What rifle?

Alchemist2

I am thinking of getting a rifle for i can use on foxes as well as the odd deer... im looking for something that would be reasonably priced with ammo that doesn't cost the earth.. how much would such a rifle cost? also whats the best mid range priced scope... im told that it would be better to spend more money on a scope ?? advice needed .. thanks

It wasn't me!

You're looking at a .243 in terms of calibre. As to the price of the rifle, well you could get a nice Tikka for probably about €900, maybe a bit less, then try to spend maybe €500 at least for a scope. Add a bipod and a sling and you're good to go. If you can find a longer barrelled .243 you won't need a sound moderator for it if you're not shooting a lot (Though it'll keep muzzle flash down at night for foxing) but if you want one, figure on another €300. That's what I'd do in your position anyway.

daithi55

id go for .243 mate thats what i use for both deer and fox
but when ya say the odd deer
i hope ya have a license for it
dont mean anything bad by it in any way

Alchemist2

i understand where you are coming from.. i have 600ac to shoot deer on if i want.. have never bothered though as a mate does quite alot of stalking(doesn't bother with other game) and he gives me deer.. but where i hunt pheasants theres a few foxes there so i want to take care of them and hopefully next season maybe head off for a deer myself.. can i get a rifle thats already threaded for mod and put one on at a later date when i get more cash up?

Alchemist2

is tikka a good make?

It wasn't me!

Alchemist2 wrote: »

is tikka a good make?

Yep, excellent, and brilliant value. Of course, there's always second hand.

daithi55

Alchemist2 wrote: »

i understand where you are coming from.. i have 600ac to shoot deer on if i want.. have never bothered though as a mate does quite alot of stalking(doesn't bother with other game) and he gives me deer.. but where i hunt pheasants theres a few foxes there so i want to take care of them and hopefully next season maybe head off for a deer myself.. can i get a rifle thats already threaded for mod and put one on at a later date when i get more cash up?

just make sure theres a cap for it to stop the thread getting damaged

zeissman

243 would be your best bet.
You should take a look at howa and tikka as they are both make good rifles and are good value for money.
I would try and buy a new rifle rather than a used one.
What is your budget for the rifle and the scope ?

Alchemist2

1500ish.. although i would be happier to pay less:D

garv123

lad 1 shoot with got his .243 2nd hand with scope, bi-pod , threaded, for 1000 i think. be sure to shop around

Alchemist2

ive had rifles in the past(22's) bought em new but if i was to buy a second hand rifle is there anything i should be looking out for?

newby.204

Would you consider .25-06 for a dual purpose caliber?

zeissman

I would be reluctant to buy a 2nd hand rifle without getting a few shots with it first.
The gun could look fine but the bore could be in a bad state.
I know two dealers who bought borescopes after taking rifles in on a trade in that were shot out.
I would buy a 2nd hand scope if it was a good brand with a good warranty.

Jonty

newby.204 wrote: »

Would you consider .25-06 for a dual purpose caliber?

island sports are doing Tikka T3s in this calibre for €750

http://www.islandsports.ie/rifles.html

It wasn't me!

.25-06 is a great round (I own one) but just a few things to consider.

1. In typical sporter barrels it's very, very loud. A 26" tube would take the bark out of it, but very few rifles come as standard with one.
2. It's not a big kicker, but it's an awful lot more than a .243 and if you combine it with the bark, you could get a flinch if you don't use a mod (Which adds dodgy handling and expense)
3. It's not a cheap round for high-volume fox shooting. For instance, the classic dual purpose round is the 100gr ballistic tip, which is about €45 a box.

For me, it's a great dual purpose rifle because it's mainly for deer and the odd fox. However, if my shooting was primarily for foxes, I'd have a .243 unless I expected to be dealing with long shots and/or high winds.

garv123

Alchemist2 wrote: »

ive had rifles in the past(22's) bought em new but if i was to buy a second hand rifle is there anything i should be looking out for?

well if your dealing with a honest RFD who wants to keep his rep you'll have no problems. they wont want to sell any dodgy or "shot out" firearms

243 SbS

You should consider the Marlin xs7 the 243 version is under €500 new and has got good reviews in the US press.