That's honestly not a bad idea considering the difficulty in acquiring ammo. I know that there's FMJ and hollow point ammo for 9mm weapons, are there also hollow point rounds for rifles?
Mostly soft point/ballistic tipped. But in the current situation you use what you have. Fmj worked alright for us in the army. I can make it work if I need to.
I like PSA, affordable and ok quality. Or if you want a target rifle the ruger 10/22 takedown is good and easier to clean than the standard ruger 10/22... but the best gun is the one you can find ammo for, and ammo is really hard to find even at unreasonable prices
First off what do you want the rifle for? That is the number one question that needs answered. Strictly defensive rifle? Defensive/hunting? Hunting only?
Next is what is your budget?
Caliber you are looking for?
Your experience with firearms?
Can you afford a class or two if you don’t have much experience?
So, your best bet, if that is what you are looking for is AR/AK type rifles. There are other rifles that would fit the bill but will be harder to find at a reasonable price these days. I built all mine (AR-15/AR-10). If you are reasonably competent and have the tools it is easy to build your own reliable rifles. You can get a multitude of different chamberings for both the -15 and the -10 platforms including 7.62x39 for the ar-15. Aero makes good stuff for a good price if you can find it, and they have simplified the build process a bit. But as DuncanIdaho stated, your best bet is to find available ammo and buy that caliber rifle. Find ammo, buy ammo, buy rifle, then worry about the rest. Classes can wait if you take the time to learn the basics at home before you hit the range. In any event, good luck.
I am here if you want more info later. Just dm me. I have built a few. I can help you avoid a few mistakes or useless purchases if that’s the route you want to go.
Would not recommend a rifle for home defense unless you have a lot of property.
As others have pointed out, the big issue is ammo. I would recommend a AR Pistol in .300 blackout but ammo is rarer than an honest politician. Making it a bit of a fools errand.
Bottom line is you are looking at pistols - .45 or shotguns. There are some nice and relatively inexpensive magazine fed auto shotguns. For ammo, look at birdshot: fatal at close range but loses energy fast so friendly fire incidents are reduced.
Not sure. You might be able to find a range that rents weapons and you could see what they have to try. It might be possible to have a weaponsmith upgrade the recoil system to reduce the recoil.
An ar. Right away. Ive shot lots of psa rifles. I think they’re great. Not sure why all the hate. Maybe because anything built by hobbyist has a higher failure rate? I dunno.
Get your hands on some ammo first, then buy something in that caliber.
That's honestly not a bad idea considering the difficulty in acquiring ammo. I know that there's FMJ and hollow point ammo for 9mm weapons, are there also hollow point rounds for rifles?
Mostly soft point/ballistic tipped. But in the current situation you use what you have. Fmj worked alright for us in the army. I can make it work if I need to.
I like PSA, affordable and ok quality. Or if you want a target rifle the ruger 10/22 takedown is good and easier to clean than the standard ruger 10/22... but the best gun is the one you can find ammo for, and ammo is really hard to find even at unreasonable prices
Thanks man, I'll check out the Ruger 10/22 Takedown
Also, welcome to the club! Its a lot of fun and I hope you never need whatever it is you decide on
First off what do you want the rifle for? That is the number one question that needs answered. Strictly defensive rifle? Defensive/hunting? Hunting only?
Next is what is your budget?
Caliber you are looking for?
Your experience with firearms?
Can you afford a class or two if you don’t have much experience?
Can you afford to feed it? Mags and ammo.
I'm looking for a rifle for self/home defense.
I'd be willing to spend up to $1500 for the rifle (with some wiggle room if needed)
I hadn't considered the caliber much, are there other choices besides 5.56 NATO and .223 Remington?
I did get to shoot a rifle about 10 years ago (multiple times), and I've shot a 9mm pistol last year
I am able to take a few classes and will be looking to sign up for one if I can find a rifle.
Assuming I can find some, I should be able to afford the ammo and an extra few magazines
So, your best bet, if that is what you are looking for is AR/AK type rifles. There are other rifles that would fit the bill but will be harder to find at a reasonable price these days. I built all mine (AR-15/AR-10). If you are reasonably competent and have the tools it is easy to build your own reliable rifles. You can get a multitude of different chamberings for both the -15 and the -10 platforms including 7.62x39 for the ar-15. Aero makes good stuff for a good price if you can find it, and they have simplified the build process a bit. But as DuncanIdaho stated, your best bet is to find available ammo and buy that caliber rifle. Find ammo, buy ammo, buy rifle, then worry about the rest. Classes can wait if you take the time to learn the basics at home before you hit the range. In any event, good luck.
Thank you for your advice, I really appreciate it
I am here if you want more info later. Just dm me. I have built a few. I can help you avoid a few mistakes or useless purchases if that’s the route you want to go.
Would not recommend a rifle for home defense unless you have a lot of property.
As others have pointed out, the big issue is ammo. I would recommend a AR Pistol in .300 blackout but ammo is rarer than an honest politician. Making it a bit of a fools errand.
Bottom line is you are looking at pistols - .45 or shotguns. There are some nice and relatively inexpensive magazine fed auto shotguns. For ammo, look at birdshot: fatal at close range but loses energy fast so friendly fire incidents are reduced.
Huh that's a good point, I don't have a lot of property around my house; I live in a suburban neighborhood. Maybe a rifle isn't the best idea?
The shotgun sounds interesting but I worried about the recoil, I'm not the most built guy. Does the birdshot ammo recoil a lot?
Not sure. You might be able to find a range that rents weapons and you could see what they have to try. It might be possible to have a weaponsmith upgrade the recoil system to reduce the recoil.
That's fair, thank you for the suggestions. I really appreciate the help
Some options https://www.quora.com/How-can-you-reduce-the-recoil-of-a-shotgun
Nothing wrong with Palmetto State Armory or Remington. Any AR is an excellent choice. Buy one and have fun.
An ar. Right away. Ive shot lots of psa rifles. I think they’re great. Not sure why all the hate. Maybe because anything built by hobbyist has a higher failure rate? I dunno.