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CMMG has scratch and dent riflers for cheap or look at budsgunshop.com and shop around they have some Doublestar rifles in the $600 range. Optics...give a budget and we can find you a solution.

You simply can't beat the AR or AK recommendations based on the criteria provided by the OP. A good .22 is a lot of fun and about as inexpensive as shooting can get, but I like a little bit more bang. The problem I've encountered with an AR is that the ranges nearest me forbid FMJ rifle ammo. That wouldn't necessarily be a deal-breaker on either an AR or AK, but it's not fun to get to the range with a few hundred rounds of 55 gr FMJ and plans to fire it all only to find out that the rounds aren't allowed.

Afff_667 wrote:You simply can't beat the AR or AK recommendations based on the criteria provided by the OP. A good .22 is a lot of fun and about as inexpensive as shooting can get, but I like a little bit more bang. The problem I've encountered with an AR is that the ranges nearest me forbid FMJ rifle ammo. That wouldn't necessarily be a deal-breaker on either an AR or AK, but it's not fun to get to the range with a few hundred rounds of 55 gr FMJ and plans to fire it all only to find out that the rounds aren't allowed.

Is it an indoor range? Never encountered that problem. I can shoot FMJ, steel cased ammo, and penetrator ammo also at all the ranges I have been to except the indoor range.

Thanks guys. I think the first rifle that's not a .22lr will be an AR-15. I like the way they feel (the one's I've shot at least), and the intensity of the recommendations on here cinched it for me. I'll save the more purely recreational guns and such for later. The other nice bit is that all the AR's I've shot have just been with iron sights, so I don't need an optic for my purposes. That being said,if anybody has a recommendation on a decent red-dot style site for a good price, let me know.

Thanks!

I'd say practice to become proficient with your iron's, and save up a little cash while your doing that to get a good optic (I like Aimpoint, Eotec and ACOG's (by Trijicon)).

ACOG but they're not cheap. I have a NC Star that seems to be fine too and they are a lot cheaper. Still comes down to get what you pay for.

I have a NC Star that I use on my AR's sometimes. So far it's good. It's a 4x with a lighted reticle. The Arms Room stocks them if you are in the League City area.

How about a millet DMS-1
http://www.millettsights.com/scopes/dms/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm going to take a different spin than the usual AR suggestion. Check out the Springfield SOCOM for a big gun. I had the opportunity to fire one recently, and I have to tell you, I'm thinking of trading in the AR for a SOCOM II. All the bells and whistles for 3-gun, but able to reach out as a hunting rifle if I so desire.

For the .22lr, the 10/22 is by far my favorite. It can wear so many hats. Stock it's a great gun out of the box. Add a folding stock, etc. and you have a fun ninja tool. I have mine dressed up as a silhouette hunter at the moment. It's like the small block chevy of the gun world.

Fawkes wrote:I'm going to take a different spin than the usual AR suggestion. Check out the Springfield SOCOM for a big gun. I had the opportunity to fire one recently, and I have to tell you, I'm thinking of trading in the AR for a SOCOM II. All the bells and whistles for 3-gun, but able to reach out as a hunting rifle if I so desire.

I'm going to disagree here.

Don't get me wrong, my son and I have two M1A Loaded rifles in the safe (the SOCOM being an M1A with a cut down barrel and a top rail for a scout type optic), and I love me some M1A. Mine is probably my favorite rifle. But the OP specified these things:

1. Should be fun to plink with, yet still usable for home defense if that need should ever arise. If the lady of the house is going to plink with it too, then recoil needs to be pretty well-managed and not beat her up when she fires it.

First, an M1A is fun to plink with, no doubt, but the .308 cartridge can run up a pretty big ammo bill. It is fun, but it ain't cheap. I wouldn't really call it a plinking caliber.

Second, it will also carry a long, long way without something to backstop it. I wouldn't dream of using a .308 caliber battle rifle for inside the home defense. It will go through plate steel. Your walls won't be enough to stop it, after it has over-penetrated your target... assuming you hit the target. If you miss, all bets are off.

Third, although the M1A's recoil is not as stiff as on a .308 bolt rifle, it is considerably more pronounced than on an AR15, and it is not a good choice for a lady who does not have previous rifle experience, any more than starting her off with a .44 magnum would be a good choice for pistols.

Lastly, a .308 is loud; louder than an AR15. A .308 with a 16" barrel is really loud; noticeably louder than with the standard 22" barrel. In my humble opinion, an M1A in any of its iterations is not a good choice of rifle for the beginning shooter.

That said, they are superb rifles. I bought mine for hog hunting and for Something Arises situations. I like it so much I bought one for my son last Christmas.

Mine:


My son's, in a Sage M1A/M14 EBR stock:

JCole wrote:I think within your parameters; a Marlin 1894 in .357 Magnum.

+1 And shoot .38 spl in it.

Classic levergun that is non-timidating to the EBR-averse.
Cheaper than an AR and they hold their value very well.