Recommendations for a first rifle

[rsh]

Hey everyone,

Looks like there hasn't been a similar thread in a while so I'll be cheeky and start a fresh one!

Not to put the cart before the horse as it's still a few months before I'll be able to apply for my FAC but I have been window shopping rifles, seeing how much ammo is going to cost for each calibre, reading and watching reviews for various rifles and generally getting clued up on what I need to know about owning and using my own firearms.

I'm pretty much 99.9% sure I'll be going for a Howa bolt action rifle either on a Oryx or HCR chassis, and I can get started with a full setup (rifle, scope, bipod, regulator, etc.) for less than £2,000, in terms of calibre I'm thinking .223 REM (as it's a bit more of an economical calibre) or 6.5 CM/.308 WIN (bit pricier per shot, but better for longer range shooting).

Does anyone have any rifle recommendations that differ?

Is .223 REM a good starting calibre? And effective range-wise is there any benefit to a larger calibre off the bat?

Something else I've been wondering and not been able to find a good answer to - what would be the best barrel length? I know Howa go from 20" up to 26", is the a good all round length? And between a "varmint" and "sporter" barrel, what's the difference and what would be best for target shooting on a range?

Many thanks all!

[1066]

Personally I would recommend to wait a while, "Shooting" is such a diverse sport. You may find, once you get into it, that you really develop a passion for F-Class T/R shooting, in which case your Howa in 6.5CM wouldn't be suitable.
Maybe you'll get the gallery rifle bug or even discover the joys of muzzle loading. What about prone rifle or benchrest shooting? You could spend and awful lot of money on rifles and scopes and find it's not the right tool for the job. Every time you need to add or change a firearm you will need to go through the variation process.

Of course, every one should make room in their cabinet for a .22lr semi-auto of some sort, a .223 is fairly cheap to run, ammunition widely available and quite capable out to around 600 yards. .308, again widely available, capable out to 1,000 yds but not so popular as it once was for longer ranges.

[DaveB]

I have a couple of Howas, including one in a chassis in .223 Remington. Good solid choices for as noted out to about 600 yards. I have a Remington .308 in an Oryx chassis - again a good solid chassis for not a lot of money. If you want to go to 1,000 yards, I would recommend 6.5 Creedmoor instead of 308 Win these days, but of course the number of ammo choices for 308 remains a bit more extensive that 6.5 CM. So far you have said nothing which which I disagree.

Have you thought of a Bergara B14 HMR (Hunting and Match Rifle)? These are available in 6.5 Crdm, .308 Win (20"), .308 Win (24") plus a couple of other calibres you did not mention. Since it has a mini-chassis mounded into the adjustable stock it obviates the need for a separate chassis. Saves money that can be put into the sight. I can recommend the Nightforce SHV (Shooting, Hunting and Varmint) line, as a good budget (sort of) choice.

Let us know what you decide on.

[rsh]

Personally I would recommend to wait a while, "Shooting" is such a diverse sport. You may find, once you get into it, that you really develop a passion for F-Class T/R shooting, in which case your Howa in 6.5CM wouldn't be suitable.
Maybe you'll get the gallery rifle bug or even discover the joys of muzzle loading. What about prone rifle or benchrest shooting? You could spend and awful lot of money on rifles and scopes and find it's not the right tool for the job. Every time you need to add or change a firearm you will need to go through the variation process.

Of course, every one should make room in their cabinet for a .22lr semi-auto of some sort, a .223 is fairly cheap to run, ammunition widely available and quite capable out to around 600 yards. .308, again widely available, capable out to 1,000 yds but not so popular as it once was for longer ranges.

That might not be a bad shout - it's basically benchrest shooting I'm into right now at the range, once I have my FAC and access to an outdoor range I'd like to try prone shooting too - not sure the chaps at the range would appreciate me going prone on their floor :P But it is early days for me and there's a bunch of different shooting disciplines I'm yet to try.

Yup - a .22LR semi auto was a no-brainer from the get go, something AR-style for some cheap fun and I can slap on a red dot sight and a foregrip for any tactical style shoots I can attend too. And the ammo is cheap as chips which is a nice bonus.

[rsh]

I have a couple of Howas, including one in a chassis in .223 Remington. Good solid choices for as noted out to about 600 yards. I have a Remington .308 in an Oryx chassis - again a good solid chassis for not a lot of money. If you want to go to 1,000 yards, I would recommend 6.5 Creedmoor instead of 308 Win these days, but of course the number of ammo choices for 308 remains a bit more extensive that 6.5 CM. So far you have said nothing which which I disagree.

Have you thought of a Bergara B14 HMR (Hunting and Match Rifle)? These are available in 6.5 Crdm, .308 Win (20"), .308 Win (24") plus a couple of other calibres you did not mention. Since it has a mini-chassis mounded into the adjustable stock it obviates the need for a separate chassis. Saves money that can be put into the sight. I can recommend the Nightforce SHV (Shooting, Hunting and Varmint) line, as a good budget (sort of) choice.

Let us know what you decide on.

Thanks! I'll check out the Bergara, I'd actually not heard of them before. Mostly had been looking at the big brands - Remmington, Ruger... Accuracy International (for about 10 seconds until I saw the price tag :P) and looking into Remingtons lead on to the Howas.

[Pippin89]

I have a couple of Howas, including one in a chassis in .223 Remington. Good solid choices for as noted out to about 600 yards. I have a Remington .308 in an Oryx chassis - again a good solid chassis for not a lot of money. If you want to go to 1,000 yards, I would recommend 6.5 Creedmoor instead of 308 Win these days, but of course the number of ammo choices for 308 remains a bit more extensive that 6.5 CM. So far you have said nothing which which I disagree.

Have you thought of a Bergara B14 HMR (Hunting and Match Rifle)? These are available in 6.5 Crdm, .308 Win (20"), .308 Win (24") plus a couple of other calibres you did not mention. Since it has a mini-chassis mounded into the adjustable stock it obviates the need for a separate chassis. Saves money that can be put into the sight. I can recommend the Nightforce SHV (Shooting, Hunting and Varmint) line, as a good budget (sort of) choice.

Let us know what you decide on.

Thanks! I'll check out the Bergara, I'd actually not heard of them before. Mostly had been looking at the big brands - Remmington, Ruger... Accuracy International (for about 10 seconds until I saw the price tag :P) and looking into Remingtons lead on to the Howas.

Tikka is another popular brand in a similar area to the ones you are looking at. Comparable to the Howa's I believe.

[rsh]

I have a couple of Howas, including one in a chassis in .223 Remington. Good solid choices for as noted out to about 600 yards. I have a Remington .308 in an Oryx chassis - again a good solid chassis for not a lot of money. If you want to go to 1,000 yards, I would recommend 6.5 Creedmoor instead of 308 Win these days, but of course the number of ammo choices for 308 remains a bit more extensive that 6.5 CM. So far you have said nothing which which I disagree.

Have you thought of a Bergara B14 HMR (Hunting and Match Rifle)? These are available in 6.5 Crdm, .308 Win (20"), .308 Win (24") plus a couple of other calibres you did not mention. Since it has a mini-chassis mounded into the adjustable stock it obviates the need for a separate chassis. Saves money that can be put into the sight. I can recommend the Nightforce SHV (Shooting, Hunting and Varmint) line, as a good budget (sort of) choice.

Let us know what you decide on.

Thanks! I'll check out the Bergara, I'd actually not heard of them before. Mostly had been looking at the big brands - Remmington, Ruger... Accuracy International (for about 10 seconds until I saw the price tag :P) and looking into Remingtons lead on to the Howas.

Tikka is another popular brand in a similar area to the ones you are looking at. Comparable to the Howa's I believe.

[mpblytma]

I'd agree with 1066 on this one.
Are you a member of a club? Get out and try club/other members rifles, and see what you enjoy.

Honestly it depends what you want to do with it more than anything. Is it just for long range hole punching? Do you want to be competitive? Does something like PRL take your fancy?
That being said, it's only your first... you'll get the bug and there'll be plenty more to follow :)

[DaveB]

I have a couple of Howas, including one in a chassis in .223 Remington. Good solid choices for as noted out to about 600 yards. I have a Remington .308 in an Oryx chassis - again a good solid chassis for not a lot of money. If you want to go to 1,000 yards, I would recommend 6.5 Creedmoor instead of 308 Win these days, but of course the number of ammo choices for 308 remains a bit more extensive that 6.5 CM. So far you have said nothing which which I disagree.

Have you thought of a Bergara B14 HMR (Hunting and Match Rifle)? These are available in 6.5 Crdm, .308 Win (20"), .308 Win (24") plus a couple of other calibres you did not mention. Since it has a mini-chassis mounded into the adjustable stock it obviates the need for a separate chassis. Saves money that can be put into the sight. I can recommend the Nightforce SHV (Shooting, Hunting and Varmint) line, as a good budget (sort of) choice.

Let us know what you decide on.

Thanks! I'll check out the Bergara, I'd actually not heard of them before. Mostly had been looking at the big brands - Remmington, Ruger... Accuracy International (for about 10 seconds until I saw the price tag :P) and looking into Remingtons lead on to the Howas.

I have a Remington SPS Tactical in .308. Remington quality control has been a bit spotty of late. The SPS Tactical comes in a Hogue Overmoulded stock, which has a bit too much give in the forend. Shooting it off a bipod actually causes the stock to contact the barrel (which is not good for precision). I moved mine into an Oryx chassis, and replaced the stock trigger with a Triggertech Primary trigger - much improved the performance.

The really interesting thing about Bergara actions is that they are almost clones of the Remington 700 - but better. All the triggers, stocks, rails, etc that will fit a Remington 700, are straight bolt-on to the Bergara. This means there are a huge number of aftermarket options out there for it. The Bergara action is way smoother than the Remington 700. Try one in a club of shop, and you'll see.

[20series]

If you're factoring in cost of ammo and reloads I wouldn't worry about it too much, the way prices and availability is going there wont be much in it. Since the arrival of 6.5 needmore there are loads of good quality .308's kicking about that are ideal for a new shooter. As discussed you need to try out a few combinations but the main thing is that the stock works for you.

Alan