Hi all

I am new to this forum.

I have been shooting shotguns since I was 14 which was over 50 years ago.

I have just taken up deer shooting and have a .308 Kimber Longmaster Classic which fits the bill for this type of hunting. This is my first rifle and I am very happy with it and with rifle shooting in general. I am now considering increasing my rifle battery by one or two more.

I am interested in doing some target shooting at a range (50 yards up), hunting for rabbits, foxes and wallaby (small kangaroo).

To go along with my .308 I am thinking of the following options:

1. .22 LR on its own

2. .22 LR and .223

3. .17 HMR on its own

4. .17 HMR and .223

5. .22 Mag on its own

6. .22 Mag and .223

7. .223 on its own

What option do you guys think would go with my .308 the best? - first the best single rifle on its own to buy now, and then the next best rifle to buy - once I get clearance from the wife. Or, if you think one rifle would cover my requirements, then that rifle.

I will be keen to read your suggestions.


Regards

kimberman

if you reload i would get the 223.
and a good 22 in the same style as your other rifles. lots of use and cheap practice
if you donot reload the 223 is among the least expensive to buy as are the 22 shells.
then you can worry about a camel and buffalo rifle.

Thanks Fivedog - the buffaloe gun may well come later - I'm tending towards the .223 but still not sure on the rimfire - getting similar style guns must be a good way to go though for consistency of feel.

IMHO a good 22lr rifle is an absolute nessesity, moreso than any other calliber. If you don't have one, you need one. Not a cheap gun, a good one. A Kimber 22 would be a good match with your Kimber 308 not only because it is from the same company but because the style matches. Good quality 22lr rifles are great for practice, plinking, pest control and small game hunting.

Thanks Stanger23 - I have checked out the Kimber .22 on the web they look like great rifles and as you say would go well with my .308 - I am led to believe that Kimber have discontinued production of .22's but they are still available in some gun shops.

Cz also make some top quality rimfires, centerfires too for that matter. Thing is .22lr isn't a 150 yard varmit round. Best to limit it to about 50 yards if your hunting decent sized varmits. The 22 mag and 17 HMR really open up a rimfires effectiveness, With the 17 especially, 150 yards shouldn't be a problem. Add the .223 in and your covered out to at least 300 yards, some will say more.
For me I have to have a good .22lr, I shoot that rifle 10x more than all my others combined. .22's renforce good shooting habits, and help bad ones stay away. Plus they are cheap to shoot. Next up from my .22lr is a .243 which I use as a combo coyote, deer, and other varmit rifle. My personel pick in your situation is a cz 453 in .22lr and a cz 527 in the .223. Resson being, cz makes exceptional rifles, and they have a single set trigger with is a nice feature. But if you like kimber, they make good guns too. Oh, the image in the avitar is a 7.62x39 shell that I ever so neatly blew the primer out of with my cz 452 fs at 50 yards.

Kimberman - I recently picked up a Kimber Longmaster Classic myself. Mine is the 223 Remington. If you want a sister gun to the 308 and you like the Longmaster you might just consider a second Longmaster in 223.

I'm just getting mine to the point I can take it to the range (this weekend) so I can't make any claims of like/dislike or how accurate it is but I like the way it comes up and the trigger.

Thanks Coyote_242 and flashole for your replies. I do like the CZ rifles and I reckon they are as good a value as one can get. However, I am not keen on the the CZ safety being in reverse to my Kimber -' could prove a safety issue - however a CZ (or 2) is certainly on my short list. It would certainly make sense to go with the Kimber .223 if I can persuade the wife to release the funds. The feeling so far is that a good .22LR would complete the battery along with .223.

I've been shooting near as long as you have kimberman and having owned two CZ's, a 527 and a 452 with the "dreaded backward safety's" have to say that it's a non-issue. Folks that make it an issue are folks that don't own and shoot these fine super accurate well built guns.

I'd really suggest that if you don't like exceptional accuracy, good wood and steel and well made firearms you stay away from the CZ's. I shoot Remingtons, Rugers, Winchesters and a bunch of other firearms and it took me all of 30 seconds to figure out the safety on these.

There's no difference in learning to put a switch in two positions as going from a tang safety gun to a crossbolt safety gun. My view is if your so functionally challenged you can't do that simple learning maneuver then you really shouldn't be handling firearms as the transition from a rifle safety to a shotgun safety would be simply overwhelming and completely unsafe.

The CZ 452 Lux I shoot is near as accurate as my Winchester 52 four position heavy target rifle was and this from a light 22 sporter. With one of Erik Brooks 14 buck trigger kits in it with the 3rd spring of his kit the trigger breaks at 1.5 pounds just like ice.

Here's a place to look at some CZ rimfire FAQ's. Just scroll down to the FAQ section and it'll give you some insight into these fine little rimfires. Mine on a non-windy day with target ammo will shoot a five shot inch group at a hundred yards.

http://cz452.com/

I'll second the CZ 452. Fine .22 rifle!!!

Your .308 is about as good as it gets for ordinary game hunting.

If you want to step up to bigger, meaner critters a .338 Win Mag is a thought.

A .223 for cheap, high volume varmiting is never a bad idea.

Sounds like you have it pretty well under control.....

Thanks for the replies faucettb and MikeG - I couldn't agree with you more - the cz 452 is a great rifle - I have checked it out at my gun shop and on the web and as mentioned in a previous post is on my short list. I also like the Anschutz in .22 and .17, the Rugers and the Kimbers in all calibers.

A great site http://cz452.com/ thanks.

Here's a place to check out prices on both 452's, 453's which are the single set trigger version of the 452 and Anchutz's and Rugers. I don't remember if they sell Kimbers, but have seen used one's go thru their shop.

http://www.whittakerguns.com/

IMHO a good 22lr rifle is an absolute nessesity, more so than any other calliber. If you don't have one, you need one.

>>>> DITTO! :)

If you have a .308, a 12 ga., and .22 LR in good quality guns that fit you, you don't "need" anything else to do 90+% of the hunting available in the Lower 48. Several rifle calibers could do just as well as the .308, but the 12 ga. and .22 LR will be hard to beat for economy and performance. The beauty of these three choices is that you do not have to reload in order to get the most out of each one because there is commercial ammo readily available for the full range of hunting, and most target, applications.

Short answer: get the .22 LR!

i think that any rimfire is pretty good with a fullbore rifle.
It means when you're off target shooting you can fire 20 or so rimfire rounds while your barrel cools....

just my 2c.

_Kar.

Thanks everyone for your replies they have been very helpful to me in making a decision. There can never be 100% agreement but by considering the views of many it it often easier to make a decision, especialy when one (like me) is somewhere near the bottom of the learning curve. I have put this post on 3 diferent forums - 1 in the uk, 1 in the USA and 1 in Aust - so the views have come from wide and far. All views have been useful to me and all are valid - like a lot of things in life beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

I have today ordered a .22 LR - a Kimber Classic Varmint which should match my Longmaster Classic very nicely - so I am one down and maybe one to go - I shall see how things pan out and may well be in the market for a .223 latter on.

My only current decision now is what glass to put on the .22 LR. I have a Leuopld 3 x 9 x 40 on my .308 and was wondering what I should put on the .22 LR - I will need it for targets out to 75 yards (metres) and for small game hunting.

What do you guys out there think? - I look forward to your suggestions.

little 1X4 variable, i use a vari X 2 on mine.

i shoot a straight 4 power on my 22's.

straight 6x42 here. It's pretty good - my eyesight is pretty bad at any distance, but i can see the target surprisingly well at 100 yards, not tried further, with a rimfire i've not really seen the point, as 100 yards is all i have to use here at the moment.

_Kar.

6x18x40 AO

Use 6X for hunting -18X for targets

Thanks again all - the response from the 3 forums has been very welcome . Again, there have been different views - however, this is not a competion but a great way to share ones recommendations and a great way to improve ones knowledge of the noble sport of hunting and guns.

Today I have ordered a Leupold VX 2 3x9x40 in matt with a LR duplex reticle - I have gone for uniformity with the scope I have on my .308 (apart from the reticle, which is duplex on the .308). The use will be general purpose so I reckon this should suit the purpose, even though others would prefer a fixed scope and others still, one with higher magnification (there will always be different opinions). I like the idea of the LR duplex reticle as it should help in allowance for drop.

Once this rig is set up the hunt will be on for a .223 (with a suitable scope) but that might have to wait at least a little while. :) :)

Errrr..how about 375 H&H ?

Yep, I reckon I wouldn't say no to a 375 H&H, but where I live there's no necessary use for one - that does not mean I should not have one - having one would give me an excuse to go on a trip to where I could use it. A .357 H&H would certainly round off the battery. At the moment though my .308 is more than adequate to down anything around my neck of the woods.