Choosing my first ever Rifle, Need General Guidance

U

ulterior_motive

Member
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Hi all,

Want to start off by saying this is one AMAZING site I’ve stumbled upon. It’s answered alot of my questions regarding reloading my own ammunition and some of our FUN Canadian laws.

So A little about me, i just got my restricted/non restricted license and am jumping into this thing with little to no guidance and sadly no mentor.

I don't have a gun yet but i have been looking for about a year now. Originally thought I’d start with either a Remington 700 or a savage axis. My choice went towards savage axis, but i soon figured starting off with an "entry" gun like that is only going to limit me down the line for modification purposes.

First thing people posted in general gun decision making guides is to decide WHAT you are going to use this gun for. I decided that this will be mainly target practice and some small game. My goal is to shoot 500 yards and up ACCURATELY (being the key word).

Aimless browsing on this website showed me different stocks and different Canadian vendors who sell different stocks. One specific vendor and one specific stock caught my eye. Alberta Tactical Rifle states they are selling AICS Stock. It’s because of this specific stock that i am changing my gun option to the Remington 700.

So, some questions for the many members on this website and for the patient few who read through my entire entry.

Is the Remington 700 in the proper calibre capable of achieving my goal?

If i want to do long range shooting, what calibre am i going to be looking at?
30-06, 300, 308? The reason i bring these up is that generally when I’m reading up on people making 500 yard shots then they are talking about one of these mentioned rounds. And also, whatever choice you suggest, just know i will be reloading my own ammunition after a season or two.

WHERE in Ontario can i shoot this gun (outdoors obviously), and hopefully not too far from home. I live in Scarborough but i commute north to Newmarket every day. I am willing to travel but if i'm expected to commute 200-300 km away to go shooting, then i might have to stick to photography as a hobby. Same price range for decent glass.
 
Last edited:
Wecome to GunNutz.
If you are looking to punch paper at ranges up to 1000 yards you need to check out http://www.ontariorifleassociation.org
Click on the Intro Day Application and fill out the form.
These Intro days are designed for people that want to learn about shooting at longer ranges. Everything from Target Rifle to F Class to Service Conditions to CQB, Vintage to Precision (sniper style matches) Most of these days are in Borden.
Another option would be to look into the Winter Program that is put on by the ORA at the Burlington RRC.

Don't spend any money on rifles and gear until you take one of these courses.
 
I was you about a year ago! So I picked up a Remington 700 and joined the ORA.

The guys there are all extremely helpful and have no problem teaching new shooters.

As for caliber. If you are planing on shooting small game you may need something smaller then a .270 as some areas have laws against using any thing bigger.

.308 and .223 are awesome all round cartridge for all shooting disciplines. I decided on a .243 only because I knew I would be putting a new barrel on it as soon as possible and could justify doing so by burning out the .243 barrel quickly! As well it has same bolt head as the .308 (It also shot beyond my expectations at 500 yards.)

Like me you have chosen a couple addicting and cash consuming hobbies!
 
For long-range target shooting, I would get a .223 for your first rifle! There are several manufacturers that offer .223 rifles with a 1:8" rate of rifling twist, which is suitable to the long, sleek bullets that are effective as the distance extends beyond 500 yards. Remington offers the .223 in a 1:9" twist, which may or may not stabilize some of the better LR bullets like the 75gr A-Max. There is factory ammo available for the .223 with decent LR bullets, but to get the most out of the cartridge, you'll eventually need to start loading your own ammo.

These long, aerodynamic .223 bullets do fairly well in the wind at longer ranges, but more importantly, the cartridge does not recoil much, allows you to follow through the shot with ease, and the ammo is very cheap and "high-volume practice" friendly. Practice is going to be the most important thing for you, just like any other athletic discipline.

The Vortex HS and PST scopes seem to be a great bank for your buck, as are the upper-end Sightrons (SIIB and SIII).
 
There are at least 5 gun clubs to the east and north of you within two hours of the east end. Call one of the local dealers for gun clubs in the area if your lazy like me.

If the caliber is over .270 you will not be able to shoot on crown or pivate land in your area unless your at an approved range.

.223 is best to start with. It's probably only second to .308 for bullet selection and there is a ton of inexpencive factoy ammo (only 7.62X39 is cheaper). There is even a good selection of loaded match ammo. The best part is it's the least expensive to reload. Cartridges like .221 Fireball may use less powder but brass is dirt cheap. Any other small caliber cartridge will be more costly to shoot.

Take a trip up Hwy 11 to Ellwood Epps. Take Hwy 12 to Hwy 11 N on 11 it's about 5 - 15 km S of Gravenhurst on the N bound side.. They have a selection of used reloading gear (sometimes an excellent selection) that you should look at. The cash you save on dies and a press (assuming they have one when you are there) will let you get a better scale.
 
Maybe try picking up one of the AICS stocks to see how you like it. I honestly dont like the feel of them. To me, they feel like a huge chunk of plastic.

I'd way rather have an A5 or an A3.
 
ulterior_motive said:
Is the Remington 700 in the proper calibre capable of achieving my goal?

If i want to do long range shooting, what calibre am i going to be looking at?
30-06, 300, 308? The reason i bring these up is that generally when I’m reading up on people making 500 yard shots then they are talking about one of these mentioned rounds. And also, whatever choice you suggest, just know i will be reloading my own ammunition after a season or two.

WHERE in Ontario can i shoot this gun (outdoors obviously), and hopefully not too far from home. I live in Scarborough but i commute north to Newmarket every day. I am willing to travel but if i'm expected to commute 200-300 km away to go shooting, then i might have to stick to photography as a hobby. Same price range for decent glass.
Click to expand...

First question - YES, there are many many Rem and rem type actions being used in all forms of target shooting. have been for decades and is the Chevy V8 of this sport.

2nd question. Take Maynards advice and go to an intro day. If paper punching will be your thing, you need to decide on what sport floats your boat. The gear and chambers will become obvious once you decide on the game and rules.

If you visit my website and look in the tech section, there are many articles that can help you on your quest.

LR target shooting is a lot fun and you will meet some great guys and gals. Look at the various disciplines like F class, tactical matches, TR, Silhouette, BR, etc.

There is lots to choose from and once you know the direction you want to go, the rest is easy.....

Jerry
 
As above, take Maynards advice and get out to a range with some knowledgeable shooters. Its not clear if you've even shot a centrefire rifle - its not everybodies cup of tea. To boot, there are other aspects of the sport that may be of interest - eg shotgun sports - which are much more available compared to 500 y plus ranges.
 
maynard said:
Incorrect. Caliber restriction is only for hunting, not target shooting.
Click to expand...

you aren't allowed in the woods with a certain caliber during a certain season. At least that's what I understood from the law.the biggest rifle you can carry is a 22.250 out of season I believe. During moose , bear and deer you are allowed bigger calibers.

Don't take my word for it. I think that's how it works in New-Brunswick anyways.

You need a hunting license to carry a firearm on crownland. The OP said he would be hunting small game , I say go with a .223 or 22-250.
 
It's the population density. Maynard should know he's well into southern ont. Since the restriction is prob about ricocets (just a guess) I just assumed if your not on a range no CF over .270.
 
I am so far south I can see Point Peele from my house on a clear day.
If you are shooting in a safe direction and have a proper backstop, crown land or private property there is no caliber restriction for target shooting a CF rifle. Where this starts to get sticky is when hunting season is on.
The old saying "that if it looks like a duck and acts like a duck, it's probably a duck". So if you are target shooting make it very clear that you are target shooting. ie paper targets, stapler etc.
If you are dressed in camo and walking through a field or bush with a bunch of guys on a coyote drive, there is a good chance you are not target shooting.
 
maynard said:
I am so far south I can see Point Peele from my house on a clear day.
If you are shooting in a safe direction and have a proper backstop, crown land or private property there is no caliber restriction for target shooting a CF rifle. Where this starts to get sticky is when hunting season is on.
The old saying "that if it looks like a duck and acts like a duck, it's probably a duck". So if you are target shooting make it very clear that you are target shooting. ie paper targets, stapler etc.
If you are dressed in camo and walking through a field or bush with a bunch of guys on a coyote drive, there is a good chance you are not target shooting.
Click to expand...

Really officer, I am target shooting! They just happen to have four legs and are covered with fur!
 
maynard said:
Wecome to GunNutz.
If you are looking to punch paper at ranges up to 1000 yards you need to check out http://www.ontariorifleassociation.org
Click on the Intro Day Application and fill out the form.
These Intro days are designed for people that want to learn about shooting at longer ranges. Everything from Target Rifle to F Class to Service Conditions to CQB, Vintage to Precision (sniper style matches) Most of these days are in Borden.
Another option would be to look into the Winter Program that is put on by the ORA at the Burlington RRC.

Don't spend any money on rifles and gear until you take one of these courses.
Click to expand...

I looked at there website, from what i understand is that this a gunclub, which i dont mind commuting too, and they do have classes which i can attend in the spring/summer season, but how about a range? do they also have a range? is the ORA just a association which brings sharpshooters together? or do they operate out of a range of some sort?

I will be calling them next week when i get a chance to see what they can offer me.
 
dfarrell said:
I was you about a year ago! So I picked up a Remington 700 and joined the ORA.

The guys there are all extremely helpful and have no problem teaching new shooters.

As for caliber. If you are planing on shooting small game you may need something smaller then a .270 as some areas have laws against using any thing bigger.

.308 and .223 are awesome all round cartridge for all shooting disciplines. I decided on a .243 only because I knew I would be putting a new barrel on it as soon as possible and could justify doing so by burning out the .243 barrel quickly! As well it has same bolt head as the .308 (It also shot beyond my expectations at 500 yards.)

Like me you have chosen a couple addicting and cash consuming hobbies!
Click to expand...

So, you chose the .243 because you new you knew you would change the barrel to a higher caliber? why wouldn't you just get a higher caliber barreled rifle? Not trying to sound insulting on that question but can you explain as to why you did that? was it because you initially used it as a practice caliber? and moved up to a more expensive caliber after you had some more experience?

so we are a

+2 for .308
+1 for .260
+1 for .223
 
The Crown land situation will change province to province depending on their individual legislation. Here in New Brunswick varmint season basically runs year-round and the largest caliber you can shoot is 22-250. Larger game, and thus bigger calibers, can only be had in the fall ... unless you are native. So, if shooting in the woods is important this would be a consideration.

I would highly recommend joining up with a range. You'll get to meet other shooters, check out their gear, and get to go at your convenience. When I first got into this I found myself a nice spot in the woods but guess what ... you start shooting and anyone on a 4 wheeler in hearing range is gonna come poking about to see what's up.

Jerry (Mystic Precision) had a great post up here. Think long and hard about what you want to use your new rifle for.
 
Jordan Smith said:
For long-range target shooting, I would get a .223 for your first rifle! There are several manufacturers that offer .223 rifles with a 1:8" rate of rifling twist, which is suitable to the long, sleek bullets that are effective as the distance extends beyond 500 yards. Remington offers the .223 in a 1:9" twist, which may or may not stabilize some of the better LR bullets like the 75gr A-Max. There is factory ammo available for the .223 with decent LR bullets, but to get the most out of the cartridge, you'll eventually need to start loading your own ammo.

These long, aerodynamic .223 bullets do fairly well in the wind at longer ranges, but more importantly, the cartridge does not recoil much, allows you to follow through the shot with ease, and the ammo is very cheap and "high-volume practice" friendly. Practice is going to be the most important thing for you, just like any other athletic discipline.

The Vortex HS and PST scopes seem to be a great bank for your buck, as are the upper-end Sightrons (SIIB and SIII).
Click to expand...

Yea off the bat i knew i was going to reload my own bullets, i'm going to have to find a mentor for that also.
I didn't know about the 223 bullets having less recoil. That is definitely a plus for consistent shooting.

Scopes are a different subject all on its own. I also do photogrophy as a hobby (i know, i'm just digging in deeper into my savings bank account with these expensive hobbies). One thing i learned very quickly is that the better the glass the better the image. That's going to be another fun purchase. BUt first thing first, RIFLE.

+2 for .308
+1 for .260
+2 for .223
 
redshooter said:
There are at least 5 gun clubs to the east and north of you within two hours of the east end. Call one of the local dealers for gun clubs in the area if your lazy like me.

If the caliber is over .270 you will not be able to shoot on crown or pivate land in your area unless your at an approved range.

.223 is best to start with. It's probably only second to .308 for bullet selection and there is a ton of inexpencive factoy ammo (only 7.62X39 is cheaper). There is even a good selection of loaded match ammo. The best part is it's the least expensive to reload. Cartridges like .221 Fireball may use less powder but brass is dirt cheap. Any other small caliber cartridge will be more costly to shoot.

Take a trip up Hwy 11 to Ellwood Epps. Take Hwy 12 to Hwy 11 N on 11 it's about 5 - 15 km S of Gravenhurst on the N bound side.. They have a selection of used reloading gear (sometimes an excellent selection) that you should look at. The cash you save on dies and a press (assuming they have one when you are there) will let you get a better scale.
Click to expand...

I didn't know a dealer would have that sort of information. Ill give them a call next week.

I didn't know Ellwood Epps sold reloading gear (both new and used). Your the second person to mention it to me (first was my employees husband). When you say get a better scale, are you talking about a weighing scale?

+2 for .308
+1 for .260
+3 for .223
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom