what gun to get

garv123

so ive done a nice bit of shooting before but never owned my own gun.
prob not allowed to since im only 18 living at home and i dont think it would be welcomed in the house but if i were to how much would something small set me back like a .22 magnum(does that make sense:rolleyes: )? would i be better off going for new one or second hand? would i need something special made been a lefty or are there alot of lefty people shooting :rolleyes:?
so basically what are the prices id be looking at?

Glensman

i would start second hand, a .22mag is a fine choice- my first rifle was a .22mag and was also second hand. If I were you I would keep a lookout for a left handed one, no point in using a righty if you're a lefty...

It wasn't me!

garv123 wrote: »

so ive done a nice bit of shooting before but never owned my own gun.
prob not allowed to since im only 18 living at home and i dont think it would be welcomed in the house but if i were to how much would something small set me back like a .22 magnum(does that make sense:rolleyes: )? would i be better off going for new one or second hand? would i need something special made been a lefty or are there alot of lefty people shooting :rolleyes:?
so basically what are the prices id be looking at?

As a lefty, your best bet is the CZ 452 American, which comes in .22LR and .17HMR in left-hand. Shoot lefty myself and all my rifles are left-handed. Well worth the effort. I think the left-handed variants are about five hundred or five-fifty. Add about three hundred for a scope, bipod and sling and you're just about ready to go out the door. About a hundred and fifty for a safe and you're all in for under a grand. That's how I'd do it in your position.

garv123

Glensman wrote: »

i would start second hand, a .22mag is a fine choice- my first rifle was a .22mag and was also second hand. If I were you I would keep a lookout for a left handed one, no point in using a righty if you're a lefty...

thats what i use most often belong to my cousin and its right handed:mad: so annoying. get on the ditch or whatever, get aim, switch over hands to take off safety and then back to left hand position to fire. and if i miss or want to fire again ive to swap hands too which takes forever.

wheres the best place to look.
any rough price?

garv123

It wasn't me! wrote: »

As a lefty, your best bet is the CZ 452 American, which comes in .22LR and .17HMR in left-hand. Shoot lefty myself and all my rifles are left-handed. Well worth the effort. I think the left-handed variants are about five hundred or five-fifty. Add about three hundred for a scope, bipod and sling and you're just about ready to go out the door. About a hundred and fifty for a safe and you're all in for under a grand. That's how I'd do it in your position.

ah wel il have a proper secure safe made for me for free:rolleyes:
i suppose id rather go second hand for the first option. probably wont happen for a good while but id love to have something to do for the summer off. whats the .17hmr? newby here to the meaning of all this:rolleyes::rolleyes:

It wasn't me!

garv123 wrote: »

ah wel il have a proper secure safe made for me for free:rolleyes:
i suppose id rather go second hand for the first option. probably wont happen for a good while but id love to have something to do for the summer off. whats the .17hmr? newby here to the meaning of all this:rolleyes::rolleyes:

Just make sure the safe conforms to the relevant standards. You'll have a bit of trouble finding second hand lefty stuff here, to be honest. Much easier in bigger rifles than little bunny guns. I got my deer rifle from England, but the extra costs would take the good out of getting the bunny rifle from there more than likely. .17 HMR is just another small calibre for rabbits. It's faster and easier to shoot further with.

juice1304

i would'nt bother with the .22 mag, go for the .22lr it's so much cheaper to run, you can get a mod and use subs and you have a nice quiet little gun. and i would think it would be harder to get a left handed .22mag. cz do a nice lefty .22lr cracker of a rifle only in .22lr for the left handed model. i have one myself.

garv123

It wasn't me! wrote: »

Just make sure the safe conforms to the relevant standards. You'll have a bit of trouble finding second hand lefty stuff here, to be honest. Much easier in bigger rifles than little bunny guns. I got my deer rifle from England, but the extra costs would take the good out of getting the bunny rifle from there more than likely. .17 HMR is just another small calibre for rabbits. It's faster and easier to shoot further with.

do you need a safe for all size guns? i was told a .22 is under the limit or something?
yeah thats the worst thing wonder how long it would take me to learn to shoot right handed:rolleyes:

is there any of changinf a righty gun to lefty?

declan1980

It wasn't me! wrote: »

.17 HMR is just another small calibre for rabbits. It's faster and easier to shoot further with.

and a hell of a lot more accurate than either a .22lr or a .22mag

garv123

juice1304 wrote: »

i would'nt bother with the .22 mag, go for the .22lr it's so much cheaper to run, you can get a mod and use subs and you have a nice quiet little gun. and i would think it would be harder to get a left handed .22mag. cz do a nice lefty .22lr cracker of a rifle only in .22lr for the left handed model. i have one myself.

is it for sale any time in the next year;)

declan1980 wrote: »

and a hell of a lot more accurate than either a .22lr or a .22mag

oh right. would it be any good for foxes?

Tackleberrywho

garv123 wrote: »

is it for sale any time in the next year;)



oh right. would it be any good for foxes?

with the right ammo ~60yards max range though

cci stinger
Remington yellow jacket, any hyper velocity ammo on a fox, subsonic ammo are a waste of time on a fox

Cass

garv123 wrote: »

prob not allowed to since im only 18 living at home and i dont think it would be welcomed in the house........

If its an issue with your parents and having firearms in the house, well there is nothing i can do for ya, but as far as licensing and legallity you can shoot with a firearm from 14 as a trainee with the appropriate license and supervising shooter (and onwer of the gun). As for one of your own that can be done from 16 onwards.

but if i were to how much would something small set me back like a .22 magnum(does that make sense:rolleyes: )? would i be better off going for new one or second hand?

New and with all things you need (as IWM said) about €1,000. If you have the safe and are looking second hand about €400- 550 for a good quality rifle.

would i need something special made been a lefty or are there alot of lefty people shooting

They are available in left handed models, just not as common as right handed. Try go for a left handed one and learn to shoot comfortably and properly rather than picking up bad habits from a righty.

whats the .17hmr

Its another rimfire caliber round of .172 inches or 4.4 mm. In other words is smaller in size than a .22lr, but with more range and a bit more knocking power. It'll be on a par with the .22 wmr.

do you need a safe for all size guns? i was told a .22 is under the limit or something?

The only gun the does not (kinda) require a safe is a shotgun. Once its broken down and stored seperately in pieces that is the minimum standard. However your SuperIntendant may request a higher level ie safe.

However with a rifle of any size/caliber you must have a safe.

garv123

the mommyyy and animal cruelty and all that :rolleyes::rolleyes:

il work my way around it eventually. im not even allowed cook venison in the house..:eek:
so from what ye're saying the .17 is the better option to go for?
what kinda range would you be talking about with that for rabbits? i kind of like to go for the long shots over something standing in front of me to make it a challenge when using the .22mag. all that much better if it pays off

Savage93

I.m a lefty but shoot right handed with no difficulty, just a matter of training, leftys are hard enough to come by and because they're rarer they're more expensive. 22lr €6 per 50 rounds 22WMR (Magnum) about €14 per 50, .22lr fine for rabbits,ok for foxes to about 70 yards, only wound beyond that, consider what you're shooting. I use a .22Mag, no problem with fox to 175 yards with headshot, longest bunny shot 275 yards

garv123

Savage93 wrote: »

I.m a lefty but shoot right handed with no difficulty, just a matter of training, leftys are hard enough to come by and because they're rarer they're more expensive. 22lr €6 per 50 rounds 22WMR (Magnum) about €14 per 50, .22lr fine for rabbits,ok for foxes to about 70 yards, only wound beyond that, consider what you're shooting. I use a .22Mag, no problem with fox to 175 yards with headshot, longest bunny shot 275 yards

yeah i know what you mean. what shoulder do you fire off? i tried it with the right and when it came to reloading i got half confused and nearly dropped the rifle. i dont know what to chose either because id also get alot of enjoyment out of targets and the cheaper bullets here would be good too.

Cass

garv123 wrote: »

so from what ye're saying the .17 is the better option to go for?

Its a great caliber and not too big to be starting with, but it is also more expensive to run the rifle as outlined in the posts above (ammo wise).

what kinda range would you be talking about with that for rabbits? i kind of like to go for the long shots over something standing in front of me to make it a challenge when using the .22mag. all that much better if it pays off

Honestly, do not concern yourself with shooting long distances immediately. Start with getting the rifle, learning the basics. Then long shots and experience will come after.


Just to note its not as easy as picking a rifle and buying one. If you have never owned a firearm the Gardai may ask you do a competency course before applying for the license. Its all outlined here.

garv123

ezridax wrote: »

Its a great caliber and not too big to be starting with, but it is also more expensive to run the rifle as outlined in the posts above (ammo wise).



Honestly, do not concern yourself with shooting long distances immediately. Start with getting the rifle, learning the basics. Then long shots and experience will come after.


Just to note its not as easy as picking a rifle and buying one. If you have never owned a firearm the Gardai may ask you do a competency course before applying for the license. Its all outlined here.

ah ive fired guns a good bit before. well a 234 was the biggest. im well used to handling them. im reading this forum alot the last two days learning some amount of what id call high tec adjustments that all ye do ive never heard or fired a gun with a silencer though. shooting with one must be fun since everything withing in 2 miles wont run


and yeah im also aware of the gardai and what they'll ask to do. i think il try and join my local gun club now anyway. do you need a gun to become a member of them?:rolleyes:

Cass

garv123 wrote: »

i think il try and join my local gun club now anyway. do you need a gun to become a member of them?:rolleyes:

Will very much depend on the gun club. Some allow it, others will not. Also some may not like members joining to get a license. Just a word of caution.

Yuo may be best served getting two permission letters from land owners and applying for the firearm. Then look to joining a club. Your other option is a range.

garv123

ezridax wrote: »

Will very much depend on the gun club. Some allow it, others will not. Also some may not like members joining to get a license. Just a word of caution.

Yuo may be best served getting two permission letters from land owners and applying for the firearm. Then look to joining a club. Your other option is a range.

ah i dont think it would be a problem joining. i live pretty near fishunt in waterford anyway so i might pop across to him to see if he finds anything.
land owners also shouldnt be a problem with me living in the back ar$e of nowhere:D if i got it at least id have something to do with the boring nights when im off college.

just out of curiosity how much would i be paying for a second hand shotgun for shooting crows etc..and dont you have to be a member of a gun club to get a shotgun?

Cass

garv123 wrote: »

ah i dont think it would be a problem joining.

That would be a good option then. Make licensing, etc easier plus more rewarding.

just out of curiosity how much would i be paying for a second hand shotgun for shooting crows etc

Anywhere from €250 (for a half decent, working gun) to €1500+ for a top quality name brand, and everything inbetween. Depends on whether you want, Under/Over, Semi auto, Pump action, SideXSide, Single Barrel. Then the make will also determine price. A Beretta will demand more money than a Baikal new or second hand.

Best advice is to get out to dealers and see whats available. Try different guns and see what takes your liking. Also a local gun club would be good to see what the local lads have and how they find them.

..and dont you have to be a member of a gun club to get a shotgun?

No. Any person can get a shotgun. Other than the security, etc the minimum requirement is 2 permission letters from land owners allowing you to shoot their land.

juice1304

garv123 wrote: »

is it for sale any time in the next year;)



oh right. would it be any good for foxes?

lol it will never be for sale, sorry. try crescent sports in monkstown he gets a couple in trough out the year.neil is the lad there he's a very nice chap.
it would be alright for foxes within around 60 yards, well I would think so others may not.
mine was E440 btw..

garv123

thanks for all the help anyway lads:) il have a look around and follow ye're suggestions and see what i can get, and convince miss "shooting is cruel" to allow a gun in the house:rolleyes:

thanks again

Bunny Buster

I started off with a little .22lr 4 years ago and had just over 2 years of satisfactory shooting with it. It was cheap to run and great for bashing the bunnies! However, I found it wasn't quite good enough for mr fox!:( I bought a Marlin 917vs .17hmr rimfire after the .22, and there is no comparison....excellent all round gun and is relatively cheap to run. If you are inexperienced as regards to shooting, my advice would be to by a nice 2nd hand .22lr, and if you are fairly competent go and by a .17 rimfire, you will not be disappointed with either!! Whatever you do, do not by a cheap set of sights, if you do they WILL break your heart! I am not saying go out and buy a top of the range Schmidt And Bender, a good mid range scope for a couple of hundred is a Hawke Varmint 4- 16x44 AD and hasn't slipped or went out since I put them on, decent scope mounts are a good idea too!

Good luck with whatever ya decide to do, and if you have any spare foxes down there, send them up here to mayo!! :D:D

kildare.17hmr

It wasn't me! wrote: »

.17 HMR is just another small calibre for rabbits. It's faster and easier to shoot further with.

And also more than capable of knocking a fox at a good distance!

I also have a marlin 917 in .17hmr, great rifle, between 16-19 euro a box of 50 rounds so not overly expensive but like others said if you are new to shooting 22lr would prob suit better @7-8 euro a box of 50 rounds alot of shooting can be done for very little money! If your compatent enough handling a rifle go for the hmr, you wont regreat it!

as for the mother not wanting the gun in the house, some dealers offer storage at a yearly rate, my local dealer offered it to me for 60euro a year. Just another option for your storage issue

Tackleberrywho

If I was 18 again!
If I was 18, with small money, not member of a rifle range, liked hunting, rabbits and foxes, greycrows etc.......

I'd get the .17HMR
Reason being.
For double the price of .22 ammo you have way more fun shooting.
A flatter trajectory makes learning the ropes easier.
Noting more satisfying than hitting all that you aim at under 150yards without having to aim over or click (adjust) teh scope in,.

.17hmr are quite cheap to buy, even new!
Relatively cheap to run. Price of 3 pints= One month or more of Fox and rabbit shooting.
At 18, I know I was not able to afford expensive stuff.
If you intend joining a range (~€600 year 1, €280 a year after)
Then you would enjoy a .22 more.
When I was 18 I was in school and had a part time job (I also was buying and selling horses, which paid for my first rifle)
So Joining a range for you might be too expensive, although; Your Parents might want you to join one, If You want to keep a rifle under the same roof!

cavan shooter

I started out with a 22lr and had great fun on fox rabbit, vermin and paper. I stepped up to a 22 wmr Remington 597 which I have to say was deadly out 120 yards. I know have a hornet and a 22 lr.

I never had a .17 so cant comment but if you want to fox and punch rabbits and vermin 22 wmr packs a heavier bullet and so more thump within the 100 yards or so you'll spot them on a lamp.

There are some good write ups out there which might help. Chuck Hawks and ammo guide are useful

Glensman

declan1980 wrote: »

and a hell of a lot more accurate than either a .22lr or a .22mag

It is in my eye more accurate! Maybe if you were shooting in a warehouse with all drafts sealed! :eek:

garv123

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

If I was 18 again!
If I was 18, with small money, not member of a rifle range, liked hunting, rabbits and foxes, greycrows etc.......

I'd get the .17HMR
Reason being.
For double the price of .22 ammo you have way more fun shooting.
A flatter trajectory makes learning the ropes easier.
Noting more satisfying than hitting all that you aim at under 150yards without having to aim over or click (adjust) teh scope in,.

.17hmr are quite cheap to buy, even new!
Relatively cheap to run. Price of 3 pints= One month or more of Fox and rabbit shooting.
At 18, I know I was not able to afford expensive stuff.
If you intend joining a range (~€600 year 1, €280 a year after)
Then you would enjoy a .22 more.
When I was 18 I was in school and had a part time job (I also was buying and selling horses, which paid for my first rifle)
So Joining a range for you might be too expensive, although; Your Parents might want you to join one, If You want to keep a rifle under the same roof!

this is what appeals to me. a night out can cost you an absolute fortune. where i live alone its 20 euro a person for a taxi to to and from town and the lads would prefer to save the money having something to do and if i were to go shooting targets they'd have no problem chipping towards ammo.
so far ye have me turning toward looking for the .17hmr.



the storage is a good idea as i do live across the road from quite a large gunshop. when im home from college i think il ask him to keep an eye out for me

garv123

Glensman wrote: »

It is in my eye more accurate! Maybe if you were shooting in a warehouse with all drafts sealed! :eek:

go on continue:)



I added a pole too by the way so feel free to vote to sum it all up

kildare.17hmr

Glensman wrote: »

It is in my eye more accurate! Maybe if you were shooting in a warehouse with all drafts sealed! :eek:

much more accurate, does not take long to get used to adjusting for the wind

kildare.17hmr

garv123 wrote: »

go on continue:)



I added a pole too by the way so feel free to vote to sum it all up

What glensman is sayin is the hmr is effected a bit more by wind because the bullet is so light. It is true its effected but nothing you cant get used to with a bit of practice.

You will hear people say the slightest breeze will put ya off a mile but id say most if not all of them have not had one and possably never fired one! if considerin a hmr ask people who have them their opinion and they will all say the same. fantastic round

Glensman

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

What glensman is sayin is the hmr is effected a bit more by wind because the bullet is so light. It is true its effected but nothing you cant get used to with a bit of practice.

You will hear people say the slightest breeze will put ya off a mile but id say most if not all of them have not had one and possably never fired one! if considerin a hmr ask people who have them their opinion and they will all say the same. fantastic round

A few of my shootin buddies have HMR's. It is NO more accurate than a WMR, ammo is more expensive, they are ammo fussy and they don't hit half as hard as a WMR! It's a very good round, but it IS a long range rabbit round. We hardly ever have weather calm enough in the glens of antrim to exploit to key advantage of the HMR ie. 120-150 yard crows and bunnies.

Here's the opinion of the pros:
http://www.chuckhawks.com/compared_17HMR_22WMR.htm

kildare.17hmr

Glensman wrote: »

A few of my shootin buddies have HMR's. It is NO more accurate than a WMR, ammo is more expensive, they are ammo fussy and they don't hit half as hard as a WMR! It's a very good round, but it IS a long range rabbit round. We hardly ever have weather calm enough in the glens of antrim to exploit to key advantage of the HMR ie. 120-150 yard crows and bunnies.

Here's the opinion of the pros:
http://www.chuckhawks.com/compared_17HMR_22WMR.htm

I suppose it depende where ya live then because in the relitivly flat lands of kildare iv no problem with it!:p all seem to like different ammo, mine favours hornady 17gr so i stick with it. 200+ yard bunnies is no problem to it and where i do most of my shooting is very calm most of the time and i dropped a big fox at about 150

Glensman

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

I suppose it depende where ya live then because in the relitivly flat lands of kildare iv no problem with it!:p all seem to like different ammo, mine favours hornady 17gr so i stick with it. 200+ yard bunnies is no problem to it and where i do most of my shooting is very calm most of the time and i dropped a big fox at about 150

As I said it is a V good round, i just take issue with anyone saying it's inherently more accurate than the WMR. 200 days out of the year my WMR will beat a HMR hands down... On the calm days they're on a par.
As for shooting foxes with it, it is possible to, and I know a lot of shooters who use the HMR as a primary fox round.
Generally a HMR is fit for foxes most of the time, but it's bordering on un-ethical to use it on foxes on a regular basis. The 17 gr head doesn't have enough punch to humanely kill foxes on a high enough ratio. I also believe this is true of the WMR, I've hit some foxes ridiculously hard and had them run 20-100yards before dropping.
I've also seen this happen with centrefire rounds, but Much less often...

More reading: http://www.riflesintheuk.com/rimfire.htm

kildare.17hmr

Glensman wrote: »

As I said it is a V good round, i just take issue with anyone saying it's inherently more accurate than the WMR. 200 days out of the year my WMR will beat a HMR hands down... On the calm days they're on a par.
As for shooting foxes with it, it is possible to, and I know a lot of shooters who use the HMR as a primary fox round.
Generally a HMR is fit for foxes most of the time, but it's bordering on un-ethical to use it on foxes on a regular basis. The 17 gr head doesn't have enough punch to humanely kill foxes on a high enough ratio. I also believe this is true of the WMR, I've hit some foxes ridiculously hard and had them run 20-100yards before dropping.
I've also seen this happen with centrefire rounds, but Much less often...

More reading: http://www.riflesintheuk.com/rimfire.htm

all about shot placement at the end of the day and not takin silly shots.

Glensman

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

all about shot placement at the end of the day and not takin silly shots.

I agree completely. But you know what it's like, I was out lamping rabbits the other night and met 2 fellas out lampin foxes. They were using a 17HMR, I said he'd be far better off with a .223. We got on to the subject of goats because I shot one 2 weeks ago (.270) the fella said he's dropped a load of goats with his 17HMR, 'every one dropped like a stone'.

The above statement is Bull, dont get me wrong, if I was out with a 17hmr and had a chance at a fox, I would take it- but as I said above, it's a rabbit gun, indeed the Ultimate rabbit gun!

garv123

good links there glensman thanks.


if you had the scope lined up at 100yards with the 17 grain round would the 20 grain hollow points fire different at 100 yards to these?

Savage93

Fire off the right shoulder otherwise you'll look (and feel) a complete dork!!. It's just a matter of getting into the habit,like I say it comes completely naturally now even though I'm a lefty

Glensman

garv123 wrote: »

good links there glensman thanks.


if you had the scope lined up at 100yards with the 17 grain round would the 20 grain hollow points fire different at 100 yards to these?

It Might be close, but it's unlikely. I would say it would be a good inch out on at least one axis. Thats not a lot at 100yards, but can be plenty depending what you're shooting...

For example if it shot an inch to the left, and you snapped your shot a wee bit you could move it another inch to the left; 2 inches with a bullet so small would just seriously wound a fox (assuming this is the situation you refer to). All i'm saying is you're narrowing an already tight margin of error...

declan1980

Glensman wrote: »

It is in my eye more accurate! Maybe if you were shooting in a warehouse with all drafts sealed! :eek:

if youl look at the ballistic comparison on federal premium's website you'll see that the .22wmr is MORE sensitive to wind than a .17hmr

http://www.federalpremium.com/products/compare/rimfire_compare.aspx

just select all types of rounds for the two calibers and click compare, and you'll see what i'm talking about

Tackleberrywho

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSBWUuk3LU4

It wasn't me!

Savage93 wrote: »

Fire off the right shoulder otherwise you'll look (and feel) a complete dork!!. It's just a matter of getting into the habit,like I say it comes completely naturally now even though I'm a lefty

Or buy a left handed rifle and shoot the way that works.

Signed, a left handed shooter.

kildare.17hmr

declan1980 wrote: »

if youl look at the ballistic comparison on federal premium's website you'll see that the .22wmr is MORE sensitive to wind than a .17hmr

http://www.federalpremium.com/products/compare/rimfire_compare.aspx

just select all types of rounds for the two calibers and click compare, and you'll see what i'm talking about

There is a fair bit in the differance too

Tackleberrywho

If you could generate enough funds, I would reccomend a PSE stock made in Cork

I have a right handed rifle but I shoot off the left shoulder.
Or get a second hand remington with a straight stock.

I have seen 4-5 left handed rifles in my life OP, and they were always the ugly ducklings of the range
http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/left-hand/model-700-sps-varmint-lh.aspx

This may suit either, although 17fireball is slightly different from 17HMR


Left to right. .17 HM2 (Mach 2), .17 HMR, .17 fireball/mach IV, .17 REM

My Right/left handed Rifle

garv123

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

If you could generate enough funds, I would reccomend a PSE stock made in Cork

I have a right handed rifle but I shoot off the left shoulder.
Or get a second hand remington with a straight stock.

I have seen 4-5 left handed rifles in my life OP, and they were always the ugly ducklings of the range
http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/left-hand/model-700-sps-varmint-lh.aspx

This may suit either, although 17fireball is slightly different from 17HMR
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/9001/07fireauv5.jpg

Left to right. .17 HM2 (Mach 2), .17 HMR, .17 fireball/mach IV, .17 REM

My Right/left handed Rifle
https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/120042/136744.jpg

but the saftey and bolt is still on the wrong side to be firing left handed arent they ?

Tackleberrywho

garv123 wrote: »

but the saftey and bolt is still on the wrong side to be firing left handed arent they ?

I use my left hand to hold rifle steady and work the trigger, the right works the bolt and scope magnification.

Been shooting that way 12 years or more now.
You will get the hang of it .

You need to develop your own way of holding the rifle. I maintain I can work the bolt easier my way whilst still keeping on Target.

I shot 14 rabbits from the one position in around 15mins one evening back in 2009 because of this.

If I can get one of my mates to film me shooting I'll post a vid which might explain better.
I do a lot of stuff with my left house even though I am right handed.

My Da is Ambidextrous as lefthanded was bet out of him by the monks lol

garv123

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

I use my left hand to hold rifle steady and work the trigger, the right works the bolt and scope magnification.

Been shooting that way 12 years or more now.
You will get the hang of it .

You need to develop your own way of holding the rifle. I maintain I can work the bolt easier my way whilst still keeping on Target.

I shot 14 rabbits from the one position in around 15mins one evening back in 2009 because of this.

If I can get one of my mates to film me shooting I'll post a vid which might explain better.
I do a lot of stuff with my left house even though I am right handed.

My Da is Ambidextrous as lefthanded was bet out of him by the monks lol

thats kind of what im doing at the moment with one of the lads' guns. still id prefer to just get something left handed to get used to. no point trying to learn something unnatural

It wasn't me!

garv123 wrote: »

thats kind of what im doing at the moment with one of the lads' guns. still id prefer to just get something left handed to get used to. no point trying to learn something unnatural

There's no comparison, especially if the stock is properly constructed. If it's a straight plank of wood with no cast or cheekpiece or palm swell then it's going to feel the same (Like muck) one way or the other, but if you've got a properly designed stock with the above features, shooting it the other way will feel ridiculous. For instance, on a Sako rifle, if you shot it from the opposite hand, it'd feel awful. The cheekpiece will be against your thumb, your hand will be hanging backwards off the pistol grip and the rifle will sit strangely in your shoulder, because that's not how it's meant to be fired. And you're right about the bolt and safety. Anyone who thinks the other way is better or easier is kidding themselves. If they were right, every high end marksman on earth would shoot that way, and yet, it's not happening.

garv123

but shur will the stock not be designed the opposite way around to compensate for all this surely?

Tackleberrywho

garv123 wrote: »

but shur will the stock not be designed the opposite way around to compensate for all this surely?

Get a straight stock, and a Karsten Cheek Riser
http://www.snipercentral.com/karsten.htm

I did that on my Remington VSSF II
€57 delivered for the cheek riser, very simple, but very effective!


Buy a cheap .17 and tune it to yourself.

When you have a few bob, and experience under your belt, then Migrate to the .223

J.R.

If left handed I would try and buy a left handed model.

Savage also do a left handed version in .22LR, .22Mag. & .17 HMR.

I've the .22LR & can't fault it.