[IDave]

My first long gun was the 30-06 that I have hunted with for many years, and if you anticipate hunting soon, maybe the gun you'll hunt with should be your first. But what Flint pointed out was true for me: the recoil and noise of (especially an elk-sized) hunting rifle set me up for pulling my shots, something it took a few years and a number of adjustments to unlearn. So, I, too, think that ideally you learn to plink with a .22 and lots of cheap ammo before you move up.