The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Hi everyone,
New member … and it’s good to be here.

Bit of a lengthy intro, so please make yourselves comfortable!
Firstly I’d like to say many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this amazing website. I’ve been very busy convalescing for the last 3 weeks, and so I’ve read lots of the information here, and I mean a LOT of it! Especially the ‘Just starting’, ‘rimfire shooting’ and ‘full-bore rifles’ threads’. The Just starting section has been amazingly helpful

At the very least it’s given me something positive to think about instead of being I’ll!

That of course means that I’m fairly well read for an utter beginner and with bugger all experience, which I know is a very dangerous thing – so please be gentle with me!

At least I now have a good grasp of the different Anschutz models

Background:
I had half a dozen goes with a .22LR Anschutz / jacket and sling over 30 years ago, and really enjoyed it. Then life took a different direction and here I am…

I’m interested in taking up small bore prone target shooting. Then who knows where it will go as I haven’t even shot full-bore yet … maybe Benchrest / Full-bore / ISSF 300m. Some forms of precision / target shooting definitely appeal though.

I’m about to move to the country in about 6 weeks after 40+ years of city living, and found there is a shooting club nearby which has small-bore and full bore

I won’t say where it is 'South West' yet – so as to not be recognised as ‘the beginner with the numptie questions’ - in case they figure out who I am (though the name is a bit of a give-away). I’ll let you know where it is after my first visit though …

Hopefully a visit to the club sometime in December will make a nice Christmas present to myself. That is I can get away from unpacking boxes. Obviously my girlfriend doesn’t know about any of this yet, and is not keen on ‘guns’!

So that means a 6 week wait until I can pick up a rifle again ☹

I had a plan …
Plan A was (note past tense):
Before arriving here, I’d read a lot of the targettalk website (which was really helpful) and had pretty much already made a plan. Yes, I know that having a Plan is a bit weird!

Join a club.
Shoot plenty of ammo on hopefully their kindly lent kit.
Pass probation / get FAC.
Buy ONE x 0.22 LR.
Shoot this for 3 months until I’ve reached expert level (OK – that bit is a joke then).
Stick with ONE basic non-adjustable .22LR (other than cheek piece and buttrest) until I’m scoring 580+/600, however long that takes.
Only then think about a more adjustable rifle or bigger calibres ……… etc.
This I read somewhere being suggested to a beginner, and it seemed to make a lot of sense.

Plan B (the new plan)?
This bit is all a bit tongue in cheek as I won’t be even be shooting a .22LR for a few weeks yet, and haven’t even shot full bore yet.

Just to confirm though, that plan B is not in case plan A doesn’t work out. I can feel Plan A starting to change into plan B because I’ve already been hanging around here too long (and it’s only been 3 weeks now).

It appears that more of what is ‘normal’ (yes – there is no such thing), is:
Forget Plan A!
Get FAC with at least 5 slots on it in various calibres.
Get as large a cabinet, because I’ll probably fill it whatever it’s size
Go out and buy a Full-bore rifle on day 1!
I’ve read here that apparently “everyone needs a 0.308” etc!

Plan A sounds better from a developing marksmanship perspective.
Plan B sounds more likely based on addiction and excitement…

Of course I have no actual plan to buy anything until I have shot lots of different calibres and tried several different disciplines to find out what appeals. You've probably heard that before though i'm guessing.

What was your original plan (even if you didn’t have it formulated as such)?
And what did you actually go out and do?
I'd be interested to know.

I do have some concerns though (also a bit tongue in cheek), but ...
1. Safety: is NOT one of them, as I’m sure that all recognised ranges will be s*** hot on this.

2. Addiction: I’m already thinking that the enjoyment of shooting + learning new knowledge and skills + craftsmanship and engineering appreciation, is likely to become seriously addictive! I’m going to need to earn a LOT more money next year to feed the habit!

3. Cost: I thought a .22LR rifle plus rounds should be affordable. Then apparently kit could double that. Mmmm. Now I’ve seen the cost of scopes / some barrels burn out after 1500 – 2000 rounds. / the cost of full-bore ammo /the cost of higher end rifles and does everybody end up owning several firearms. One rifle may not be enough. It’s looking like this hobby has the potential to bankrupt! … Yikes!!

4. If i end up getting into Full-bore, am i going to end up reloading/handloading due to the cost and accuracy?
Because I really wasn't looking for much more than popping down the local club for a couple of times per week. Could become very time consuming!

4. Car. I had been thinking a nice MX5 for driving around the county might be nice to get on sunny days. Now I’m starting to think:
- how practical is that for carrying a rifle case and kit bag?
- wouldn’t the money be better spent on shooting anyway?
Am I going to end up buying an estate car instead etc?

5. How am i going to tell my partner who doesn't like guns?
(... and no there isn't anything i can 'bribe' her with!)

6. Who am I becoming?
Does everyone who gets into full-bore shooting start to think like this?

I have a few ‘serious’ questions already (obviously) and will pop those in where I think may be a more appropriate place.

Can you tell I’m a bit excited …

Apologies for the lengthy introduction, but I have 6 weeks to wait before I start shooting again, and am still convalescing…

Cheers
Keith

We may have numptie members but there is no such thing here as numptie questions.

dromia wrote: ↑Mon Oct 31, 2022 2:50 pm We may have numptie members but there is no such thing here as numptie questions.

Hi ItsKeith welcome to the forum
Alan

Welcome to the forum Keith. Great to be enthusiastic, just don't go jumping in with both feet and find you've made a costly mistake. Most of us older shooters started back in the day when local clubs (and there were hundreds of them then) only shot .22lr prone, a sling and aperture sights with some sort of BSA Martini was the order of the day. Now - although there are far fewer clubs, there are a multitude of disciplines to shoot. After you have had a bit of a taster, you may find that precision and timed shooting with a cowboy style gallery rifle is your thing, or you might get hooked on muzzle loaders of some sort.

If you're thinking of a fullbore rifle you need something suitable - it may depend on what ranges you will have access too, are there any energy/velocity limits to worry about. If you spend a lot of money on a decent prone .22, could you fit a scope if you decided you would rather shoot benchrest.

If you want a small calibre rifle for shooting out to say 600yds, you might choose a .223. Quite capable with a 1in 9 barrel but not so much with a 1 in 12 barrel. A .308 is always nice to have and a must for some disciplines but you will be handicapped at 1000yds against other calibres in some competitions.

There's a lot to think about - And something else to think about now is that it may take you a year for your FAC to be processed.

Just a few thoughts to be going on with. :)

3. Cost: I thought a .22LR rifle plus rounds should be affordable. Then apparently kit could double that. Mmmm. Now I’ve seen the cost of scopes / some barrels burn out after 1500 – 2000 rounds

Nothing to worry about with .22rf. My Anschutz has had over 100,000 rounds through it and is still shooting better than I can.
Eley used to change their test guns every 1,000,000 rounds.

Itskeith, welcome :)

Hello and welcome

I got as far as Plan A and gave up.
Hi.

Hello and welcome

1. Safety:

2. Addiction: Yeah, too late to worry about that.

3. Cost: a used 22LR can be fairly cheap, many target disciplines can be shot with iron sights but there are also good scopes for little money. Ammo is relatively cheap and barrels don't wear out on 22LRs, I have one barrel only a few 1000 rounds short of a million going through it, much of that at a rapid pace doing minirifle comps.

4. Handloading: not needed but what will you be doing when you are not shooting? You may save a little money but really only see any saving if you load a lot (but then the costs will still be higher). Some find it a ball ache others therapeutic. What you will get is a more consistent round and tailor-made for your needs.

4. Car. An old estate is the way to go, save as much as you can for the shooting - See2. above.

5. If the lady don't shoot she better be good elsewhere. There are plenty of shooting ladies looking for a bullet donor.

6. Who am I becoming? A crazy gun-nut, just like the rest of us who have seen the light.

If you have to ask what you were thinking then that's your issue - don't think, do!

Welcome. But cheap and buy lots. I don't have an estate but i can fit everything in my car, but yeah, maybe leave the mx5out of the choices.
There's some good clubs in the South West but there are also some that are just after your money. Choose wisely