Thread: New shooter advice.

Originally Posted by Nick-D

My 52 kg missus can shoot a 308 tikka without a hint of flinch so most average size men should manage

I think its frequently a technique and mental thing rather than physical, which is why its often inexperienced shooters that struggle with it. Stock fit and shape is a factor too.

Originally Posted by GravelBen

I think its frequently a technique and mental thing rather than physical, which is why its often inexperienced shooters that struggle with it. Stock fit and shape is a factor too.

+1 a newbe will devlop a flinch with a high recoil gun as he/she doesn't have the right technique to handle recoil so it "hurts"
and then there after it's a mental think telling them its going to hurt even if they are shooting a 22 so they flinch

my personal experience my brother applied for his FAL as he wanted to get into hunting a few weeks later a very good deal on a howa 270 came up on trade me I knew it wasn't the best cal for starting out due to recoil but I thorght fuck it hes a big boy (a built 90-95kg) and will be able to handle it and told him id buy it on his behalf till his FAL arrived not ideal but was well within this price range and he still had money left for a good scope

I took him to the range to sight it in after that his licence arrived and he taged along to the south island with me and another forum member (the other forum) and down there he missed everything he shot at and used one of the other guys rifles to shoot his 1st deer

granted it wasn't all him and there were issues with the firearm which were fixed but he had developed a bad flinch and I mean bad so we chose to sell the 270 and he brought a tikka t3 in 6.5x55 that's way better but still took him quite a few range days to get rid of the flinch

anyway a bit long winded I know but just thought id tell the story

Try a 7mm/08 or if you can handle a little more recoil a .308. Actually, I think a Remington Model 7 in 7mm/08 would be a great choice topped with a good quality light scope like a Leupold VX-2 2-7.

Whatever rifle you decide on don't go and ruin it by putting some heavy, big range variable scope on it. Not if you're going to be using it for general bush and open hunting and carrying it around all day.

Originally Posted by 10-Ring

Try a 7mm/08 or if you can handle a little more recoil a .308. Actually, I think a Remington Model 7 in 7mm/08 would be a great choice topped with a good quality light scope like a Leupold VX-2 2-7.

Whatever rifle you decide on don't go and ruin it by putting some heavy, big range variable scope on it. Not if you're going to be using it for general bush and open hunting and carrying it around all day.

Agree about scope option. Probably the best practical scope for hunting in NZ where I hunt anyway.

The .270 I owned did boot a lot and it was beautifully balanced and heavy too. My .280AI is much lighter and is pushing heavier pills and it does boot (need to have a good hold)... But no more than that .270. A mean calibre though for dropping animals. The rifle fit you use has a large amount to do with the recoil. My all time favourite (behind the current) was a mod 70 featherweight in 7x57. Nice. A great rifle. Got stolen from me....
...like hens teeth these days, that calibre and rifle.
If you can find one I would recommend that exact rifle.
So. Get a 6.5x55. And don't worry be happy.

Originally Posted by Danny

..........My all time favourite (behind the current) was a mod 70 featherweight in 7x57. Nice. A great rifle. Got stolen from me.......like hens teeth these days, that calibre and rifle. If you can find one I would recommend that exact rifle. .......

Absolutely, I'll always regret not buying one.

I only read about half the posts above and don't understand half you guys saying 6.5 or .260 are too slow or this, that or the other. FFS! Ricochet said he's after pigs in broken bush and deer in the Kaimais. In other words, it's fairly safe to say every shot he'll fire at an animal will be between 10m and 150m. So even a .243 or .30-30 would be sweet as!
Basically @Ricochet, go with your gut and buy anything that takes your fancy.
After shooting way too much .308 and developing a regrettable flinch, I changed to 6.5x55 and would never go back to a .30cal. 6.5 smashes anything. Shot placement (and range) decides effectiveness of any calibre. Each to their own

It must be a miracle I don't have a serious flinch going by the replies here, I started using granddads sporterised brass but plate 303 from around 13years old and then went to a lightweight short 308 win.

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

It must be a miracle I don't have a serious flinch going by the replies here, I started using granddads sporterised brass but plate 303 from around 13years old and then went to a lightweight short 308 win.

Same here - started with an ex-military Mauser rebarreled to 30-06, shot 1000's of 7.62 Nato when I was an active target shooter - currently own (and have done for the last 20 years) one of those terribly recoiling 270s My mates son used to shoot my 358 Norma mag no problems when he was a skinny little 14 year old ...

Bet you got taught proper technique from that young age too...

fuck with the right technique and a bit of morphine you could shoot a kimber feather weight chambered in 50cal bmg but why would you when its not an enjoyable thing to do.. well that's my view! sure I can shoot a big gun and shoot it well... ive owned my fair share of high recoil firearms including a couple of 270's but if its not enjoyable why would i I have other guns that do the same job and are nice to shoot

Caliber is irrelevant when you'r hunting as there is no recoil and no ear damage ever..On the range or target shooting well thats a different story.

It's not easy being a hunter in training. Every person I talk to has conflicting opinions. However I think I'll go with 7mm08.

Now I have a caliber I need to decide on a rifle. I liked the look of PERRISCICABA's Tikka, but the guy down at Bronco's sports was pretty scathing of them.

I have never really even used a rifle before, but after months of internet research I have my heart set on a Browning A-Bolt for some stupid reason, I don't even know why...I want to spend no more than around $1500 for rifle & scope cos I don't even know if I'll enjoy this shit yet...

Please advise away.

Originally Posted by Ricochet

It's not easy being a hunter in training. Every person I talk to has conflicting opinions. However I think I'll go with 7mm08.

Now I have a caliber I need to decide on a rifle. I liked the look of PERRISCICABA's Tikka, but the guy down at Bronco's sports was pretty scathing of them.

I have never really even used a rifle before, but after months of internet research I have my heart set on a Browning A-Bolt for some stupid reason, I don't even know why...I want to spend no more than around $1500 for rifle & scope cos I don't even know if I'll enjoy this shit yet...

Please advise away.

If i was still in Roto i would have said come down the range and you can fire a few out of my 7mm 08, it's a remington. Nothing flash but fits like a glove and i found factory ammo that the thing loves and so it is accurate. One thing have you held the browning, go in to H and F and ask to pick it up, shoulder it, see how it feels when it comes up. You will find something that fits and when it does you wont look back. Oh and when you do get a rifle find the ammo that works with it. My remington jumps like crazy when i put Remington Coreloct through it whereas putting hornady sst or whitetail rounds through it is fine.

Originally Posted by Willie

If i was still in Roto i would have said come down the range and you can fire a few out of my 7mm 08, it's a remington. Nothing flash but fits like a glove and i found factory ammo that the thing loves and so it is accurate. One thing have you held the browning, go in to H and F and ask to pick it up, shoulder it, see how it feels when it comes up. You will find something that fits and when it does you wont look back. Oh and when you do get a rifle find the ammo that works with it. My remington jumps like crazy when i put Remington Coreloct through it whereas putting hornady sst or whitetail rounds through it is fine.

Yup! Go into a few shops and pick up as many different rifles as you can. Pick the one that fits you best and spins your wheels. Calibre is secondary.

The other option is go second hand so you have some experience. Sure someone here would step up and help you check it out.

Originally Posted by steven

A mate of mine has a tikka 6.5mm and he's having difficulty getting projectiles, so I'd suggest the 7mm as the better and more common round.

But if your dad is getting a 308w so should you IMHO.

regards

Its not only 6.5mm projectiles in shot supply it is hard to find almost any caliber