[Froggyjf]

Hey, I want to get into sport shooting, but have no clue where to start. I am looking for a reliable brand, semi auto, and as far as caliber goes I don't really know. I hunt a lot too so something w/ a 'lil kick, Just tell me what u think. I'm trying to stay in the 250 ish rang, and don't mind buying used--- Anyway, just looking for opinions.
Thanks, Froggy

 

[toyrfun]

you may want to look for a gun rental range in your area an rent as many different guns and calibers as you can so you can narrow down your selection. right now your question is like asking what type of car you should buy.

also, dont forget there are REVOLVERs out there too. autoloaders can be fun, but revolvers can teach you to shoot also. also, revovers are more likely to be "reliable". autoloaders can be reliable too.

one last comment. imo, for 250, youre not going to get much. maybe a used Ruger autoloader or single six in 22LR. also, if you cant afford much in terms of a gun, how are you going to feed it? have you priced ammo? if not, do so and think about how much time behind the trigger you will get with your budget. a 22LR pistol/revolver can be good too, and the ammo is less expensive.

 

[Froggyjf]

--Well..I guess what I meant was..Not like the EXACT gun but..more along the lines of caliber I guess. Basically I'm looking for an accurate/rang gun, w/ the power to stop medium to big game/self defense. From what I've "head" online/and friends the 38 special, 45apc., and the 357 seem to come up a lot.. and that ... ex. a 12 Ga. will easily stop some1 in there tracks, but wont be near as accurate as a 22lr. in a small grouping scenario. ____

Yes, this is true.

Haha, I can wish can't I. ----Yea, I knew that, but figured I'd put the price out, just in case. I'm expecting 350-600, witch I'm not planning on buying soon, just doing some research be4 hand. And on the ammo side of it, makes me wanna go for something "more" common like the 9mm.
Would the three guns listed above(357, 45, 38), and the 9mm and 40. cal be in the same "class"? I'm pretty sure I wanna stay on the smaller side (but still with a punch).

Thanks for your time and help!!___________Froggy

 

[toyrfun]

--Well..I guess what I meant was..Not like the EXACT gun but..more along the lines of caliber I guess. Basically I'm looking for an accurate/rang gun, w/ the power to stop medium to big game/self defense. From what I've "head" online/and friends the 38 special, 45apc., and the 357 seem to come up a lot.. and that ... ex. a 12 Ga. will easily stop some1 in there tracks, but wont be near as accurate as a 22lr. in a small grouping scenario. ____

Yes, this is true.

Haha, I can wish can't I. ----Yea, I knew that, but figured I'd put the price out, just in case. I'm expecting 350-600, witch I'm not planning on buying soon, just doing some research be4 hand. And on the ammo side of it, makes me wanna go for something "more" common like the 9mm.
Would the three guns listed above(357, 45, 38), and the 9mm and 40. cal be in the same "class"? I'm pretty sure I wanna stay on the smaller side (but still with a punch).

Thanks for your time and help!!___________Froggy

whats "medium to big game/self defense" this? depending on where you live in the world, it could be a pit bull or elephant.

i dont hunt, so i will leave that up to others that do. but im sure others will want to know what you want to "defend" yourself against.

 

[Froggyjf]

By self defense I meant the unlikely and hopefully never event that some crazy crack head attacks me or some1 bakes into my house ect.

Medium to big game would be deer and hogs, 95-500 pounds..I guess thats a big range, so averagely around 250ish.

 

[wwb]

Serious target shooting and hunting require completely different handguns.... and when you're talking about shooting feral pigs, you're talking about a .357 Magnum... MINIMUM.... more likely a .41 Mag or .44 Mag. A 9x19, .38 Special, or .45 Auto WILL NOT cut the mustard if you run into a big hog.

Also, save your spare change until you can afford a decent gun.... a cheap gun is a waste of money.

To learn to shoot a handgun, a .22 rimfire is the way to go. In order to be proficient, you must:

1)Take a firearm safety course first, and an NRA handgun course second.

2) Either take lessons or read, study, and follow the U. S. Army pistol shooting manual - http://www.bullseyepistol.com/chapterf.htm

3) Shoot a lot, and shoot regularly..... if you don't use it, you lose it. This is where the .22 shines - ammo is getting a little easier to come by, though it's still more expensive than a year ago - CCI Blazer 500 round bricks are going for $16 - $17 in my area.

 

[Captn66]

+1 to what wwb said.

You do not want to be hunting deer with the 9mm, 38 sp, 40 S&W, 45 acp. I'll also say to check your state regs .... some states (PA being one of them) do not allow hunting with a semi-automatic handgun (or rifle for that matter). That may in itself steer you toward a revolver.

I'll also second the .22 comment. I can blow $100 real quick when feeding my glock in 45 GAP but that same $100 will keep my .22's well fed.

 

[WDBradley]

I expect that when you say that you hunt a lot this would be a sidearm and not what you hunt with? If it is for hunting as already expressed a semi auto pistol isn't the pistol for that use.

Sport shooting is far different still your price range is a bit low for a quality pistol. A good place to start is the Ruger P series in 9mm (Ruger P93 9mm is a good used pistol) but will still cost a bit more than the $250 you suggested but not by much. It easy to operate, good sights, a decent pistol to learn with and is fun to shoot. It is also a fair home defense pistol and a reasonable back up while hunting.

Good luck and let us know what you decide to buy.

 

[kitsap]

What "WWB" said.... with one addition: I'd recommend that your first pistol be a single action 22 revolver. Reason is that it will shoot reliably and not too quickly so you'll have time to think about what you are doing (both in terms of SAFETY and accuracy). Extra emphasis on the firearm safety course - it isn't just for the newbies either as a fair number of tragic accidents happen when an "experienced" shooter gets complacent.

As for the hunting...... I don't hunt but from what I've read, you need to first check with whatever state you hunt in. Then consider the range you'd figure on using the pistol at..... personally I'd want a hunting pistol to be plenty big and plenty powerful.

 

[Roadkill Bill]

The only automatic I'd suggest hunting with is a 10mm. You're looking at expensive ammo that many places don't stock.

The smallest caliber for hunting deer would be a .357 magnum. Even then, keep the ranges close as if you were bow hunting. Better yet would be one of the 40s - .41 mag, 44 Special (loaded hot), 44 mag, or a hot 45 Colt.

The .357 is a great beginner gun. You can shoot .38 Specials, .38+Ps, and all sorts of .357 mag loads, from mild 110 gr. loads to the big whompers with 180 to 200 gr. bullets. The great range and variety of what you can shoot in a .357 makes it the most versatile hand gun round out there (if you don't reload). Also, very dependable. A revolver can have problems - any gun can - but a revolver won't have jamming or feeding/magazine problems like an automatic. They are so easy to load that even a wife can do it.

But the best just fun gun is a .22. Get you a Ruger automatic for about $300 or so, a few bricks of ammo, and all of last weeks empty soda cans, and practice, practice, practice. You'll never out grow a .22. You'll end up with several before it's all over. They're just so much fun! I wouldn't suggest medium sized game, but they are a lot of fun with rabbits and squirrels!

 

[Roadkill Bill]

Also, for a range/hunting gun I'd suggest a 6" barrel with its longer sight radius.

(But still get that .22 first!)

 

[Paul F.]

Nobody ever went wrong by starting their handgun career with a .357 with a 4" barrel. For "plinking" or even home defense, you can always use .38spl. The revolver is reliable and, in fact, safer in the hands of a novice. Get comfortable with it and then graduate.

 

[Roadkill Bill]

Graduate? If you've got a wheelgun, you're there! :mrgreen:

(Unless what you mean by "graduate" is moving on to .41s and .44s!)