is a .223 too big for a first time shooter?

[Liam]

hey guys im almost ready to buy my first rifle just windering if a 223 would be too large to start off with? Thanks!

[bronco93]

I started off with a .223. Ended up going out and buying a .22 after though. Was wasting too much ammo, .22 ammo is much cheaper. Though depends what you're planning on doing with it.

[duncan61]

Absolutely not.Its recoil is hardly anything and it delivers a little ring stinger pill that will drop pigs with a neck shot.Get a ,22LR at the same time

[Liam]

I was thinking about getting a tikka t3 and are there centrfire 22lr?

[duncan61]

No .22LR is rimfire

[duncan61]

I have been involved almost daily for 30 years with the sport of shooting and learn new stuff every day

[duncan61]

My first centrefire rifle was in.222 and it still does the job for me

[Liam]

Can you get a .22 in centrfire

[bronco93]

.22 hornet?

[Liam]

So is .22 hornet the only type of centrefire ammo?

[duncan61]

Bit of a misunderstanding.The .224 inch family goes from cat shot to 220 Swift

[Liam]

Yeah im really new at this haha so say i want to get a .22 centrfire rifle, i would only be able to use .22 hornet ammo

[bladeracer]

Yeah im really new at this haha so say i want to get a .22 centrfire rifle, i would only be able to use .22 hornet ammo

I think you are getting confused by the generic term "22 caliber".
.22 caliber covers a very wide spectrum from little .22LR up to .220 Swift and magnums.
.22LR and .22WMR are low-pressure rimfire cartridges.
From .22 Hornet onwards they're all centrefires, which means you can reload them yourself.

.223 Remington is at the lower end of the "22 calibers" but is quite potent nowadays due to heavier bullets and tighter barrel twist rates. It's also very much louder and more expensive to feed than the .22LR. If you can afford to feed it and have somewhere you can shoot without the noise bothering anybody then I don't see you having any trouble with it. But a .22LR is quiet and ammo costs about one-tenth of the .223. That means you can do A LOT of shooting with the .22LR without blowing a budget.

If your primary goal is hunting though, I would go with the .223 Rem or one of the other .22 centrefires - .22 Hornet, .222 Remington and such.

[brett1868]

So is .22 hornet the only type of centrefire ammo?

There are literally hundreds of CF cartridges and over a dozen in .22 Caliber alone. Your choice of a .223 as a first CF is solid as they are reasonably cheap to run and will serve you well over many years. Still, think about a 22LR as they are very good for learning the basics of shooting without costing a fortune. Almost every member here probably has at least 1 or more 22's.
Where / What are you intending to shoot? You looking to target shoot, hunt or a mixture of both?

[bladeracer]

hey guys im almost ready to buy my first rifle just windering if a 223 would be too large to start off with? Thanks!

Have you done any shooting at all?
Been to the range and at least seen what people are shooting?
I think you should at least do that before you buy a centrefire. Some people are very sensitive to the sound but don't find out until after they buy their rifle.

[Liam]

I think you are getting confused by the generic term "22 caliber".
.22 caliber covers a very wide spectrum from little .22LR up to .220 Swift and magnums.
.22LR and .22WMR are low-pressure rimfire cartridges.
From .22 Hornet onwards they're all centrefires, which means you can reload them yourself.

.223 Remington is at the lower end of the "22 calibers" but is quite potent nowadays due to heavier bullets and tighter barrel twist rates. It's also very much louder and more expensive to feed than the .22LR. If you can afford to feed it and have somewhere you can shoot without the noise bothering anybody then I don't see you having any trouble with it. But a .22LR is quiet and ammo costs about one-tenth of the .223. That means you can do A LOT of shoot with the .22LR without blowing a budget.

If your primary goal is hunting though, I would go with the .223 Rem or one of the other .22 centrefires - .22 Hornet, .222 Remington and such.

Yeah i inderstand now thanks alot! I think im better off starting with a .22LR then moving up from there

[brett1868]

Qik Lesson
Number = Caliber - Nominal diameter of the bullet measured in inches
Name = Chambering - The size / shape of the cartridge case generally assigned by the developer / inventor.

Example. 22 Hornet fires a .22 caliber bullet using the Hornet chambering.
.223 Remington also fires a .22 caliber bullet but uses the Remington Chambering.

Different chambering's were developed to enable the use of heavier bullets, faster velocities etc etc...bit like hot rodding a car.

Standard chambering's can be referenced in the link below...
http://saami.org/specifications_and_information/publications/download/Z299-4_ANSI-SAAMI_CFR.pdf

[bladeracer]

Yeah i inderstand now thanks alot! I think im better off starting with a .22LR then moving up from there

I should've added, when people refer to a firearm as "a twenty-two", or as "a tutu" they generally mean it's a .22 Long Rifle.

[Liam]

Yeah i inderstand now thanks alot! I think im better off starting with a .22LR then moving up from there

I should've added, when people refer to a firearm as "a twenty-two", or as "a tutu" they generally mean it's a .22 Long Rifle.

Yeah thanks mate just pretty new and trying to understand everytbing!

[FlyingStick]

I started with a .223 and a 12GA Shotty. I recently bought a CZ455 which comes with the three barrels (22LR, 22WMR and 17HMR). I still look for the .223 when hunting, however the cost can be prohibitive if you're looking to just plink or have some target fun - hence me buying the CZ455 (although it's only sighted in with the 22WMR which I will use for hunting! Plan to also sight in 22LR and play around eventually). So guess it's a decision that should be based on "use".

[bladeracer]

I started with a .223 and a 12GA Shotty. I recently bought a CZ455 which comes with the three barrels (22LR, 22WMR and 17HMR). I still look for the .223 when hunting, however the cost can be prohibitive if you're looking to just plink or have some target fun - hence me buying the CZ455 (although it's only sighted in with the 22WMR which I will use for hunting! Plan to also sight in 22LR and play around eventually). So guess it's a decision that should be based on "use".

Is there any value in these multi-barrel rifles?
How often do you use each of the barrels?
I assume you have to re-sight whenever you change them?
Do they take a few rounds to bed into place after swapping?
To me, it makes more sense to just buy three rifles in the calibers I want.

[Gwion]

Good choice to start with a 22lr and work up once your basic skills and knowledge develop. From the sound of it you have little to no exposure to firearms so starting with the 22lr is probably the wisest move. Plenty of time to get more powerful chamberings for different purposes. The 22lr is great for beginners as well as for honing skills with experience. For the price of 100 X 223rem rounds you can shoot 500 X 22lr rounds. That's a hell of a lot more practice!

[YoungBuck]

Good choice to start with a 22lr and work up once your basic skills and knowledge develop. From the sound of it you have little to no exposure to firearms so starting with the 22lr is probably the wisest move. Plenty of time to get more powerful chamberings for different purposes. The 22lr is great for beginners as well as for honing skills with experience. For the price of 100 X 223rem rounds you can shoot 500 X 22lr rounds. That's a hell of a lot more practice!

I agree with this.
A .223 is by no means too large a cal. for a new shooter to start with, but if you are very fresh to shooting scene and plan to put many rounds down for plinking/target practice and learning, your wallet will appreciate a .22LR for your first rifle.

[Liam]

Yeah thanks guys it really helped out! Any suggestions on bolt action .22lr rifles?

[Gun-nut]

If you don't want to spend too much money, but still want a reasonable sense of quality check out the Ruger american rimfire or the cz455. Both have quite a strong following here and great aftermarket support.

[duncan61]

Most gun stores will have a bewildering array of .22LR bolt actions and lever and pump.

[bladeracer]

Yeah thanks guys it really helped out! Any suggestions on bolt action .22lr rifles?

Ruger American Rimfire Target would be my top choice.
https://youtu.be/9s_-N_wAlxg

[Wombat]

Yeah thanks guys it really helped out! Any suggestions on bolt action .22lr rifles?

Depends on budget. You can buy a decently accurate .22 from $150 up to $1500 (and beyond) with a good scope without getting exotic.
Bargain basement - Old Lithgow or TOZ/Bailkal (make sure there is a magazine with either)
Mid Range - BRNO Model 2 / CZ452 or New Savage.
Spendy - New CZ combo 455, Sako Finnfire or a New Lithgow

[Oldbloke]

22rf & 223. Both 224cal

223..22lr.jpg (8.63 KiB) Viewed 5990 times

[bladeracer]

22rf & 223. Both 224cal

223..22lr.jpg

To add to the confusion, .223 is .224" caliber, the .22LR and .22 Hornet are .223"