first gun .223 or .243 bolt action ?

collidgedosser

Hi
Im interested in a second hand bolt action .223 or .243 for hunting fox, rabbits and target shooting.
Would a super be less likely to give a licence for a .243 on account of the size of the round

What would the members of this form recommend for a first rifle ? No interest in a .22 btw

patsat

It depends...what previous experience have you with rifles??

Vegeta

The .243 is a brilliant varmint round but at the ranges you'll be meeting the quarry you listed AND taking into account licensing it then the .223 is what I'd recommend.

The only way to know will your super grant a .243 for fox is to ask.

Have you considered ammo costs or do they matter?

collidgedosser

patsat wrote: »

It depends...what previous experience have you with rifles??

My uncles .22 and the styer AUG 5.56 during my FCA days

collidgedosser

Vegeta wrote: »

The .243 is a brilliant varmint round but at the ranges you'll be meeting the quarry you listed AND taking into account licensing it then the .223 is what I'd recommend.

The only way to know will your super grant a .243 for fox is to ask.

Have you considered ammo costs or do they matter?

Costs definitly matter, im a postgrad student so money is tight enough. I believe .223 would be cheaper

What do you mean when you say meeting the quarry ?

dev110

From your previous thread you seem to have plenty of experience with rifle but I don't know if the FO in your area would count it as it was 10 years ago and you have never owned a gun (I'm guessing from the first gun part).
.243 is a deer legal rifle but can be got if you are a member of a range also. I don't believe a Super would grant a licence for a .243 for fox as if he/she knows anything about guns he/she will prob just say 'what is wrong with the .223?'

I have only got a .223 a few days now but I already love it. It will more than likely be more than enough for your requirements.

patsat

Well if have good experience with rifles and can justify the needs for a centrefire then I would have to say go for the .223

It will do everything that you want it to do and for cheaper than a .243!

Vegeta

collidgedosser wrote: »

Costs definitly matter, im a postgrad student so money is tight enough. I believe .223 would be cheaper

What do you mean when you say meeting the quarry ?

Quarry is just another word for prey or the target animal you will be hunting. What I meant by my statement was that when you go hunting foxes you wont be lacking power with a .223 because the distances are usually not very far.

.223 will definitely be cheaper to feed ammo

collidgedosser

Thanks guys I will prob go for the .223

Tackleberrywho

collidgedosser wrote: »

Thanks guys I will prob go for the .223

Cheapest .223 Ammo €10 Wolf will fire out of all American Rifles and Steyr Prohunters also.

Middle of Road Ammo €16-20
Premium ammo €26-28

TBH .223 is more than enough for what you want it for, Most supers will allow it as a first rifle if you have previous experience with Legally held firearms, IE you already owned.

Some supers will ignore the RDF stuff as it "Technically" is not experience of a Civilian rifle.
I Know guys from the army that still had to do a safety course.

Just apply and see what happens

(**CZ Rifles will not Chamber the Cheapest Wolf Ammo**)

johngalway

Unless you've got deer permission, I'd go with the .223, plenty gun for fox.

collidgedosser

I will be doing the safety course to strengthen my candidacy as a licence holder.

Thanks for the heads up about the CZ rifles and the wolf ammo, I had been looking at CZs they seem cheap and cheerful

Tackleberrywho

collidgedosser wrote: »

I will be doing the safety course to strengthen my candidacy as a licence holder.

Thanks for the heads up about the CZ rifles and the wolf ammo, I had been looking at CZs they seem cheap and cheerful

If you are on a tight budget it is a consideration

However the Cheap ammo is only any good for 200y max

Mate of mine bought a steyr prohunter and uses nothing but Wolf as he is on the Dole and €10 a week is all he can spare

Comeraghshooter

collidgedosser wrote: »

Hi
Im interested in a second hand bolt action .223 or .243 for hunting fox, rabbits and target shooting.
Would a super be less likely to give a licence for a .243 on account of the size of the round

What would the members of this form recommend for a first rifle ? No interest in a .22 btw

Hi Collidgedosser

I don’t have any experience with a .243 but I would recommend a .223 as it will cover what you mentioned in your original post, Fox, Rabbit and Target.
I’ve had a couple of .223 first been a Tikka Hunter.223 and now I have a Remington 700 XCR .223.
For hunting I would recommend a Tikka very nice rifle but the model I had had a light barrel and would heat up very fast when I was target shooting affecting my grouping.
I then changed to a Rem 700 with a heavy barrel and this covered both hunting & Target but the only downside is the weight when carrying it all day it’s a killer.
There’s plenty of lads here with .243 & .223 I’m sure will be along to give some more advise.

CS

clivej

If you go the 243 route it will serve you well for all and any hunting in Ireland but it will depend on your Super, they all look to be going by guidlines that say it's a deer calibre.

The 223 will do everything else.

I have a CZ varmint and it may not chamber the wolf ammo but it will shoot all the other cheap sh!te that will brake your heart trying to get good grouping. The American Eagle will shoot well from most rifles and is only a littler dearer but will gladen your spirts with the groups.

People speak well of all the Tika's and others of the Remingtons. So choice of rifle will be what feels good in the hand at the dealers.

garv123

have you any intentions on shooting deer when it comes to the season?
.223 isnt a deer legal rifle but the .243 is.
if not i'd go for the .223.
it all comes down to your super.
one of the lads i know went out with one of my other friends who has a .243. enjoyed it, decided he wanted a rifle and got a licence on his first rifle for deer stalking which was a .243 no problems. all down to the super at the end of the day again.

Tackleberrywho

garv123 wrote: »

have you any intentions on shooting deer when it comes to the season?
.223 isnt a deer legal rifle but the .243 is.
. all down to the super at the end of the day again.

When i first applied for a 6.5mm I had to first get the Local Sarge to sign off before it even landed on the Supers Desk.

in fact until I brought my Dad in who was an aquaintence of teh Sarge (and my dad said i knew what i was doing ) I was pi**ing into teh breeze

That was a few years ago know.
A lot of water under teh bridge since.

Just for Foxing
A .223 could be picked up for as little as 400 and scoped for another 2-300 (second hand)
.243's normally go fo more and ammo is far more expensive

.223 is a lot of GUN if you never owned a centrefire before