[bushtucker]

Gday all
I'm new here, this being my first post. I'm from Australia and I'm looking for my first centrefire rifle. I'm looking at a caliber somewhere in the range of a .222 or .223. I've pretty much ruled out the .222 now cuz of the high cost of ammo. Basically my requirements are something that wont be unusually expensive to run, has reasonable varmint range, a good barrel life, and is suitable for game as small as rabbits at longer ranges and as big as kangaroos out to say 300 meters. I am also looking at maybe a 25-06, which is I have been told a very good cartridge that can be loaded to suit most small to medium game. I'm not sure what I would be paying for ammo though. I also shoot target ( currently only rimfire with my Brno mod 2 ) so that is another consideration, and a 223 would obviously get me into the full bore shoots (military cals) but that is a secondary consideration.
Any suggestions anybody????
Thanks in advance
Tucker

[Dillinger]

First off - Welcome to the Forum. Always good to have some worldy influence around the forum.

As for your question - I have a cartridge you might want to do some research on:

.221 Fireball

My Master Gunsmith has two of them and uses them to go groundhog & other "varmint" shooting every year around April. The barrel life is great, the accuracy is excellent, the ammo cost is very good if you reload.

Very high marks.

The .25-06 is a magnum action rifle, and it does have a lot of applications, but that is a whole lot of round to put through a rabbit.

JD

[dmickey]

If you are still watching this thread, I would consider a .243 Winchester cartridge!

[bushtucker]

Thanks guys,
the .221 sounds like a good round, I have been looking around for some info but havnt had the time to look into it properly yet. Can you tell me why you would recommend it over a .223? Where is it better? I'm guessing barrel life:-) Is it a hard round to reload for?

Yeh my thought process didnt follow thru into what i was typing about the 25-06 but if I bought one I would use it for roos,goats,foxes,pigs,etc. and save the bunnies for my .22 limiting my range to 150 mtrs or so.

I had considered the .243 but thought that its a bit big for bunnies,crows and such and I'd rather get a 25-06 if I was going to go that big.

[ArrizX]

Jeez, I wouldnt even shoot a Kangaroo =/


But anyways, what about the .204 ruger, or a 7mm.

[cpttango30]

I am going to have to say a 223 or 243. The 223 in a platform with a fast twist will get you out there way out there. Plus by using heaiver bullets you should be able to shoot roos. But what the 223 can do the 243 can do better. The 243 is a great cartridge that can be had in many diffirent types of firearms. from AR-15 to Bolt actions and lever guns.

The 243 you can get 57gr varmint bullets that will get you way out there. Then you can jump to 90gr or 95gr noslers for roos and other game that is about that size.

[stalkingbear]

The .223 will do everything you need to do,while enjoying the popularity of being a military round-thus cheaply loaded. It's hard to think of a cartridge that would suit your specific purposes better than the .223. The .243 is also an excellent round,offering a lot more power but loading componets are higher.

[Catfish]

If your not going to load your own I would recomand a .223 with a 1 in 9 twist. The 9 twist for bullets in the 69 gn. weight for the roos and you can shoot 50 gn. bullets for the small varmints. If your going to load your own the .243 would give you alittle more range and the .25-06 a hair more, but the price of ammo goes up with each, not all that much though.