Buying a rifle

TriggerPL

Hey guys

Looking for few ideas thinking of buying a rifle for targets and just wondering what would be the best cheapest way of getting a setup , like make and cal etc not looking for anything serious . To start off with .

Was thinking a .270 or something

dev110

For targets I would be looking at .223 or .308 depending on what you want to do.

Both have cheap ammo and can get HPS ammo also.
Makes would be down to budget really.

What type of target shooting are you looking to do?

Sparks

Going to need more data than that Trigger - what kind of target shooting are you talking about? (Because "cheapest" is probably going to be either .22 or air rifle, but that might not be what you want to do at all).

TriggerPL

It would be long range I'd want to try ! Budget about 3000 . For rifle and scope

Probally be trying to pick up a second hand night force scope

dev110

Sorry Sparks no body wants to join that ISSF stuff

Then a .308 would be the best then.

3000 is a nice budget.

Do you want to shoot from 800-1000?

It wasn't me!

dev110 wrote: »

Sorry Sparks no body wants to join that ISSF stuff

Should have gotten photos of you shooting it for incriminating evidence so!

TriggerPL

That would be the idea all right . I don't really want a reminton tho

dev110

Could say the same about and FTR :D

dev110

You have two options:

• Buy a Savage FTR
• Re-barrel a rifle to a 30" barrel

To be competitive and be able to keep rounds supersonic at a 1000 yards you will need the 30" barrel.

All the accessories add up also. You will be able to get a rifle, scope, mounts and rail for 3000.

It wasn't me!

dev110 wrote: »

Could say the same about and FTR :D

Hey, any time, I had great fun! If I had the cash and the time to train it properly, I'd have a .308 set up to shoot TR/Palma and probably swing it at F/TR as well.

dev110

It wasn't me! wrote: »

Hey, any time, I had great fun! If I had the cash and the time to train it properly, I'd have a .308 set up to shoot TR/Palma and probably swing it at F/TR as well.

Your just lucky I had a .308 pen on me that day
Its addictive! Sell all the ISSF stuff and your sorted

TriggerPL

What magnification are ya talking to that type of shot . I was in mind for a heavy barrel tikka or something if I get it in 30inch would it be gud enough for this type of shooting

Cass

For a factory rifle forget the Tikka, and go for Savage. If you have an old rifle you could rebarrel which would save you a few quid.

A second hand Savage, rail, rings, bipod, and a second hand Nightforce or Sightron will stand you in the region of €2500 - €2700. Add the price of mat, some ammo to get started, and other smaller accessories, and your €3,000 budget will easily cover your needs.

dev110

Most people run 8-32x scopes but Fishslapped he uses a 8-25x. I run a 10-50x. The more mag you have the more you will be able to see the target and you will be able to hold off for wind more accurately.

AFAIK Savage are the only factory rifle to come with a 30" barrel.

Cass

TriggerPL wrote: »

What magnification are ya talking to that type of shot .

Absolute minimum of 25 power. Ideally in the 32 power. Anything after that is up to your personal choice.

ruger1894c

I would most definatly recommend a savage ftr..im only after getting one myself and i love it..unreal accuracy out of a box and ive only fired a cupla shots..i went for a 12-42x and they do come up second hand from time to time.

Jonty

OP, have you shot much before?

patsat

dev110 wrote: »

For targets I would be looking at .223 or .308 depending on what you want to do.

Both have cheap ammo and can get HPS ammo also.
Makes would be down to budget really.

What type of target shooting are you looking to do?

Can ya get hps target ammo in .223?? What grain and how much?

Cass

52/53, 69, 75/77, & 80 gr. €95 - €100 per 100 rounds.

Not sure what Jim has left in stock so drop him a line, and he'll let you know what he has, and if he is getting more in.

TriggerPL

Jonty wrote: »

OP, have you shot much before?

Been all game shooting . But with moving to Portlaoise , I'm not far from the midlands club .

Cass

About 30-35 minutes is all.

You are welcome to come along, and meet up with myself, and a few of the lads, and have a look around. See the range, the guns, and see if it suits before joining, and going for a gun.

TriggerPL

Ezridax wrote: »

About 30-35 minutes is all.

You are welcome to come along, and meet up with myself, and a few of the lads, and have a look around. See the range, the guns, and see if it suits before joining, and going for a gun.

Yea that sounds like a plan , be gud to meet the mods I'm alway arguing with :-P .

And rand few dealers today the ftr is like hens teeth at the moment was told there is only two in England and that was a month ago .

What about a sako trg or if I had to go reminton ?

Cass

TriggerPL wrote: »

Yea that sounds like a plan , be gud to meet the mods I'm alway arguing with :-P .

Well used to it.:D

And rand few dealers today the ftr is like hens teeth at the moment was told there is only two in England and that was a month ago .

They are, but a word of "warning". The Savage is as dear is not a slightly more so than here. IOW you would have to buy second hand there too otherwise there is no saving s to be made, and in some cases you may find yourself paying more.

The last two Savage rifles i knew off were bought months ago, and the guys are only getting licenses for them now. There are one or two rifles for sale second hand, even two that i know of that are semi/full custom. Little more than the Savage, but a good rifle for the same as the Savage new. The problem with buying a second hand custom rifle is if you don't like something or it doesn't suit it means paying more money to change an already customised gun which seems a waste.

What about a sako trg or if I had to go reminton ?

I owned a TRG, and the lad that bought it off me done well with it, but i'm sure he'd tell you himself that while it can do the distances he found himself constantly working harder just to maintain the same level as the other lads. He, and two others, eventually re-barrelled their TRGs, and considering the price of the TRG even second hand it's far more than you would pay for a Savage new.

As for Remington. They simply don't do a 30" barreled rifle. So you could buy a cheap, and i mean a very cheap, Remington rifle as a donor gun, use the action, and have it re-barreled and re-stocked to suit your needs. Depending on the price you get the Remmy for this may work out the same price or slightly more than a new Savage.

The choices are really only limited by your wants/needs/imagination and of course your wallet.

TriggerPL

I got a price on a second hand gun that fired 75 shots true it he looking 1600 for it .

On the savage website the retail on these are 1300 ish dollars . What should a new one be costing .

Who the main distributer for then in this country

Cass

The price of Savage rifles climbed once dealers caught onto the fact that they were gaining popularity. got mine for €1,500, but the alst lad i know that bought one paid nearly €1750 for his. some dealers are still selling at a decent price, around the €1,650 mark, but again it's a matter of who has one.

As for the main importers that would be Millard Brothers in Dublin. They are slow for importing, and you cannot buy directly off them.

My advice for the time being would be to come over the the range, look around see what you think, and have a look at a few guns. Make a decision whether to join or not, then start really looking for a gun. In the meantime keep your eyes, and ears open, but i wouldn't "panic" over trying to get something until you have seen what's involved in the sport.

fish slapped

dev110 wrote: »

Most people run 8-32x scopes but Fishslapped he uses a 8-25x. I run a 10-50x. The more mag you have the more you will be able to see the target and you will be able to hold off for wind more accurately.

AFAIK Savage are the only factory rifle to come with a 30" barrel.

Yeah 25 X ... only when I remember to turn it up after the 25 yrd zero target...:o:o:o ... I have been known to shoot 1000 yards @ 8X ... erm ... just to give the other guys a chance ... :rolleyes:

spudy1991

heya i was at the last novice shoot at midlands im joining up soon as i get a few bob togeather, can u join at any time of year and also i have a rem 700 sps varmint, what kinda money would one expect to spend to bring it up to ftr minimum specs like rebarrle and re stock
also whats the price of membership down there at the moment

Cass

spudy1991 wrote: »

.............. can u join at any time of year

Yes.

...........and also i have a rem 700 sps varmint, what kinda money would one expect to spend to bring it up to ftr minimum specs like rebarrle and re stock........

New barrel, and stock would run around the €1,500 mark. Thats for a brand new barrel, and a custom stock from the likes of Enda Walsh ( www.gunstocksireland.com).

.........also whats the price of membership down there at the moment

The membership stands as €600 for the 1st year ONLY, and then it's €295 (or €300) per years after that.

spudy1991

thanks is there any details on custom barrels i shud know like twist rate length and diameter, also i was thinking of a synthetic stock r a aluminum stock less likely to scratch but is there any difference between all the stocks r is wood just as gud???

Cass

spudy1991 wrote: »

thanks is there any details on custom barrels i shud know like twist rate length and diameter,..........

Asking which barrel is best is like asking which caliber is best. Everyone has an opinion, and while some enjoy greater success than others i don't believe there are any "bad" barrels out there.

Look at Bartlein, Krieger, Tru-Flite. All readily available, although Krieger could take a little longer, and all well proven barrels. I recently switched from Tru-flite to Bartlein because it was the one i wanted, the contour i wanted, and it was a cut rifle barrel.

The main things to look for in a barrel are;

• 30 inch length minimum
• Medium to heavy contour/taper. Depends on what your rig allows.
• Twist rate of 1:10 to 1:13. Depends on the bullet you want to shoot. 1:10 for heavier bullets only, 1:11 medium to heavy, 1:12 covers a good spectrum of bullets from light to medium, and 1:13 for the lighter (155s) only.

......... also i was thinking of a synthetic stock r a aluminum stock less likely to scratch but is there any difference between all the stocks r is wood just as gud???

If it's for target work only, which it will be if you build an 18 pound rifle, then the risk of it being scratched, etc is slim. It really is more dependent on what you like. Some prefer synthetic, some wood. Synthetic is more likely to be lighter so if your action, scope, barrel, etc is causing issues with you making weight you can use a lightweight synthetic stock from the likes of Edi Graf ( www.PSE-composite.com ). If weight is not an issue then you can go for the (imo) nicer looking timber/wooden stock from Enda ( www.gunstocksireland.com ) or one of the other manufacturers from the UK, USA, etc.

The main thing with either is to have it glass/pillar bedded. This ensures a free floated barrel, and no problems with barrel harmonics, etc.

spudy1991

Your like a talking encyclopedia, lol
thanks mate

Cass

Just made all these mistakes myself when starting off, and if i can help a lad avoid them, and more importantly the cost of them, then great.

spudy1991

well thanks any way lad appreciate it, wud it be cheaper just to buy a ftr rig like whats mentioned above [savage ftr]

Cass

Here is a quick way to find out.

You have a Remmy action. Perfectly good to build off. So you need:

• Barrel
• Stock
• Scope (depending on what scope you have).
• Rings
• Rail

So you are looking at roughly €2,800 to change your gun into an FTR. Not counting some smaller, cheaper items.

To go the Savge route you need;

• Rifle
• Rings
• Mounts
• Scope

That's around €3,300, again without the smaller items.


With the built one if your scope is good enough then you are looking at €1,500, and you are shooting.

With the Savage you are changing everything, but if you can sell the Remmy then you may claim back between €700 to €1,200 depending on rifle, gear, scope, accessories going with it. Meaning the Savage TR, and gear would be standing you between €2,100 to €2,600.

So it's cheaper to change your current set up.

What i would say, as said already, if you would like to try some long range come over to the midlands, have a look around, and meet some of the lads. Get a feel for it. Whether you go custom or buy a Savage it's a big step to take, and you need to be sure it's something you want.