The Most and Least Expensive Rifles to Shoot

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24/7 Wall St. Insights

• Gun owners should be familiar and comfortable with their firearm -- but regular practice with live ammunition can be expensive
• Certain rifle calibers make for a far more affordable day at the range than others
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Gun sales in the United States have hit all time highs in recent years. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, approximately 38.3 million firearms were manufactured domestically between 2020 and 2022 -- nearly one million more than were made in the entire first decade of the 2000s. Rising consumer demand has been driven in no small part by rifle sales.

Rifles have long been the preferred firearm for hunting, but the domestic market for rifles has been increasingly geared toward home defense. Unlike popular hunting rifles, which are often bolt- or lever-action repeaters, home defense rifles are more likely to be semi-automatic modern sporting rifles, or MSRs. MSRs are civilian rifles built on military rifle platforms, like the AR-15 or AK-47.

While their military origins have made assault-style rifles a source of political controversy, MSRs are hugely popular. According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, an industry advocacy group, Americans have bought over 24.4 million MSRs since 1990, including more than 4.5 million in the last three years alone. (Here is a look at the best-selling rifles in the United States .)

Those in the market for a new firearm have many considerations to weigh when choosing a gun -- including intended usage, and long-term ownership costs. Whether keeping a firearm for home defense, hunting, or recreational shooting, rifle owners need to be familiar with their firearm — and regular practice at the range is far more affordable with certain rifle calibers.

Using data from Southern Defense , an ammunition price tracking website, 24/7 Wall St. identified the price of 26 different rifle calibers and ranked them by cost per round, from lowest to highest. It is important to note that ammo prices can vary by brand, cartridge characteristics, retailer, and geographic area. The prices on this list represent the lowest available as of mid-August 2024. Supplemental data on cartridge ballistics and common usages are from Sportsman's Warehouse and other firearm reference tables. It is important to note that ballistics performance can vary by the type of ammunition used, firearm barrel length, and environmental factors.

Among the rifle calibers on this list, prices range from as low as $0.04 per round to over $3.00. The cheapest rifle round by a wide margin is the .22 Long Rifle, or .22 LR. Unlike most other cartridges, the .22 LR is rimfire round, which are much cheaper to manufacture than centerfire ammunition, partially because they are relatively low pressure and can use thin-walled cartridge casings. Ammunition for .22 LR rifles is also popular and widely produced by manufacturers to meet demand. The supply and wide availability of .22 LR ammunition also contributes to its low cost.

While affordable, .22 LR ammunition is far less capable than other common rifle rounds, and largely limited to target shooting and small game and varmint hunting. Meanwhile, more expensive ammunition tend to be powerful, high-caliber rounds suited to long-range shooting and hunting large game. Other high-priced ammunition are not especially common, and limited supply contributes to higher costs. (Here is a look at the most versatile hunting rifle cartridges .)

Why It Matters

As millions of American sports men and women know, shooting can be an expensive hobby. Beyond the initial investment in a firearm, which can range in price from a few hundred dollars to several thousand, every pull of the trigger comes with additional costs. For those who want to enjoy shooting sports without breaking the bank, a day at the range or in the field can be far more affordable with certain calibers.

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