Thread: First Rifle Choice for the Novice Hunter. Some more Notes From an Old Fudd

Greetings all,
With the vast array of choice for a new rifle these days I started thinking about how a new hunter would choose a rifle. They will be surrounded with opinions good, bad and indifferent from the web and forums such as this. Quite bewildering. Perhaps there are some questions that need to be answered.

1. Will it do the job it is intended for?
2. Is the ammo both available and not too expensive to allow plenty of shooting to build skills for the hunting intended?

To me if the rifle ticks both those boxes then it will be ideal.

Any thoughts?
GPM.

It would be a .22, 223 or 308 then.

to me its an easy awnser they need two a .22 for rabbits possums and target practice and then deer - .223 the minimum I would go .308 just more knock down - what make and model well - its what they like - I dont see any one better or worse from new stuff -they all shoot well - whats a good deal

Greetings,
So that is three votes from the seniors (counting mine) for much the same thing but what do the younger generations think?

I'm am older and I doubt if I would ever consent to owning a 6.5 Creedmore, however for a young guy starting out as an addition to their .22 I think it is a worthwhile option to consider.

Chambered in plenty of rifles. Ammo is easy to find and it is softer shooting than the 308 with similar range.

Originally Posted by 7mm tragic

I'm am older and I doubt if I would ever consent to owning a 6.5 Creedmore, however for a young guy starting out as an addition to their .22 I think it is a worthwhile option to consider.

Chambered in plenty of rifles. Ammo is easy to find and it is softer shooting than the 308 with similar range.

That is one problem with the .308. I shot one for years with a hard plastic butt pad and full power loads. Recently I was testing one which I found uncomfortable without a suppressor. Getting old I suppose.
GPM.

I've been thinking on this a lot lately, and kinda come to the conclusion that firstly you need a 22, cos you need trigger time, and lots of it. 22 ammo is the cheapest available and you can shoot rabbits and possums and spend a heap of time learning all the basic's at minimal cost. Then the 223 would be a pretty popular choice, again cos ammo is freely available and not that expensive if you wanta go shoot some roo's or ring some gongs. May also take a deer or pig - if the user has developed enough skill and knowledge to use it humanely. Same can be said for the 308, and it has a bit more authority for all the big game. But I know of a number of younger guys and gals that find the recoil from the 308 is a little bit more than they expected or are use to. And thats whre I'm with 7mm tragic - the 6.5 is an excellent all round calibre and somewhat more tolerable on the shoulder for some. Ammo is freely available.

I didn't even think of #2, but I did #1 & 3

Very interesting thoughts all, the voice of reason so to speak . . . . . But remember that a rifle also represents the "hearts" thoughts as well, "how I see myself hunting" and "is this me". Us old farts are largely past that sort of thing (until we get a back powder craze or something) but remembering what influenced ya when you wore a younger man's clothes is key to helping the young guys I think!

I support the opinion that recoil, both actual and perceived, should be right up there in the considerations for a first centrefire.

I think a .22 is the best way to learn different shooting positions in the field
Nice and cheap and like a tell a lot of guy just get out and shoot shit.
The next depends on what you are hunting and how many funds you have, if fallow and goats then a .223 if reds come into it and you can't afford 3 rifles then my vote is for a .22 and a 6.5 creed plenty of factory ammo nice on the shoulder and plenty of knock down power

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Nzhunter did awesome article cartridges for under 16s I THINK it was called .about 12 years ago it's well worth finding it as it really chewed it over. Basically it came down to a suppressor is very much good. 243 still one of the top choices. If ranges are under 150 the 7.62x39mm a sound choice and if JNR has cool head and animals are calm the 223 is very versatile.....note that was 55 grn Hornady ammunition as the heavies were not really a big thing. We went the x39mm route and it was good BUT entirely my fault we lost a big stag when range underestimated,it did huge stumble after shot so I didn't fire as well. Two hours tracking across boundary in rain it was lost. But under 150 everything dropped well enough.

A suppressed 308 with decent reloads in 125-130grn is a pleasure to shoot with,recoil is negligible.

I reckon a good way to go would be to not worry about the 22 and get a 223 and use that for everything from rabbits to target practice, then goats and deer. just shoot the shit out of it. If you buy a 223 in something like a Tikka or howa then if you decide to get a bigger calibre get the exact same gun in a different caliber and you'll already be familiar with it.

Mid 30s (unsure if this classes as young).
22 for sure, that should be a stapple for everyone.

Unpopular opinion, Centerfire depends on your location and use.

In the North Island, I never found many situations where the 6.5 Grendel couldnt get it done.

Yes, ideally ammo could be more available, but if it was demanded more, we would get more.

South Island would possible call for something with a little more legs, maybe a Creedmoor.

Its easy enough to say 308, but if the rifle dont fit and you havnt spent plenty of time behind a rifle, you run the risk of becoming recoil shy and developing a flinch.