Any hunter or sporting shooter enjoys the anticipation of unwrapping some shiny new hardware tucked under the Christmas tree, or getting a discounted price on that gun they’ve had their eye on during Boxing Day specials. But how do you decide which is the right one for you? Here is some advice to help you get the right rifle or scope so you can ring in the new year with a bang.
Firstly – what are you going to do with the gun? Hunting or Target shooting? Both?
These are two vastly different concepts, but rifles can be modified to bring the two ideas to a more central solution. Moving too far with one discipline in mind may lead to disappointment when your highly-modified target gun fails to deliver the goods under rigorous hunting conditions.
Hunting rifles (equipped with an appropriate scope) require knowing what you are going to hunt. Deer and bear might be a rifle with lower recoil in the range of .257 to 7mm. Whereas elk and moose might suggest 7mm to .308 caliber.
New shooters should be aware of recoil sensitivity. Men may want to get a 300 Winchester Magnum for their wife (a new shooter), but are they just buying a rifle for themselves? Equipping a new shooter with powerful hardware too quickly can be disastrous.
Variable power hunting scopes can start at 2 power and go to 15 (as in 2-10 and 3-15). Larger objective lenses (in the 50 or 56mm range) will improve light gathering, but can be bulky and need to be handled with care.
Buying a ‘target-only’ rifle allows for a higher magnification scope, but shooting targets at 500 meters (or more) requires considerable experience. You will also need to learn about producing quality handloaded ammunition and dedicated practice – a subject for a future article.
Scopes that offer target capabilities may not be suitable for hunting. Hunting scopes will have an uncomplicated reticle with minimal adjustments. Target and long-range scopes will have more ‘bells-and-whistles’ to get your shot dialed-in, but can be overly complicated when that trophy game is in your view – keep it simple to prevent distractions when hunting.
We encourage you to invest some time into reading and research – and to support your local firearms dealers who have the knowledge and experience to help you get the right fit. Once the purchase is made, proper installation and sighting-in are two services our experienced Ridgedale Rifle Club members can help you with to make your shooting experience successful and enjoyable.
