Great stuff, guys! Les, I will check all that out.

It has been more than 30 years since I was active in shooting sports or owned a firearm. I am working on becoming an informed consumer.

The idea of one gun plus a drop-in conversion offering an accurate centerfire .223 combined with a reasonably-accurate-at-short-distance and cheap-to-practice rimfire .22LR is intriguing. It may offer the potential of matching my likely opportunistic hunting style without burdening me with two guns.

The AR-15 platform seems also to offer modularity and upgrade paths for future experimentation.

More research!

dweste... the AR platform "black rifle" is the small block Chevy of the firearms industry...tremendous amount of stuff available to add on...you need a good trigger, and good sights (at my age optics)look up the shooting sports offering practical rifle or 3 gun in your area...check it out and ask questions...if you look at the videos I mentiioned you can wade through the "mall nija/gunstore commando" junk and see what world class shooters use... regards Les

Les, thanks again, videos awesome - an extremely high level of competence displayed! I am not sure I aspire to that level, but instructive to see the experts do their stuff.

I am searching for a solid AR-15 civilian training course in Central or Northern California for the basics of maintenance, shooting, and field operation. If need be I have found manuals, books, videos in various on- and off-line formats, etcetera. And I do have my brother and a friend who are familar with the platform somewhat.

I, too, will require optics and all the help I can get!

dweste...If you go the video route, I would highly recommend the Viking Tactics video. Kyle is arguably the most sought after carbine trainer in the country now. Somewhere down the road get a copy of his book "Green Eyes and Black Rifles" regards Les

dweste, I am not sure why you are researching AR15s in California.

You missed that bus years ago.

Unless registered (that time has passed, BTW) , AR15s are essentially illegal in CA.

Have a look at calguns.net for more details on California law.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Good quality bolt-action .22 LR rifles are commonly available new for a good bit less than $100. Last I looked a Stevens was going for about $80 new at Wally. These units may not be match grade but are perfectly acceptable for light game shooting.

Nothing wrong with the 10-22, they have a lot of accessories available too.
You're doing the right thing by asking questions and getting well informed.
I'm looking into a training course that others have taken. I hope I can make it this time. Get as much training you can get & practice.

FYI AR-15 in 22LR, like all 22s, are generally exempt from the CA ban, provided 10 round mags.

However, I am now leaning away from AR-15s because of the purchase price and toward the Ruger 10/22. I may even abandon the new gun idea and get into used firearms so that I can afford to fully accessorize, etc.

That is good to hear that you can have .22 ARs. They are fun. Thanks for the clarification.

That said, the 10/22 is a great platform as well. I prefer the used ones because the trigger pack is metal, not the plastic in the newer ones.

That is a myth. ALL bullets alter trajectory when impacting media. The weight of the bullet causes easier fragmentation, as it simply isnt as dense as a 7.62 round. "Observed tumbling" is something people will occasionally see, when shooting paper-the bullet passed through it sideways, in what is called "keyholing". This is the result of the shooter having a poor grip, and anticipating recoil-in essence, you are putting a slight flid on the bullet when it leaves the muzzle, causing it to keyhole.
As to the tumbling bullet theory, I think that this was one of the "plastic gun" myths originating when Stoner introduced the platform. Most of the trouble issues with the M16 platform were found, and dealt with, within the first few years of production. Or the result of negligence on the shooters part. Having shot them in one style or another over the course of 20 years, I have never had one blow up, or get so fouled as to not work. Sure, I have had jams-show me a rifle that doesnt jam!. But, I can honestly say, a well built AR platform will provide years of service, with minimal effort required on your part.
FYI, there were recent studies done on how the military cleans their rifles, and premature replacement of parts. Anyone who has served, I am sure has expereinced the HOURS of cleaning the higher ups require. Armorers often would not take a rifle with ANY carbon on it at all. This is actually quite detrimental to the rifle. Wiping down the bolt carrier group, the chamber, and rodding the barrel, is all thats needed. 10 minutes, no more. A little carbon is fine-it doesnt cause jamming issues. Oh, and, of course, a little oil.