I'm looking at getting into a bit of shooting, haven't done anything much for years. Used to chase rabbits and foxes on the farm as a kid, have also been pig hunting a few times. I thought a few of the members on here would be able to give me some ideas on a couple of rifles. I am thinking of a 270 which can be used to hunt deer, goats and pigs etc... and a 223 or there abouts for smaller game like foxes & roos etc....

What are your thoughts on these choices or any other ideas would be appreciated.

Cheers...Brett

gday brett

this is my post from another topic

"i own a 204 ruger with the heavy barrel, target stock 2 stage trigger and fitted with a leopold 12 power scope. and all i can say is - the thing is awesome. i reload my own ammo, and using 32 gr projectiles, i am getting just shy of 4200fps, and a point blank range of 270yds. the big advantage of the 204 is they are flat shooting. i have mine set to shoot 0.6 of inch high at 100 yds, which gives me a 200yd zero. to me - the big advantage of the 204 is the fact that it is a very efficient calibre. i am only using 29grains of powder to achieve that speed and accuracy. also, been a light load, it makes the gun an absolute pleasure to use, with very little kick, and barrels last a long time using such a small amount of powder. now sure - they arent as fast as the 220 swift or some other calibres, but it's a matter of horses for courses, and i am totally pleased with mine. the way i look at it - if you had a 223 or a 220 swift, you wouldnt get rid of them and by a 204, but if you didnt have a small calibre centre fire, then getting a 204 is a no brainer."

Haven't used a 204, but can see its purpose.
In my mind, if i was to buy two rifles, i'd go 30-06, same sized cartridge as 270. (270 is a necked down 30-06) You get a wider range of bullets in 06, and the recoil is actually less than the 270, in most rifles.
Second would be a 243, minimal recoil, quieter than 22-250, wide range of projectile sizes, accurate cheap to run. If you're into reloading, this is where the 243 stands out. Hornady makes V-max bullets down to 70gn. Being long for their weight, they stabilise in a normal twist barrel. You can load them to just over 4000fps, great for rabbits to goats. Then load up a heavier projectile for bigger pigs, deer etc.
The main reason for my choice of the two is, if you're in a back country town, and need some ammo cos you forgot it, or shot it all. Most, if not every store that sells ammo, will sell 30-06 and 243 ammo.

Thanks for the info guys, it's certainly gives me a couple of extra things to think about. Mazza, A bloke mentioned to me about the ease of buying amunition for the standard caliburs in smaller towns, probably wont be an issue with me but it's certainly something to take on board as you never know untill you need amo.

Cheers...Brett

Brett if you want to experiment with calibres I have a .270, 30.06, and a .300 win mag that your welcome to have a shot with.
Personally like mazza said I'd be going for the 30.06.
Another thing is if your thinking Sambar deer the minimum calibre is .270
Heres a young Sambar I found last weekend mmm yummy

Speaking of Shelly was in the area a couple of weeks back on the bike with the Stable boys and almost managed to take out a Fallow doe, I pulled the front wheel up but missed her thankfully, sh#t myself I can tell ya, was doing about 80 k's

Thanks for that Jonsey, might take you up on that. Could have turned out nast hitting a deer at 80k's.

Cheers...Brett

Nice young eater jonesy!!
I hit a sambar doe about a month ago up near mt beauty with my suburu!!! Thankfully i had hit the brakes pretty hard and almost come to a complete stop when i hit it. It was running donw the centre of the road, and i actually overtook it, then it ran back past me and turned left into the front of my car....
As for rifles, i havnt used a large amount of them, but i like the idea of a 30-06. One of my best mates has one, and he reckons its brilliant because he can load it right down for fox's or right up for sambar. I was told i should buy one when i bought my 308.
People say the .308 is undergunned for sambar, but i have shot 3 sambar with it and they all fell on the spot.
Havnig said that i havnt shot a stag with it....YET!!lol
I think bullet placement has a lot to do with how effective the gun is.
The 204 looks and sounds the goods. People that own them love them, like budgie. I would like one myself, but if you want to shoot roos on a permit theyre under calibre. .223 is the minimum legal kangaroo calibre.
Personally, if i was in your situation, i would buy a .223 for roos and fox's, and a 30-06 for pigs and deer.

Don't worry about your 308 there wang. I used to have one, prob shot over 100 sambar with it. And it handled them fine. Most of my mates all used, (some still do) 308's and have probably shot more deer collectively than most blokes would even see in a lifetime!!. Placement is the key. Doesn't matter whether is an elephant gun, or a 22. A rabbit hit in the butt, will get away, so will a deer!
The best answer to what gun, is find one you can comfortably shoot. If you can't shoot it well, you won't hit what you're aiming at. Bigger isn't always best!!

Spot on Mazza