Thread: First rifle considerations

Cheers for the input everyone. Really appreciate everybody giving their 2 cents to a newbie, this forum is really valuable for someone just getting into the thick of things.

Have been looking for a while, especially at that Howa (hence the barrel length question) and with some nudging from you fellas have just hit the buy now.

@-BW- your advice about not stressing too much is much appreciated. I liked the Howas I handled, the optics seem good at the price point, already suppressed, and I like the look of the Boyd stock, well within the budget, so probably best not to overthink it. If it all looks good when I go to pick up then we're away.

We can spend a lot of time worrying about the "perfect" buy but really that can only come with experience. In the meantime here's hoping with a bit of practice I can fill the freezer.

When I got into hunting I had a howa .243 and cut my teeth with it which was perfect. I then thought I knew better and got a 300win mag although shot a heap of animals with it I lost a heap more than I would have with the .243 due to shot placement. I have since gone around in a circle with rifles I’ve shot with. I now shoot a 18inch 308 which I now shoot animals at further distances than I ever would have with the larger calibres due to my set up and the things I’ve learnt. My point is get some thing that’s going to be nice to shoot and ammo available. Which ever calibre you end up with i Guarantee that what you start with is not what you stick with due to multiple reasons. You’ll soon think you need a different caliber or more/ less zoom longer/shorter barrel. Once you have learnt your hunting style and what sort of terrain you end up majority shooting you’ll tweak to suit that.

Originally Posted by MB

Can I ask your reasoning on the bush hunter?

No issue with the bush hunter just isn’t a package (that I’ve seen) that delivers the bang for buck the HNF/Beretta 20” threaded carbine/Burris deal does. Easy to spend 2k and have everything turn key then add suppressor later for someone starting out as opposed to 3k ish by memory for BH package which had less add ons. The guncity packages have the cheap scopes or did every time I’ve seen them.

Originally Posted by Northlandnewbie

No issue with the bush hunter just isn’t a package (that I’ve seen) that delivers the bang for buck the HNF/Beretta 20” threaded carbine/Burris deal does. Easy to spend 2k and have everything turn key then add suppressor later for someone starting out as opposed to 3k ish by memory for BH package which had less add ons. The guncity packages have the cheap scopes or did every time I’ve seen them.

I'm not keen on the packages either. As for the rifle, if you're going to cut the barrel down, you have to weigh up the cost of doing so and cost/hassle of shipping a rifle if you don't have a gunsmith on your doorstep.

The last iteration. I understand the new one will have a standard Tikka barrel.

Tikka T3x Superlite 308 with VX3HD 2-10x42

Maybe slightly out of your budget but will do everything for NZ.

Originally Posted by veryfuturistic

Cheers for the input everyone. Really appreciate everybody giving their 2 cents to a newbie, this forum is really valuable for someone just getting into the thick of things.

Have been looking for a while, especially at that Howa (hence the barrel length question) and with some nudging from you fellas have just hit the buy now.

@-BW- your advice about not stressing too much is much appreciated. I liked the Howas I handled, the optics seem good at the price point, already suppressed, and I like the look of the Boyd stock, well within the budget, so probably best not to overthink it. If it all looks good when I go to pick up then we're away.

We can spend a lot of time worrying about the "perfect" buy but really that can only come with experience. In the meantime here's hoping with a bit of practice I can fill the freezer.

well I very very nearly bought a HOWA 1500 in .308 as it came up so well..but as had lots of lovely .270 components went that way instead. got gunworks to fit suppressor to it as I bought rifle off them... first 11 shots broke in barrel,3 different ammunition types sat in group hovering around an inch at hundred yards,12th shot took a deer. its been absolute dream rifle with zero issues AND you can now buy walnut stock as seperate component for couple or three hundy bucks to replace the hogue if synthetic isnt your thing.
I really cannot fault the howa...trigger is nice enough to shoot well with. yip its a little bit heavy..but Im a lot heavy so no big deal.

my Howa was 1/3rd price of that tikka minus scope.....

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

my Howa was 1/3rd price of that tikka minus scope.....

Sorry MD, it's still a howa!

Sent from my SM-A226B using Tapatalk

For the budget range you could get a nice Howa or Ruger in 308. I've had/have both brands and they are both great shooters. Personally I'd go for the ruger predator, 18", already threaded (which is worth a couple of hundred if you get done later), nice trigger, stock is a bit plastic but is nice and light (I found my howa heavy).

Originally Posted by veryfuturistic

Cheers for the input everyone. Really appreciate everybody giving their 2 cents to a newbie, this forum is really valuable for someone just getting into the thick of things.

Have been looking for a while, especially at that Howa (hence the barrel length question) and with some nudging from you fellas have just hit the buy now.

@-BW- your advice about not stressing too much is much appreciated. I liked the Howas I handled, the optics seem good at the price point, already suppressed, and I like the look of the Boyd stock, well within the budget, so probably best not to overthink it. If it all looks good when I go to pick up then we're away.

We can spend a lot of time worrying about the "perfect" buy but really that can only come with experience. In the meantime here's hoping with a bit of practice I can fill the freezer.

Cool thing with buying in today's market is it's actually pretty hard to go wrong. All the established brands make an accurate, functional entry level bolt gun. Spending more money gets nicer finishes nicer materials etc but they don't make animals anymore dead.

7mm08, 6.5 creed or 308 are pretty much interchangeable.

Likewise with scopes we are spoiled for choice. Lots of awesome options at a good price these days.

Originally Posted by andyanimal31

Sorry MD, it's still a howa!

Sent from my SM-A226B using Tapatalk

Yip which means it not a plastic spastic tikka lol

Fkn top feed mag
Worse invention ever
Inherently unsafe

Let's try not to turn this thread in to a slanging match about which rifle is best. You wouldn't think it, but I'm not a Tikka fanboy. I sold my last one and was pretty keen not to buy another. I've gone back on that because nothing else ticks all my boxes. Your needs may differ.

Out of all the plastic stocks out there my tikka would be the best in a factory rifle.

Originally Posted by blip

Out of all the plastic stocks out there my tikka would be the best in a factory rifle.

Agreed, ergos are still a bit shit, but they are pretty stiff