Can you buy a .308 as your first rifle?

Keith O D

For some time i've been looking into buying a rifle. And i've decided that i'd like to do long distance shooting i.e 600 to 1000. The only problem is that i don't know were to start . I'm 25 and have some experience shooting. So i was wondering can you buy a .308 rifle as your first? Thanks for any replies.

fishdog

So i was wondering can you buy a .308 rifle as your first?

The chances are no. But you may be lucky, it really depends on where you live more that how sutiable an applicant you are. The Gardai generally like you to have a history of owning some form of firearm licence for a few years before giving you a licence for a centre fire rifle such as that.

Personally I would not think it a good idea to start with a centre fire, more so if you only have

some experience shooting

.

rrpc

Keith O D wrote: »

For some time i've been looking into buying a rifle. And i've decided that i'd like to do long distance shooting i.e 600 to 1000. The only problem is that i don't know were to start . I'm 25 and have some experience shooting. So i was wondering can you buy a .308 rifle as your first? Thanks for any replies.

Definitely don't start with a .308 if you want to do target shooting. You'll develop all sorts of bad habits and flinches that will negate against getting the more fundamental parts of shooting right.

There's a reason most people start with .22

Paddy Diver

Im very new to the whole regular shooting scene but I am learning so much with my .22LR that I didnt even think would come into play. Like you I did a bit every now & then. Even starting with a .22LR was expensive enough, while I would have plans to move up to a centre fire rifle in a year or so, you couldnt fault a .22 for the cost factor of the ammo comapred to a .308 at approx €2 (???) a round, a 100 of them in an hour or two and thats a whole pile of money.

Ian

Kramer

Paddy Diver wrote: »

a .308 at approx €2 (???) a round

As far as cost, .308 rounds are relatively inexpensive. Obviously match grade ammo is going to cost but the cheaper stuff is available for 60/70c per round.
On the .308 as a first rifle, I do know of someone who got a .270 as his first but he did know the guard well. I too would suggest something smaller for a beginner, .22lr being both cheap & easy enough to licence.

meathstevie

No harm in asking, the worst you can get is no for an answer. On the other hand a few valid comments about starting light have been made here..

Paddy Diver

Kramer wrote: »

As far as cost, .308 rounds are relatively inexpensive. Obviously match grade ammo is going to cost but the cheaper stuff is available for 60/70c per round.

See you do learn something new everyday, thanks I didnt know that.

Oh and what excatly is "match grade ammo"??

Ian

José Alaninho

Paddy Diver wrote: »

See you do learn something new everyday, thanks I didnt know that.

Oh and what excatly is "match grade ammo"??

Ian

Ammo manufactured to much higher tolerances than regular 'plinking' or budget ammo: better powders, more consistent loading, high quality bullets, usually boat-tailed for higher BC. And just plain more expensive and accurate.

As for a .308 for a first rifle, I'd consider that a bad idea. First of all, as has already been stated, the recoil off a .308 is fierce, and will cause bad habits to develop, e.g. flinching, shot anticipation, etc. Go with .22LR or if you want a bit more power with almost no recoil go with a 17HMR or .22WMR.

Traumadoc

Kramer wrote: »

As far as cost, .308 rounds are relatively inexpensive. Obviously match grade ammo is going to cost but the cheaper stuff is available for 60/70c per round.
On the .308 as a first rifle, I do know of someone who got a .270 as his first but he did know the guard well. I too would suggest something smaller for a beginner, .22lr being both cheap & easy enough to licence.

Where do you get it for 70c a round?

foxshooter243

millitary surplus 308 5 euro for 20 rounds from a dealer in donegal...:)

Sparks

You can start on any calibre of rifle. That's not the important question. The important question is should you, and the answer frankly, is no. Start with a fullbore and it'll take much longer to learn how to shoot (and cost a heck of a lot more); and you won't be a better target shooter for the effort anyway. Pretty much all the best fullbore target shooters in the world, whether it be in the 300m ISSF disciplines or in NRA shooting or in TR or F-Class or in Palma or wherever, all got their starts on .22lr or airguns. The few exceptions tend to be the types that would be the best in the world even if they'd started off in shooting with an indoor welly-throwing trebuchet.

Best advice is (and has been for as long as most in here can remember):

1. Join the local club.
2. Learn on club rifles.
3. When you're ready and sure, start buying kit and your firearm.

Sparks

foxshooter243 wrote: »

millitary surplus 308 5 euro for 20 rounds from a dealer in donegal...:)

(approximately)
.22lr olympic-grade RWS R50, 12 euro for 50,
.177 olympic-grade RWS R10 pellets, 12 euro for 500...

The phrase "cheap" tends to be relative

Jonty

foxshooter243 wrote: »

millitary surplus 308 5 euro for 20 rounds from a dealer in donegal...:)

Now, I'm going to raise hell here. There's no such thing as mil surp 308. Its mil surp 7.62mm. There are many differences.

1. Head Space in 7.62 NATO mil surp is more forward than 308. This can create eratic operating pressures.
2. Internal Dimensions of 7.62 NATOare less. I.e. 308 has greater capacity
3. Not all 7.62 NATO mil surp is equal
4. You cannot fire 308 in a 7.62 NATO chambered rifle but you can fire 7.62 NATO Ammo in a .308 chamberes rifle - Different operating pressures.
5. Mil Surp Primers contain mercury fulminate and this will eat chrome lined barrels if not cleaned.
6. Mil Surp is FMJ, not great for anything else.
7. Mil Surp has to be reloaded with mil surp primers otherwise you get seating probs with primers

I'm sure there's more. Next time you pick up a box of commercial 308 ammo look for this phrase - "Only use ammunition that exactly matches the markings on your gun"

Now if you have a box that says "7.62 NATO" you can hold it up to the barrel of your rifle & see if it matches the ".308 Win" marking on the barrel. Go on - give it a try. So cartridge makers do warn you about using the incorrect ammo; you just have to read the box.

I would never run 7.62 NATO through my .308. If i'm going to use .308 plinking ammo it'll be Remmy UMC 150gr FMJ.

bunny shooter

Jonty wrote: »

Now, I'm going to raise hell here. There's no such thing as mil surp 308. Its mil surp 7.62mm. There are many differences.

1. Head Space in 7.62 NATO mil surp is more forward than 308. This can create eratic operating pressures.
2. Internal Dimensions of 7.62 NATOare less. I.e. 308 has greater capacity
3. Not all 7.62 NATO mil surp is equal
4. You cannot fire 308 in a 7.62 NATO chambered rifle but you can fire 7.62 NATO Ammo in a .308 chamberes rifle - Different operating pressures.
5. Mil Surp Primers contain mercury fulminate and this will eat chrome lined barrels if not cleaned.
6. Mil Surp is FMJ, not great for anything else.
7. Mil Surp has to be reloaded with mil surp primers otherwise you get seating probs with primers

I'm sure there's more. Next time you pick up a box of commercial 308 ammo look for this phrase - "Only use ammunition that exactly matches the markings on your gun"

Now if you have a box that says "7.62 NATO" you can hold it up to the barrel of your rifle & see if it matches the ".308 Win" marking on the barrel. Go on - give it a try. So cartridge makers do warn you about using the incorrect ammo; you just have to read the box.

I would never run 7.62 NATO through my .308. If i'm going to use .308 plinking ammo it'll be Remmy UMC 150gr FMJ.

Exactly, but all they see is cheap ammo. Same goes for for cheap mil spec 223 !

Sako TRG, Accuracy Int'l & Unique Alpine are designed to fire Mil spec ammo. The only "223" I know that's capable of firing mil spec is steyr tactical elite

Jonty

I didn't know that Sako TRG is chambered in 7.62 Nato and is available to civilian users. According to Sako.fi its chambered in .308.

Its actually worse to use .308 ammo in a 7.62 Nato rifle. 308 rounds operate at approx 62000 CUP and 7.62 Nato rifles are designed to have an operating pressure of 50000 CUP.

foxshooter243

bunny shooter wrote: »

Exactly, but all they see is cheap ammo. Same goes for for cheap mil spec 223 !

Sako TRG, Accuracy Int'l & Unique Alpine are designed to fire Mil spec ammo. The only "223" I know that's capable of firing mil spec is steyr tactical elite

Just providing some info for anyone thats interested-and i dont use cheap
ammo i load my own

bunny shooter

I said it's designed to fire mil spec ammo, where did I say it was chambered for 7.62 ? You do realise that "7.62 is milimetres" and ".308 is inches". My mate has just sold one and I know a dealer that has two at present.

TRG is Finnish armies sniper rifle.

Jonty

bunny shooter wrote: »

I said it's designed to fire mil spec ammo, where did I say it was chambered for 7.62 ? You do realise that "7.62 is milimetres" and ".308 is inches". My mate has just sold one and I know a dealer that has two at present.

TRG is Finnish armies sniper rifle.

Yes I'm aware one is in millimetres and the other is inches. 7.62 Nato is "military spec" and .308 win is the civilian derived equivalent. But TRGs (for civilian use) are chambered in .308 winchester. Check the sako website. I am aware that the TRG is Finnish armie's sniper weapon all I was sugesting was that the army issue version is supplied proofed for 7.62 Nato stamped on the barrel and .308 winchester stamped on the barrel of the civilian version.

I bet if you go down to the dealer you know the TRGs he has will be chambered in .308, a civilian round. The whole point I was trying to make is that .308 Winchester and 7.62 Nato rounds while dimensionally similar, are not interchangeable in rifles.

Check this link out if you don't believe me about the TRG

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sako_TRG

Scroll down to the refences and check out reference number 4. It states that TRG's are chambered in 308 not 7.62 Nato.

bunny shooter

Jonty wrote: »

Yes I'm aware one is in millimetres and the other is inches. 7.62 Nato is "military spec" and .308 win is the civilian derived equivalent. But TRGs (for civilian use) are chambered in .308 winchester. Check the sako website. I am aware that the TRG is Finnish armie's sniper weapon all I was sugesting was that the army issue version is supplied proofed for 7.62 Nato stamped on the barrel and .308 winchester stamped on the barrel of the civilian version.

I bet if you go down to the dealer you know the TRGs he has will be chambered in .308, a civilian round. The whole point I was trying to make is that .308 Winchester and 7.62 Nato rounds while dimensionally similar, are not interchangeable in rifles.

Check this link out if you don't believe me about the TRG

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sako_TRG

Scroll down to the refences and check out reference number 4. It states that TRG's are chambered in 308 not 7.62 Nato.

Where does it state the military one are stampled 7.62 ? I didn't realise there were two versions ? Accuracy international sold to civvies are same as army ?

Jonty

bunny shooter wrote: »

Where does it state the military one are stampled 7.62 ? I didn't realise there were two versions ? Accuracy international sold to civvies are same as army ?

They are all stamped in 308. I just copped it on wikipedia. I don't know about the AI. The Finnish army officially use the TRG 42 in 338 Lapua Mag. It's some round. 5euro a pop. I've seen an AI in 338 topped off with a Schmidt and Bender PMII 5 x 25 x 56 in Ireland. The 338 Lapua Mag has the same muzzle energy at 1200yds as the .308 has at 500 yds.

bunny shooter

Seen AI in dealers stamped with 7.62mm. Love one but will stick to 6.5

Fired 300 WIN MAG, savage kick