Quote:
Originally Posted by E-Revonut
Thank you! For home defense I think nothing will ever match the power of racking a shell (or not) in a Remington 870 12ga pump! The ruger 10/22 is a great plinking/target rifle with a great aftermarket support. A .223 will easily take care of coyotes and mt lions as well as most any other animal with a properly placed shot. Personally though I would skip the assault rifle type and go for an actual hunting rifle with a good scope. I have a bolt action Savage in .223 that shoots incredible groups well past 100yards.
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I love the 870 (I have an Express Super Mag) but the action is too smooth and refined. Chambering a round with the 870 is like politely saying "Excuse me sir, would you mind leaving my home?" whereas a Maverick 88/Mossberg 500 is more like a "GET THE $%^& OUT!" I agree with JT, a shotgun is the best for home defense because it's easier to hit and minimal collateral damage due to over-penetration. 2 3/4 00 buckshot is perfect for personal defense, imagine getting hit by nearly a dozen .38 special or 9mm rounds at once and that's basically what that shell is (my 3.5" 00 buck shells hold 18
). If you are not prepared to use it and accept the consequences, don't use it for defense. There have been cases where the person was too afraid of taking a life and the burglar was able to take the weapon from the home owner and used it on them, if you aren't going to pull the trigger don't use it for defense.
A hunting rifle is a great way of taking something down, but that all depends on the range. Since he is a first time gun owner it would be better to learn to shoot on a bolt action (preferably singe shot) because you learn to make your shots count better, with a semi-automatic and a 30 round magazine if you miss you get in the mindset that you can just shoot again. I have a Remington 700 .243 with a 3-9x scope that is very efficient at taking down animals (good for hunting because it is powerful enough to drop the animal but doesn't blow a huge hole in them and waste anything). The action on the 700s is very good and it has been very reliable. I got it out of pawn shop for about $300 so much cheaper than an AR.
Gotta love gun threads, all the foreigners like to come in and act all self-righteous and pretend they know everything. It is a part of our history and culture and will continue to be as long as we value our freedom and safety, get over it!