r/canadaguns • u/OrangeWinston1 • Aug 07 '26
Buy recommendations Advice on what to buy next
It’s 4 years I have my PAL. I hunt, go to the range and I shoot clay pigeons. I currently have 3 guns
-1970 Browning BAR 30-06 Belgium
-1990’s Winchester 1300 XTR 12Gauge
-Savage 64F 22LR
I just replenished my gun fund (~2000$)and I’d like to buy a new to me firearm. I’d like a to start a collection but a lot of interesting guns are now banned. I was thinking on a Ruger 10/22 takedown because it’s cool and perfect for a SHTF situation. I have decided to come here and ask what you guys and girls think would be a good addition. Maybe I’m missing something. All suggestions are valid. Thank you in advance
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u/One_Salary_9068 Aug 07 '26
A nice 38/357 lever action🤌🏼
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u/Focus787 Aug 07 '26
I'm gonna second this. After getting mine it's become one of my favourite things to shoot.
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u/Iokua_CDN Aug 07 '26
I agree. You can even get it for cheap. An on-sale Citadel Levtac is just a modern looking Rossi, and often sells for 800 bucks. Mine is one of my favourite guns to shoot, and it's not even as nice as a cool marlin or Smith and Wesson
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u/Focus787 Aug 08 '26
It being cheap and not as nice as marlin or S&W just means you don't gotta feel as bad if it gets beat up a bit out in the bush!
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u/pr0cyn1c Aug 07 '26
pretty solid 3... long range, small game, and a shotty...
maybe something in 223/556 or 762x39 as mid game or pd
SKS or maybe the iwi caramel if you have deeper pockets.
edit: i own a 10/22... great gun, but you already have a 22 so unless you're trading up...
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u/NorthwindX7 Aug 07 '26
The bar really covers hunting for me, it's what I upgraded to instead of a bolt for brush hunting and spooky stories. Depending on how accurate your bar is, an accurate bolt for extended plains hunting and precision shooting might peak your interest.
A lever action in .357 is neat. Shoots cheaper .38 special for plinking and can get bear loads in .357.
Sks's and other moderate center fire cartridges will be recommended. I'll play devil's advocate for those, they are generally inaccurate, and hunting wise underpowered. Sks if shot with the common corrosive ammunition gets lame pretty quick having to strip down all the parts to make sure it doesn't rust after every trip ends up with me not even taking it out.
Other center fires- banned or not, they arn't that great for anything other than plinking or yote hunting. Too small for big game, too big to cheaply shoot over a .22lr. Thats my 2 cents anyways.
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u/Otherwise_Rub_9515 Aug 08 '26
7.62x39 can take out black bear and moose to probably 100-150 yards... Sks is accurate enough to hit a 6" viral area at that distance.
223/5.56 can be used from home defense to taking out white tail deer to 100 yards
They're underpowered compared to 308/30-06 but you can kill anything up to white tail deer size game with 5.56 reliably and I've seen a video of a moose taken at 200 yards in 7.62x39.
Both cheap, readily available. But yes most of the remaining Canadian market for those calibers are dog shit.
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u/NorthwindX7 Aug 07 '26
Also, the 10/22 is an easy choice that you won't regret. I have one and it's great, so much that I bought the 9mm version that is now banned. I really liked plinking with it, the Henry homesteader is an exact side grade that doesn't break down but it's still non restricted. Likely won't get banned while the gun grab is in the courts but depending on how that turns out I'd guess the sks and most semi autos will be next. Hopefully not our bars.
9mm carbine is really fun. Glockazines pinnes to 10 round afaik are still legal for use.
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u/TheBulletBuddy Aug 07 '26
+1 for the homesteader, i love mine. Thought I wouldn't enjoy it as much as some of our more "modern" semi auto options, but 1.5k rounds without a single failure or light strike has me beyond satisfied with it. Cant compare it to any other PCC's since this is my first one but so far so good.
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u/Iokua_CDN Aug 07 '26
Homesteader looks a lot of fun....
I was tempted by those short bolt action and pump action rifles that came out this year... because a short little 9mm gun sounds gun to me even if it's not semi. However I often think if it would just be more fun to pick up the Homesteader and deal with the extra 6 inches of barrel and maybe get a folding stock for it if I want it more compact.
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u/TheBulletBuddy Aug 07 '26
I was in the same boat, but after reading all the reviews on the manual action 9mm stuff, I was put off. The derya for 900 ish is cool, but for 200 more you can have better quality. Plus ive got a 12.5 inch Renegade for my short barrel fun. Then you gotta jump to like 2 grand + for a tombstone and ive heard more negative reviews than positive about those.
At the end of the day, for a grand, I got no complaints with the purchase. Great for long term use, and in the worst case scenario of the hammer of doom coming down on it, a grand isnt going to break me.
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u/Iokua_CDN Aug 07 '26
You are selling the Honesteader even more.. ..
Like you, I've read less than impressive things about the pump actions 9mm too... and pricewise and quality wise, it makes sense to spent the Tiny bit more and get the Henry
Now if they started clearing out the pumps and bolt actions (maybe the less desirable non tactical versions) for like 600-700 bucks next black friday.... then maybe I'll reconsider
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u/TheBulletBuddy Aug 08 '26
Yeah at 600 ish it'd be a hard one to pass up haha. Theyre just asking too much for what it is sadly. If they put it closer to 550, it'd ve selling out like crazy just like the tm22 lol
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u/Iokua_CDN Aug 08 '26
I kinda get it. Short barrel means they can't sell it in some countries, 9mm and new means the price is sky high, 1st release and such.
But I'm going to wait if I buy one. Wait until they come back to a more realistic price.
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u/Accomplished_Ruin396 Aug 07 '26
Man, I was fully prepared to write a paragraph arguing with you because this triggered me at first, but… I hate to admit you’re right.
I’ve got semis in pretty much every caliber (.223, 7.62x39, .308, 30-06, etc.), and almost all of them are safe queens or strictly hunting guns now. The novelty wore off, especially with the SKS, cleaning after every range trip gets tedious real fast.
Swapping over to precision bolt guns brought back way more actual fun to range days than dumping mags into 3 MOA groups ever did.
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u/Whispersfine Aug 07 '26
I think the only semi you need is the one for shtf situation. Other than that, the novelty wears off fairly quickly
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u/NorthwindX7 Aug 07 '26
That was my view until I really got into solo hunting deep in the bush. Turns out shit can get spooky real quick.
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u/Iokua_CDN Aug 07 '26
Honestly, that's why I'm considering a semi auto hunting gun. That and when the bans first came out, I was so mad at the reasoning of "No one needs a semi auto to hunt" when all I can think about is reasons to have a semi auto. Hurt hand? Have to shoot with your non dominant hand? Getting attacked by fast predators and need more than one quick shot? (Feral dogs are legit an issue in many areas, more than wolves or cougars or anything else) getting attacked by a big animal like a moose or bear and need more firepower? Like I can think of so many reasons to have a semi auto rifle for hunting.
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u/NorthwindX7 Aug 07 '26
Hell dude even a buck. The thing I'm hunting scared the shit out of me. I was sneaking along grunt tubing on a game trail real slow it was extremely quiet. After a good few long long minutes of doing this I had a buck snort weeze so loud it freaked me out. I couldn't see it, it was probably 30ft in the bush. I clicked the safety off and realized that if it did charge me, I would only get one shot off and if I missed I'm getting gored.
Never heard it again, never heard it leave, sat for another half hour on the trail and left.
It was a coworkers grizzly story that was the last straw for me after all the others I heard. Buddy in swan hills Alberta was mauled by a sow grizzly. Only survived because he mag dumped his illegally carried 1911 while bow hunting. You can read the story for yourself but the pictures he showed me were brutal.
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u/Iokua_CDN Aug 07 '26
Damn I didn't think about that. I look at deers like that's just a hunting target, but I wouldn't want to get kicked or trampled by one either
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u/EnvironmentalFox7532 Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
I’ve seen it happen and no you don’t. Deer can and will mess you up. Bucks get stupid in the rut. I’ve had 2 little spike horns come at me through the years working in the bush. And literally fended them off with sticks. They lost interest fast unlike a bear or moose but both were something I wouldn’t want to repeat having the choice.
I’ve even been treed by moose a few times in my younger days when bird hunting. One when I was 15 and I was in that spruce tree for hours till way after dark. Got home and my mother asked why I was home so late. Then she asked if we had to go process a moose lol. Would have been the case if I had something other than a 410 with me or slugs 😜🤣
Other time was when I was working forestry in my early 20s. Didn’t have a gun and it was 200 yards to my truck. Moose kept me in that tree 3 hours.
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u/NorthwindX7 Aug 09 '26
Yeah turns out nature is hella spooky. When I got into hunting of course you start talking to friends and coworkers about it, everyone seems to have a story of things not going too great or being really lucky in a bad situation.
An accurate semi auto is a way to hedge your bets when that shitty time inevitably comes.
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u/EnvironmentalFox7532 Aug 09 '26
Been in the bush all my life. I was taught young, when I was 9 or 10 my old man took me out and after wandering all morning said to close my eyes, spun me around and to count to 100. He told me to meet him at the truck. One of the first tests. When I was 11 or 12 he even took me out and would leave me out for the night alone, he was never more than a couple hundred yards away, but it taught me to be self reliant in the bush.
But I still have times when I get that feeling. Usually when I do it’s due to cats around. I’ve had 4 cougar encounters through the years where I’ve come close enough to stare them down, and more times where I just knew they were around. Been charged by grizzlies countless times through the years. Including multiple incidents with cubs involved. Only ever had to spray one that was defending a moose kill that I didn’t see until too late.
Never use to pack anything but spray, a large knife and my axe when working. But now that I’m near 50 I’m not taking chances. I don’t move as fast, and definitely can’t fight like a 20 year old if I had to anymore.
Biggest thing I’ve found through the years with predators is that if you sense something isn’t right, like your being watched or something else. Trust me trust your gut. Might just be that I’ve developed a sixth sense through the years, even for game like deer, but if it doesn’t feel right it’s probably trouble. Interesting thing for me atleast is my senses have been able to tune in to the point I can tell what a threat is long before I even see it. I can sense if there’s a bear around 95% of the time, and it’s a different feeling than cougar, wolves, or wolverines.
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u/SBI_INC Spectre Ballistics International (Verified) Aug 07 '26
The 10/22 is a solid choice but don't get a takedown. They're way less accurate and the regular 10/22, especially with a 12.5" barrel, is quite compact already.
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u/LumberjackCDN Gold'n Loan Outfitters & Pawn Aug 07 '26
Get one of them 10/22 take downs with the the carbon barrel theyre gorgeous.
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u/old_rug Aug 07 '26
Generic answer but ill always shill the sks, plus an sks falls well below your budget, or you could spring for a more interesting variant like a yugo
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u/ArisakaType99_ Aug 07 '26
I still think an Sks is still a good option, I’d highly recommend getting one well you still can…
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u/Iokua_CDN Aug 07 '26
While it's not my favourite gun in my collection, I've never regretted my Sks. Fun, and very unique and quite capable
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u/newtoabunchofstuff Aug 07 '26
I really enjoy shooting the ruger american ranch 7.62x39. It is fairly accurate with corrosive ammo and with a mag adapter, you have the option of using AR15 style mags, allowing the use of 10 round XCR pistol magazines.
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u/Iokua_CDN Aug 07 '26
You got your full power rifle (how do you like your bar btw? I seen the old intersurplus ones and get tempted to buy one)
You got your shotgun, for slugs and clay shooting and everything in between
You got your 22lr rifle doe cheap shooting
So what's next?
Option 1. Intermediate rifle! Something like a 7.62 x39 or a 223! Still cheap, but decent range and power. You can go semi auto with an Sks or an Alcor or other Turkish semi. You can go lever action with a henry supreme. You can go bolt action (probably the cheapest other than the sks) and get a howa, or tikka, or ruger or CZ in 223 or 7 62 x39. It's pretty fun. Or you can even go pump action for a 223.
Option 2. Go pistol caliber! The only semi Option is the Henry Homesteader in 9mm. You can also go 45 Acp/45 LC with a Sulan SR45 revolver rifle for a unique gun. Or, the biggest category, grab a Lever action rifle! 356 or 44mag or 45 lc, 356 is the cheapest. They are fantastic and so so fun. Oh and now there is even a bolt action and a pump action from Derya. These guns have leas range than the Intermediate rifle, but sometimes have cheaper ammo or at least similar ammo I. THe case of 45acp, 9mm and 38 special/357. The 45lc and 44mag will be more expensive.
So those are my two suggestions. You still got a lot to choose from. Action, from semi auto, to bolt action, to lever action or pump action and even revolver. What action are you thinking of trying or are curious about?? And then you gotta decide if you want an intermediate rifle round or a pistol round. You answer those 2 questions and I'll give you a more direct suggestion!!!
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u/StairwayHiker Aug 07 '26
A CZ 457 17hmr would be my choice. You can reach much farther much more accurately than a .22 and it is still reasonably cheap to shoot.
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u/Book-Hockey Aug 08 '26
I recently bought a Henry Big Boy in .357/38 special and haven’t regretted it .
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u/canadacal Aug 07 '26
357 lever or MRA Renegade II would be my 2 selections at this point in Canadian times..
10/22’s rule but if going with a .22 id move the Savage and go full on 10/22 build/buy. I’m guessing you won’t reach for the 64f after getting a tricked out 10/22
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u/Iokua_CDN Aug 07 '26
To add, even a bolt action in an Intermediate caliber can be fun like the MRA, even if not straight pull. Cz Trail is great. Howa makes a folding stock m1500 that's great. Ruger american doesn't fold but it'd a nice compact bolt action
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u/Pelcat Aug 07 '26
I'll be the third to suggest a 38/357 lever action. Something like the Marlin 1894 CSBL, seems like a really nice and handy rifle. Ammo is reasonably cheap since it's a pistol cartridge but still feels like a decently powerfull and you could very well hunt with it using 357 soft point.
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u/Otherwise_Rub_9515 Aug 08 '26
You have the basic shtf, end of world set up already.
30-06 is taking any Game in North America
12 gauge can be loaded with everything from bird shot to speciality slugs
22LR also very capable and has its place.
If you had to pick only 3... 308/30-06.. 12 gauge.. And 22lr is probably the best triple play for all situations you could possibly encounter.
I think all you need is a solid intermediate cartridge like a 5.56 or 7.62x39....cheap, readily available ammo, can stop a zombie or take out a deer etc.... If I were you I'd get a mint SKS with a few boxes of ammo.
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u/theborealethos 27d ago
SKS
Stripper clips are cheap and compact which makes them ideal for trekking overland or SHTF, conversely it can be loaded with stripper clips which makes it more long term survival suited than any mag fed guns. I have had AR mags(yes more than one) break on me before, though that is not a common occurance.
They are reliable & as we are seeing there is a lot more customization on the Canadian market because it’s simply the most common semi auto on the Canadian market.
A lever action in a pistol caliber is also nice, lever actions are very fun, that or some sort of milsurp bolt gun are my likely next purchases unless something good comes up.
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u/Accomplished_Ruin396 Aug 07 '26
Something like a Savage Axis II W/ MDT Oryx chassis (or a Hera h6) in .223 with a solid 5-25x ish scope.
It lets you learn real marksmanship fundamentals and stretches out your range days, while still keeping ammo affordable enough for plinking.
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u/Iokua_CDN Aug 07 '26
Any bolt action in 223 or 7 62 x39 is going to be real fun at the range and great for practice
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u/DashCameraman Aug 08 '26
the h6 has many issues I've heard.
Honestly OP I'm in the same position I have all the guns I need and maybe more would be fun, but I'm putting the money in my TFSA in stead of blowing it on another gun
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u/blueline731 Aug 07 '26
You will never regret buying a 10/22, you can customize them and upgrade them to your heart’s desire and they are so cheap to shoot.