What Is A Good First Rifle?

Ah yes, the .22 Rimfire family. How many hours of my time have you occupied? Even the master marksmen started with these babies. Whether you can afford to shoot "better" calibers or not, no one is above the .22 rimfire. Not only are they cheap to shoot... But they are also extremely fun, especially when you're with friends! A .22 rifle teaches essential shooting fundamentals and should be the first caliber that you master. Good practice is worth more than any attachment on your fancy new AR-15 or AK-47, so shoot it up! When you make every shot count, shooting a .22 is practically free!

I just want to say that this article is completely unsponsored and is based entirely off my opinions and a fair amount of research. No harm is intended. I cannot make your final choice for you. When you find something you like, make sure you research. Look at the pros and cons and make sure you want to buy what you chose!

There are a few I could recommend right off the bat. They aren't too expensive, so you wouldn't be breaking the bank. Another reminder. Make sure to buy a few different bulk packs to find the ammo your gun likes best. They are not all the same!

The Marlin Model 795

Semi-auto.
1. Marlin Model 795 - MSRP $125 with $25 mail in rebate. There arent many things you can do to this gun, but there are a few things available. You can get a dragunov stock, bullpup stock, etc off the top of my head. If you really dont care about customization too much, you cant go wrong. Out of the box, the 795 is considerably more accurate than a stock Ruger 10/22. As nutnfancy puts it, it is "The 4.5 lb .22 Sharpshooter". The Marlin 795 also serves as a great hunting rifle due to its superior accuracy. This has to be one of the best budget guns ever manufactured. Comes with a 10 round magazine. As for pre-ban mags, sadly I can't help :'(

2. Mossberg 702 Plinkster - MSRP $162 (Cheapest Model). Also a pretty cheap option. I really don't know much about it, but it seems to be a good, accurate rifle. Check it out. You're gonna be in the middle to high $100's. Comes with a 10 round magazine.

Ruger 10/22 Carbine

3. Ruger 10/22 - MSRP $277 (Cheapest Model). This isn't the most accurate gun out of the box, but it will be fantastic for most people. You can customize it to no end, there is just so many stocks, aftermarket sights, triggers and all that good stuff. The only problem is that many (including me) cannot get their hands on extended magazines, living in heavily regulated states and all... No mags bigger than 10 for us, but I beleive you can get pre ban mags. No idea where. They are available though, this is an old gun. At my local shop, a basic model seems to go for about 200-230 bucks. It can be kind of expensive if you're really strapped for cash, but it is a good rifle, no doubt about that!

Bolt-action.
1. Mossberg 802 Plinkster - MSRP $162 (Cheapest Model) This is the bolt-action version of the 702 plinkster. I've honestly heard nothing bad about this rifle. Seems like a good option at a great price.

Mossberg 802 Plinkster

 2. Marlin XT-22 - Probably one of the best bolt-action .22's on the market, even when competing with the best. It seems to be extremely reliable when it comes to accuracy. For more information, check out nutnfancy's XT-22 video on youtube. It's worth the watch. I'll be picking one up myself soon. Looks fantastic and performs as well as it looks. My local shop has it for $225. The only thing I thought twice about was a somewhat stiff bolt. I worked it a bit in the shop, but it seems like it will loosen up quickly. A few hundred strokes before even shooting should do the job. Not that bad of a task. Looks like a good deal for a great modern looking rifle. Comes with a 7 round magazine.
3. Savage Mark II F (The basic Mark II Model) - MSRP $214. The new models have the accutrigger, which seems promising, but to a veteran shooter, it wont make a difference. You can find a non-accu-trigger model for something like $130-$150. I would recommend the accutrigger model, simply because it's all around better. The Savage Mark II is a veteran in the rimfire world. It seems to be a good option and I don't think it will do you wrong. Was my original choice for a bolt until I found out about the XT-22. Comes with a 5 round magazine.

Savage Mark II

Lever-action?
Well, in all honesty, I would never recommend a Lever-action as a first gun. Wanna know why? THE PRICE! Anyway, here are a couple of honorable mentions. :)

1. Henry Golden Boy - MSRP $515. I have never heard of a problem with one of these. It's one of the most popular .22 lever-actions on the market and it has to be doing something right.

Henry Golden Boy

2. Marlin Golden 39A - MSRP $599. The longest continuously produced rifle in history. The Golden 39A proves itself as a veteran in the shooting community. It is supposedly a fantastic rifle. I can't argue with that, considering that it never went out of productions, not even for a short time. And hey, I love Marlin!

Marlin Golden 39A

Verdict? 
So, you want something relatively inexpensive? I would recommend the 795 simply because it's cheap and right now, I just dont feel like I want too much customiztion. When I do, a 10/22 will probably be purchased. when you are first starting out, I would recommend the cheapest thing you can get. Now here, cheap doesn't mean a lack of quality. The 795 is a great rifle, not only for the "price", but as an overall solid gun. 

You can also see Nutnfancy's video about it on youtube. He hit the nail on the head with that review. As for ammo, my 795 like Federal Bulk (Value pack version) the one you can see at walmart (the red box). Again, the 795 can't shoot hyper velocity. I believe a plastic recoil buffer is to blame. I guess they cut corners somewhere, right? Either way, not a huge problem. As for a bolt-action, I plan on getting the XT-22, but if I didn't, I'd go with savage. If you could spend a total of $400, you could buy two of these guns and also end up with a couple thousand rounds of ammo depending on how expensive the guns you buy end up being. Remember, you need to try different stuff. Simply doing it from the beginning will save the frustration of trying to figure out what's wrong with your gun, when really, you're using ammo that your gun doesn't like!

I just hope I pointed you guys in the general direction of something you may want to buy. Anyway, good luck. Most importantly, have fun!