How to Choose The Correct Rifle for You

First, determine your current level of experience. If you are brand new to shooting, and just want a rifle to learn with, a .22 caliber is probably the best. And it comes with much recommendation that you make that .22 a Ruger 10/22, as it is very user friendly, easy to field strip, and is extremely modular with aftermarket parts.

Second:

Determine what you will be using the rifle for. Hunting rifles come in many calibers. And there is an old saying from colonial days that ".30 is a squirrel gun, .40 is a rabbit gun, .50 is a deer gun and .60 is a bear gun." Of course, weapons have become a lot more powerful since then, so that formula doesn’t really apply. But on a similar format, here is a good standard for today. A .22 is a squirrel gun, .22 magnum is a rabbit gun, .30 or 7.62 is a deer gun and .300 magnum is a elk, moose and bear gun

If the rifle you are looking for is for defensive purposes, there are also many options. The most obvious of these being the assault type weapons. Although these are not true assault weapons, A good place to start is the AR-15 layout. It is very user friendly, and very accurate. But it tends to be unreliable when irregularly maintained and the .223 cartridge can be too much over penetration for too little stopping power. They also tend to be expensive.

Another choice is the AK-47. It is much cheaper, it's 7.62x39 cartridge packs more punch, and it is much more reliable. But it is much less accurate, and many of the features are difficult to manipulate when compared to the AR-15 series, most notably the safety and magazine release.

 For apartment defense or other situations where you anticipate a lot of potential for collateral damage, some great choices are the Beretta Cx4 Storm chambered for 9mm and the FN P90 chambered for 5.7x28mm. Both of these are good choices, as they are very short and easy to handle indoors, and the rounds are much less powerful, and when using hollow point or frangible ammo, they will most likely not go through walls.

Third:

Decide how much you want to spend. Sporting rifles come in many prices depending on the manufacturer, caliber, and quality of wood, barrel and engraving if desired.  The best way to find a good rifle that fits your needs is to find a reliable professional gun shop. They should know the differences and guide you to the right affordable choice.

Before you buy a rifle, get a professional opinion. Sportsmans Gun Room is that professional. Click HERE to get connected.