You had any experience with the browning lever actions? Was looking at one in a .223. Very pricey though.
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Hunting/shooting is like golf need more than one club in the bag. I have a 10 round mag .22 bolt action you could do accurate shots at 50 m every 3 seconds off a bench you don't need pump or lever action
I am going a 30-06 for deer and foxes AB but I understand a 223 will take out foxes no dramas. 223 for rabbits too. Or Shotgun for any of the small stuff at close range for the win. So as Macca says a cople of different guns is likely.
AB the latest rimfire 22's in lever action either browning or marlin are a great thing and for what you want to do they would be great . In saying that they come at a cost , they are more expensive to buy .Cost and preference are the factors to consider. Darren for a rifle scope in 30-06 I highly recommend bushnell elite in 3x9x40. The two that I have are the elite 4200 models but not sure if bushnell still have them or have refreshed or rebranded the model line up . They do the job very well at dawn and dusk ,this time is crucial when stalking deer.
30-06 is way overkill on a fox... I used my .243 on a fox and shot it straight through the head and the round blew its asshole out... its head was almost gone.
I love .204 as one ripping fast round but for more of an all rounder the 22-250 is the roo shooters round of choice.
I myself am not a huge fan of the .223 and the main reason it is so popular is the ammo is cheaper than other rounds due to military applications.
I am huge fan of the .243 and love that it can do so much even on smaller deer.
I also like 30-06 over .308 any day of the week but many who go straight out and buy a big caliber find they hardly get to use the thing and many farmers dont like you using stuff like that on there farms.
Have a 30-06 and thought that may be the case but figured I'd be aiming for Deer in the high country with it.
Been watching the 223/243 debate in a few groups closely. Seems price is the main point of difference. Any idea the difference per round for similar brand?
Was looking at the Browning BLR mainly because it would tick a lot of the "don't currently have" boxes (stainless, lever, takedown) but is quite pricey... Much of a muchness at the moment though given I don't have the money for another one.
http://www.acme-firearms.com.au/Fede...on%20Index.htm
That's a good link just for comparison, $0.92 each for the 223 and $1.58 each for the 243 just as a rough comparison.
Really imo if you are hunting game animals, ammo cost is not a big factor, 1 bullet per deer/duck/pig etc is all you will be doing. It is going down to the range and shooting targets that really gets expensive with the larger more expensive rounds.
223 can leave you wanting. A 243 can be over kill a 22/250 slots in there nicely at about 1 to 1.50 a round for factory ammo is a great all rounder. If you were to have a 1 gun only policy I'd look at a 25-06
I have 3 for a reason 22 for bunnies close fox fun and plinking. A 22/250 if I want fox rabbit roo at night at distance and a 7mm rem mag because I can its cool and will kill anything in Australia
Plus if you get serious you'll reload anyway then the 22/250 makes a 223 it's bitch big tim and is cheaper than factory 223 when you reload.
AB, if you just want a cheap knockabout rifle or shottie, you can pick em up pretty cheap. I got a 2nd hand 22 for Bek for $150 from Centreway firearms and it shoots straight as, snagged another from Melbourne Firearms for $90(ask Johnny about it)and I've picked up a shottie(bit rough around the edges but works fine) for Bek from Clayton firearms for about $250. So you don't have to break the bank.
My first rifle cost $395 with a scope, has knocked over it's fair share of bunnies.
With shotguns, as long as it isn't rusted out/pitted down the barrels(and of course goes bang bang), you really can't go wrong. I've seen single barrel 12ga for as little as $80.