Shooting starter help

1hnr79jr65

Howdy,

my first post and i am looking for help on getting started in a venture to get into target shooting and possibly hunting.

Ive been in wit guards to get basics on applications for firearms, ive researched roughly what type rifle i am looking for.

I am thinking along the lines of a .17 or .22 bolt action rifle. I want something simple to maintain with as little that could possible go wrong for my first time in this venture, so suggestions\advice on various makes, models and gun dealers that i could approach would be appreciated.

Also im living in Co. Kildare and any help with finding a suitable range\club nearish would be nice, things to watch out for and so on.

Thanks for all forthcoming help.

Sparks

For what you're looking to do, definitely go with the .22lr rifle. The .17 is an excellent round, but there aren't as many competitions for you to enter into with it, and it's more expensive per round (and for target shooting, you will be firing a lot of rounds).

From Co.Kildare, you've got a few ranges near enough to you, from Midlands in Tullamore to your west to BRC, DRC and RRPC to your east. Best approach would be to figure out which is closest to you, then see what kind of beginner's kit they have for new shooters; after a while of shooting with that you'll have a better idea of what kind of rifle you need and what kind of shooting you want to do with it.

tommyboy26

For starting out you cant go wrong with a cz .22 great rifle and cheap to run. I started with one so i have no problem reccomending it. As for clubs harbour house just outside athy is close but never been there so cant give advice on there. Im from kildare and i joined the midlands just outside tullamore and for a beginner its great because they do a beginners course and also members there have always been helpful to me when i was starting out.


Tommy

poulo6.5

cz .22lr will stand you in good stead hunting and a bit of target practice

LB6

Also in Kildare, depending on what part of the long county you're in, just a couple miles north of Athy, is Harbour House in Nurney. Lovely crowd. Phoenix is also based in the same grounds.

Good luck with your new sport.

LB6

BattleCorp

I'd back up the lads who are recommending a CZ .22 Plenty of them come up for sale and they aren't very expensive. They are good value guns for anybody starting off. You are right also to get a bolt action gun. Much safer when you are starting off. A family friend almost shot my mother seconds after saying "you are grand, it isn't loaded". Missed her head by inches. He didn't realise that there was a bullet cocked n ready to go. Yep, go with the .22 bolt action for sure.

Depending on where you are in Kildare, Harbour House just outside of Athy might be close to you. It's a good spot, the lads are very helpful there.

1hnr79jr65

Hi, thanks for advice so far it all helps.

Yeah .22 bolt is definitely my path for now.

Im based around Maynooth so anywhere within 50-60km is good with me.

Would just like to know what size ranges for practicing are we talking here for target, up to 500 yard, 1000 yards ?

Would there be longer ?

tommyboy26

Sour Lemonz wrote: »

Hi, thanks for advice so far it all helps.

Yeah .22 bolt is definitely my path for now.

Im based around Maynooth so anywhere within 50-60km is good with me.

Would just like to know what size ranges for practicing are we talking here for target, up to 500 yard, 1000 yards ?

Would there be longer ?

The midlands have ranges from 50 to 1200 yards. That is the longest range in ireland they also cater for shotgun and pistol.

Tackleberrywho

Sour Lemonz wrote: »

Hi, thanks for advice so far it all helps.

Yeah .22 bolt is definitely my path for now.

Im based around Maynooth so anywhere within 50-60km is good with me.

Would just like to know what size ranges for practicing are we talking here for target, up to 500 yard, 1000 yards ?

Would there be longer ?

.22 is 50 or 100 yard rifle for targets

MNSCI have a .22lr range as well as a centrefire range
http://www.nationalshootingcentre.ie/about.html

1hnr79jr65

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

.22 is 50 or 100 yard rifle for targets

MNSCI have a .22lr range as well as a centrefire range
http://www.nationalshootingcentre.ie/about.html

Have just been looking up that range in tullamore, very nice facilities they seem to have, a good starting point on that point for me anyways.

Could anyone recommend a reputable gun dealer that would be worth going to see for my needs ?

kildare.17hmr

your based in maynooth so head over to CG Hobbies near weston airodrome and McCarthys in prosperous have a good selection too.

BattleCorp

Sour Lemonz wrote: »

Hi, thanks for advice so far it all helps.

Would just like to know what size ranges for practicing are we talking here for target, up to 500 yard, 1000 yards ?

Would there be longer ?

No point shooting at targets past 100m with a .22. 50m is the usual distance for most. The .22 bullet will travel a lot further than 100m but it is wildly erratic past 100m. Harbour House near Athy have a 50m rifle range that would suit you.

If you want to shoot out to 500m or further, then you need a centrefire rifle and you are getting into a whole new ball game (and price bracket) there.

Sparks

50m isn't the only normal range for .22lr targets though BattleCorp, it's the main one shot outdoors, yes, but 100yds is shot a lot as well (for example, the Dewar matches where it'll be both 50m and 100yds), and 25yds indoors is shot quite a bit too. And the Silhouette lads would shoot at several ranges out to about 70m if I remember right.

And if the OP is just starting off, he really doesn't want to start off with fullbore. Nothing wrong with fullbore at all, but if he's just starting, it'd be like trying to learn to drive in a 500hp ferrari instead of a 50hp Fiat - too much too soon and too expensive. A .22lr bolt-action rifle at 50m would seem to suit his needs to the ground.

1hnr79jr65

Sparks wrote: »

And if the OP is just starting off, he really doesn't want to start off with fullbore. Nothing wrong with fullbore at all, but if he's just starting, it'd be like trying to learn to drive in a 500hp ferrari instead of a 50hp Fiat - too much too soon and too expensive. A .22lr bolt-action rifle at 50m would seem to suit his needs to the ground.

You got it buddy, baby steps it is for starting off. Im in no rush to get into anything too big off the bat.

To give ye example or where im leading to, ive always liked rifles as weapons, have had a fascination particulary with WW2 rifles and more specifically the mauser k98.

Ideally this is the rifle i would like to get to comfortably and enjoy.

Tackleberrywho

Sour Lemonz wrote: »

You got it buddy, baby steps it is for starting off. Im in no rush to get into anything too big off the bat.

To give ye example or where im leading to, ive always liked rifles as weapons, have had a fascination particulary with WW2 rifles and more specifically the mauser k98.

Ideally this is the rifle i would like to get to comfortably and enjoy.

The W*e*a*p*o*n word is frowned upon in shooting circles.

Military and LE have weapons, we have firearms.
Difference is end use. ours is Purely sporting. Us shooter are always promoting the Firearm name as that is what we use it for.

If I was starting out I'd consider a Sako Quad with a .22lr and a .17Hmr Barrel

Sako Rifles are quite good and it's teh cheapest way to have too rifles if you wanted two.

I also really like Anschutz .22lr.


he CZ is the cheapest starter rifle, but it takes tens of thousands of rounds to wear a .22lr out.

Some of the Centrefire are worn out in 2-4000 rounds :eek:

I used to own a Swedish Mauser, A great rifle and cheap.

1hnr79jr65

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

The W*e*a*p*o*n word is frowned upon in shooting circles.

Military and LE have weapons, we have firearms.
Difference is end use. ours is Purely sporting. Us shooter are always promoting the Firearm name as that is what we use it for.

As i said still learning . I will make sure to adjust my vocabulary on that one.

As for rifles themselves i would only want 1 at a time as i only have 1 pair of hands no need for more .

Factoring in costs for safes and so on i would be budgeting 1000-1500 euro total for rifle, ammo, licence, maybe a scope (would like to start off on iron sights), safes.

Not too bothered about bipods, support mechanisms for target, would like to get to a decent level without that stuff.

It wasn't me!

Sour Lemonz wrote: »

As for rifles themselves i would only want 1 at a time as i only have 1 pair of hands no need for more

Aw, that's adorable! We'll soon knock that notion right out of you!

tommyboy26

I would recommend you visit a range and speak to some shooters and see what they are shooting and the different types of target shooting you can do. Most shooters have no problem giving advice to beginners. This way you could see some rifles in use before you buy one

1hnr79jr65

It wasn't me! wrote: »

Aw, that's adorable! We'll soon knock that notion right out of you!

While i am with the notion of 1 rifle i have been thinking about .22 handgun also. but something to mull over at a later date. 1 things at a time though

Tackleberrywho

Sour Lemonz wrote: »

While i am with the notion of 1 rifle i have been thinking about .22 handgun also. but something to mull over at a later date. 1 things at a time though

I'm updating my security to get Firearm no. 5 Or maybe 6:eek:

Cass

Sour Lemonz wrote: »

Factoring in costs for safes and so on i would be budgeting 1000-1500 euro total for rifle, ammo, licence, maybe a scope (would like to start off on iron sights), safes..

For that kind of budget forget CZ (although they are a fantastic entry level rifle) and go straight for the Anschutz. Same caliber, .22lr, but just simply better. For your budget you could pick up a second hand one, with scope, get a safe (this is a legal requirement for a rifle), bipod, ammo (loads of it), pay license fee, sling and a few accessories.

I know you said you don't want a scope, for the moment, but no harm buying it as part of a kit and simply removing it to use the iron sights.

You really have a huge amount of options open to you.

1hnr79jr65

I notice alot of support for a CZ or Anschutz.

Looked up various versions of Anschutz and some are mighty impressive from my limited understanding.

Any support for other makes\models ?

Tackleberrywho

Sour Lemonz wrote: »

I notice alot of support for a CZ or Anschutz.

Looked up various versions of Anschutz and some are mighty impressive from my limited understanding.

Any support for other makes\models ?

The 1710 Hunting Rifle is very accurate and can be found relatively cheap.

There was another model with a stainless barrel, but I can't remember teh number.
Seriously accurate though.

Sparks

Sour Lemonz wrote: »

I notice alot of support for a CZ or Anschutz.
Looked up various versions of Anschutz and some are mighty impressive from my limited understanding.
Any support for other makes\models ?

The Feinwekbau 2602 and the Walther KK200 are sweet little rifles and second-hand might be in your price range, but you'd have to import them most likely.
To be honest, I'd check to see if your club has club rifles for beginners first; that way you could learn the basics on a basic rifle and then buy yourself something more specialised when you know what you want to do. No point buying a top-of-the-line anschutz 2012 in a precise stock when you've not yet gotten to the point where you even know if you'd like to shoot ISSF let alone hold the aiming mark...

(BTW, there are a lot more than just two Anschutz models, and all of them are highly accurate - you really want to figure out what kind of target shooting you want to do before you buy the rifle though. The 17xx series are grand for bunny-whacking shooting, but the stock's not the easiest to shoot benchrest or ISSF with; and while a 2313 is a grand 3P ISSF rifle, it can't be used for silhouette shooting; and so on).

1hnr79jr65

Well as for targets wanted to start off basic, maybe goin up in range lenth, accuracy, i like the idea of doing some targets unscopped.

As far as rifle goes, yes i want to start off in targets but would like something capable for going after rabbits and such.

Cass

Not to pigeon hole you or anything, but if its a bunny rifle you want first and then something that can do targets look at the Anschutz 1710D.



I had one of these and it was absolutely amazing. Was good enough for me to wina couple of comps with yet light enough to carry al day for a few rabbits while out. As accurate with a scope as without one. The chao i sold it too still wins a few comps with it.

My Faher was so impressed with them he sold his CZ.22 of 14 years for one.