best caliber

[martinemyers]

what's the best caliber for a beginner shooter (just target shooting no hunting)? I'm thinking a 243 winchester or a 270 winchester. thou i've heard that the recoil for the 270 is fairly stiff not for first time shooter. any suggestions?

[DM]

Of those two and NO hunting, why would you even consider the 270?

The .243 Win. or even smaller is perfect for that purpose...

DM

[Wyobuckaroo]

How about 22lr.

[kawalekm]

You could get a Marlin lever action rifle that shoots a revolver cartridge, either a .357 mag or a .44 mag. *For light practice shooting you can fire off .38 specials or .44 specials. *When shooting becomes more serious, either for self-protection or hunting, you can switch over to the more powerful magnum rounds.

The .357 is especially good for training beginners, especially children. *Light target .38's have little more recoil than a .22. *That's perfect for a beginner. *Work you way up to shooting 180grain .357 magnum loads and you can go short range deer hunting!

One other lever option that might work for you is a Puma lever in .454 Casull. Light "Cowboy Loads" in the .45 colt are little stronger than a .38 special. But switch over to .454 Casull, and you can get rounds powerful enough to drop a buffalo!
Michael

[Watonga_Jim]

I can't disagree with Michael but anyone that is going to do any shooting needs at least one .22LR. They are great fun to shoot and they are the cheapest shooting fun you can have. The military also uses the .22 as target training guns. Better yet, get both a .22 and a lever action center fire rifle.

Enjoy,
Jim

[OzarkMtnDaredevil]

I'll stand over here with Wyo and Jim and vote for the .22 LR. 8)
As was mentioned, they're much cheaper to feed than other pets allowing more shooting time. They also allow a new shooter to concentrate more without the recoil factor thrown in.
Also (you knew there was an 'Also', huh? ;) ) , you never really outgrow a .22 . If your interests move to hunting, it's capable of much.
There's also certain ones I'd avoid for financial reasons. In particular, the Ruger 10/22. There are SOO many cool mods for this thing that... you get my point. ;D

[OzarkMtnDaredevil]

... *But switch over to .454 Casull, and you can get rounds powerful enough to drop a buffalo!
Michael

Uh..Mike? I think is was back in '86 when I injured my knee when a friend handed me a .454 . It was like the Super Blackhawk on steroids. ;)
A two-hand hold nearly dropped Me on the first shot.

[otterbob]

You always start with a 22lr then you let them visit up and down the firing line to see what tweaks their fancy !
Each person is different,,, they may like little fast bullets like a 220 swift, big fat mortars like a 45-70, or punishing magnums like a 375 H&H.
Just get them started with the 22lr and let nature take its course !

Otter Bob

[RangerRick]

Yep, I'd vote for the inexpensive .22 lr and the Ruger 10-22 carbine along with a nice pistol like the Ruger Mark I, II or III. *Just bought the wife a nice little Walther P22 that is a great little shooter and recommend it highly. For target/plinking remember .22 ammo runs at around $14 per 550 rounds.

Rick

[Scout]

You can pick up a bolt or semi .22LR and a couple bricks of ammo for under $200. But soon, you'll need to upgrade to a centerfire so you can truly work on your marksmanship. I would recomend a .223 as you can shoot a lot without breaking the bank (Don't use 5.56 in a .223 though). And if you decide to hunt, it will do fine for deer and hogs (you're state's Fish and Game department may disagree though, so check the regulations). You can get a single shot .223 for pretty cheap.

[remington]

22 LR.

[johnjmw]

Why not use the 5.56 in the .223? I thought they were the same round?
John

[MissouriFree]

I vote for a 22LR. but in a good single shot like an old Winchester 67. when starting out , it makes you a better shot then counting on the next bullet in gun.

[ArmySGT.]

Why not use the 5.56 in the .223? *I thought they were the same round?
John

Nope. Close enough to work in a squeaky clean gun.

The case shoulders are different, case volume is different, and case thickness is different. The .223 is for civilians (varminters mostly) and is manufactured to tighter tolerances.

5.56 is a military round and meant to feed into dirty chambers and work in the rifles of several nations. The tolerances are looser because another countries tolerances may be looser.

you may get a stuck case shooting .223 in a rifle chambered for 5.56 and vice versa.

[DM]

I thought this was about the .243 or 270??

I didn't know it was going to open up into a can of worms, but seeing as how it has, i'll add my 2 cents too.

If the origional poster is talking about under 100 yard practise, my vote also goes for a good quality bolt action 22lr... I NO WAY could go through life without a couple (or more) 22 rimfires around!

DM