Can anyone please give me the principles in choosing the right gun?

Question

Please give me the principles of choosing a handgun and rifle for hunting as to:

1. Barrel Length (minimum & maximum barrel length for accuracy?) i want to shoot long-range
2. Overall weight (is heavy better than lightweight?)
3. Caliber (the bigger bore, the better?)
4. Ammo & grains (availability & brand)
5. What is the meaning of recoil?

thanks a lot

Answer 1

1. The longer the barrel the more accurate the shot for the longer distances 22-24 inches in a rifle is sufficent. Same in a pistol 8 inches is more accurate than 6 or 4 but is heavier and harder to stabilize.

2. Heavier is better for accurate shots but need to be stabilized more such as a bipod for rifles. The heavier the weapon the less the recoil. The weapon its self will obsorb the recoil more than your shoulder will if its a heavy weapon.

3. The bigger the caliber the more punch it has on impact. A lot of factors here. Bullet weight, powder, length of barrel, etc. 308, 30-06, 300 wsm, 7mm remington mag. All are good long range calibers with good punch on impact up to 1000 yards.

4. Hornady, Federal, are 2 of the most popular good ammos for long distance. 165-200 grain. Practice makes perfect.

5. Recoil is the amount of energy that is transfered back into the shooter from the shot fired. A good muzzle break will reduce the recoil of any weapon, rifle or pistol, bringing you back on target for that second shot quicker. But a muzzle break will increase the amount of noise that the shooter hears. Wearing good shooting ear muffs will help with this.

Answer 2

Knowing where to compromise is the key. You've already stumbled into one area of conflict by saying "hunting" and "long range," two concepts that are antithetical to each other. The point of hunting, as the old saying goes, is to "Get as close as you can, laddie, and then get ten yards closer.
First, of course, is to make sure you have a caliber adequate for the game you hunt. Barrel length won't make a substantive difference in accuracy in a rifle, but if you're shooting a revolver with iron sight, you'll want at least a 5 1/2" barrel for the better sight plane (this has to do not with inherent accuracy but simply with aiming), and in some states there's a 6" minimum rule. Heavier barrels are a bit more accurate, and the extra weight also reduces recoil, but within the parameters of hunting makes little difference with the exception that very light barrels are great for packing long distances and hunting in close cover but give up a significant amount of accuracy at ranges over about 250 yards, rarely a problem in hunting. Bigger bores are not always better, and through a peculiarity of tradition, 6.5 mm and 7mm bullets often are available in designs that outperform the equivalent available bullets in 25, 27, and 30 caliber, though the difference is slight. Modern bullets of premium quality perform amazingly well; on the other hand, there is something to the old adage about small bullets possibly expanding but large bullets never shrinking. There are some rough guidelines, though: for medium thin-skinned game, pick something with a sectional density of about .24 or better; for large soft-skinned game, a sectional density of about .27; for tough stuff that can hunt back, .30. Recoil is an application of Newton's third law: the bullet and hot gasses go forward, the rifle or handgun in response goes backward.

Answer 3

You need to slow your roll little partner. You've been asking alot of questions about guns and you sound underage and broke. If you're not old enough or have no money stop wasting people's time. You're the kid that wanted all the guns from your video game right? Start out with a 22 rifle and learn some gun safety and get a little better respect for firearms. It's like, just because you like cars and you are a good driver in a video game doesn't mean you can go race the Indy 500 tomorrow. You must start slowly and pay your dues. I'm just saying.

Answer 4

There are so many different options available. You really need to include what you will be hunting, the typical distance you will be shooting, etc. There is no single magic rifle or round that will "do it all". No matter what the weapon, long range shooting takes alot of practice. With practice a good shooter can hit targets out to 800 yds with the simple .308. For medium sized game up to black bear you can go with .270, .280, 7mm mag, .308, 30-06, 8.56 etc. These are all good out to medium range, and most are adequate for larger game if the shooter can hit his mark. For big game at long range maybe something like a .300mag, or .300 WSM. Handguns, however, are not designed for long range shooting and usually the minimum caliber for hunting with a handgun is .357 mag. Most prefer a .44 mag, .454 Casull, etc

Answer 5

You will get conflicting answers from everyone on this subject... because whatever the particular person if familiar with, will be the answer.

The better thing to do if find what you like and can afford... then ask about those particular weapons and see if anyone has BAD things to say about them such as accuracy, recoil, jamming, etc.

On a handgun, if it is for personal protection... you need to look at comfort for YOUR grip, and a medium shot like 32 to 38 that will do the job without causing you to loose control of the pistol or if you miss, wind up going through a wall and into an innocent neighbor.

Answer 6

I've seen your other questions here and I think the right gun for you at this time is something along the lines of a Savage Mark II in .22LR. For long range shooting, you have to take many things into account, and if you're fundamentals aren't down, you're never going to be able to do it. Good ammo, like Black Hills match or Federal Gold Medal match, is over $20 for a box (20 rounds), so learning the fundamentals on a .308 or .300 Win Mag is going to get pretty expensive.

http://www.savagearms.com/markiif.htm
http://www.gunblast.com/Savage-MarkIIBV22.htm
http://www.chuckhawks.com/savage_markII-BV_rifle.htm

Answer 7

The easiest answer to this is what are you hunting? Certain animals are much tougher to take down than others....that will affect the caliber and power of your weapon.....go to Gander Mountain, Dick's, or other major sporting goods stores and explain to them what you are seeking to do......they will check your size, arm length, and make recommendations.

Answer 8

You can boil the answers of all those questions down to one maxim: Use enough gun.

Use enough gun to humanely kill the game you are hunting.

Doc

Answer 9

No gun. If you really need one, buy a 9mm.