contemplating purchasing a rifle. . .

Skip the advice on the el-cheapo guns. Ever had a gun misfire? I would hate to think I needed it and it didn't fire. I own a cheapo 20ga that occaisionally doesn't fire when the trigger is pulled. Gunsmith checked it and basically it's not made to close tolerances and occasionally it will not fire when the loosness and the right shell meet. I would hate to think that was when a person really needed it.

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"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self confidence"
Robert Frost

Beeman is right stay away from the cheepo guns get ya some good old time tested high quality weapons.
For instance in my gun safe is a very long barraled heavy (accuracy) 1909 russian made 7.62 x 54 its about the same as a 30.30 but much more accrurate and very high quality.I see alot of them from 1939 to 1944 build dates great guns feild sturdy peasant proof and $69 at the local pawnshop. theres a pistol there today built bythe same country verynice bullet proof gun $39 and a beautiflul winchester bolt action 12 gauge great gun rock solid $59.
Beeman is right stay away from the new cheap stuff they are puttin out.

Inexpensive firearms like the Harrison & Richards (H&R) and New England Firearms (NEF) rifles and shotguns serve well for most general hunting tasks for the caliber/gauge in which they are chambered, and the Rossi rifles and shotguns too, as long as you are willing to accept the single shot action type as part of the lower price tag. Additionally, if you are willing to deal with some of the pro and cons of military surplus firearms, they are decent lower cost arms as well.

I have a mix of surplus and commercial arms that all have a purpose, with some better suited to each task than others, but they all meet my variety of needs.

Personally, I would purchase a Thompson/Center series longarm and handgun frame or a Ruger No. 1 single shot rifle if I wanted a single shot for a dedicated hunting arm for the given conditions where I live since I can easily hunt and take a game animal with only one shot. It's not that I don't like the less expensive commerical products, I'd prefer to have them for vehicle guns for emergencies in general just to have something and not worry so much if it gets beat up and is also very compact to store. However, for serious self-defense I would chose a repeater, likely a semi-auto for rapid follow up shots.

Quite a few people in my area hunt with single shot H&R and NEF firearms, from people on tight budgets to the Mennonites and Amish who go for practical things. Even if they own a repeater it's pretty plain or even an old military surplus arm.

As for calibers, .22 Long Rifle rimfires are good for lower noise varminting and close to the home shooting to avoid overpenetration. For shotguns, even a full weight repeater will recoil with good force, let alone a lightweight single shot. Unless you use light target loads, you're going to be thumped. For a centerfire rifle caliber, I'd say it depends on what the largest animal you will need to deal with on a regular basis, be it a deer or bears or elk or whatever. If you are going to hunting with a single shot, you are going to need great shot placement regardless of caliber as the time to reload is much slower than with a repeater. It's not going to matter much if it's a .243 Winchester or a .300 Winchester Magnum, if you don't place the shot well the animal is going to require a great deal of tracking. The only thing that has put down a deer where it was hit without a fuss has been a 12 gauge slug for the sheer fact that it is slow, heavy and leave a big entry and exit wound even if it doesn't expand.

In the end, there is no one perfect firearm for all occasions, though some chamberings and types do overlap to a greater or lesser extent. I'd say you would be better off with two or more different firearms that might overlap in duties so that you could use one in a pinch for a task that it might not be perfect for, but it could get the job done if used well.

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I would challenge anyone here to think of a question upon which we once had a scientific answer, however inadequate, but for which now the best answer is a religious one. – Sam Harris

I agree with jolly, I own a 870 Remington express and have killed large and small game with it I have a improved choke for small game and a rifled choke fore large game and it is acurate for at least a hundred yards

IMO, its better to have 3 different firearms than 1. I’ll give the reasons then my choices.

It has been my experience different problems need different solutions. Three different problems I have faced and one, by the grace of God I haven’t. A large dog after my horses, cat in the chicken yard, opossums eating the dog food and an intruder in the house. All but the opossum problems are ‘I’ve got stop this RIGHT NOW’ problems. If all I had was a 3 in 1 weapon I’d have a 1 in 3 chance of having the wrong barrel for the problem. For the dog problem you want a scoped high powered rifle. You need accuracy to hit at range and power to put the dog down. For the cat you need a shotgun because cats are quick. For the opossums you want a small caliber weapon. For the intruder you are better off with, IMO, a large caliber handgun or folding stock shotgun (try walking around inside your house with an unloaded rifle or shotgun and you’ll see what I mean)

Now for my choices. The high powered rifle should be a .308 WIN (7.62NATO) in what ever type action you are comfortable with. Mainly because you can get bullets to handle everything from varmints to big game.

The shotgun should be a 12 ga. for almost the same reason. It can load it to handle everything from birds to bear.

Of course the small caliber should the old 22 LR. Again there are all kinds of rounds out there for it. You can buy very low power rounds to shot rats in the barn up to rounds to handle bobcats and coyotes at close range.

As for home defense there are entire books on what’s the best and/or what’s wrong with this weapon or that one so to prevent arguments here, unless asked, I’ll stick to what I said above and add the best is what ever you have in your hands when you need it.

If you can only afford one weapon now buy the shotgun first. It is the most flexible.

Now I’ll add a couple things. Consider getting a 22LR revolver, its easy to carry and has enough power to take care of most problems you’ll need a firearm for. I suggest a revolver because its simple to operate and I’ve never had one malfunction on me as well as it can handle 22LR, 22 longs, 22 short and others w/o a problem.

<preaching mode on>
If you are really worried about your personal safety think about a large caliber handgun, .41 or larger. Personally I like a revolver (see above) chambered for the .45 Long Colt round. I’d never trust my life or my loved one’s lives to a round that depends on expanding hollow point round. Don’t believe the all the news hype about handguns, FYI, police are taught that it take multiple hits from a 9mm w/ hollow points to stop an attacker.
<preaching mode off>

Labrat,
I see you are in Bluegrass country, meaning dense cover and no really long shots. For $230, you have quite a few options. Don't look for a weapon that will cover all aspects of defense or hunting - there is no such thing, as you may well know.

The two best coices for your area, would be either a good SKS or a Pump action shot gun.
The SKS fires 7.62x39 cartridges and is semi-automatic - for defense, this can turn out to be a great feature. The rifle is about as reliable as they get, costs about $150 and will take anything up to deer size without an issue - to about 150 yards.

The pump action shotgun will run right at about $230 for a goot Remington 870. They are also very reliable, will easily reach out to about 75 - 100yards with slogs and is a bit more versatile. Buy a mix of slogs and buckshot and you will be able to handle most any situation in your area, including hunting - just don't go for the super short barrel look - it hurts range something awful.

As for multi barrel jobbers - the only one I've seen that is reliable and accurate, is the Thompson Contender rifles. They are pricey though and you are still stuck with a single shot - not good if it is intended for self defense or dealing with any kind of dangerous critter. At least get a bolt or pump action.

i have a rossi youth .410/22. i use it for squirrel hunting and such. reliable for me. barrels can be changed in about 30 seconds. for a homestead protection gun, the 3 barrel combo sounds good.

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-when life gives you lemons, find a big slingshot!!!-

The combo guns are OK, if you're just going to be a "one gun" man. But you said specifically "rifle", and I'll go with that. For the homesteader, I would go with a Ruger mini-30.

The .308 is plenty of round for deer, black bear, and even elk if properly placed. While ruger sells only 5 round mags (I think), 20-30 rounders are available for the "two-legged-vermin" problems. There are more accurate firearms, but for dual purpose firepower, a Mini-30 is hard to beat. Basically a carbine, it fits nice behind the seat of the truck, and is highly maneuverable in close quarters.

I have no clue how much they run, but its a firearm, and you will own it and use it for a lifetime. I'm not much into the "value guns" for that very reason.

Anyway, that's my two cents.

In answer to your inquiry, the combo thing will likely prove unsatifactory in all setups,
A rifle is a weapon of accuracy, and should consistantly place three rounds that can be covered by a quarter at 100 yds. The exception would be a fully automatic military weapon. The sound advice you received reccomending a good 12ga shotgun would result in a smart first gun. A handy pump model loaded with 12ga no 4 buckshot would be a certain close range stopper without penetrating all the walls in your house. Bird shot to long range slugs would make it a handy homestead tool. A pistol is something that is easy to carry around and works in .22 and large calibers if you are accurate with it. I'm just not a good pistol shot beyond 5 yds. From your military training, you know what is coming next...practice, practice and become proficent. Weapons are serious business....Glen

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The more a man travels, acquires wisdom and learns about life, the more likely he is to marry a Country Girl.

A shotgun should be the choice if it going to be a one gun household.

Another benefit-Nobody-NOBODY is going to walk down the throat of a shotgun.

A twelve guage shotgun from the barrel end looks about like looking into the open top of a fifty-five gallon drum.

Plus multiple shots.

Dont let the gun lovers get you buying more than you need. The rossi is a low cost gun. It isnt fancy, but it is of decent quality tool and will perform its task fine. For about $75 you can get a bolt action WW2 russian gun that is accurate and powerfull like a 30-06. You can get a used .22 for about $75 and single shot shotgun for about $75. Your choice really, id perfer 3 used guns, but new with a warranty is good too.

Another option you may want to consider for a utility firearm is a single shot New England Firearms 12ga. new at walmart for about $100...used for about $75. You can buy plugs that allow you to shoot 20ga and 28g shot shells and you can also shoot slugs. Seems you could do a little hunting, slaughter and protecting with that.

The rossi is a good choice if you go that route.

Please, tell me about the slugs; I was watching Kentucky Afield the other evening and there was a discussion about slugs, how they would shoot accurately within 200 feet. Like I stated previously, I’m a rookie and I remember as a child my friends and their family going rabbit hunting with a side by side and back then, shotgun shells dispersed buckshot and of course, these are accurate for about twenty to forty feet, at least back then.

a slug is just one big bullet shoots like one,You can even buy shotgun barrels with rifleing in them to improve their accuracy, Wierd thing here in Il you can shoot deer with a rifled slug gun but not a rifle.

A modern slug shotgun, with rifled barrel and high performance saboted slugs, is the top choice for hunters who must hunt with a shotgun, as it provides rifle-like power and accuracy at ranges up to 125 yards (375 feet). Slugs for smoothbores, with their larger diameter and lower accuracy, are still suitable for wooded areas. Their maximum effective range is about 75 yards (225ft).
A more open choke is better as I understand it, but a typical "modified" choke is fine. Im not sure how slugs would do with a "fill choke" but I think I have some slugs that recomend using "full choke".

Sounds like a simple 20ga single shot shotgun is all you need, maybe pick up a $50 .22 when a good deal comes up at a pawn shop or something.

wouldnt a rifled shotgun be a rifle?

Change your thinking.

Today's shotguns have interchangeable choke tubes, and most are chambered for 3" magnums (either 12 or 20).

With proper chokes, I can put 72 #6 shot in an 8 inch paper plate at 40 yards. With the same gun, I can easily kill deer at 40-50 yards with #1 buck. Or, I can slip in a rifled choke tube, and easily hit a gallon bucket at a hundred yards. Lastly, I can shoot quail or skeet, same 12 gauge, a bit more open choke.

Sure, you can listen to folks that advise you to buy cheap guns...that's fine, some work well, some don't. Some are harder to find ammo for than others...seen any .30 Luger on the Walmart shelf lately? How 'bout any 5.56x39?

I'm not pulling this stuff outta my hat. I've been reloading and wildcatting for 25 years. I had my own FFL for almost 20 years. I've sold and tinkered with a lot of stuff.

The hands-down, do-all gun is a Remington 870 Express, 12 gauge, 3 inch chamber, 26" barrel. Right now, there is a rebate on the gun, and final cost down here is about $210. Because there are so many of them produced, your grandchildren will have no problem finding parts.

I'm not knocking Rossi, they produce a serviceable firearm. But I recently heard a man bemoaning the fact he had bought his son a youth model single shot rifle to begin dear hunting, and the young lad was having trouble with the creepy, hard trigger pull. That trigger is non-adjustable, and most gunsmiths can't, or won't touch it. To do the job right, you wind up having to do some machine work, and simple fix on many guns turns into a $75 or $100 job.

I've already given you my thoughts on what your second gun should be - a .22 rifle. Now, I'll expand that...in its price range, nothing beats a bolt-action Marlin. I've got an 883 that will shoot 1" groups at a hundred yards, and that's something that a lot of centerfire rifles won't do. Forget this BS about Dead-eye Dick and the rifle that shoots in 1 hole at a hundred paces. I've shot several hundred centerfire rifles at one time or another, and I've seen a lot more shot on the range.

Sure, anybody can get a lucky group, but tell you waht you do for either a rimfire or a centerfire:

1. Tack up a piece of paper with 1/2" or 1" squares drawn on it at an appropriate distance (50 yards for rimfires, 100 yards for centerfires).

2. From a cold barrel, fire a 3 shot group off of sand bags from a solid table.

3. Tack up a second piece of paper directly over the first.

4. Repeat #2.

5. Tack up a third piece of paper over the first two.

6. Repeat #2.

7. Go back and pull off the 1st piece of paper, and look at the 9 holes. It's a pretty good indicator of what your rifle will do.