What do I need now?

[Alberto]

Hi all,

My son and I had our interview at the weekend and all seems good, so hopefully not long now before our FACs arrives in the post.

Our grant should be some .22 Rim fires - bolt action, lever action and semi-auto - plus a .223 and a 7.62x54r in centre fire.

Other than the rifles and ammunition what else will we need for starters? I'm looking for suggestions or advice on equipment or worthwhile guides for beginning gun owners. Plus any other pearls of wisdom if you have them spare.

I'm thinking I'll at least need some bags or cases for carrying and some cleaning supplies. Can you recommend decent affordable makes? Are there beginner kits worth getting? I've read it's a good idea to clean your new guns before first use, so that seems quite an early need. Is there a gun cleaning for dummies or some sort of beginners guide that's worth getting? Are there schoolboy errors to watch out for? We've got ear defenders and glasses already plus cold weather clothing. I assume you accumulate a lot of extra kit as you go along and no doubt some you buy and never end up using. Do I need breach flags, snap caps, a laser bore sight, protective gun socks, dehumidifiers for the cabinet? Anything else obvious I've missed out?

Thanks in advance.


Sent from my boing using "An application"

[Rockhopper]

Deffo breach flags. A spotting scope will be handy as well.

What kind of shooting are you going to be doing?

[BamBam]

Bore snake for .22 and .30 will help to start.
Otis rifle cleaning kit for more in-depth cleaning.
Waterproof case for FAC.
Wellies.

[Mattnall]

It might be an idea to keep it simple to start with and then buy as you need. This will be dependant on what discipline you are going to shoot however.

When I started shooting targets and a while later competitively (mostly at club level but soon progressed to competing at other clubs and ranges) I started with the rifle/pistol, mags and ammo, along with ear defenders and shooting glasses.

After that I bought stuff as I found I needed it. For example, my first PR match in the rain showed me I needed better waterproofs - so later that week I went and got some. I eventually found I needed a gun bag with storage capability for mags, spotter, ammo and the waterproofs along with score books etc, and if I'd bought the nice rifle slip recommended from the club it would have been no good.

Buying it all before you start is fine if you know exactly what you want. I bought a nice shooting mat but found I couldn't use it on the matches I wanted to shoot, it was great for zeroing but zeroing on a mat and then competing on grass or gravel made a big difference, so I ended up zeroing on the grass and gravel and the mat stayed in the gun room, wasted, until I eventually took up a discipline where I could use it.

[Blackstuff]

Ear defenders, shooting glasses and cleaning supplies are all i'd buy until you know what you're doing.

For cleaning supplies I would recommend a tin of 'all in one' type cleaner/lube to begin with such as Napier Gun Cleaner. I comes in massive 750ml tins and is around £12, that should last you months, depending on your cleaning regime. For the most part you do not need to clean .22lr barrels properly so a bore snake would be find to get any big bits out. I wouldn't bother with them initially for full-bore rifles, they're good for getting big bits out and maybe putting some lube/cleaner into the barrel straight after shooting to make things easier later on, but that's about it.

Buy good quality, one piece cleaning rods for your full-bore rifles. Bisley/Parker Hale or Pro-shot type. You'll need a bronze brush and jag for each calibre as well as the correct sized patches. You can get them in bags of 100's on Ebay and they'll last you years.

ALWAYS clean barrels from the chamber to the muzzle, if you can. If the type of rifle doesn't not allow you to do this (my VZ58 doesn't for example), then you'll need a pull-through type cleaning kit, Otis is the go-to for that type of kit. They aren't as good as a rod, but they're the best you can use for that type of gun.

Depending on what type of shooting you're doing you may need spare magazines for the bolt-action and semi-auto. If you're not doing a type of shooting against the clock you'll be able to get away with the one(s) that come with the gun, but if you were to get into mini-rifle shooting for example, you'd want a minimum of 4 x 25rd+ magazines.

I would hold off buying anything else until you know the exact guns you're going to buy as you may end up with a case/slip too short or even too long. You may want to buy some kind of shooting mat (could be as simple as a foam camping roll) to keep you off the wet/gravel.

[Duey]

You will also need bore guides for the bolt action rifles it makes cleaning easier
I would also consider how and what type of shooting you intend doing, target , hunting etc and if your shooting free hand or supported
If supported you will need at least one of the following
A sand filled bag of some description
A bipod
Or a rest

The list is endess and somethings can be very expensive so take your time
Go to a shoot or out with someone and see what kit is used
I will say that with a lot of kit, decide what you want/need and buy the best you can afford or wait and save to get the best as you will waste loads buying kit two or three times over
Buy once cry once

The best kit isn't always the most expensive either, just try to avoid buying crap
All a bit vague I know but there is lots and lots of options of kit available, most of which you probably won't need or use
Take your time

[Dellboy]

Youve got 2 months to get it all together ,after all it is Essex

[JS569]

I'd certainly echoe the guys that suggest build your kit up. I think the cleaning elements listed previously such as rod, bronze brush, jags and oils are a good start.

There's a lot of technical expensive gear out there, which frankly going to and from the range doesn't strain the kit so is it worth it? For example I'd really like an AIM rifle bag for my AR but I can't see it giving me any additional benefits over the £50 'tactical' bag I got off ebay.

I have a B&Q tool box with basic equipment in and an old ammo can for carting live round around in and that's pretty much it. I've gradually put bits together as and when I need them but usually my money is spent on bits for the actual rifle.

[Dark Skies]

And before you go spending a lot of dosh on the 'proper' kit have a bit of a think and see if there's an alternative that does the job just as well for less money.

For example - you can spend £65 and upwards on that fancy fold up khaki shooting mat with a brand name printed on it.
OR
You could pop down to the nearest army surplus shop and buy a rolled up foam ground mat for about a tenner. All it has to do is comfortably cushion you from a wet floor and stones.

You can spend £50 and upwards on that tacticool police patrol bag.
OR
You could spend £20 on a sturdy carpenters tool bag.

Spend your money where it matters - for example on quality cleaning gear from reliable manufacturers that aren't going to leave you with a snapped off bore cleaning brush half way up the barrel. Stay well away from the cheap all in one kits rom China and so on.

[Dahonis]

Cleaning kit, 'nowt fancy as Blackstuff pointed out.
Gun slips, flask and ammunition.
''Tis amazing how much junk you can collect in a short space of time aaarggh