Thread: Shooting anyone ???

Longrass: so if you're becoming a dealer you would have plenty of experience with firearms and hunting...
(I've also read your posts on the slaughterhouse topic that you're a hunter)

I'd like your opinion on something. I've been looking at getting another rifle (I've currently got a .22 magnum and access to my bro's double barrel 12ga shotgun) to shoot mainly farm vermin at longer ranges than is capable by standard 12ga/.22 range. I've been looking at .223 and .308 since these are standard military sized ammo (5.56mm NATO and 7.62mm) and are relatively abundant and cheap-ish.

Obviously a .308 is too large a calibre for rabbits and probably foxes, but I'd be looking at using it on larger game (roos, pigs, goat, deer, camels, terrorists etc) although opportunnities for this are few and far between, and I don't want to spend $$ on a rifle I'll barely use. If I get a .223 for farm use it probably is a bit too small calibre for some of the larger animals I've mentioned (deer, fat terrorists, camels). I am aware that it is illegal to hunt deer with less than a .270.

How much does a .308 recoil? I've heard it's similar to a 12ga shotgun?

Is there a different calibre you would recommend?

Recoil really isn't an issue at all, I'd be focussing on the game you wish to shoot, however distance is also a factor. The 308 round is a great calibre, and I'm loving my new Remington 700. I'm shooting under 1 MOA, which in simple terms is 1 inch groups at 100, 2 inch at 200m, 12 inch groups at 1200m and so on.

It's a 700 Police which are around 1600 rifle only, with a 1800 nightforce scope and mounts. I can hit a balloon at 1km in almost any weather at day or night. Awesome firearms.

Mate I'd suggest for your first CF rifle, a decent 308.
Opens the options for use and will allow you to utilize it's function over a greater range of game and ranges. They start at around 550 for a cheap Stevens, to 750 for a weatheby or 1200 for a ruger or remington. Scopes and rings, mounts and bases will range from 180 to 600 for a decent entry level...

Thanks mate

But wouldn't a .308 be too big/good for what I'll be using? I'm mainly going to be hunting rabbits and foxes at distances up to 300m, generally less than 100m. I'll be lucky to hunt roos once a year, and the camel/deer/pig hunt, I'd be lucky to do it once or twice in the life of the rifle.
Having said that... (time for a Fosta-ism) I bought a new drill the other day. I didn't have any intention of drilling holes in a lot of the things I drilled, but I thought "I've just bought this drill, I want to use it a lot", and I drilled fence posts, house bricks, dirt, concrete, random bits of wood lying around, trees, the neighbour's daughter (er... different type of 'drill') etc. My mate got a brand new car a while ago too. He thought "you beaut, new car, road trip time" and we road-tripped it to the murray river. He didn't buy the car for that road trip, it's just that he had it so we put it to good use. Anyway... what I'm getting at, is even though I only hunt small game, that is all my current equipment allows. Better and larger equipment, better and larger game... just because I can.

I don't want to spend a lot of $$ on something that will likely sit in the shed unused most of the year. I know that buying a rifle is (usually) the same price, no matter the calibre, but I assume that larger CF rifles require better optics etc and that is what will take a lot of $$
How much is ammo for .223 vs .308? If they are very similar in price per round, it would make sense to get a .308 even for little critters.

Get the 223, for small game out to 300m it's perfect, ammo is around 15-25 a box, makes for a cheap day shooting, look at a weatherby with a nikko scope, Id suggest cleaver firearms in Brisbane, or if you wanna wait, I can sort out something in the next month or two

i thought you couldn't own anything bigger than a .38 pistol wize in oz? i thought only law enforcement are legally allowed to posses .40+?


but i may be wrong...maybe vic only?

I'm in no hurry, it's something I've been undecided on for a while now.
I checked out cleaver firearms' website - they seem expensive. it looks like $1-$1.50/round for .223 and $1.50-$2/round for .308 - makes for an expensive trip if I get 20-30 rabbits! Maybe I'll stick with the .22 magnum for a few months yet.

The cleavers website is expensive, check the specials page only though, it updated monthly, awesome specials at that joint. You can still get cheap ammo for 223 mate, as cheap as 12 for a box, but best to buy bulk.

If your looking at 22 mag, i'd suggest looking at the 17cal, I've heard big things about the cartridge... Will be buying one soon actually!

.38 and above was "restricted" in 2003 following the university shooting buy an Asian student with limited english. He joined a pistol club and accessed a firearms which he then used to shoot students. He was diagnosed with a mental condition and was obsessed with firearms. Either way, whether legally owned or not, he was still hell bent on getting a gun and committing a crime.

The government in all it's infinate wisdom, decided to ban "high powered" handguns. Which obviously must make you more dead than a "low powered handgun", such as a 9mm or .357 magnum/.38 special. They also restricted the ownership of semi auto handgun with a barrel length less than 120mm and 100mm for revolvers. Cause obviously they are much more concealable and dangerous when held buy 750'000 law abiding firearm owners than criminals who will get them anyway. Also magazines with a capacity greater than ten rounds, which clearly makes sense, because killing 17 people with 1 magazine is much easier than 20 people with 2 mags?

Certain events, such as metallic silouhette and single action can get the higher cal, such as 44 mag and 45 auto, however security and occupational license holders can have short barrel and high cap mags. I've got mine for occupational requirements (not security).