What is best gun for an adult beginner hunter .22 rifle or 12/20 gauge shotgun?

February 9th, 2010 by eranio

17 Responses

GGG
February 9th, 2010 at 12:04 am

Everybodys different — My first rifle was a Ruger Mini 14 — is this the best for you??? Who knows? To this day I think it was an excellent choice….. If thats a little out of your budget then consider a decent quality .22 rifle. The Ruger 10/22 comes to mind…. The ammo is cheap so you can get a lot of practice time in without emptying your wallet ——- A NOTE ABOUT SHOTGUNS for beginners……There not a bad choice but a beginner might develope a flinch when getting used to one of those, they have a bit of recoil so some shooters when switching to rifles from shotguns have to overcome the urge to flinch……Thats why a rifle might be better first…… I do believe no matter what gun choice you make you should always own a 12 gauge shotgun. This is for defense of your home and family…. You may need it to defend against an animal attack, univited guest, civil unrest. looters after a hurricane,etc, etc, etc….. Most likely you will never have to use a shotgun in a defensive situation but that doesnt mean you cant have fun with it. My son and I have Remington and Mossberg police type shotguns in our homes. If you think they are collecting dust while we wait for the boogey man then your wrong — We take these out every few weeks and blast several rounds of buckshot and slugs…. These guns are fun!!! %99 of the reason we have them is to shoot and enjoy them and the %1 for the uncertainly factor in life! —– If you have the budget get a medium caliber rifle chambered in .223 or a bolt action chambered in .308 and always have a shotgun around just because!!
The Great Gazoo
February 9th, 2010 at 12:04 am

If you have poor aim go with a shotgun you just point and shoot.

Myself I prefer a 22 as is more fun and the ammo is way cheaper.

A .22 rifle is a great starting gun whether adult of not as it does not have a big kick like a shotgun
michelle b
February 9th, 2010 at 12:04 am

I don’t hunt but I learned on a .22……..I am a small girl and it was easy to hold on to, aim, and shoot!
johndeere2510
February 9th, 2010 at 12:04 am

Depends what you are hunting. THe .22 has lower recoil and cheaper ammo…. the shotgun has a shorter range but less need for accuracy.

Check the local game laws – some areas they tell you which type of firearm you have to use on particular game, etc.
carbonfibrefreak
February 9th, 2010 at 12:04 am

depends what you#re hunting….
small stuff like rabbits a .22,
birds a 12 gauge

keep in mind there’s no cheaper ammo than .22. Shotgun shells can get epensive quick, unless you relaod them yourself.

I started off with a .22LR/20 Gauge over/under Savage 24C..great for small stuff.
General Josh
February 9th, 2010 at 12:04 am

A biginner huh! what are you going to shoot? or are you protecting yourself from something? Why don’t you try to buy granades instead of a shotgun or a bomb in this way the percentage of failure is much lower. Kill em all!
Jack Squat
February 9th, 2010 at 12:04 am

Are you wanting to hunt or get good at shooting?

for the former, it depends on what you’re hunting. While you can kill a deer with a good shot froma .22 LR, it’s not something a beginner (or most experianced hunters) can do. a .22 LR is better for small game. For just about everything else, I’d go with a 20 gauge, 12s are just too heavy for a beginner to lug around and point semi-accurately.

for the latter, and you should get good at shooting anyways, a .22 LR is really, really good for practicing form and accuracy. The ammo is cheap, and the guns aren’t terribly expensive either. You’d do fine getting a 10/22 from Wal Mart.
dca2003311@yahoo.com
February 9th, 2010 at 12:04 am

Buy yourself an over & under shotgun, rifle combination.* 22longrifle in the top barrel or 22 magnum, and either a 20 or 12 gauge in the bottom barrel.* Or any other caliber thats available in the top barrel that you like.*
pathfinder
February 9th, 2010 at 12:04 am

If you are new to guns, and know little to nothing, then I would recommend something like the semi-auto Ruger 10/22.
Lt
February 9th, 2010 at 12:04 am

a .22 is lots of fun to shoot, but you can only hunt squirrels, and rabbits, and such with it. For all-around hunting, go with a 12-guage shotgun. You can use it for bird hunting, or small and medium game.
Big Tex
February 9th, 2010 at 12:04 am

What are you trying to hunt? You can’t hunt much of anything with a .22LR, save for squirrels (although some Rambos will claim that they hunt mule deer and kodiak bear with .22s by hitting them in the eyeball at 50 yards…). But every hunter should own a .22 for practicing his/her technique. You can shoot a couple hundred rounds for less than three bucks, and it’s great practice.

Shotguns are used primarily for waterfowl or turkeys. Rifles are used for…well, anything else.

If you are recoil sensitive, which a beginning hunter might be, I’d stay away from hard kicking guns. A 12-gauge is pretty brutal, and as far as rifles go, anything bigger than a .30-06 might be too much.

A good beginner rifle would be a .243 (smallest caliber you should hunt whitetail deer with and you can kill the heck out of anything smaller). A .270 would be a great gun too…you can take deer, and much bigger critters with it. I prefer the .30-06. Many folks will tell you that you don’t need any other gun when you own an ’06, and I’d tend to agree, unless you are hunting lil’ varmints (I just bought a .243 for that purpose).
shiftless3spd
February 9th, 2010 at 12:04 am

Most of the answers you have received make valid points:
1. Are you going to hunt or target shoot (or plink)
2. If you are going to hunt, get a gun that is legal for the game you plan to hunt. These laws are in place for good reasons–humane kills and the safety of those in the area of the hunt.
3. If you are going to target shoot. Where do you plan to shoot. Any rifle or pistol caliber can travel a long way!
4. Welcome to the world of shooting. Please get proper instruction and follow the applicable laws. We shooters get enough bad press as it is. Practice safe shooting and always wear proper eye and ear protection. These items are useful around household items as power mowers and saws!
Rick J
February 9th, 2010 at 12:04 am

I would go with the 12 ga. You can hunt almost anything with it. A 20 ga. would be alright but you will grow out of it and want a 12 soon. So you might as well start 12. Everyone should own a shotgun.
Beni D
February 9th, 2010 at 12:04 am

For a beginner hunter you should get yourself a 12 gauge shotgun, because the 12 gauge shotgun is the most versatile gun out there. You can go and hunt upland, rabbits, waterfowl, coyotes, deer, turkey, and squires. With the .22 you are only limiting yourself to just rabbits and squires.
I mignt know
February 9th, 2010 at 12:04 am

Either will be fine.
Slim Whitman
February 9th, 2010 at 12:04 am

ruger 10/22 and remington 870 in 12 guage for adults
hannibal
February 9th, 2010 at 12:04 am

a .22 is a great gun, it is not very loud, the ammunition is inexpensive, and there is barely any kick, but it depends what you are going to do, if you plan on hunting, i would get a shotgun, because all you can hunt with .22s is varmints, and depending were you live, rifle hunting may be restricted, but shotguns are quite versatile, you can hunt upland bird, migratory bird, big game,turkey, and more. you should probably fire one before going out and buying an expensive gun.

What is best gun for an adult beginner hunter .22 rifle or 12/20 gauge shotgun?

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