Newbie PRS/NRL - so many decisions to make

[old303]

A lot depends on where you can practice, most likely at a club if you're in the GTA, and what they have on offer. Some places do rimfire PRS to make the most of the distances they have, so a competitive .22LR rig gets you into that, and even if you're just practicing by yourself on a typical 100 yard/metre range a good centrefire is a laser beam that hits the same spot too consistently but a 22 is going to teach you about reading the wind and dialing the holdover you need at that distance. Even with experience and more than one rifle I still find myself spending quality time trying to reach out with my 22.

I'll second the recommendation about joining the ORA, but you still need somewhere you can practice.

 

[rubberdonuts]

Yeah wondering if a HOWA would be a decent replacement after i sell my tikka and bcl mrx ... may be more affordable in 223 with a good ffp scope. And then a chassis eventuall 700 footprint

Rimfire prs before anything else……..

Just take the gear off when you get rounded with it and throw it on your centerfire rig. Invest in a good optics mount if you’re gonna flop back and forth. Rimfire PRS in Ontario is plentiful. Jump in.

 

[TylerCJ]

You can easily swap the barrel to a heavier taper on a tikka. The tikka action is actually a very popular platform in the states to build on for prs and NRL competition rifles.

Go with a mdt premier chassis / mpa ba comp with a thicker taper barrel for prs and remove weights and what not to make the weight for NRL hunter. It gets old but if you wanna play both games with one rifle it is doable.

 

[TJGTA]

A lot depends on where you can practice, most likely at a club if you're in the GTA, and what they have on offer. Some places do rimfire PRS to make the most of the distances they have, so a competitive .22LR rig gets you into that, and even if you're just practicing by yourself on a typical 100 yard/metre range a good centrefire is a laser beam that hits the same spot too consistently but a 22 is going to teach you about reading the wind and dialing the holdover you need at that distance. Even with experience and more than one rifle I still find myself spending quality time trying to reach out with my 22.

I'll second the recommendation about joining the ORA, but you still need somewhere you can practice.

So here is my thought process, let me know.


1. Want to restrain my budget
- either i sell the two guns and get one 22
- or sell one and keep tikka 223 and replace barrel plus stock. Easily will cost another 2 grand if not more
2. Want to practice fundamentals at a range where i have max limit of 300 meters.
3. Dont want cost of ammo to be $2 per bullet like 6.5. I cannot do refills.
4. 223 will get me used to some recoil although i am not afraid of it as i have shot 303 and have and have mossberg shotgun

Question though is 300 meter range enough to require holdovers and wind etc with a 223? If not then yes i may have to pick the 22lr. What say you?

 

[TJGTA]

You can easily swap the barrel to a heavier taper on a tikka. The tikka action is actually a very popular platform in the states to build on for prs and NRL competition rifles.

Go with a mdt premier chassis / mpa ba comp with a thicker taper barrel for prs and remove weights and what not to make the weight for NRL hunter. It gets old but if you wanna play both games with one rifle it is doable.

Yes good to know a barrel swap is possible. Mdt chassis noted down. And i go the 223 route i will see what total cost comes out to be to simply replace stock and barrel vs buying new

 

[old303]

300 metres for practice sounds like the legendary Range 4 at Sharon. I've never shot there but have heard someone saying they had to deal with crosswinds there. I've been on the 300 yard range at Borden with a .223 and there's windage plus a bunch of clicks upward from my 100 metre zero so the same will apply where you are. And .223 is a good centrefire cartridge, you're definitely in the game for less cash and recoil than the bigger rounds.

With the bigger rounds burning out a barrel and replacing it is a regular cost; I'm not sure how many more rounds a .223 barrel will last but you may be looking at getting to choose a new one eventually anyway. Better to buy best-quality pieces as you can afford them than to feel like you need absolutely everything up front.

 

[TylerCJ]

Yes good to know a barrel swap is possible. Mdt chassis noted down. And i go the 223 route i will see what total cost comes out to be to simply replace stock and barrel vs buyin

If you only have access to a 300 metre range I’d go precision .22 Rimfire all day. A .223 is just stretching its legs at that distance and can be used at prs matches out to 800 metres. I’ve used mine for most regional, club level matches often. 85,5 Berger hybrid in lapua brass works miracles for precision.

With a .22lr you will get way better practice with holding and dealing with environmental shooting out to 300 metres. Especially if you build it up to a precision trainer style rifle. There are plenty of PRS Rimfire events out there now to get you hooked. Rimfire PRS is the gateway drug for most tho so be cautious!

 

[tiriaq]

Howas are perfectly good rifles and actions.
Wouldn't be my first choice for the shooting you are interested in.

 

[jparent]

Yeah wondering if a HOWA would be a decent replacement after i sell my tikka and bcl mrx ... may be more affordable in 223 with a good ffp scope. And then a chassis eventually

Once you have shot a Tikka, a Howa is going to feel like a major downgrade. Rimfire PRS is a great way to go. You will learn so much before moving to centerfire. I shoot my otherwise stock Tikka T1x (with only a trigger spring upgrade) with a Arken optic, and it is as accurate as rifles costing a lot more. Don't be fooled that shooting rimfire is that cheap (yes, still cheaper than centerfire). Distance requires good ammo, and you are looking at $0.20 - $0.50 cents a shot, and you will shoot a lot more ammo than you realize!

 

[azelyk]

If you are in the GTA there is plenty of rimfire PRS within 2 hours of drive.
Guelph Rod & Gun runs monthly ORPS, Lower Trent runs ORPS/NRL22 double headers monthly. Once you get comfortable you can move up to the Northern Rimfire Series.
For CF your only option without crossing the border is ORA PPS at Borden and then only goes out to around 450/475 max. So a .223 would be more then adequate.

 

[TJGTA]

thank you very much for the replies and input. It's very valuable.

Considering my limitations of location, opportunities with respect to range, and differences in 223 and 22lr etc. i am leaning now more towards .22LR but a mid tier one likely a tikka, bergara or maybe even ruger precision. Going to spend on optics that i could use in case in the future if i get to a point where i can use a 6.5 creedmoor rifle.

I think i will test this out for a year and participate in a 22LR match or two which are more frequent near my location.
That said I do plan on check out ORA as borden base isnt too far. If things work out I can advance towards larger calibre else no harm done.

 

[rugbydave]

thank you very much for the replies and input. It's very valuable.

Considering my limitations of location, opportunities with respect to range, and differences in 223 and 22lr etc. i am leaning now more towards .22LR but a mid tier one likely a tikka, bergara or maybe even ruger precision. Going to spend on optics that i could use in case in the future if i get to a point where i can use a 6.5 creedmoor rifle.

I think i will test this out for a year and participate in a 22LR match or two which are more frequent near my location.
That said I do plan on check out ORA as borden base isnt too far. If things work out I can advance towards larger calibre else no harm done.

If you get a Bergara B14R it has the same Remington 700 footprint as most custom centerfire actions so you could get a B14R barrelled action, drop it in an MDT XRS and mount the optic of your choice and have a great rig for .22 PRS and then when you decide to get into centerfire you can get a barrelled action with the same R700 footprint and re-use your chassis and optic.

 

[TJGTA]

If you get a Bergara B14R it has the same Remington 700 footprint as most custom centerfire actions so you could get a B14R barrelled action, drop it in an MDT XRS and mount the optic of your choice and have a great rig for .22 PRS and then when you decide to get into centerfire you can get a barrelled action with the same R700 footprint and re-use your chassis and optic.

oh that's a great point. Helps me narrow down my choices.

 

[cosmic]

You might want to nail down a membership at a range first. Most ranges around the GTA have capped memberships with waiting lists.

 

[TJGTA]

You might want to nail down a membership at a range first. Most ranges around the GTA have capped memberships with waiting lists.

Member at East Elgin. But yes waiting lists are insane in gta.

 

[azelyk]

Honestly if you are going to look at 700 footprint 22's I'd skip the bergara. They have a habit for breaking in very strange ways, primarily the bolt. At the NRS club finale 2/3 years ago we had like 10-15 bergaras break over the course of the weekend.

I think the best route now if you aren't going to go Vudoo, RimX or Duece is CZ457. It is really seeing a resurgence in popularity in the RPRS world. Decent amount of aftermarket support and you have the ability to move from production to open with upgrades if you want. The action is also much smoother then the B-14R

 

[Mysticprecision]

Start with Rimfire as there should be plenty of PRS and NRL H matches. All the same learning (more actually) for 20 to 40cents per pop vs $2 to 4 per bang.... and that doesn't include the reloading infrastructure you will also need.

Last time I checked in BC, there were over 15 rimfire matches and a couple of centerfire ones. Way more accessible game and far more places to shoot/practise.

If going rimfire, don't worry that it is not 700 based. The handling is different regardless and can save you a ton of costs if going with a CZ... or even a 10/22

Welcome to the game and enjoy the journey

Jerry

 

[TJGTA]

Honestly if you are going to look at 700 footprint 22's I'd skip the bergara. They have a habit for breaking in very strange ways, primarily the bolt. At the NRS club finale 2/3 years ago we had like 10-15 bergaras break over the course of the weekend.

I think the best route now if you aren't going to go Vudoo, RimX or Duece is CZ457. It is really seeing a resurgence in popularity in the RPRS world. Decent amount of aftermarket support and you have the ability to move from production to open with upgrades if you want. The action is also much smoother then the B-14R

Honestly so far it looks like cz457 are the most affordable and good quality. Based on Everything i have read online and what gun sellers have in stock. I am looking at the varmint, MTR or At One.