Thread: first rifle

What is the ideal first rifle for someone in nz. Just wondering what you think best make, model, and calbire for a first rifle is. It will be use mainly on deer, pigs and goats but also on tahr and chamois. price range is anywhere up to $1600

disregard what every body else says and get a tikka in 6.5.
Now duck Quickly!

Originally Posted by ht5455

What is the ideal first rifle for someone in nz. Just wondering what you think best make, model, and calbire for a first rifle is. It will be use mainly on deer, pigs and goats but also on tahr and chamois. price range is anywhere up to $1600

Ideal first rifle is probably a jw15 22lr but if you must skip that step then probably a Tikka in any cal between 243 and 3006.

Something reliable but cheap and second-hand, so you don't lose much/any $ changing once you get a bit of experience and figure out what you really want.

Originally Posted by GravelBen

Something reliable but cheap and second-hand, so you don't lose much/any $ changing once you get a bit of experience and figure out what you really want.

Yup this. Get something, shoot the crap out of it and realise then what you really want - calibre, stock, trigger, scope, bipod, ammunition - then go out and buy *that* one with all the bells and whistles you can afford.

But because there is no *best* rifle and you've written it's a first rifle, grab a .22 and shoot the living daylights out. It's cheap to shoot, easy to learn safety on and easy/quiet to shoot anywhere.

ruger american- cheap $799(theres a few around for $500 or so near new) - great rifles- resale value will be a lot better than if you spend 1000-1500....

Go to a shop and try - buy the one you like.

Best advice I ever got and it's what I did and I love it.

Originally Posted by GravelBen

Something reliable but cheap and second-hand, so you don't lose much/any $ changing once you get a bit of experience and figure out what you really want.

That is really good advice GB.

Handle as many makes and models as you can, they will just about all fit your body in a different way. you want to shoulder it and for it to be comfortable. then go find that rifle as gravelben said secondhand is best. spend the money on optics and for you i would seriously look at 30/06 if you think its a bit of a thumper slap a limb saver on it that will stop any chance of a flinch developing. dont get talked into a muzzle brake unless you want to hunt with earmuffs.

Ditto on the .22LR comments ... but to answer the question. 25 years ago I asked Bill McLeod at Sportways Gunshed in Auckalnd the exact same question and he put a bunch of second hand .243's in my hands and I chose a boring old reliable & bullet-proof Ruger MkI(?)in .243.
I shot everything with it for 10 years ... from bunnies to tahr. Today, my mate owns it and he is carrying on that tradition of the one calibre for a whole lot of game. I have replaced it with a number of calibers depending on what I'm hunting ... and funnily enough, I'm looking at a Sauer Outback in .243. What goes around ... comes around eh?!?!

Nothing wrong with the .243 or poo43 as some people discribe them it's what I run and is my first centre fire and can't fault it @$1100 brand new from memory

This type of question pops up from time to time and the myriad answers usually ends up very confusing for the person who asked the question. But hers my two cents...
Firstly, there is no ideal calibre nor rifle for hunting the range of animals you want to hunt. When you say "first rifle", I am hoping you have already spent plenty of time shooting a .22 out in the field, so your question is about a weapon for larger game. If not, best advice is to get a .22 and go bunny hunting to learn al the basics.
For the range of NZs larger game animals, personal preferences will have hunters swearing by any calibre from 6mm/.243 up to 7mm Ultra Magnum and .30-06. Smaller calibres may lack knock over power, while larger calibres will boot the shit out of you with recoil. If your only going to shoot while hunting, then recoil isn't really a problem, because shots will be few and far between. But if you're going to shoot lots of goats or targets, I'd highly recommend a smaller calibre of 6.5mm/.270 or less.
I started on .303 and .308 & developed a flinch due to excessive repetitive recoil while competition target shooting. It took years to get over it and I now absolutely swear by 6.5x55 for everything. Minimal recoil, massive knock down energy and good range. I've never hunted tahr at long range and would probably invest in a 7mmSAUM if I was going to hunt them.
My suggestion to you is to buy a second hand .243/6.5x55/.308 with a good scope on it for around $800. Shoot the hell out of it on targets and animals and see if does what you want. If it does, maybe buy a new one. If not, you'll know which way you need to go instead.

Good luck, be safe and have fun!

Good advice @huntforlife.

Rifles are expensive. Scopes expensive.

Get one second hand and shoot the hell out of it and learn from the experience.


Tim

SKS?

* Cheap
* Rugged
* Reliable
* 7.62x39 knock down power
* Cheap ammo
* Little more accurate than an AK.

savage weather warrior.