Ten things I wish I knew when I got my first rifle

When I was around five years old I got really interested in hunting and shooting on my family’s farm in the North Georgia mountains. I started to learn how to shoot with an iron sight 22 long rifle. It was a single shot that my dad cut the stock on it to make it fit me. Later on I got a bolt action 7mm 08 as a gift that had a blued barrel and a synthetic, or plastic, stock, this was my first rifle with a scope. I got to shoot the small 22 a

lot more than the 7mm 08 and this improved my shooting skills greatly. Once I started hunting for the television show Southern Outdoor Experience I was offered a Savage arms rifle of my choice to hunt on the show with because they sponsored the show. Well I was indecisive on many things were going through my mind on which gun to decide. So here is a list of ten things I wished I knew when I picked my first rifle.

Caliber: There are many things to take into consideration. For example, your age and body size are huge things to consider. When I started hunting for the television show I was put in position to pick my own rifle. I had a small body at the time. One of the other hosts of the show ordered a 300wsm and shot it two times and put it back in the box because of the recoil. I was trying to show him up by shooting the powerful rifle. Well after shooting it for two years it hit me that there was no need to have my shoulder throbbing after each time I shot the rifle. Also I wouldn’t hunt anything that would require that type of power. So keep your body size and what you will be hunting

in mind as you pick a caliber.

Look of the Gun: When your picking your gun make sure it’s the looks right for hunting. For example, you don’t want to pull into hunting camp and pull out a tactical rifle. This is not a huge importance but you will look like you know what your doing if you have the rifle that looks right for the type of shooting you will be doing.

Finish: Keeping your gun in the best condition possible will keep it as accurate as possible. A stainless steel barrel will be less likely to rust than a blued barrel. It will be easier to keep clean. Also, if you hunt or shoot in a very dry climate the finish of your barrel will not matter as much as it would if you live in a wet one.

Stock Length: This is totally individual. If you are a shorter person you want to go with a youth model stock for sure so your not forced to put your face too close to the scope where you can get a scope tattoo above your eye. Just the same with taller shooters, you want the rifle to fit comfortably to your body so go with a regular length stock.

Iron Sights VS. Scope: Like I said earlier, I started off by shooting a single shot with iron sights. The single shot made me concentrate on my shot even more because it is a one chance thing every time I shot. The iron sights made it harder to see and get a good aim on targets at farther distances. But one thing it did do was make me take more time for each shot and really focus on what I was aiming at. Then when I moved up to a scoped rifle, it made things a lot easier. Distant targets were really clear and it made things easy to get a good aim on. Shooting targets it is easier to use a scoped rifle but for quick shots on small game at close ranges iron sights are easier to get on target fast. Learning with iron sights will make shooting with a scope a lot easier in the future. Some rifles now come with iron sights but can be outfitted with a scope as well.

Sling Attachments: Some rifles will come with sling studs while others don’t. If your in mountainous terrain and will be hiking a lot, a sling is a must. If you live in flatter terrain where where you will not be walking as much and will be hunting from a blind a sling will not be as important.

Weight of the Gun: Like I have been saying this factor completely depends on the type of hunting you will be doing. Spot-and-stalk hunting in steep terrain will require a lighter gun that will be easier to carry. But for hunting out of a blind or stand, a heavier rifle is more accurate and since carrying isn’t an issue it will not be as important for it to be light weight. Also, a little bit more weight in the gun makes it easier to hold steady (as long as it’s not too heavy). Also, a lighter gun will kick harder than a heavier gun in the same caliber. These are all things you must consider when choosing between guns of different weights.

Single Shot or Repeater: This is a variable that is based on personal choice. I learned on a single shot as you know by now, it taught me that when I fire that bullet I need to make it count. So when I got a multi-shot rifle I never really put more than two shells in the rifle at a time. It improved my shooting a lot and when I started shooting long ranges it made me take my time with every shot. One of my favorite quotes of all time, “One shot, one kill” stays in my mind as I take each shot every time I get behind my rifle.

The best advice I can give is to try a lot of different guns. Borrow from your friends and relatives that you hunt with, so you can try different weights, sizes, calibers, etc. And don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions. Ask them what they like and don’t like about their guns and why. Most importantly, just get out and shoot. Nothing will make you a smarter shopper than experience.

Last 5 posts by Jacob Satterfield

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This entry was posted on Thursday, December 10th, 2009 at 7:14 pm and is filed under Instructional. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.