AusVarmint

New to rifles and have done a lot of research and was considering a Browning Varmint, Savage 11 VT, any others I should consider?

Please keep in mind ive only shot .22's.

What sort of shooting are you planning on and what calibres are you looking at?

Target shooting/Hunting.

I am unsure as to what calibre as Ive only shot .22

Ruger Hawkeye in 223 mount a Redfield 4-12x50 fit a harris bipod and go forth and kill but do not forget to take lots of pics and post a hunt report.

What missed said.

I suggest you first invest in your own 22 as very cheap practice and effective small game killer and come to the missedathon in September ( you should have found the 3 months to go thread) where you can try a few before you buy. Specially if your a bewbie

What licence do you hold, if you only have an A category, you will need to upgrade to include B category as well, if you can, visit a range, have a go with some mates rifles, see what suits. Which rifle you choose will reflect what game you want to shoot, or target shooting. You have a lot to learn

MISSED wrote:Ruger Hawkeye in 223 mount a Redfield 4-12x50 fit a harris bipod and go forth and kill but do not forget to take lots of pics and post a hunt report.

Thank you, I have been researching and cannot find a price for the Ruger Hawkeye in 223. Does it come in a .22 as a lot of people are suggesting I start like this. In regards to the scope that is around $500?

trevort wrote:I suggest you first invest in your own 22 as very cheap practice and effective small game killer and come to the missedathon in September ( you should have found the 3 months to go thread) where you can try a few before you buy. Specially if your a bewbie

Yes, I will def start with a .22 rifle and come to the Event. I am looking forward to it. I will post in it shortly.

Camel wrote:What licence do you hold, if you only have an A category, you will need to upgrade to include B category as well, if you can, visit a range, have a go with some mates rifles, see what suits. Which rifle you choose will reflect what game you want to shoot, or target shooting. You have a lot to learn

I have an A/B licence

So what .22 rifle should I keep an eye out?

pugster1k wrote:So what .22 rifle should I keep an eye out?

Stick with one of the more well known brands. There's plenty of choices so it's hard to be specific.

Many swear by the CZ range of rimfire 22's. The Lithgow Crossover is pretty good, and Australian made. Savage has a huge range of models and prices. Ruger has their American range.

Take a look at a few gun shop websites and you'll get a good idea of the more common brands and their price range.

I would be looking at a fast twist 223 for starters. Tikka make an 8 twist, not sure who else do. That will let you shoot 80gr projies and that will get you into F Class and get you learning to shoot longer ranges without the recoil.

For a .223 I'd recommend a Ruger Hawkeye, but I'm biased because I just bought one. However, as Seddo suggests a Tikka would be a very good investment (great rifle).

I've been thinking Pugster, which is a scary thought!

If you haven't bought a rifle yet or had much experience shooting you should start with a .22LR no matter how tempted you may be to leap into a centerfire such as a .223.

.22LR ammo is dirt cheap in comparison to any other calibre out there. You can buy 500 rounds for under $50 (shop around) and it's fine for bunnies and foxes (generally 50m). You can learn a lot shooting a heap of 22LR without going broke or wearing out the rifle. Importantly, nearly all rifle makers produce 22LR rifles so you have plenty of choice over a wide price range.

Jumping to a centerfire will cause problems if you're anywhere near a city. The opportunity to shoot will be very limited, specifically to suitable rifle ranges. For me in Melb, that means an hour plus drive to get to a range that allows centerfires. By comparison I can drive for 10 minutes to get to a local range to shoot 22 rimfire.

Outside of ranges, you have to get out of the city to find anywhere you can legally shoot. No problem if you don't live in a city but 95% of us do. Now factor in centerfire ammo costs (at the low end 75cents per round), add range fees, travel costs (eg. tolls/fuel etc) and you'll find you won't get out to shoot as much as you like. On the other hand, you're more likely to find a 22LR range closer to home.

As for rifles, 22LR is generally cheaper than a centerfire although you can spend as much as you like. Without getting focused on brands, you can get a decent magazine fed 22LR for less than $500 new (excluding scope etc). A decent centerfire will cost you at least $500. Then add scope costs, cheaper for a basic rimfire scope than an equivalent centerfire.

The final advantage of .22LR rimfire is that you'll always find one in everyone's safe. I doubt there's anyone here that doesn't own a 22 no matter how many other exotic toys they may have. It's a belly button calibre....everyone has one (or should).

Get a 22LR and learn to use it well, then you can move onto a centerfire and save yourself a lot of ammo costs whilst developing your skills. Consider that learner drivers are better off learning in a Corolla than a Ferrari...you can always buy a Ferrari once you've mastered the basics. However, if you start with a Ferrari you'll probably regret it the first time something goes wrong...then probably end up with a Corolla (or worse, a Camry).

If you're already 'experienced' with 22's etc then moving a centerfire is fine. I'd suggest sticking to the more common calibres and avoid anyone suggesting big or unusual calibres. You mentioned 223, that would be a good choice.

The Raven wrote:I've been thinking Pugster, which is a scary thought!

If you haven't bought a rifle yet or had much experience shooting you should start with a .22LR no matter how tempted you may be to leap into a centerfire such as a .223.

.22LR ammo is dirt cheap in comparison to any other calibre out there. You can buy 500 rounds for under $50 (shop around) and it's fine for bunnies and foxes (generally 50m). You can learn a lot shooting a heap of 22LR without going broke or wearing out the rifle. Importantly, nearly all rifle makers produce 22LR rifles so you have plenty of choice over a wide price range.

Jumping to a centerfire will cause problems if you're anywhere near a city. The opportunity to shoot will be very limited, specifically to suitable rifle ranges. For me in Melb, that means an hour plus drive to get to a range that allows centerfires. By comparison I can drive for 10 minutes to get to a local range to shoot 22 rimfire.

Outside of ranges, you have to get out of the city to find anywhere you can legally shoot. No problem if you don't live in a city but 95% of us do. Now factor in centerfire ammo costs (at the low end 75cents per round), add range fees, travel costs (eg. tolls/fuel etc) and you'll find you won't get out to shoot as much as you like. On the other hand, you're more likely to find a 22LR range closer to home.

As for rifles, 22LR is generally cheaper than a centerfire although you can spend as much as you like. Without getting focused on brands, you can get a decent magazine fed 22LR for less than $500 new (excluding scope etc). A decent centerfire will cost you at least $500. Then add scope costs, cheaper for a basic rimfire scope than an equivalent centerfire.

The final advantage of .22LR rimfire is that you'll always find one in everyone's safe. I doubt there's anyone here that doesn't own a 22 no matter how many other exotic toys they may have. It's a belly button calibre....everyone has one (or should).

Get a 22LR and learn to use it well, then you can move onto a centerfire and save yourself a lot of ammo costs whilst developing your skills. Consider that learner drivers are better off learning in a Corolla than a Ferrari...you can always buy a Ferrari once you've mastered the basics. However, if you start with a Ferrari you'll probably regret it the first time something goes wrong...then probably end up with a Corolla (or worse, a Camry).

If you're already 'experienced' with 22's etc then moving a centerfire is fine. I'd suggest sticking to the more common calibres and avoid anyone suggesting big or unusual calibres. You mentioned 223, that would be a good choice.

Thanks for the advice. I am thinking of getting a savage mk11 .22 w/ 4-12 x50 red field and a bipod stand (don't know which one) thoughts on that setup?
I won't get a .223 yet as I want to get a .22 rifle.

What ammo should I be looking for or is this trial and error to get the best ammo for your gun?

Further, do you have any recommendations on earmuffs and glasses?
Should I also get a carry gun case?

Furthermore, I am also looking at the lok3 safe. What are lokaway safes like?

Last but not least I am looking at getting a spotting scope achutz thoughts?

I bought a cz .22 for my first rifle which at the time I thought was quite expensive but reminded me of the Bruno .22 I learned to shoot with as a kid so I shelled out the cash. I will never sell it and look forward to passing it onto my son or daughter when they are old enough. I know quite a few old fellas that still own their first gun which will be handed down and so on. I am sure there will be a few guys on here that have their first single shot .22 tucked away in the gun case somewhere too? Either way buy what you can afford and enjoy.