First Real Rifle?

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AngryChameleon

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Petawawa, Ontario
Hey all!

Been a long time lurker/casual shooter, but haven't gotten around to pick up my own hunting/plinking rifle! Here's some background, hopefully you guys can lead me in the right direction!

I thoroughly enjoy heading out into crown land and shooting, but find it can be expensive in a hurry. I have an old Cooey 75 that I typically take when we're doing skeet shooting, mostly because ammo is cheap and it's always fun (also the only thing the wife will shoot...)

I bow hunt turkeys, and plan to do some geese with friends this fall, but don't have a rifle setup that will suffice for deer, and don't plan on stalking one with my bow...

I was thinking of starting with a Remington 783 chambered in 223. The reason for this is that ammo is cheap so I don't have to break the bank to shoot consistently, but i've heard mixed reviews. Being from Petawawa, I may also have an easy access to some casings for reloading in the future.

What are your thoughts on this setup. Is there another ammo that is fun/cheap to play with that will achieve the same effect? Should I just get a used rifle instead?

Thanks!!
 
The short barreled 783 seems to be a decent option coming in at $449 on sale. 223 is a fun round for plinking and like you said, it doesn’t break the bank.

What’s your budget for this, including glass?
 
To be honest, as cheap as possible. I don't have a hard and fast budget but I have way too many hobbies, so I'm trying to get the literal best bang for my buck. The other thing I'm not 100% sure about is the glass. I've heard you should spend as much on glass as you do on your rifle, but for starting out I figured the standard chinese 9x32 on the 783 at Cabelas would hold me over. Thoughts?
 
AngryChameleon said:
The other thing I'm not 100% sure about is the glass. I've heard you should spend as much on glass as you do on your rifle, but for starting out I figured the standard chinese 9x32 on the 783 at Cabelas would hold me over. Thoughts?
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The 783 is a very good choice for an entry gun but a 223 would not be the best choice if deer is on the menu. The 223 is good for smaller varmint and range blasting. Cheap and lots of it. Good choice for a first rifle. You can buy a rifle more suited for deer down the road.

Forget buying/using cheap scopes. They are prone to fail and will eventually cost more with wasted ammo and a good replacement. There are lots of decent scopes on the EE. Leupold, Bushnell Elite, Redfield etc are all a good place to start.
 
A little bit of a different option may be A sporterized Lee Enfield in .303British , would run you 200 bucks, you could buy about 10 or 12 boxes of ammo and be at the same price of the 783 at a store, youd have a great deer rifle, ammo would catch up to being more expensive eventually, initially you would be set for a great deer rifle and quite abit of ammo, tons of 303's out there sporterized to different tastes,

my humble 2 cents!
 
Thanks for the input! Definitely doesn't have to do with recoil, as I've put about 500 rounds through various systems over the years (7mm, 308, 7.62x39 etc), just has to do with the price. I'm not a fan of knowing every round I go to the range it's going to cost me more than $50.00 to shoot for any length of time. Ideally i'll be out shooing almost daily, with a secondary objective of maybe taking a deer.
 
I suggest using a .22 together with a nice accurate deer rifle. You can go to the range and do a ton of cheap high-volume shooting with the .22, then shoot a box or two out of the deer gun. It’s a lot cheaper than trying to source cheap centerfire ammo all the time.

There are a couple of ways to go in keeping the centerfire ammo costs down. One is a 7.62x39 rifle, plinking with surplus and hunting with soft points. This can work in your area because shots on deer are rarely far. Another way is to just get whatever gun is ideal for deer, and slow down your shooting to really focus on improving your marksmanship. Thinking about it, I prefer the second way, as you’ll be able to out-shoot the surplus ammo after a while.

Down the road, if you end up doing a lot of shooting, consider a handloading setup instead of buying another rifle. This can pay for itself if you shoot a lot of hunting-caliber centerfire. I wouldn’t think about it if you’re a casual shooter, but there is a point where it becomes worthwhile.
 
.223 is a terrible choice for a new shooter to go out hunting anything with but varmits.
Ya I know, we got guys here that that will argue the .223 is great for deer..... we it isn't , especially in the hands of a new shooter/hunter.

do yourself (and any deer you end up shooting) a favor and save up for a decent hunting caliber and a decent optic.
There are so many affordable package deals out there in decent hunting/target shooting calibers.
get yourself a .22LR for the range plinking and get yourself a "real" hunting rig and learn all about shot placement
 
Maybe look for something in a .270; try tradex in the dealer section above for a Husqvarna. I'm not sure of the cost of .270 ammo, but you can also look at a Lee loader in .270 once you gather some cases.

For a scope look for a low end Leupold, I think they recently got rid of the VX-1 so I'm not sure what the current is. If you can get a VX-1 though they are a good scope.
 
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Definitely appreciate all the feedback! I will add a few more points that may help with clarification! I competition shot (mind you, only with Daisy air rifles and Anschutz 22's) growing up, where I developed very sound marksmanship principles. I believe skills skills have transferred well, as I've had no issues firing larger calibre rounds since then. I have continued to hone these skills in the Canadian Armed Forces, where I've put thousands of 223 down range. I also still bow hunt, so shot placements on various animals are something I'm accustomed to (although I haven't had the opportunity to take a deer with my bow, I've practiced for those shots alot). Is the problem with 223 that it doesn't have the stopping power to take a deer efficiently, or is the general fear that new shooters/hunters are likely not able to make use of the round due to poor marksmanship principles and shot placement skills.

At this point, i'm liking the idea of a 22 for plinking and something chambered in 308 or 303 British for a hunting rifle. I just felt like 223 was a happy medium!
 
AngryChameleon said:
At this point, i'm liking the idea of a 22 for plinking and something chambered in 308 or 303 British for a hunting rifle. I just felt like 223 was a happy medium!
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I’d second the idea of a trade-ex husqvarna suggested above, especially with your shooting background. Add .270 and 6.5x55 to your options for everyday shooting and deer, as well as .30-06 if handloading. You’ll find that there isn’t much of a “happy medium” in the .223, it would end up being just a target rifle if you’re not a varmint hunter. The idea of a lee loader is a good one. If you are actually shooting that often, also consider a typical reloading setup.

In the husqvarna’s, get one that still has the iron sights. You’ll find them handy for the thick bush in your area. 6.5x55 is an excellent low-recoiling cartridge optimized for deer. .270 is also good. .30-06 is fantastic, but you would be interested in making light loads for daily plinking as the husqvarnas are quite light. These cartridges are widely available and nice to shoot.

And ALWAYS keep up the .22 game!
 
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i’m assumimg by acces to some casing you mean range refuse of the base? if that is the case you will also have acces to 7.62x51 which is .308 and when necked down .243, las time being the more varsetile and at price range of .223, i would go with that caliber, the rem 783 comes in combos with scope, unless you planning to do long range shooting competitions, there is no rush to go and swap that right of the batt
 
Petawawa area = flat farm country. Cross the river into Quebec, you've got large hills, same if you go west about 20 minutes.
If you intend to hunt big game locally, and you want cheap, the 243 might be the road to go.
Maybe drop in to Perkins, and see what he has cheap for ammo. You used to be able to get 6.5X55 foreign stuff really cheap, and that old round hits hard.
If you intend to hunt where ranges are shorter, you can use the 30-30, or 7.62X39. The two are somewhat similar ballistically, although the 30-30 hits harder, but the 7.62X39 is mega cheap. The two are fine at shorter ranges. A decent bolt gun will really help the 7.62X39 with accuracy. Some of the SKS out there are crappy that way. The 30-30 benefits too, but not as much as the 7.62X39.
 
I would get a 22 for plinking and a calibre more appropriate for deer such as 243 or 270. Theoretically a 223 would work on a deer but you need to have a near perfect shot opportunity preaented. Deer hunters know that doesn't always happen (i.e. Do you have to shoot through the shoulder blade if the front foot is positioned back?) . If you feel like you can pass on a big buck because he is does not give you a perfect shot go for a 223. Personally I wouldn't use any less than a 243.
 
AngryChameleon said:
At this point, i'm liking the idea of a 22 for plinking and something chambered in 308 or 303 British for a hunting rifle. I just felt like 223 was a happy medium!
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I would get a bolt action .22 or .17 for plinking and target shooting, they are fun as hell and cheap to shoot, as you know fundamentals of marksmanship don’t change much from gun to gun. Then I’d get a 783 in .308 or 6.5 for hunting larger game but put a nicer scope on, Nikon or Leupold etc won’t break the bank. If they made a left handed 783 I would already have one in .308, .303 Brit is a classic but it’s not cheap, I love my Enfield’s but at $38-40 a box I don’t shoot it as much as I’d like outside of sighting in and hunting.

With .308 you’ll have more ammo availability if you’re out of town, finding .303 Brit at some Canadian tire or fandoms shop in a pinch can be tricky. You will also have the option of shooting surplus 7.62x51 if you want to shoot more for less than commercial hunting .308 rounds.
 
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