new shooter. need help

[halfcocked]

first post here, I'm new to shooting and i have lots of questions. I'm hoping to get some answers from experienced shooters and put me on the right track.

my experience is few clay target sessions with a shotgun and few air rifle (springer)sessions. I'm not really good.

my plan is to become a really accurate shot and maybe get into rifle target competitions and also hunt pests on crown land.

so what is my best bet to get ALOT of practice in to become a half decent shot? i planned on getting a really quiet air rifle and hit paper targets without upsetting the neighbours, but I'm told they're as loud as a subsonic .22 these days. they weren't back when i used them. can anyone recommend a quiet air rifle?

going to a range. can i practice there? any near northern suburbs melb? cost?
"sighting in" in a state forest? 100-300 shots wheres a good place id get away with that without disturbing anyone? and use what as a target?

choosing a rifle. if i learn from you guys how to properly care and clean it i think i should go a decent rifle rather than cheap and nasty. i was thinking cz455 with 3 interchangeable barrels. .22 subsonic for practice (low cost &noise) and 17hmr when I'm ready to hit some bunnies out to 150m. id like a scope too but i know nothing about them other than the ones on the cheaper combos are rubbish?
what other must haves are there? cleaning, oiling, bipod,gun bag?

gun safe. was thinking a 20 gun safe from a warehouse in epping. around $375. room for relatives guns etc.

transporting firearms. i have a 4wd ute with arb lockable canopy. glove box isn't very big. does/should rifle be in a metal lockable toolbox in canopy? what about ammo?

i know i ask a lot of naive questions but id appreciate any pointers. tia.

[MalleeFarmer]

You can't use an air rifle in your yard. Nor can you sight in in a state forest. My suggestion would be join a rifle club buy a .22 of some description the CZ you mentioned would be good. Get to the range for plenty of practice .22 is cheap as to run so you can get cheap miles on that trigger finger. Also if you can find a club that is both a hunting and target club that will satisfy your licence for both disciplines.

Hope that helps you out.

Regards
Luke.

[AusTac]

Your best bet is get a bigger safe than you'll ever think you'll need, best bet is around ( 10 ish 20 will be huge ) with a big ammo box, then get a .22 or .177 cal air rifle, go down to springvale, or little river and shoot the s**t out of it, get used to everything get the basics down, get all your bits you want, bags or bipod and cleaning gear and a bag etc.

Then once you find what you like don't like in a rifle get a centrefire ans shoot that as much as you can afford.

As for storage its up to you, a metal or big plastic lock box would look good if pulled over but you could just slide it in in a bag and make sure its covered ( blanket etc ) and keep the ammo up front and lock the canopy but its up to you really, i usually just have them in a case covered myself.

As for sighting in, in the bush its kind of a grey area, i do it but only in one area, you need to be %100 accountable for every shot.

Hope i got most of your questions, peoples opinions and experiences will differ

[juststarting]

I am pretty sure (not certain) that you are allowed to sight rifle in, in the bush
Read that on Vic Pol website. I'll need to find the page though, I am about 90% on that.

[Kai]

Where does it say you cant sight in, in a state forest?
Where else are you going to do it if you dont live near a rifle range?

[AusTac]

I thought it was ok so long as you had hunting as a genuine reason? Something along the lines of ensuring a humane kill? But I've never found out for sure eaither way , but yeah i suppose your confined to a range cobaw/little river or cope the wrath of the ro's at springvale, or if ssaa isn't your flavour join one of the boys clubs out in the boonies and shoot bench rest f class 1 day every few months

May think a little more carfully about it depending on the outcome of this discussion..

[YoungBuck]

Could not find anything relating to sighting/zeroing in any of the regulations or acts, but from the Firearms safety booklet 2011:

Sights must be correctly set. If they are not, rounds may fall short or go far beyond the target. Adjust the sights for distances suitable for the calibre and intended use.
‘Sighting in’ is best carried out on an established range. Otherwise, it should be somewhere away from people, stock or property, and with a safe backstop.

But you won't need 100-300 rounds to sight in... to break in the barrel, yes, but then you probably should use a range or private land for that. If in a forest and Mr Ranger sees a couple hundred spent cases on the ground you might be in a spot of bother.

[AusTac]

I haven't found anything yet either, but thats pretty good, common sense really prevails last time i checked my sights on public land it was 10 rounds and i picked up the brass i could find theres places out there that look like a wars been fought, not a good look

[SteamedHam]

If you're looking at the Cz455, I can recommend that 100%. Super accurate.

edit: However if you're going to be swapping barrels, you'll have to sight in again.

[GLS_1956]

But you won't need 100-300 rounds to sight in... to break in the barrel, yes, but then you probably should use a range or private land for that. If in a forest and Mr Ranger sees a couple hundred spent cases on the ground you might be in a spot of bother.[/quote]

Well I got to say you're better at sighting in a rifle than I am. When I took my Marlin Model 60 out it took me a good 100 to 150 rounds to get it sighted in. I just wasn't sure that the cheapese, Chinese, made scope was going to hold zero, So much was I bothered by that scope that I had to replace it a month or so later with a Japanese Bushnell. And that took a couple of hundred rounds. You know you have to start at close range 10 yards or so, you have to be sure you're on the paper, then stretch out to 25yds, 50yds, 75yds, and then 100yds. After which I decided to bring it back to 50yards. All that took a few hours at the range and a few hundred rounds of ammo. Terrible way to spend a mild sunny afternoon.

[happyhunter]

going to a range. can i practice there? any near northern suburbs melb? cost?
"sighting in" in a state forest? 100-300 shots wheres a good place id get away with that without disturbing anyone? and use what as a target?

"Disturbing anyone" means where, when and what type of gun you are shooting. Sighting in a 22LR or 17HMR you are unlikely to attract too much attention as they are relatively quiet.

[Mr.Seacucumber]

Yep I go into the state forest with my PCP air rifle, it's huge and once you get off the beaten track you can find a nice spot for a few hours, however I suggest you take a friend, just to be safe.

[AusTac]

however I suggest you take a friend, just to be safe.

Sounds kinda dark, but its not just me who gets that feeling out bush?

theres a joke in that somewhere

[happyhunter]

Yep I go into the state forest with my PCP air rifle, it's huge and once you get off the beaten track you can find a nice spot for a few hours, however I suggest you take a friend, just to be safe.

Safe from what?

[Mr.Seacucumber]

Yep I go into the state forest with my PCP air rifle, it's huge and once you get off the beaten track you can find a nice spot for a few hours, however I suggest you take a friend, just to be safe.

Safe from what?

Junkies mostly, there are just a bunch of strange people I have come across in my state forest. I wouldn't call it safe.

[HulkFury]

theres a joke in that somewhere

Ivan Milat is walking into the deep dark forest with a backpacker, backpacker says "I'm scared".

Ivan replies "You're scared!? I'm the one who has to walk back alone! "

[happyhunter]

theres a joke in that somewhere

Ivan Milat is walking into the deep dark forest with a backpacker, backpacker says "I'm scared".

Ivan replies "You're scared!? I'm the one who has to walk back alone! "

hahaha.. nice one bro. I'd feel safer in any forest than a conc
rete jungle.

[MR. WINCHESTER]

'New Shooter needs help' ?

Nup ... The U.S.A / World needs help, if the Trumptster gets over the line !

( my apologies for introducing politics, but sometimes 'perspective' is important. )

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[Oldbloke]

I say, if they give you any trouble. Just shootem in the back..

oops theres rules about that, better not.

[MalleeFarmer]

I like the joke about trump Cruz and the blonde!!

[Wobble]

Junkies mostly, there are just a bunch of strange people I have come across in my state forest. I wouldn't call it safe.

Which forest?

[halfcocked]

thanks for the replies.
cobaw and springvale both 1 hour from me and little river 1hr 10mins. which one do you guys recommend? my reason on licence is hunting, is that accepted at the range? whats the "ro's at springvale"?
yeh prob take a mate with me, a loner in the woods with a gun doesn't look the best. like someone else said, don't worry about weirdos out there, I'm the one holding the gun.
toolangi or wombat? if you could get in a gully and use a mountain of earth as a backdrop it'd be safe. whats an ideal target to take? a metal plate could ricochet, although I've seen that used lots on youtube
think for now ill get an air rifle to learn with. savage with scope 1200fps for $300 might be the go? springer.

[AusTac]

Have yet to hit up cobaw yet, little river is good but far for me (N.E Melbs), hunting is accepted anywhere.

This is just my personal experience but the Range officers at springvale are way to over zelous, which is why i no longer go there, say if you ' missfire ' they insist on taking your rifle weather its yours or range rental and ' taking it to a special room ' and dealing with it, i've got many other stories but maybe its just bad luck. And no i'm not a noob when it comes to firearms i follow all the rules like the sheep we are.

And i've shot in both, but i'm more familur with toolangi if you've got a 4wd you can get into the little areas that arn't really used.

As for targets take anything safe, don't shoot at trees, and go from there, some form of stand is a great idea, real estate stands may or may not be a great target frame

[halfcocked]

Yeh i know what you're saying. That would be annoying especially if you're not a noob.
Might go check it out and use their .22. $45 sounds pretty good including 50 rounds.
I have a 4by buts its totally stock, no muddies or lift kits or winch.

[AusTac]

Bring your own ammo if you can they charge througn the arse for theirs.

And thats all thats needed, just got to know what to and what not to tackle you'll find a spot somewhere

[halfcocked]

Bring your own ammo if you can they charge througn the arse for theirs.

And thats all thats needed, just got to know what to and what not to tackle you'll find a spot somewhere

Haha found out on the weekend about the officers at springvale! Flogs!
Aquired my first ever guns.
Mossberg .22 international plinkster 802. Scoped
Zastava 17hmr. Scoped
Akkar churchill 12ga.
All almost new. Plus a new 5 gun safe and $200 of ammo and shotty cleaner. Got everything fir $1400.

Did ok at springvale on the weekend with the. 22. Needed alot of sighting in. Tried their cz452. Beautiful compared to the mossberg and i shot better groupings.
Ammo was well priced i thought at $8 for 50. Federal game or something it was. 1260fps 38grain.
But them ro.....wow! Full on!

[AusTac]

But them ro.....wow! Full on!

The're still that bad eh? Really turns people/me off on the odd occasion that i took someone there.

Sound like you got a good spread of f/a there for some small game hunting that zastava would be pretty nice, always impressed that the cz's are as good as they are there considering the abuse they get lol.

Some weird wind patterns can mess with your shots in that place which can make sighting in a challenge

Been to little river or cobaw yet?

[halfcocked]

No havnt been to those ranges yet. How are they? What calibres can you should and what ranges?
My mag was too high and the bolt would push the bullet vertical. I figured out to insert the mag then pull it down a mm and it fixed it. They never said anything to me though but if you misfire they make you wait 15 secs. I only did it cos my mag was empty and i didnt count lol.
The action on the cz was beautiful. Well oiled. Smooth. Felt like quality. Mossberg wasnt as good. I want to clean and lube it but don't even know how to remove the bolt. Im very mechanical minded, once ive seen it done once ill be fine. Whats my best bet to learn that?

[AusTac]

Little river is awesome, cobaw i haven't been yet, little river is up to 50bmg, cobaw is 30 cal i think? Something like that.

The cz's are very good but those bolts have been worked probably millions of times, a little bit of grease on the locking lugs and a few hundred round out to get you started on the way to a smooth bolt.

Instructions should tell you, if you don't have them youtube internet would tell you and then download the instructions

[GLS_1956]

'New Shooter needs help' ?

Nup ... The U.S.A / World needs help, if the Trumptster gets over the line !

( my apologies for introducing politics, but sometimes 'perspective' is important. )

Blonde.jpg

So you think Hillary would be better? But then she does want to subject American Citizens to the onerous laws you Australian Subjects are under. No thanks.