First Rifle Purchase

[Michael Scott]

Morning all,

27yo and starting off my hunting journey, something to fill extra time outside of playing footy.
I’ve shot with friends of mine 308 Tikka but I am a beginner.

I would like to buy a rifle that can shoot any form of deer but one that will progress me in the right direction of being an accurate shot.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I have next to 0 knowledge on firearms.

[Wm.Traynor]

I am shocked that you have had no replies by now, Michael and I apologise.
It is customary to learn to shoot accurately with a 22, before progressing to a "Deer Calibre", like the 308. Learning the ins and outs of iron and scope sights is easiest done at a benchrest, before progressing to offhand shooting. A coach/friend, at this stage, would be very helpful. Your choice of 22 is not made easy by the variety of brands but there are topics on this forum on this subject that might be a guide.
Let us know what you are thinking.

[Oldbloke]

Mmmm,,,yeh, thread just popped up now. Very odd.

Good advice from WmT.

Perhaps try rabbits, goats, pigs first. Deer are not easy.

Michael, I see your in Victoria. So, there are legal minimums for deer.

Suggest one of the following:
308
30.06
270.
These are popular, legal and effective on all deer in Victoria. Ok for pigs and goats too. There are other options but can't go wrong with one of those.

Min Deer Cartridges New.JPG (78.3 KiB) Viewed 2210 times

[bladeracer]

Morning all,

27yo and starting off my hunting journey, something to fill extra time outside of playing footy.
I’ve shot with friends of mine 308 Tikka but I am a beginner.

I would like to buy a rifle that can shoot any form of deer but one that will progress me in the right direction of being an accurate shot.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I have next to 0 knowledge on firearms.

I would start by getting a .22LR bolt-action rifle and a case of ammunition. Find somebody with some property you can shoot on and spend as much time as you can with the .22 putting bullets onto small targets at various distances from various positions until you can reliably hit most of them. When you can hit them all make the targets smaller and further away. Don't waste too much time at ranges shooting from benches at regular targets at set distances.

While you are learning to shoot start learning to hunt by spending time in the bush areas you want to hunt. Study the environment (wind directions, water courses, wallows, animal trails and rub areas) and the wildlife in that environment. You can hunt pest animals like rabbits and foxes in most deer habitat so start with those. What you learn during this time may change your perceptions of what sort of centrefire rifle you might need or want for the purpose - there are many, many options to choose from. A lever-action .30-30 rifle without a scope is a lot easier and lighter to carry in the bush for several days than a .300WinMag scoped chassis rifle.

What area of Vic are you in?

[bladeracer]

I am shocked that you have had no replies by now, Michael and I apologise.
It is customary to learn to shoot accurately with a 22, before progressing to a "Deer Calibre", like the 308. Learning the ins and outs of iron and scope sights is easiest done at a benchrest, before progressing to offhand shooting. A coach/friend, at this stage, would be very helpful. Your choice of 22 is not made easy by the variety of brands but there are topics on this forum on this subject that might be a guide.
Let us know what you are thinking.

I hit the "unanswered posts" several times a day and this one only popped up for me a couple hours ago, maybe new members' posts are being held back?

[deye243]

My question is how do you shoot with your mates 308 because if you can hit a dinner plate at 50y with it just go out a buy a tikka 308 and go shoot deer .

[mickb]

If you liked the 308win and didnt mind the recoil and it appeals to you just get one. You dont need to learn to shoot with a 22LR, but if you want a 22LR then get a 22Lr as well, lots of fun. You may find you progress or evolve your interests over time but really its just a matter of buying the gun you "sort of like the look of, can handle the game you like", and going from there. 308 will cover many things.

basic breakdown for non rifle aware people are as follows

Varmint guns -small calibre very high velocity, good for shooting small stuff to hundreds of metres. With the right bullet and expertise you can also take larger game but need to be careful with bullet choice and picking your shot. eg 222, 223, 22-250

Small/medium bores- As above, the smaller ones in this category may handle long range varminting and they are also more able to take medium game as well. 243win, 6mm, 257,

Medium calibres- for medium game basically. This is what you do most of your shooting goats, pigs, deer etc with. they can also handle smaller game to a degree and big game with careful bullet choice. 30-30, 270, 7mm, 308win, 30-06, 8mm, 303

Big game calibres- Designed for shooting large game( big deer, scrub bulls, camels, horse etc). 338 win mag, 35 whelen, 9.3 x 62

Safari rifles/elephant guns. not where you want to start right now .

What else might be useful for a beginner amid the reams of info...
-At every level calibres can have greater or lesser powder capacity than others . Dont just go off the calibre number, look at the cartridge as a whole.. Eg a 357 magnum is a pistol cartridge designed for small/medium game to 100m, whereas as 35 whelen, same calibre has a much fatter case behind it, burns 3x the powder at higher pressures, and can shoot large game to 200.

everyone has there own idea of definitions and the above is highly flexible, Back to the 308win, its sits around medium calibre level, can shoot some smaller stuff though its a bit overkill at that level, awesome gun on regular game and can take big game with the right bullets.

[Cape_Yorkee]

I think the advice above of starting with a 22 is very sound. It is cheap to shoot and you can learn alot about technique etc. Though a good choice for a beginners rifle in my opinion is a 223. It is a rifle you would keep for life (you would keep a 22 for a while too!) but if your into feral eradication the 223 can be used to better effect. It is still also cheap to shoot.

You will not be able to use a 223 on deer though as it doesn't fit the legal requirement as mentioned above. Something like a 270 or 308 would be the go. The 270 is a famous deer cartridge and has better numbers on paper than a 308. The 308 just has more ammo availability which is something to consider.

Have fun researching brands and models etc. I like to think of a firearm purchase as an investment and not just a toy. Classic timber stock rifles are still the go and if you can get a good one you may find it worth good money in the long run!

[Ballistix]

I think the advice above of starting with a 22 is very sound. It is cheap to shoot and you can learn alot about technique etc. Though a good choice for a beginners rifle in my opinion is a 223. It is a rifle you would keep for life (you would keep a 22 for a while too!) but if your into feral eradication the 223 can be used to better effect. It is still also cheap to shoot.

This would be the key consideration for me, for learning.
Even ten years ago I could buy 100 rounds of 30-06 retail for $104.50. Now the equivalent is $225. It is even more expensive in 20 round boxes.

[AlphaJ]

I recently upgraded from a .22 because I was sick of borrowing rifles for deer hunting. I echo the previous comments about learning on a .22 and smaller game because .308 is expensive, but when the time comes you should try and shoot as many rifles as you can before making your decision. I had budget constraints so I went with a Ruger .308 but spent a bit more on the scope. This wasn't just a budget choice as I'd shot it before and it felt comfortable unlike the Tikka which I found didn't 'fit' me. The Weatherby and Howa were also in the mix but I just liked the Ruger. Best advice is try before you buy as much as possible.

[Bello]

Hi Micheal
My advice to a new shooter is….Buy a good quality 22 LR. My reasoning is this
The 22 LR is a low recoil, low noise, cheap to feed rifle. With the correct guidance, you can learn firearm safety, trigger control, breathing techniques etc.
Buying a heavier calibre firearm when you first start shooting may cause you to develop a flinch, and if this happens, it may take you a long time to correct this.
I have seen a few guys at the range with larger calibre firearms that had a flinch, and they asked me to sight in the rifle a mate told them to buy.

You have to be comfortable with the rifle you are shooting. Not just physically, but also mentally comfortable, and then gain competence with that rifle to be able to properly and ethically hunt. If you buy a rifle you aren’t comfortable shooting, it will sit in your safe till you get sick of it and sell it.

When you have mastered the 22LR, then you are open to buy a rifle that suits the game you are targeting.
If friends have rifles, ask them if you can have a shot or two to see how you feel with that make of rifle and calibre.

And before you know it, you will have several safes full of rifles.