.22-250 Vs .223 Vs .308 ??? Best Rifle ???

SpannerMonkey

hi im looking at getting a rifle new to it as i have only ever had shotguns , looking for accuracy more than power , what are the advantage of each calibre
i.i
accuracy
power
Cost of ammo
best overall
any help would be appreciated , also can you recommend any good rifle was looking at remington 700 VS SF II what do you think of this and can you recommend any other good rifles thanks

It wasn't me!

davy_b wrote: »

hi im looking at getting a rifle new to it as i have only ever had shotguns , looking for accuracy more than power , what are the advantage of each calibre
i.i
accuracy
power
Cost of ammo
best overall
any help would be appreciated , also can you recommend any good rifle was looking at remington 700 VS SF II what do you think of this and can you recommend any other good rifles thanks

What are you looking to do with it? That's the main concern. If it's a foxing gun, then the .308 is inferior to the .22 centrefires. If it's for targets, what range? Under 500 yards, the .223 has less recoil and is probably going to be easier to learn to shoot with. Out to 1000 yards, the .308 is a better gun. If it's for deer, only the .308 is really worth considering there. Important also to ask is why those are the only calibres you're considering, because for each thing you could be looking to do with them, there might be something that does it better. For an all-round gun, targets, foxes, deer, good out to 1000yards, why not look at a .243?

Jonty

davy_b wrote: »

hi im looking at getting a rifle new to it as i have only ever had shotguns , looking for accuracy more than power , what are the advantage of each calibre
i.i
accuracy
power
Cost of ammo
best overall
any help would be appreciated , also can you recommend any good rifle was looking at remington 700 VS SF II what do you think of this and can you recommend any other good rifles thanks

No point buying an expensive rifle if you can't hit diddly squat. Have you used rifles before??

It wasn't me!

Jonty wrote: »

No point buying an expensive rifle if you can't hit diddly squat. Have you used rifles before??

A crucial point I must admit I missed.

Any of those rounds is going to cost the guts of a quid a pop at least, so it would be very expensive to learn to shoot with one, to say nothing of the danger and irresponsibility of attempting it if one had no prior experience and competence with rifles. Completely different to shooting shotguns.

SpannerMonkey

thats all well and good lads but i have to start somewhere and im just looking for advice , i asked what would you recommend im trying to get into target shooting, i have used rifles before but always friends never my own which is why im looking at getting one please help

It wasn't me!

davy_b wrote: »

thats all well and good lads but i have to start somewhere and im just looking for advice , i asked what would you recommend im trying to get into target shooting, i have used rifles before but always friends never my own which is why im looking at getting one please help

No worries. If you're starting in target shooting, buy a good quality, accurate .22, second hand if you can. Spend a lot of time reading and getting tips on what makes for accurate shooting and spend a stack of ammo putting those techniques to work. When you can shoot good groups consistently with a .22, move onto something bigger if that's your game and shoot longer distances. What sort of target shooting do you intend to do? Bear in mind, that very shortly you'll have to be a member of an authorised range to do any formal target shooting at all, so join one that caters to what you're looking to do. If it's remotely convenient to you, I recommend Midlands in Tullamore, because you'll be able to do anything you like there, and there are a lot of people there to help you out.

bunny shooter

Simple start with a .22lr

Grizzly 45

Why do you need such a big cal rifle to start off with?That will proably be the first question your Super will likely ask as you have never used or shot rifles before.You say target shooting,unless you are taking up big bore target rifle shooting under certain conditions any of the three cals are ideal.However this is a kind of "Whats better for doing woodwork.A saw or a hammer?"question.However all three arepretty expensive in both ammo and aquiring.If you are just starting out and want a good "all rounder" get a .22 magnum,and get that you can outshoot the gun.Then consider getting somthing bigger.

SpannerMonkey

thanks guys , been doing a bit of research found your all right im looking at rimfire rifle now , whats the story with .17 calibre round

It wasn't me!

davy_b wrote: »

thanks guys , been doing a bit of research found your all right im looking at rimfire rifle now , whats the story with .17 calibre round

Great hunting round for bunnies out to 200yards, but for learning the mechanics of shooting rifles, I'd get a .22lr, personally. It'll be cheap as chips to run, and if you buy a good secondhand one and don't trash it, it won't lose any value on resale if you decide to swap it for something to shoot bigger ranges. Look for a secondhand CZ 452 in .22lr and you won't go wrong. There'll always be somebody looking to buy it off you when you're done with it, it's accurate as hell and you'll account for a lot of bunnies and paper with it. Frankly, I expect you won't want to give it up in the end.

macnab

i have a CZ .22LR for a couple of years, a great rifle, i can shoot 2" groups from 100 yards with subsonic rounds, 6 euro for a box of 50, i think the next step for me is a .223 though i think i will keep the .22 as well.

Mellor

davy_b wrote: »

thanks guys , been doing a bit of research found your all right im looking at rimfire rifle now , whats the story with .17 calibre round

As mentioned, the .17 caliber rounds are "better" in terms of distance, power, trajectory etc.

But to learn to shoot, the .22 is better. The curved trajectory of the .22 will allow you to learn basic rifle balistics better

Sparks

Mellor wrote: »

But to learn to shoot, the .22 is better. The curved trajectory of the .22 will allow you to learn basic rifle balistics better

Not to mention the wide range of rifles available, the wide range of suitable ranges available, the wide range of competitions available (even if only to have-a-go), and the cheapness of the ammunition (at least until you buy the top-of-the-range stuff, which you don't have to do to get 1" groups @ 100yds: