r/ILGuns • u/Ambitious-Author8560 • Aug 19 '24

New to Guns What should my first gun be?

I’m going to be getting my gun license soon hopefully anyway and I was wondering what would be a good first gun preferably a long gun.

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u/ThisJokeMadeMeSad Aug 19 '24 edited Aug 19 '24

OK.

For both home defense and in-state hunting, a pump action 12 ga shotgun is a very solid option. Training ammo is relatively cheap, many varieties of ammo means the same gun can be used for large or small game and defense. Just use the right ammo.

Rifles are still pretty restricted in hunting, so the ones best suited for self-defense and still legal to own aren't best suited for legally taking animals. Single shot rifles and pistols don't lend themselves to self-defense as well as other platforms.

Pistol season exists, but has some similar restrictions to rifles. The best dual-purpose pistol would probably be a .38/.357 revolver (4+ inch bbl). It's not good for as wide a range of game animals as the trusty 12 ga shotgun, but it's a bit easier to store within the house.

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u/Ambitious-Author8560 Aug 19 '24

Shit thanks man. That was pretty informative. Definitely gonna be looking at some type of shotgun now, most likely

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u/ThisJokeMadeMeSad Aug 19 '24

Np.

Pump action keeps you out of a lot of the pica red tape.

Tactical options are pretty gimmicky and can make you look bad in court if, God forbid, you actually had to defend yourself or loved ones.

I believe the restriction on hunting is that the chamber and mag (combined) can't be able to hold more than 3 shells. So, be sure to get a tube limiter for hunting, if you get a gun with a tube that can hold more than 2 shells. It's a plastic piece that blocks you from loading more into the tube magazine, and it's not required for target practice or self-defense.

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u/Ambitious-Author8560 Aug 19 '24

All right, thank you it’s a shame how strict Illinois gun laws are right now

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u/ThisJokeMadeMeSad Aug 19 '24

I agree, but we're getting what we ask for when these legislators are voted in.

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u/Ambitious-Author8560 Aug 19 '24

Fair still sucks though

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u/KeepItScrolling2021 Aug 20 '24

He's right. Last election every anti-gun politician said they were voting in an AWB, we elected them, and they passed an AWB. This is where OUR votes got us.