First Rifle, am i making a reasonable choice?

D

dave-o

Inactive
Hi,
I've always been interested by firearms and wanted to get a gun, but only recently moved to an area where I will actually get the chance to go shooting enough to justify buying a gun / getting a licence. I now live about 5 mins from a large shooting Range in Brisbane / Australia and it supports a lot if not all of the disciplines. I've got a couple of friends that have been shooting for a while so when I get my licence (waiting now... have applied and paid but am waiting for confirmation... apparently my licence SHOULD arrive in the mail within the next 8 or so weeks)

I am keen on Bench-rest shooting and when first started asking people about appropriate calibres etc for what I want was told to go for a centerfire bolt action in .223 but since then I have had the opportunity to try a lot of different calibres and have decided I would like to get a .308. For my first rifle I plan on spending what I consider to be a fair ammount of money but to some people might not be much, but I plan on getting a NEW factory made rifle, of good quality with a good scope etc because I have noticed my friends have bought a lot of second hand guns and end up getting about 9 or 10 guns and not having enough money to get what they actually want, so they are trying to sell off their second handers to buy something new and quality. I've decided to cut out the middle and just take more time and get something 'quality. The rifle I am looking at and considering is the Tikka T3 Varmint heavy barrel in .308, with a Leupold VX III 8.5-25x50mm scope.. I would like to shoot as a hobby/sport and maybe competition (but not serious enough to pay high prices for custom rifles etc etc) more just for fun, and on occasion I will get the opportunity to go out in the field Pig shooting and Roo shooting etc. The guy at the Gun Shop said this scope would be good for both a) The range I would like to target shoot with ...(which is from 100 to 500yd) and b) And on the very odd occasion, Varmint & medium size game shooting.

Just wondering what anyone with experience thinks of this set up and if it sounds alright?
I am looking at spending about $1100 for the Rifle, $1100 for the scope, then I need a safe, anything from $250 to $350, plus all the basics like ear protection, eye protection, hard case etc. And when I do make my purchase I will be trying to get some sort of a package discount as I am spending a fair amount. So probably between $2500 and $3000 AUS to get started.
I like the feel of the rifle, and it has good reviews.
Anyone have any opinions or advice for me?

p.s I would like to further on down the track when I have been shooting for a while and have a bit of spare cash.... get a .22 and a 12g Shotgun (both second hand and only if they are at a decent price) for a bit of fun, because I have found I really enjoy clay pigeon shooting, and .22's are nice fun little rifles to target shoot at short range and cheap on ammo. but that won't be for a while yet.
 
Sorry I didn't mean to post this question in this area of the forum, so if it is the wrong area and I should post it somewhere else would a moderator please inform me of this or delete the question.
 
The 308 calibre is known for its accurracy on the range & is suitable for the game listed. You my find a heavy barrelled rifle a bit heavy to carry long distances in the field , & a scope with a minimum magnification of 8x in my experience is too powerful for pig shooting. See if you could get a variable scope with a minimum 4x, & this should suit your hunting needs. Tikka are good accurate rifles, but why not spend the extra few dollars and buy a Sako. OK ,I'm biased cause I own 2 Sako's.
 
I am going to agree with phil on this one. An 8.5-25x50 is one big azz scope. I find that my 6-24x40mm is large enough for my 308. This rifle is going to be my 300+ yard ground hog buster ( I hope).

I would go with a 6-18x or 6-24x scope in the end. The lower end of 6x provides a wide field of view then if you want to go after smaller varmints you can crank that puppy up to 24x. Your choice in Rifle is good. The tikka is a good rifle. Are you sure you ant to start out with a 308. The weight of teh rifle will soak up some of teh recoil. I myself would say go with a 223 or maybe a 243win. The 243 will allow you to shoot varmints and work for medium size game.
 
Welcome to the sport and to the sight.

As you have never owned your own gun before, can I suggest you purchase a good quality .22 rifle. My suggestion in Australia would be an Anschutz or similar, and shoot that to develop basic skills.

Trying to develop thse skills with a .308 bench rest gun and at the same time become competitive is otherwise going to be a recipe disillusionment, and I would hate to see a good keen man as yourself lost under such circumstances.
 
A nice .22 rifle should always be someone's first rifle. It can be closely followed by a more powerful rifle, of course, but the low (actually near non-existent) recoil, low noise, and affordability means that not only can you practice without breaking the bank, but you will enjoy it.

CZ makes a nice .22 rifle. Don't know if you get them in Australia, or the cost there, though. Savage makes a decent bolt action rifle, too. (I don't know if you are allowed to own a semi .22LR, I am not familiar with your laws).

Edit- I looked at the link to Bankstown Gun Shop- they charge 520 dollars for a Mossberg Plinkster? (those are around $100 US dollars here in the United States). And $30 for a bulk pack of .22LR ammunition? That goes for $11 here.
 
(I don't know if you are allowed to own a semi .22LR, I am not familiar with your laws).
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semi's have been pretty much illegal since 1996 with very limited exceptions.


Edit- I looked at the link to Bankstown Gun Shop- they charge 520 dollars for a Mossberg Plinkster? (those are around $100 US dollars here in the United States). And $30 for a bulk pack of .22LR ammunition? That goes for $11 here.
Click to expand...


Import duties and high taxes
 
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