First gun

[u/Roofincold]

Got my pal a few months ago and I’ve been scared to buy my first gun, then finally at a Canadian tire, a very nice dude spent some time and went over a bunch of them with me.

I want to get a Mossberg 590A1 Compact, out of all of them it felt natural and very nicely balanced.

I am planning a trip to the range (never owned a gun, shot one or been close to them other than gaming ).

Anyone have any inputs about it ? I am going to be 3-4 times a year at the range and then going hunting. I am not crazy into guns, but wanted something decent and based on the seller this is the best bang for my buck.

Thank you!

[u/Dependent_Account603]

What do you want to hunt?

Personally I like the old guns. They don't make them like they used to. Buy the Mossberg, a Ruger 10/22, and a Lee Enfield. You'll be set for hunting everything.

[u/Roofincold → u/Dependent_Account603]

Planning to eventually go for deer and elk (when I will feel confident enough with my shoot).

For that, I’ve seen an Henry H010X, but now after seeing the other comments, I feel I am being sold on said item and I am happy that I asked.

[u/Birdybadass → u/Roofincold]

Which province do you live in? The 45-70 is a heavy round that would blow apart most deer and doesn’t have great ballistics past a 150ish yards. This would be far from my first choice, let alone my top 100 recommendations.

Take a look at a tikka T3x in a 308 caliber for a hunting rifle.

308 is a great “do it all” caliber that can have light or heavy bullets depending on your target species. It is inexpensive compared to others, and widely available. The recoil is in the “medium” range and the ballistics are great out to 500ish yards on deer sized game.

A tikka T3x is the gold standard for the $1000-$2000 price range. They’re well built with the nicest actions, sub MOA barrels (meaning they’re capable of being very accurate) and nice triggers. The stock is nice as well, but if in the future you decide to upgrade there are tons of after market options available as well. The only two things I’d recommend changing out of the box are the recoil pad ($60 limbsaver) and new bottom metal )the trigger guard is plastic and although it’s tough, if it breaks your hunt is ruined).

Things that make one rifle better than another for hunting purposes are typically lower recoil, stainless steel barrels (less maintenance in field) and lighter weight.

As for optics the vortex product is great for entry level scopes. Aim to spend between half, and the same amount you did on the rifle as a good rule of thumb. I’d rather have expensive glass on a cheap rifle than an expensive rifle with cheap glass. Look for 3-9 or 4-12 magnification, that’s all you need. A larger OD is always nicer for hunting. 40 is the minimum but I personally think 50 is the sweet spot.

I personally like hunting with a bipod. One that’s great is the Spartan Javelin bipod and I’d highly recommend in. Get yourself a rear bag as well (MDT makes some great light weight ones) and you’ve got a rock solid shooting foundation.

A nice slight goes a long way too. The Tikka sling is really nice, though a little expensive.

Tikka T3x stainless in 308 - $1500ish Vortex diamondback 4-12 - $450 Rings - $100ish Javelin lite bipod - $250is Limb saver - $60ish Sling - $50-$100 Bottom metal - $200ish (lowest priority)

If that’s over (or under) your budget I’d be happy to give other recommendations that could help point you in a better direction than the smooth talking Henry salesmen did.

[u/NL1839 → u/Birdybadass]

Yeah, don’t go 45-70 as a first rifle!

[u/Otherwise_Rub_9515 → u/Roofincold]

Watch a ton of videos on YouTube of the disassembly, cleaning and reassembly of mossberg 500-series shotguns so you understand each part and its function. 

Watch videos on the "push  /pull shotgun technique" 

Buy "snap caps" which are dummy training rounds and practise loading, unloading and firing hundreds of times. 

Go to the range and follow all instructions and safety procedures. 

I was in a similar situation to you years ago...understanding the firearm and its functions and handling it at home will get you comfortable at the range. 

I was incredibly uncomfortable the first 2-3 times at the range... Now it's like driving a car.

Practise, practise, and practise.