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ExAFO

Just got my FOID...Need gun recommendations

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I love my 10/22 but hate the factory trigger it has on it. I'd love to put a custom trigger on it.

Go with 22 Long Rifle ammo for general plinking. 22 magnums are a lot more expensive to shoot.

My personal choice for home defense is a pump shotgun with a short barrel. If I shot pistols more I might have a different opinion. It would just be easier for me to make an accurate shot , under a high stress situation in the dark. A shotgun, with buckshot, shouldn't penetrate more than say a 38 special or 9mm, (probably less) unless you are using slugs. Slugs would be good at longer ranges, but would also easily penetrate several sheet rock walls. Something to consider if you live in a congested area...Steve1

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Go with 22 Long Rifle ammo for general plinking. 22 magnums are a lot more expensive to shoot.



And try different brands of ammo too. That can make a dramatic difference in accuracy. If you buy the cheap bulk-packaged .22 rimfire stuff, don't expect much. Once I tried Federal Gold Medal Ultra-Match, I never went back. It reduced my group sizes at 100 yards from about 4-5 inches down to 1 inch. And after you've shot that well, it's just no fun to go back to that less accurate ammo.

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As a tad more then a plinking gun, anyone got any thoughts on a .223? Last I was shooting something of that size it was a 30-06 accelerator and that was'nt too accurate. I've kicked around a .223 as a pure small bore target gun if I was to get back into shooting.
Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

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I think a 223 would be a great choice. I usually shoot a 22-250, but a 223 would be another great caliber. I like the idea of less noise and slightly less recoil than a 22-250. Some people shoot hundreds of rounds a day at prairie dogs and you might notice the difference at the end of the day.

I load Hornady super-X bullets in the 22-250 for coyotes. This is probably the most accurate rifle I own. Usually there isn't an exit hole on coyotes. I've shot a few deer and antelope with this gun, but it's really too small. You could take a neck or head shot. I hate neck or head shots though, because something may go wrong and you could end up with a wounding shot. And I really hate that. I'm a firm believer in using enough gun.

There's also plenty of military ammo available in 223 that you could buy reasonably. I'd rather handload for a bolt action rifle, but for say an M-16 or AR-15 you might want to shoot the cheaper military stuff....Steve1

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And try different brands of ammo too.




This is a great idea. I have a few friends who do this. If I did more 22 shooting I'd definitely do the same. I usually buy Remington 22 ammo, but another brand may shoot a lot better. I've got three 22 rifles and I really should test them to see which brand shoots the best

For general plinking this may not be needed, but I've always been kind of a perfectionist when it comes to my guns. If it doesn't shoot well, I usually get rid of it....Steve1

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As a tad more then a plinking gun, anyone got any thoughts on a .223?



AR-15's are now the most common rifle used in high-power rifle competition, shot at 200, 300 and 600 yards. They can be made quite accurate. You'll want a "match" version, with a full length 20" barrel. The barrel should be a "Hbar" (heavy barrel), with a "1 in 7" twist rate to the rifling (1 revolution every 7" of barrel length), to stabilize the heavier bullets needed for longer distances. If you've got more money, get a match trigger, free-float front handguards, and quarter-minute adjustable rear sight. There is no noticable recoil, and the ammo is cheaper than .30-06 or .308. Get yourself one of those, and some match ammo, and you're good out to 600 yards, with tremendous accuracy.

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And try different brands of ammo too.



This is a great idea. I have a few friends who do this... For general plinking this may not be needed, but I've always been kind of a perfectionist when it comes to my guns. If it doesn't shoot well, I usually get rid of it....Steve1



Sometimes the rifle is just fine, it just doesn't shoot well with some brands of ammo. So it's a shame to get rid of a rifle, until you've exhausted some trial and error tests with difference brands. Guns are finicky, and some just shoot certain types of ammo much better than others. Each one can be different.

I used to buy the cheap .22 ammo for plinking. But once I found out how much more accurate the match ammo is, it wasn't any fun any more to plink with the old stuff. You pay more for the good stuff, but it's worth it in my opinion.

You'll look a bit funny at the gun store buying one box of 50 rounds of half a dozen different brands. But what the heck, and they'll probably realize you're a savvy shooter who knows to experiment.

And reloading your own ammo is even better, because you control all the variables, and can custom tune the ammo to your specific rifle. But that's another whole ball of wax...

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On a separate note; I just picked up a new FN HP SFS 9x19 pistol... that has a "Safety Fast Shooting" cocking lever... I'm wrestling with this one.

Ooh Cool!!!

Got any pics?
Drags me down, like some sweet gravity...
Nightwing has stirred, and taken to flight...the silence is over, he's shattered the night!!!

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Sometimes the rifle is just fine, it just doesn't shoot well with some brands of ammo. So it's a shame to reply]

I agree. It's funny though sometimess you can get a gun that ought to shoot, but just won't group as good as it should, no matter what you do.

I bought a stainless Winchester 300 Win. Mag with a 26 inch barrel, synthetic stock, and claw extractor a while back. I figured that when I got done with it, that it would drive tacks. I floated the barrel, glass bedded the action, and put a 3X9 Leupold scope on it. I adjusted the trigger the way I liked it....(Soft and Crisp).

Then I started working up loads for it using a variety of powders, charges, and bullets. I started each load out light working up a half grain with each group. (Watching for pressure signs)

The best I could wring out of it was 1 1/2 inch groups. Most were around two inches. I guess this was good enough for most hunting purposes, but I just wasn't satisfied. I loved everything about that rifle but it just wouldn't group like I wanted it to. I next tried putting a shim under the barrel near the forend of the stock. Still no change....The groups were too big. I had a couple other rifles with light barrels, and this shim made a huge difference, but not in this case.

I'm not knocking Winchesters because I have a Winchester featherweight in 270 that will group around 3/4 of an inch at 100 yards, but this other rifle just wouldn't group well. Maybe the flaw was in the barrel or possibly the action. My knowlege is limited here.

So, the next gun show I went to I found this beautiful 300 Win. Mag. in Remington BDL with 26 inch barrel (from their custom shop). Without any modifications at all it would shoot close to an inch. After fine tuning it and working up a good load I can consistently get 3/4 inch groups with it.

I traded the other Winchester in on it, and lost quite a bit of money, but it was worth it to me....Steve1

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I used to buy the cheap .22 ammo for plinking. But once I found out how much more accurate the match ammo is, it wasn't any fun any more to plink with the old stuff. You pay more for the good stuff, but it's worth it in my opinion.
reply]


I once knew another (fellow) gun nut who used to win most of the turkey shoots in our area. He's probably forgot more about bench rest shooting than I'll ever know. At any rate, I used to pick his brain every chance I got to learn more about fine tuning a rifle to get the best accuracy out of it. One day he said..."You know, sometimes ignorance is bliss"....

The more I thought about it, the more it made since. When I was younger I was tickled to have just about any old gun or ammunition, and I thought it was perfect. Then the more I learned the more particular I got. Now, I'm probably way to picky about the type of gun I keep, (and the type of ammo it shoots).

As far as the M-16 you mentioned....I'd love to own one some day. Sounds about perfect to me!...Steve1

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I agree. It's funny though sometimess you can get a gun that ought to shoot, but just won't group as good as it should, no matter what you do.



Good story, and it's a shame after all that work you couldn't get that rifle to improve. Rifle accuracy is a fickle thing. You would think that after hundreds of years of manufacture, they would have this figured out. Yet, it's still a crap shoot as to what comes off the assembly line. Some just shoot better than others, even though they're all made exactly the same.

The military in WWII used to pick their sniper rifles by just test-firing everything, then picking the top 2% or so for accuracy and handing those out to the snipers.

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Yup... here ya go...

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The HP-SFS is the only patented system in the world that combines the performances of the single action and double action pistol mechanisms without any of their disadvantages. Carrying the pistol safely with a cartridge in the chamber is the basic principle of the HP-SFS. The hammer is permanently in the double action mode, although the weapon always fires in single action position, allowing the shooter to fire quickly and be more accurate from the first shot.


Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

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That is one sweeeeet looking firearm!!!
I like the grip, it's similar to my CZ75B which I got recently.
How do you feel bout that grip? I know a few americans that don't dig them.
Drags me down, like some sweet gravity...
Nightwing has stirred, and taken to flight...the silence is over, he's shattered the night!!!

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Man I should get my pistol permit. I hate NY if you don't have a pistol permit you can't even tuch one at a range even if you are with someone who has a permit. On the bright side since I do have an LBI it should just be a matter of filling the paperwork
Divot your source for all things Hillbilly.
Anvil Brother 84
SCR 14192

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Really? I would have thought that every NY'er could carry a gun. But what do I know, I'm from Nam...
My gun license took about 4 months!
Drags me down, like some sweet gravity...
Nightwing has stirred, and taken to flight...the silence is over, he's shattered the night!!!

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With the exception of NYC anyone in NY can have a LR or shotgun, but you need a permit for a pistol. Funny thing is, once you get your pistol permit you have to register your LR and shotguns
Divot your source for all things Hillbilly.
Anvil Brother 84
SCR 14192

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You'll want a "match" version, with a full length 20" barrel



True if you plan on shooting High Power Competition and need an A2. But if you just want a very accurate plinking gun and do not plan to compete then there are more options. I would recommend a Varmint version. You can pick up a RRA Varmint for around $900. Throw a scope on it and with the right ammo you have a factory sub 1/2" MOA rifle. I would much prefer this to a match A2 for plinking and varmint hunting. I have never liked the mounts for the A2 and while I am more than competent with Iron sights, I prefer shooting tight groups with a good scope.
That spot isn't bad at all, the winds were strong and that was the issue! It was just on the downwind side.

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Well the time you take to wake up to "responsibly" pull the trigger is the amount of time it took the intruder to shoot your kids and wife/husband. I'll take my chances with a shotgun, at least in the groggy 3am situation.



Fantastic. What happened to identifying your target? Or did you just shoot your kids in this hypothetical situation?

t
It's the year of the Pig.

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I've shot both .22's and .22 magnums. Magnums have a bit more kick to them and can travel much farther then normal .22s. However they still punch the same size hole in a target. And they are a little more expensive then normal .22s, but still fairly cheap.
But I never saw the advantage of the .22 magnum over a normal .22. I think you'll have better luck just gettig a standard .22 and plinking with that.

MB 3528, RB 1182

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As a handgun owner in Illinois myself, I'd like to add something that none of the other posters have mentioned:

If the situation arises where you DO have to use your weapon for home / self defense, you may have to go to court to defend yourself.

The reaction you get will be completely different depending on what weapon is being displayed in court.

There is a world of difference between a 9mm or .45 caliber plain jane handgun vs. a hair-trigger, laser sight, compensated barrel .44 magnum.

Same goes with a shotgun, I'd stick with one that looks like a hunting long gun. The inner-city pistol-grip gansta-thug look will seriously dampen any arugments of self-defense REGARDLESS of the facts in the case.

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Anyhow, looking to get two long guns, one shotgun and one .22 rifle.



Mossberg 590 12gauge - 20" barrel 9 shot capacity, or 18.5" barrel 6 shot capacity. Can be configured with ghost ring sights. Mossberg 590 was the first pump action 12 guage to pass MilSpec testing. Remington 870 12 gauge is an alternative. 3" 00 buck loads in the chamber.

If you are really small, don't BELIEVE you can handle the recoil, or want a chick to be able to effectively employ it, you might be better off with a 20 gauge.

I'd also attach a super brite light system in the pump handguard...identifies as well as temporarily disorients target.

Rifle - Semi auto, like others have said, an AR15 based varient. Heavy barrel. Variety of targeting systems available, but a nice 3 power works well for urban warfare scenarios. 5.56 round will defeat most BP vests, and will effectively penetrate vehicles. Oh yeah, it will work well on varmits.

Bolt action - I love .22-250s. One of the flattest shooting rounds out there. I had one set up on an old Mauser action. One of the ultimate varmit rounds.

It never hurt to have a .40 cal Glock or SigSauer, either full framed or compact, with a couple clips of Corbon or Black Talon rounds. And a snub nose .357 with Federal 125grain +P JHP ammo makes a great ankle backup.

But truth be told, in lesser trained hands a shotgun is a far superior weapon than a pistol for close combat.
Get in - Get off - Get away....repeat as neccessary

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