with a rifle will be looking to shoot whatever they can find. That same population will tear itself apart and be feeding on what each other has. That price range limits your choices badly. Things are not as cheap and plentiful as they once were. If you can find one in that range, an SKS makes an excellent choice and so does an Ak47. Both are realitively easy to maintain and run for even the most inexperienced shooter and both run on 7.62x39mm which is still a lot cheaper than other rounds. If you can step up in price than look at AR's as 5.56x45mm is also fairly cheap compared to other rounds and the AR is the most heavily used defensive rifle in the US between police and citizens. It's father and brother the M16 and M4 are still the mainline rifle in our military and in many others. With 5.56x45mm being the standard NATO round for our allies.

 

[Infidel]

I'd look long at hard at the Ruger American they offer a lot of value and are getting great reviews. If you're planning on hunting deer, the .30-30 Smitty recommended would be great too as long as you don't plan on any really long shots. Most deer around here are killed at under 100yds so the old .30-30 works great here and they are very popular. I'd look for an older JW stamped Marlin 336, the newer 336s are all built by Remington and they were having some real issues although reports are getting better, the jury's still out on the Remington made Marlins.

-Infidel

 

[Meangreen]

Meangreen he is in Wisconsin. Here we have Fleet farm they quietly enter into gun sales some years back. While not a well know gun dealer they offer a lot of good weapons and their sale prices are hard to beat anywhere. So much that the Walmart near by has all but stopped selling fire arms.

Let me give you an idea how different it is here in New Mexico. At my Walmart they have about 8 different Ar's for sale, the new .22 Uzi rifles, and a SCAR rifle. It is not uncommon to see H&K, Sig, and Beretta rifles for sale for great prices. They still don't sell pistols and ammo has been slim but as for accessories made from brands like Blackhawk, 5.11, and S&W they are well stocked. I couldn't believe it when AR accessories came up for sale on the shelves at Walmart. Another surprise is well stocked reloading area with powder, bullets, and reloaders.

 

[csi-tech]

I would recommend a Remington 870 with rifled, full and improved cylinder Remchokes or a Mossberg 500 with the same Accu chokes. That way you can hunt deer, turkeys, doves, bears, squirrels, ducks and anything else with the same gun.

 

[AvengersAssembled]

If you do go for a .30-30, I got a brand new Mossberg 464 (NOT the zombie addition, for those who are familiar) for $420. It's just plain fun to shoot, I love lever action, even if it's not the most practical lol Just so long as you're not going to be shooting it at any distance past 100 yards or so.

 

[taps50]

Ive been looking online and found a few DPMS AR15s (5.56mm)for around $650, would it be worth it to get one if these? Neither of these have sights, so i would have to get some later.

 

[taps50]

And none of the walmarts around me sell guns anymore, they have ammo and some accessories but thats it.

 

[Smitty901]

And none of the walmarts around me sell guns anymore, they have ammo and some accessories but thats it.

Check out Fleet farm they are all over Wisconsin.

 

[Rigged for Quiet]

Another choice I never see mentioned is the Mossberg ATR100. I've shot the standard model and the ATR100 Night Train recently. The earlier generations had some problems but the newer releases are more than acceptable given their price point.

The Night Train 2 model comes with a cool looking 6-24x60 scope but I'd recommend the base model and picking your own optics.

Locally I can pick a new in the box ART100 for $300 and a Night Train for around $500.

 

[Doomsday]

You might look at the Savage Arms Model 42 in 22 LR or 22 WMR over 410. This would give you a choice of both hunting and protection until you can get something better.

 

[Meangreen]

I had a Mossberg ATR in .308 and it was the biggest POS. Horrible trigger, a fixed box magazine that wouldn't feed, and a cheap plastic stock that I could easily flex with my hands. I gave it to a young kid for his first deer hunt and I since purchased a Ruger All-American in 30.06. Way better quality rifle in every way.

If your looking for a AK or AR, these guys are great.

http://www.classicfirearms.com/long-guns