I've been thinking about purchasing a rifle to take down to the range for some target practice this spring. I want something larger than a 22. Got any suggestions for something that's not too expensive and uses a relatively cheap, easy to find (assuming there wasn't an ammo shortage anyway) type of ammo?

I think 223 is pretty cheap comparatively.
Check out this site and see what you find.

http://ammoseek.com/

Quote from: JTA on March 18, 2013, 05:09:07 PM
I've been thinking about purchasing a rifle to take down to the range for some target practice this spring. I want something larger than a 22. Got any suggestions for something that's not too expensive and uses a relatively cheap, easy to find (assuming there wasn't an ammo shortage anyway) type of ammo?

Buy an SKS. Shoots 7.62X39. Russian and other foreign crap is still relatively cheap. Most everything else has gone out of sight if you can find it.

Quote from: Shooterman on March 18, 2013, 05:29:58 PM
Buy an SKS. Shoots 7.62X39. Russian and other foreign crap is still relatively cheap. Most everything else has gone out of sight if you can find it.

Good point, I bought a bolt action Mosignant in excellent condition at Big5 for $69.0 and a thousand rounds of ammo for around $70.0.

Quote from: Solar on March 18, 2013, 05:42:28 PM
Good point, I bought a bolt action Mosignant in excellent condition at Big5 for $69.0 and a thousand rounds of ammo for around $70.0.

Dang, 150 bucks on Cabelas! That seems really cheap.

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=710007

Ammo seems the be relatively cheap and oddly enough in stock.

Quote from: JTA on March 18, 2013, 05:51:32 PM
Dang, 150 bucks on Cabelas! That seems really cheap.

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=710007

Ammo seems the be relatively cheap and oddly enough in stock.

Sorry I spelled it wrong.
Makes a Hell of a sniper rifle. I really like mine, not ear splitting, and you can burn several rounds without fatigue.

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2010/09/chris-dumm/gun-review-mosin-nagant/

Not being much of a gun guy, This thread triggered a question. After assault type rifles are limited, will the anti second amendment folks start after sniper type (Deer) rifles?

Quote from: Eyesabide on March 18, 2013, 06:15:44 PM
Not being much of a gun guy, This thread triggered a question. After assault type rifles are limited, will the anti second amendment folks start after sniper type (Deer) rifles?

Yes. They are now targeting shot guns as well.

I'm moving this to Survival forum.

My all around play around target practice rifle is a 2 22.   But I like the looks of that 223. 

I've been checking out the Mossberg MVP. Its a 5.56/.223 bolt action that takes AR mags.

http://www.mossberg.com/products/rifles/centerfire/mvp-series

Think I can find something reasonable for under 250?

Bolt action Mosignant looks pretty cheap.

Quote from: JTA on March 19, 2013, 04:41:07 PM
Think I can find something reasonable for under 250?

Bolt action Mosignant looks pretty cheap.

Definitely best bang for the buck, even though it's 70 years old, they are still extremely accurate.
Put a scope on it, and you'd be hard pressed to find anything under $500. to beat it.

Quote from: Solar on March 19, 2013, 04:52:15 PM
Definitely best bang for the buck, even though it's 70 years old, they are still extremely accurate.
Put a scope on it, and you'd be hard pressed to find anything under $500. to beat it.

Keep in mind that ammo for your Mosin-Nagant ain't on Walmart's shelf, and probably never will be. The correct ammo is 7.62x54mmR -- the "R" means rimmed. This is NOT the same fodder that goes through an AK or an SKS -- that's 7.62x39mm, which is available all over the place, but is a completely different and incompatible cartridge.

I agree with Solar, the caliber is a good one, and the old M-N rifles were well made. But they're mostly a hundred years old, some older, and they're all bolt-action. If that's what you want, fine, just so you know what you're getting. Yes, if you can find a way to fit a scope to one, you're good to go for hunting. But the Mosin-Nagant is not much of a self-defense piece, unless it's all you have. (Hell, a butter knife is good for defense if it's all you have...)

Before you plunk down the cash, look carefully down the bore. If it's really dark in there, pass it by. In my experience, the vast majority of such battle rifles have bores so badly shot out that you can't hit my house from here -- a distance of about 100 feet. I once bought an old Lee-Enfield No. 1, Mk 3 that was a fine-looking piece, but couldn't pierce a target more than three times before its rotted barrel heated and warped and walked the holes right off the paper. An even prettier Mauser 98 in 7mm cal. was even worse. It had been "tricked up" every way there was -- turned down bolt handle, target sights, walnut Monte Carlo stock, scope mounts, M70-style safety, hot-bluing -- you name it. It was one of the sexiest damn rifles I've ever seen, and that's why I bought it -- for $140. Holy cow. At 25 yards, the long, sexy 7mm bullets that thing shot made holes in the paper target -- occasionally -- that looked like an old-fashioned pop bottle, kinda oblong. At 100 yds. that rifle made holes in the target NEVER, EVER ONCE.

Quote from: TboneAgain on March 19, 2013, 05:20:13 PM
Keep in mind that ammo for your Mosin-Nagant ain't on Walmart's shelf, and probably never will be. The correct ammo is 7.62x54mmR -- the "R" means rimmed. This is NOT the same fodder that goes through an AK or an SKS -- that's 7.62x39mm, which is available all over the place, but is a completely different and incompatible cartridge.

I agree with Solar, the caliber is a good one, and the old M-N rifles were well made. But they're mostly a hundred years old, some older, and they're all bolt-action. If that's what you want, fine, just so you know what you're getting. Yes, if you can find a way to fit a scope to one, you're good to go for hunting. But the Mosin-Nagant is not much of a self-defense piece, unless it's all you have. (Hell, a butter knife is good for defense if it's all you have...)

Before you plunk down the cash, look carefully down the bore. If it's really dark in there, pass it by. In my experience, the vast majority of such battle rifles have bores so badly shot out that you can't hit my house from here -- a distance of about 100 feet. I once bought an old Lee-Enfield No. 1, Mk 3 that was a fine-looking piece, but couldn't pierce a target more than three times before its rotted barrel heated and warped and walked the holes right off the paper. An even prettier Mauser 98 in 7mm cal. was even worse. It had been "tricked up" every way there was -- turned down bolt handle, target sights, walnut Monte Carlo stock, scope mounts, M70-style safety, hot-bluing -- you name it. It was one of the sexiest damn rifles I've ever seen, and that's why I bought it -- for $140. Holy cow. At 25 yards, the long, sexy 7mm bullets that thing shot made holes in the paper target -- occasionally -- that looked like an old-fashioned pop bottle, kinda oblong. At 100 yds. that rifle made holes in the target NEVER, EVER ONCE.

It's true, many of these old rifles have issues, but Big5 and Cabellas have trusted buyers and you can expect top quality, if there is a Cabellas close by, you can inspect all the weapons and compare.
The only issue is the grease they were stored in, can't remember what it's called, but recommend stripping the gun down and cleaning it. Aw, cosmoline.

My bore looked perfect, showed no sign of ever having been fired.

You will be hard pressed to find visible signs of bore wear.  Rust and pitting can be seen, however, wear in the lands or the crown sufficient to cause accuracy issues can not be seen with the naked eye.  Most of your retired military rifles have had thousands of rounds cycled through them.  Yes, they can be purchased cheap and you can shoot them at the range...just don't plan on impressing anyone with accuracy.  Savage makes some good quality guns and comparatively speaking they are low prices.  For the money they are some of the most accurate rifles out of the box that I have found.  If you can find one a 22 Hornet would be a good low recoil caliber and it is under the "assault caliber" radar right now.  223 is still a good round but ammo is hard to find right now but that will soon change IMO.