Getting my first gun

[Slipery]

Hey everyone! So I'm pretty new to this forum, and to hunting guns whatsoever for that matter.. I am fairly knowledgeable on airguns, I own a few myself, but only this week did I learn what the difference was between .22 long range, and wmr, and hmr, and everything. So basically I don't know too much. In the past two days however, I've read up for several hours on all the different calibers and different guns. However, I still have no clue what is the sweet spot for performance/for price.

Here's the deal.. I'm 17 currently, but fairly soon I'll be 18 and I'll be eligible for my PAL which to me is like going for your drivers license on your 16th birthday.
I live in the surburbs, but two of my best friends live on farms in the middle of noowhere, and I'm at their houses at least once or twice a week.

My one friend has a winchester .22 lr, and we have put that to good use in the last year. Up to this point however, I've hunted beside him with my 500fps airgun, so its not the same you know.

So. Here are my parameters, and I'm hoping you guys know of a gun that fits it.

Price Range: I'm hoping to get a good gun for about $500-$600 dollars, without optics and such.

What I am shooting: I won't be shooting anything too large.. Groundhogs, crows, squirrels. Coyotes perhaps if we manage to see them again. However, the land is fairly open, so I would like to be able to shoot at longer distances

Calibre: I was thinking about purchasing a .243 calibre gun. From all my research, it's seemed like the optimal calibre for me. I didn't want to get a .22. The .17 HMR interested me though. and the .270 did as well but it even seemed a little too large for my needs.
Two .243 calibres that have interested me are the remington 770 and the CZ 550.. However I'm rather unsure of their quality and most of the prices I'm looking at are American so I imagine they're much higher here,

And yah, I guess thats about it. Thank you all for reading this and for your suggestions.

 

[Turkeyslayer 1300]

For the animals you mentioned a .243 would be a bit much but could also double for deer. You could purchase a Stevens 200 for about 400. or if you didn't mind the range limitations a good shot gun could be had for about the same amount.

 

[Longwalker]

Welcome to another new hunter!

quote: Groundhogs, crows, squirrels. Coyotes perhaps...

That puts you firmly in .22 magnum territory for your first hunting rifle. I'd normally reccomend a cheap-to-own and accurate .22LR but for the size of the critters you've indicated. A 17 hmr is a lot of fun to shoot, but is questionable for groundhog and very marginal for coyote, a .22 magnum is OK within 75 yds or so with solid chest hits and 40 gr. hollowpoint bullets.

Right now, you need to shoot a LOT and practise a LOT. Feeding a .243 is expensive. And I seriously doubt that your friends who live in the "Middle of nowhere" don't have any neighbours. Neighbours like quiet rifles better than noisy ones. Once you've gained some skills, then look into centrefire rifles. A .223 would make more sense than the .243 if you don't include deer hunting in your plans.

For value and accuracy, you may want to consider a CZ rifle. Savage and Marlin also make some good .22 mags. Spend about $200 on your scope, less will be regretted.

Straight shooting and good hunting!

 

[dumbdawg]

if you look for some used guns you may be able to get a couple for that price range you are looking to spend.

 

[Branch]

I would reccomend the .17 HMR or even better, Remington has recently put out a .17 Fireball which is supposed to be an excellent round(especially for what you are shooting) I was going to buy the fireball but i am going to school now. The .243 is also an excellent round, however it is a little large for the mentioned animals. But like the guy above said the .243 can be used for deer cyoute(i dont know how to spell it) etc...

 

[Throttle]

The Remington 770 comes in .243 tricked out with a decent scope for less than $550.

However, I agree that .243 is way too much gun for what your shooting. Not sure where you live, but there are quality second hand firearms you can hold at most gun/sporting goods stores.

Might be worth doing that, till you get a grasp on where its all at.

Happy Hunting.

 

[Slipery]

Hey, thanks for the quick replies guys..

I guess in the back of my mind I was hoping to have a kind of one-calibre-fits-all sort of gun, in which I could shoot all the smaller critters with authority and maybe challenge some larger one's too, but you all seem like pretty knowledgeable people, so I guess I'm going to start looking at the rimfire's again.

 

[a j cave]

welcome! start off with a good bolt 22. You can afford to shoot & you will need to shoot lots. Shoot from a rest, learn what your gun will do, then move on to offhand. A 243 is too much for plinking & gophers, at $.75 to $1 a round it also costs lot. Only MHO though, best of luck AJ

 

[Slipery]

allright, well I had another question, and I guess since people are apparently reading this thread allready I might as well ask it here..

Is it possible to buy guns from the states? Because I have heard from airgunforum.ca that it is and that you need to register it and get a special forms for customs and such.. However, I have called around 10 gunshops in the new york and ohio area and all of the owners have told me that you need to be a US resident or have an alien status card.. it doesn't matter if you have your canadian license.

Is this true?

Edit: Also, I would like to buy from Canadian retailers, but am I able to order the gun of my choice from a manufacturer through one of their stores? What are good Canadian online retailers?

 

[TheTooner]

It is possible to buy a firearm from the U.S. but it is a lot of trouble to take with paperwork which most of us won't do most of the time because most of what we will want can be had from a Canadian dealer. Many, perhaps most U.S. retailers can't be bothered with the export licenses necessary because they won't get a worthwhile number of sales to Canadians and that probably explains the responses you got when you called U.S. dealers. When they say you need to be a U.S. resident they mean they need you to be one because they are only licensed to deal in the U.S., they aren't licensed under U.S. regulations as exporters.

A .22WMRF or a .17HMR will do for most of the small animals you speak of hunting, but are generally thought to be not enough for coyotes except at very close ranges with ideal presentations of the target. A .243 is versatile in the sense that it can be used on large game such as deer, but is probably a bit much anything smaller than a coyote, and as a. j. cave points out, the price per round is perhaps too much?

The .223 Remington may be a suitable compromise, especially if you are within shopping distance of a Wal-Mart because they sell Winchester's quite good .223 ammo at a very bargainesque price. It is a very common calibre and popular for coyote and other varmint hunting. Good low budget rifles such as the Stevens 200 and the NEF Handi-Rifle, which are well within your budget, as well as some more expensive options are made in this calibre.

Beware the Remington 770 - it is really just the model 710 renamed because the 710 has so many detractors. They are right. Although there must be many owners of 710s who are content, there have been persistent reports of problems with production quality and some of the design features. It simply isn't as good as it should be. The Stevens 200 and the Savage model 11 and 111 based package rifles are superior and cheaper to buy, and Remington's own model 700, long a benchmark of hunting rifles, is available in a relatively affordable variation as the 700SPS, so there is no good reason to settle for the 770.

If you are not afraid to buy used, you have come to the right place. Check out what is on offer in the Equipment Exchange forums on this site, and check the ratings sellers there receive from other members who have dealt with them and you are unlikely to go wrong. A properly cared for gun can long outlast an owner's interest in shooting it, and trying new and different guns is fun, so lots of guns are sold here that have lots of useful service left in them.

 

[reddarb]

I have a Remington 7600 pump .243 and it is awesome. I also have a Savage .22 magnum. Both are great guns. I find that with the .22 magum that if you go over 100 yds that the wind plays a huge factor. The .243 is awesome. It is a FAST flat shooting gun. Coyotes look out. As someone mentioned earlier the .243 would be too much for squirrels and crows. Groundhogs would be blasted pretty good as well. The .22 would do a great job I would say if you were 80 yards and under. Just my two cents.