Thread: Hi new to hunting so have some questions

Hi people

im new to this hunting thing and live in chch, im looking for first rifle and have been into all local shops and have weeded out the good advice from the bad, so far im pretty set on a tikka t3 lite s/s, (i have looked at other brands but like the tikka) now next question is calibre, the 2 i have decided on are either a .270 or a 7mm08, would i be correct in saying these guns are very similar? i.e ones metric the others imperial?

next question is if i wanted to buy second hand with one of these guns what is considered low kms(im a car guy) for barrel? i.e 40 rounds,150round ect?
next is i assume you need to get a police order form to courier a gun? can ammo also be sent? who does this sort of freight? i.e do i just ring my local nz couiers?

thanks in advance

cheers Ben

Welcome to the forum uwish.

Lots of good advise on here from experienced hunters/shooters.

270 and 7mm08 are different.
Both are in the 7mm class of calibres though and either are a good rifle.
Have a look on wikipeadia for details etc.

There are a few good 2nd hand deals around at the moment. It's worth getting a good 2nd hand rifle and a real good scope rather than a new rifle and crappy scope like the stores put in those deals.
Keep an eye out on TM

Barrel life out of either a 7mm08 or a 270 will be in the thousands. Shouldn't have any worry getting a 2nd hand rifle that has popped out a few rounds.

Couriering rifles is easy. As long as the Police have verified the buyer's identity, the rifle can be shipped. Not all couriers will ship a firearm though.
I've only ever used Fastways as they will do it.
Ammo is different. It is classed as dangerous goods and shipping is expensive. Again, not all couriers will ship ammo.
Ammo cannot be sent with a rifle.

Welcome to the forum Uwish. You will find all the answers you need here. .270 and 7mm are both great calibres so you will not go wrong with either choice.

Welcome to the forum Ben. The first couple of reply's are sound advice that should keep you happy in your decision making.
So I hope you enjoy your time here and post some hunting and shooting yarns in the very near future.

hi thanks for warm welcome and advice guys, i understand the there is a tiny difference between bullet size with 7mm being a tiny bit bigger, but what difference will this make? my understanding is that these guns are pretty interchangeable in same situations? is there any difference i.e one size is more expensive to run ect? one shoots better long distance ect?

Originally Posted by uwish

hi thanks for warm welcome and advice guys, i understand the there is a tiny difference between bullet size with 7mm being a tiny bit bigger, but what difference will this make? my understanding is that these guns are pretty interchangeable in same situations? is there any difference i.e one size is more expensive to run ect? one shoots better long distance ect?

Uwish, unlike many of the others on this forum, I am as technical as a hole in a doughnut and I only use factory ammunition. As I see it there is very little difference if it's is hunting that you will be doing. Both calibres have what it takes to clean kill any animal you choose to hunt and the animal won't know the difference between either when it is hit so don't spend too much time ingesting over this. I must add that i am a short range North Island bush hunter so if you intend to do thenlong range hunting thing then seek further advice from some of your fellow South Islanders here. My advice would be for you to put the effort into finding a rifle that feels right for you (balance, comes up to the sight mark well etc) and invest as much as you can in good optics particularly if you will be doing a lot of hunting at dawn and dusk.

You won't go wrong with a tikka. The 7-08 will have a touch less recoil than the 270. You can always fit a limb saver recoiled pad later to reduce the felt recoil. If you use the alloy rings they come with then replace the screws with some stainless ones from gunworks.

ok thanks for advice next question is what sort of scoop should i be looking for? i wanting for rifle for deer, shamie ect im in chch and go to west coast quite abit also round mid canterbury and lake sumner, a gun i am looking at has a Pentax Gameseeker II 4-12x40 Scope what are these like?

The main advantage 7/08 would have over 270 would be short action length. T3s are all long action length. Id get the 270 then if you ever want to rebarrel to something more exciting you already have a long action mag and bolt stop.

.270 tikka t3 would be the perfect rifle for a newbie. I started with a mossberg 270 and it shot plenty of meat. Easy to find ammo and cheap to shoot.

Chris