Hello everyone,

I've registered as a new user to this forum as I am a beginner looking for some some advice and opinions on firearms.

Im 23 and have beed raised with, and taught how to use firearms from a young age. I've come to a point now, where I feel I'd like to obtain my firearms licence and purchase a rifle.

Im interested in doing a small amount of target/range shooting and joining a local club, but my real passion is getting out into the wilderness (or Bush, as we call it in Australia) and doing some hunting.

My question is this:

Which Brand and/or model of Rifle should I purchase?

Below is a small list of things I've decided apon that may help narrow things down a little.

- I'd like a .223
- I will be shooting in the field just as much as on a range
- My general shooting range will be between 50-150yards
- I've heard that Tikka, Remington, Ruger, Weatherby are good Brands, but wouldn't have a clue which is more appropriate for a beginner.
- my budget is around $1000AUD ($770USD) for a new rifle (not including a scope)
- I think I'd prefer a synthetic stock and a stainless barrell.

If there is anything I've forgotten to specify, please feel free to remind me! :)

Thanks for your interest and opinions.
Regards,
Jarrad

All those rifles would seem to fit into your interests. Wouldn't over look the Savage rifle. One thing you didn't mention was what game you would be hunting. 223 may be a bit light for deer size game and bigger.

Welcome aboard mate.I can vouch for the Tikka,very good shooters and well built.They don't come equiped with sights so you'll need a scope too(they come with rings).What you should do is find a shop that stocks those brands.Take them for a test ride,get the feel of them.You may prefer one more than another,in fact you WILL.
I would give some thought to what you may hunt in the bush.The 223 may be a little lean,it's a great round but has it's limits as a hunter of larger game.The 7mm08 is nice round.I have a 6mmX55 Tikka, you can shoot it all day.

Jazzy: You have a good sized budget. I own a Ruger M77 Mark II and would recommend it in any caliber you decide upon. But in reality, the elements that bind a shooter to a rifle are most often the very personal things: how the gun feels coming up to your shoulder, how the length of pull fits you, how the rifle appeals to you visually, etc. Ruger, Remington, Savage, Tikka all make great synthetic rifles and you wouldn't go wrong choosing any of them (I would not purchase anything considered a "beginning" rifle, as often these are undersized). I'm not sure how things work in Australia (obviously different from in the US if you need a firearms liscense to purchase a rifle), but if you can go to your firearms dealer and simply hoist them up to shoulder, shift them around, snug them up, and dry fire. Imagine yourself in the woods (bush), carrying and using this rifle. It's amazing how the right rifle will often announce itself to you. This is how it went with my Ruger. I have several rifles, including Remington, Winchester, Marlin, Henry. The Ruger is my hunting rifle, and I knew the minute I brought it up and tucked it in, it was the one. I hope this helps. ---Mykal

wow,

Thanks for the information and opinions! That is exactly the kind of information I'm after.

Just to clarify: Im interested in shooting small to medium sized Game:

Kangaroos
Wild Pigs
Goats
Small Deer (possibly)

I shouldered about 5 brands in a local gun retailer the other day. I noticed some felt front-heavy, but was quite impressed by the balance and feel of some of the Remingtons, Tikkas and Rugers in particular. I haven't yet got my hands on a Savage.

- I've been told the .223 calibre is a 'good all-rounder', but worry that it may fall short in ranged shooting.
- Any recommendations on Scopes?

Welcome.

There are some of your Southern Hemisphere compatriots here on the board. They should be able to give you some good 'real world' advice regarding game calibers for what you're interested in shooting.

Check this thread for a start:
http://shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?t=29389

Try to shoot as many brands/models as you can. Some will fit/feel better to you. That being said, Tikka's are great.

By the sounds of it, you may want something heavier than a .223. Remember, you can get lighter loads for larger calibers if you need/want to take smaller game. I'd make your first rifle as versitle as possible. The more you can do with it, the more you can explore those aspects of hunting and shooting that interest you most.

Good luck and keep us posted.

jonas

Jazzy: With regard to scopes, you can end up paying far more for the scope than the rifle. Personally, I have been very pleased with Sightron scopes. I have three now, all 3-9 x 40 (which is a very common and most useful config for hunting), and I find them as bright, clear and sturdy as my 3-9 from Leopold. They are a mid-priced scope - around $150. Personally, I have had both good and bad luck with the inexpensive scopes like BSA or Tasco. Some suprisingly good, some not so good. With Sightron, you aren't taking on a second job to pay for the thing, yet their quality and performance is very good. --Mykal

If you're gonna shoot pigs, look for some specific loads -

If you don't handload,

Winchester 64gr. PowerPoint
or anything commercially loaded with the 60gr. Nosler Partition, or Barnes "X" bullet (any weight).

If you handload, just load up the Barnes "X" and it should do the job on everything.

Best of luck.... at some point we'll talk you into bigger calibers :D

I would say that game of that size that a .243 would be a better all around caliber. The .223 is a little light for deer. Can be done, but I would go with the .243 myself.

Check out this Savage. And the price.

http://www.savagearms.com/16fss.htm

I would say that game of that size that a .243 would be a better all around caliber. The .223 is a little light for deer. Can be done, but I would go with the .243 myself.

Check out this Savage. And the price.

http://www.savagearms.com/16fss.htm

I echo that the .243 would be a better choice for your needs. I am not sure how ammo availability is in your area, but a .260 Remington or 7mm-08 would even be better. All of the above rounds are based on the .308 Winchester case necked down. The 6.5mm Sweede and 7mm Mauser would be the European equivilants. These two are actually popular in N. America as well. America is good for developing and marketing multiple rounds that do the exact same thing.

I'd look at the 6.5x55 for a few reasons. First, little more horsepower than the .243 but morse because you can usually find a lot of ammo from a lot more sources, cost will likely be lower too. Me, personally, I like the CZ550FS in this caliber with the Mannlicher stock but it also comes in a standard sporter version too.

Thanks everyone for your ideas and opinions.

I'll be sure to keep you all posted as to how my choices and experiences progress.

I've got time on my hands at this point. In Australia, we are required to undergo an official firearms safety course, apply for a licence (3-5 weeks) apply for a 'permit to aquire' (2-4 weeks) to obtain a new firearm and join a local shooting club. This gives me about 8 weeks to think about which way I'll go.

Jarrad

In addition to the stock, pay attention to the trigger. I hear the new Remingtons have a very heavy trigger to satisfy the lawyers.

I got a new Savage with their Accutrigger:
http://www.savagearms.com/at_pressrelease.htm
The feel of this trigger instrument is phenomenal! It comes set really light for benchrest & varmint shooting; you may want to adjust it a little heavier for general hunting, which is easy to do.

Can you join the shooting club first, and ask around among the members as to what they hunt with?

Jarrad.....If it is a dual purpose hunting caliber your looking for, I would suggest the 25-06 caliber often called the "Quarter Bore". I use mine for whitetale deer as well as varmints like ground hogs and predator's such as coyotes. Bullets size ranges from 75 grain to 120 grain bullets.

I will also put a plug in for the 6.5 x 55 Swede to! It is a great hunting caliber for big or small animals from groudhogs to moose. It is also a very good long range caliber too.
Ammo should be easy to come by where your at and reloading is easy with this caliber as well. Bullet sizes are from 100 grain to 160 grain bullets.

Now rifle wise I like the Savage because they make their barrels the old fashion way and they are very accurate right out of the box. In addition, they have that new trigger and it is the Cats Meow for any shooter wanting to shoot tight small groups at the rifle range.

I'll give the Ruger M77 a plug as well! They have the Mauser type action, 3 position safety (the best in my humble opinion)
and control round feed magazine. They also have that big claw extractor, it is twice the size of most gun makers and it doesn' get any better. Same set up as the model 70 Winchester before their demise. These are well made hunting rifles....... Cheer's Mate!

If you really want a 223, look at the CZ rifles. They have an action that is just the right size for the 223. Thats what I would get, probably the carbine version. For an all around caliber, consider a 308. Ammo is available everywhere in a big assortment of load types including military surplus. Just my .02.

If you really want a 223, look at the CZ rifles. They have an action that is just the right size for the 223. Thats what I would get, probably the carbine version. For an all around caliber, consider a 308. Ammo is available everywhere in a big assortment of load types including military surplus. Just my .02.

The .308 is a great round if we are going 30 cal or above, but being from down-under, maybe he should just go ahead and get a good quality .303 British. I think that is the most popular round there so ammo availabiltiy in the brush would be a non issue.

I recommend taking a look at the 243 as well, it is a very comfortable cartridge to shoot off the bench and has a wide variety of loadings from lightweight varmint bullets to 100gr. partitions

I echo that the .243 would be a better choice for your needs. I am not sure how ammo availability is in your area, but a .260 Remington or 7mm-08 would even be better. All of the above rounds are based on the .308 Winchester case necked down. The 6.5mm Sweede and 7mm Mauser would be the European equivilants. These two are actually popular in N. America as well. America is good for developing and marketing multiple rounds that do the exact same thing.
I have to echo Bird Dogs comments; .223 will handi-cap you for taking medium sized game and up.

I've been talking with some locals in regards to finding the right firearm, and they too have been recommending I consider something larger such as the 243 etc.

Thanks for the information, I think it's put me on a better path towards the right gun. I'll be sure to post when I come to a final decision.

Now all I have to worry about is a scope! :)

Thanks everyone, and regards,
Jarrad