Virginia7

Well, I'd still recommend a good 22LR to start with. Again, maybe a Ruger 10/22, or some other 22 rifle. Lot's of fun, and very inexpensive for ammo.
Now, since you want something to shoot/have fun with, as well as for hunting, I'd pick
a rifle chambered to the 308Win. Ammo is readily available in a wide variety of
bullet styles from all the major ammo manufacturers. In addition, surplus military ammo
is also available at reasonable costs from many sources, as well as less expensive
factory reloaded ammo from outfits like Black Hills. A rifle in 308Win. will handle any game in the lower 48 with no problem, utilizing the right ammo. It's a great deer cartridge, but can also handle elk & moose, and smaller bears (black). A 308 is never wrong.

ButchA

Not only that... But don't forget the legendary, and timeless classic 30-30 winchester. Be it either Marlin or Winchester it doesn't matter. The 30-30 is the most fun to shoot, most bang for the buck, most easiest to carry and comfortable to shoot, rifle around. Pick one up, and you'll just fall in love with it from that moment on.

Butch A.

silverbackpete

Jason, I my self was started on a 3006 as my first rifle, I would never do that for a first time shooter. However you have stated that you currently own 2 shot guns and are not new to recoil. With all that said, my opinion for a first rifle would be 7m-08 in either bolt action or single shot(I like the T/C encore). It is a great little caliber easy on the recoil and also a fantastic round to hunt with. With the encore all you have to do is purchace extra barrels to gain a new caliber/rifle. Good luck in your choice, If you do choose to hunt, make sure you practice practice practice. Good luck Pete

8mm/06

After hearing that you think you will probably end up hunting eventually.....and hearing that you don't mind spending a little more on ammo right now..and knowing that you already own shotguns and no rifles......here's my advice.....
Buy 2 used rifles........rifle #1 a decent .22 caliber bolt action
.........rifle #2 a decent .308 bolt action IN THE SAME MAKE AND STYLE AS THE .22

This will give you the opportunity to go the range and shoot the .22 a ton cheaply....and the feel and practice of working the bolt and settling in to the similar stock (if you can get that to happen) will make you a better shooter. Then, the 308 will allow you to hunt many species, and the cost of the ammo is comparable to the venerable 30/06 with a little less recoil and a shorter action.
(But you should still get a 30/06 someday!)

North Texan

I've got a Browning .223. Nothing is more fun to shoot than a .223. Factory ammo is about the cheapest of any caliber, yet most of it will shoot amazingly well. Tikka makes a nice .223 as well. I wouldn't put a cheap scope on anything. I've tried cheap optics, only to be dissappointed (Tasco, Bushnell, and Simmons). The Wally World models just won't hold a zero or stay together. Some of the higher end models by the same manufacturers will, but not the cheapies. I would also plan on getting a trigger job. Most factory triggers are set too heavy. Remington makes a nice gun, but man are their triggers set heavy. A .223 is also a great caliber for varmint hunting.

If you think you might want to try your hand at deer sized game, you might try a 25-06. It shoots flatter and will shoot a little further than the .223. Larger bullets dpn't drift as bad, either, when shooting long distances in windy conditions. A .243 or 6MM would also fit the bill. Recoil is low enough these are still fun for all day shooting.

By the way, welcome to the forums.

dkhamner

if you have the chance to purchase a M1 Garand and your enterested at all in it thats what i would get. yes you can put a scope on this rifle with a Springfield scope mount. my buddy has a Springfield Armory scope mounted on his. as for cheap plinking, you can't beat surplus ammo in the 7.62. i purchased a case of 1000 surplus rounds off the internet for $80. the sweet thing about it is the Springfield m1 garand is a military rifle that shoots the cheap military surplus 7.62 fullmetal jackets very very well. you can also shoot any other .308 round if you decided to take hunting with maybe a little fine tuning of the scope to fit the new round. the m1 garand is very accurate too and it would take down any game in the lower 48. thats my 2 cents. good luck

jasonwinn

Thanks so much for all the great help guys. My plan is to take all of these into consideration and head to the gun shop and just kinda get a feel for what fits me best.

The problem I seem to have is I want all the guns you mentioned lol.

48thguns

Hi. Take a look at the new line of Steyr's with synthetic stock, these rifles are really inexpensive and you get some real quality for the value. 30'06 caliber is my choice...you can plink, shoot varmits or Moose! If you get tired of shooting or hunting, a rifle like this will have terrific resale value. The CZ 550 and Tikka rifles are also good choices. Good luck and regards, Rick.