New pal owner looking for a range shooter with more pop than a 22.

[u/BeerSlayingBeaver]

I'm a recent holder of a brand new PAL. I got my card in April and was gifted a Lakefield Mark 2 .22, a Mossberg Chuckster 22 mag, a Remington model 783 30-06 and a Lakefield 12ga Pump.

I took my 22, 22mag, and 30-06 to the range a couple weekends ago and had a lot of fun with the 22's. I'm still learning about calibre sizes and to be honest it's a little overwhelming.

I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for a new rifle to bring to the range? Something with a little more oomph than the 22's but not as much as the 30-06. I am thinking of a 223 but I'm not sure if that's got enough pop? I'd like a lever action or semi auto but 223 doesn't seem to be very common in those actions.

The Akdas Alcor has my attention currently.

Any tips or suggestions are welcome!

Edit: thanks everyone for your suggestions! There's a lot of good info for me

[u/VanillaHighlights]

If you're interested in a lever action I've always found them at their best in the pistol calibers.  Yes the 30-30 is a better round to hunt with, but a 357 lever gun is just fun.

[u/prosper_0 → u/VanillaHighlights]

came to say this. My favourite plinking caliber is 38spl/357. Widely available in lever guns, and there are some single-shots too. And I agree, after a while, 22lr seems about as fun as shooting a stapler, and you just need something with more jam for a while. Ringing steel at 200+ yards with a 38 special is really fun, and it lands with a lot more authority than a 22.

Am keenly waiting for the derya 9mm bolt gun too. Hopefully it's reasonably priced and not as fugly as the pump gun.

[u/Iokua_CDN → u/prosper_0]

Someone mocked up the pump action with a normal pistol grip Monte Carlos looking stock and it looked waaaay better,  more like the bolt action. 

Agreed though,  my 357 is now my favorite gun to shoot.  Lever actions are fun,  357 is fun. 

[u/prosper_0 → u/Iokua_CDN]

Yeah, I'd want a derya under a couple simple conditions:

1. Good price. ($900 is ridiculous by about double)

2. Not fugly. I don't want to cosplay some action-movie. I don't want anything overly tacky-tical. Plain wood stock or a high quality synthetic. Not some garbage injection-molded flexible/twisty crap.

3. Bolt action or a break action single. A lever is good. Pump is okay in principle, but the current model fails on point 1 and 2 above. Not really interested in a semi, but I'd consider it if the other points are met.

The pictures of the DYBA-12 look okay (especailly if you take off the pointless (it's a 9mm!!) flash hider and put a simple knurled cover on the end), so it really just comes down to the price.

[u/Iokua_CDN → u/prosper_0]

I wonder if you'd enjoy like a purpose built 9mm single shot?

Like take a cheap short barrel 12 ga single  action with irons or the ability to add them. Get a rifled insert, and then add O rings or wrap in plumbers tape to get a consistent fit, and then maybe really polish up the inside of the insert so that the 9mm shells can just drop free after shooting.   For maybe 150 for the gun and maybe 100 for the insert, you could have a fun little single shot!

That being said, also waiting for the shortie bolt action is probably the best bet for you!

Though I wonder with the pump, if someone gets an adaptor or something, throwing on a nice wooden stock on it would be amazing in my books

Edit! This is the link I saw

https://www.reddit.com/r/canadaguns/comments/1tmnims/derya_pump_9mm_dypa12_design_workinprogress/

Magpul stock and adaptor, and a simple knurled cap at the end

[u/FD4L]

A lever action in 357 would be a nice option. You'll be able to shoot 38 special out of the same rifle which costs less per round and you'll be able to take deer with it if you feel like it.

[u/Mammoth-Branch8068 → u/FD4L]

This + mekasi gang in a few months

[u/FearlessDevil666]

Don’t let fear and common sense hold ya back. Check out a .338Lapua and throw on a muzzle brake. Or if your into some real fun stuff look around for a 416Rigby or 404Jeffrey.

In the end your question is very open ended. There are so many calibres out there. .243win, .260AI, .270win, I could go on for ever. Cost and availability of ammunition, calibre and manufacture, length of barrel and muzzle brake, etc etc. Asking opinions on here is just going to give you a million opinions.

You’ve got a selection already. Shoot for a while and pick up some books and do some research. Read back on reddits asking the same question as there is another person asking the same question every day. Look at your disposable funds and selection at your local shop for firearms and ammunition. Consider whether you want to get into hand loading as it can greatly reduce ammo cost and open up more calibre options. Bullet bibles will give you all kinds of load data and calibre history. You may even get interested in a wildcat calibre.

Good luck. Cheers

[u/epnk420 → u/FearlessDevil666]

338 Lapua is nuts I’ve never shot larger but damn you can see the air move around you too bad it costs so much in ammo unfortunately

[u/-rifle-is-fine- → u/epnk420]

.600 Nitro Express

The closest I have come to shitting myself from fear as an adult.

[u/epnk420 → u/-rifle-is-fine-]

Damn bro I made the mistake of having my one ear protector side off when I fired the 338 I thought I got hit with ricochet lol it hurt so much I can’t imagine a round that big lol that can’t be legal in Canada now tho??

[u/-rifle-is-fine- → u/epnk420]

Yep, illegal caliber in Canada. Came across the oppurtunity to shoot a .600 Nitro revolver while travelling and took it.

Apparently only one staff member shot this thing because the rest were scared of it lol. Me too. Afterwards I told the instructor: "That was a once in a lifetime oppurtunity, because I am never fucking doing that again!" 😂

[u/epnk420 → u/-rifle-is-fine-]

Hahaha sounds about right

[u/YourLoveLife]

Join sks gang

[u/Primary_Highlight540]

Another vote here for SKS, and .223 is fun

[u/pizzasplice]

Sks is sick. Semi auto is a blast. It is reliable as all hell, "affordable", and the ammo is cheap. Truly a perfect range toy with more bang than a .22!

Dont expect to shoot a dime 5 times at 100 yards though.

[u/isanthrope_may]

Everyone else seems to have covered lever guns and the SKS, so I’ll throw in a couple other calibers I think are neat.

.243 - loads for everything from gophers to whitetail, shoots pretty flat, easy to find and reasonably priced.

.17HMR - A spicy rimfire, more punch than a .22 and certainly easier on the wallet. Nice for a still-cheap, longer-range toy. Also very effective on varmints.

5.56/.223 - easy to find, more comfortable to shoot than a .30 round

22-250 - basically a .223 that’s going mach 4. Loud, fast, flat, kind of expensive, but my nephew blew a hole in an AR550 plate at 100m with one.

Happy shooting!

[u/epnk420 → u/isanthrope_may]

I second the 223/556 100% especially with a muzzle brake it’s fun to shoot and cheaper then other options, 243 win is also nice to shoot wife has one I was surprised at how loud it was and it’s definitely a capable hunting round

[u/Burlakh]

There’s Henry Lever action Supreme in 5.56NATO/.223 that uses AR15 mags. And if money not an issue RDSC sells a modded versions of those with AR15 barrels, m-lock handguards and pic-rails

[u/Jazzlike_Dingo_9960]

Im in the same boat as you. Asked this a few days ago lol Most people on here are recommending a .357/38 special because ammo is relatively cheep, for me im just in it to shoot targets and stuff, not interested in the hunting aspect yet so something bigger like a 308 or 30-06 feels like a waste, some guys at my local shop also recommend a .44s. That being said, .22wmr packs a bit more punch than .22lr is my understanding

[u/Fickle_Ice_7584 → u/Jazzlike_Dingo_9960]

I have a 44 mag, it's sweet but ammo is literally double the price of 357 mag, if you're not into hunting then 357 all day long. Shooting 10rds out of a lever gun quickly is almost if not just as fun as shooting a semi auto imo.

[u/prosper_0 → u/Fickle_Ice_7584]

I shoot a lot of 44 too. More fun than the 357 for sure, but I view it as more of a reloading proposition.

800fps 240-grain loads just make me giggle: so quiet and tame, and yet they hit HARD, ring steel real good. Shoot a golf ball with one, and watch it FLY.

I also have a handi-rifle in 500S&W.....

[u/Fickle_Ice_7584 → u/prosper_0]

Yeah I'm trying to get into reloading, hoping to buy a full starter kit tomorrow. Ive actually never shot a 240gr load yet, I've exclusively shot PMCs screaming 180gr loads outta my 44, but can't seem to find the 180s for reloading so I'ma have to do 240s until I can find some.

[u/epnk420 → u/Fickle_Ice_7584]

I always wanted a 44 mag but damn those ammo costs my 300 win mag is already too costly lol

[u/handen]

.204 Ruger is a nice middle ground between .22LR and .223 insofar as "pop" is concerned if that's what you're after, and it's like the 5th fastest factory cartridge after .220 Swift, 22-250, and a few others. I just picked up a 1973 Ruger M77 in .220 Swift and was printing 0.3 MOA groups with factory ammo straight away, after thinking the 1 MOA groups I was getting with my Ruger American in 5.56 were good. How wrong I was.

Or get an SKS or a Ruger American in 7.62x39, though cheap ammo had basically dried up despite claims to the alternative.

[u/afookenleaf]

SKS

[u/BowFella]

Lever action 357 mares leg is loads of fun. If you want a semi that wont break the bank but is still a decent rifle, then alcor. If Ergonomics and accuracy arent a concern then the SKS

[u/Previous-Season-8800]

I hear you! As others have suggested, maybe a .357 lever gun, as long as it cycles 38 special it's a cheaper bang bang than 30-06. I also bought a Homesteader awhile back and a few glock pmags, so I can 9mm. .22 is so cheap and so fun, but louder guns are also fun lol.

[u/redjohn79]

.357 lever action. Shooting .38spl's with is it cheap and you can hunt with .357mag

[u/Iokua_CDN]

I think you need something in intermediate  range! More pop than a 22 buy cheaper than a 3006!

So 223, or 7.62 x39, or even 357 from a rifle fits even though  it'd a pistol round.

Bolt action 223 and 7.62 x39 are available anywhere from 600-1000 bucks. Tons of good very accurate  options!

223 from a semi auto like the Alcor or the Celik are great! Expect to pay 1k on sale for the cheapest celik  up to 1500 for the alcor not on sale. 10 round pistol mags and easy to

7.62 x39 for an sks is always a great option! With an ATI stock available for 730, and wood stocks available for 800 bucks it's pretty affordable. Hard to mount optics though, unless  you do a red dot and a bad ace mount.

Or you can buy an affordable 357 lever action! Rossi's, Canuck, Citadel Levtac, all for around 1000, the Citadel goes on sale for 800 even.  A really fun, portable gun.

I have most of the guns I mentioned, an Sks, a bolt action 7.62 x39 and a lever action 357. No 223 for me yet but I'm thinking of the Alcor too.  All of them are tons of fun. My lever action is probably the funnest, bolt action 7.62 x39 and sks tied, fun for different reasons. But all of them are fun, like great fun. Other than my 22, I love shooting these intermediate cartridges. My poor 308 barely gets shot but these intermediate  cartridges get brought every time!

If you have any  other questions, just comment and I'll gladly give more info

[u/epnk420]

223/556

[u/Unknownuser010203]

Sks

[u/SierraRomeoJuliet]

SKS

[u/ProtoJazz]

You could do a lever action 223

[u/black_covfefe_please]

I Run Guns has some beautiful lever guns in stock.