New to varminting

[Humphrey106]

Hi there,

I have been looking into buying my first rifle for a while now and am just after some advice. I have shot air rifles for years but am looking for something a bit more substantial. I am not overly familiar with all the lingo when it comes to rifle shooting so bare with me. I would be using the rifle for vermin control, mostly rabbits, hare and animals of a similar size. What caliber rifle should I be looking at purchasing to deal with these sorts of animals ( I have a .22 air rifle which does a job on a rabbit with an accurate head shot but am wanting something that can perform a clean kill from further away). Obviously the subject of 'what make of rifle is the best' is completely subjective but is there a make that I could look out for when it comes to buying my first?

 

Thanks in advance.

[banus02]

.22lr cz and moderator,good subsonic hollow point.good to 70 yards and quiet ,if you want longer range try high velocity hollow points out to 100+ depends on your shooting.my opinion only BUT do not buy a  17 hmr, not reliable not quiet and not cheap to use and has many problems.!

[maximus otter]

“Three shooters, four opinions.”

For just rabbit and hare-sized animals, your best bet would be either .22LR or .17 HMR. Advantages/disadvantages:

.22LR:

Adv: Cheap, quiet (especially using subsonic ammo and a sound moderator).

Disadv: Shorter accurate range (very dependent on your skill, rifle, ammo & conditions, but about 75 yards is sensible), prone to ricocheting, bullets cause less tissue damage at any given range.

.17HMR: 

Adv: Longer range (see above qualifiers, but - if you and your kit are up to it - maybe 150 yards or more), less prone to ricochet as bullets are lighter & faster. Not too light for chest shots on foxes.

Disadv: Expensive (2 or 3 times the price of .22), noisy.

Rifles? You won’t go far wrong with one of the CZ range in either calibre.

Let the shrieking begin...

maximus otter

 

[outlanda]

+1 .17HMR 

[triggersqueezer]

if you live somewhere with great back stops and your on a budget 22lr if you want to hit a tad further with great frangibility something in .17 

[telf]

.22 , decent scope with either half mil dot ret or similar ,rangefinder then get to know your distances to your holdover points ,then practice your field craft , half of the enjoyment is the stalk ,if they get away their there for another day , you should be able to manage 140yds with the .22 with practice and good conditions

once youve mastered that then look at an HMR if needed

[les]

.22 or .17HMR? Go for broke and get one of each. You can pick up good used CZ's for not much money, and the chances are that you will be able to get both for less than the price of one.  😉

Look for CZ 452, CZ453 or CZ455 in .22LR. There are usually quite a few of each - except perhaps the 453 - on Gunstar, Guntrader etc.

 

[dazzer]

what about a FAC airgun I have a 40lb daystate ranger great bit of kit

[gunner]

17 hornet 17 rem , 20 practical / tactical , 204 ruger for varmints light fast frangible bullets are safer than bigger slower lumps . I think you would be wise to go 17 hornet for firstly cal and plod would probably agree . Welcome btw 

[Elliott]

Three questions:

1. What range are you talking?

2. What kind of volume of rabbits are you shooting?

3. Day time or night time? 

My advice:

- High volume day time rabbits: 22LR. I'd go for CZ452 or 455

- High volume night time rabbits: 17HMR. Same rifle as above

- Low volume, longer range: 22 Hornet CZ527. Good out to 300 yards for rabbits. Also option for ocassional fox, sub 200 yards. Preferably homeloaded ammo with 40gr V-Max. 

[Humphrey106]

1 hour ago, Elliott said:

Three questions:

1. What range are you talking?

2. What kind of volume of rabbits are you shooting?

3. Day time or night time? 

My advice:

- High volume day time rabbits: 22LR. I'd go for CZ452 or 455

- High volume night time rabbits: 17HMR. Same rifle as above

- Low volume, longer range: 22 Hornet CZ527. Good out to 300 yards for rabbits. Also option for ocassional fox, sub 200 yards. Preferably homeloaded ammo with 40gr V-Max. 

Hi Elliott,

I'd want to keep the noise of the rifle down to a minimum if possible. Volume of rabbits would be fairly low and it'd mainly be during the day with the occasional night shoot. As for range.....anything from 100-200yards should be more than enough for now.

[Elliott]

10 hours ago, Humphrey106 said:

Hi Elliott,

I'd want to keep the noise of the rifle down to a minimum if possible. Volume of rabbits would be fairly low and it'd mainly be during the day with the occasional night shoot. As for range.....anything from 100-200yards should be more than enough for now.

Out to 200 yards you'd be looking at 17HMR or one of the Hornets.

Noise is about the same, but nowhere near as quiet at a 22LR using subsonic ammo. That's virtually silent. 

I have shot rabbits with the 22LR out to 180 yards, but that's extreme and not something I've done since. Sensible to keep the range of the 22LR down to sub 120 yards.

22LR does have a loopy trajectory, so can be difficult at night when judging distances is difficult. I'd favour the HMR or Hornets for that. 

[Paul Cat]

On 12/17/2018 at 8:40 AM, les said:

.22 or .17HMR? Go for broke and get one of each. You can pick up good used CZ's for not much money, and the chances are that you will be able to get both for less than the price of one.  😉

Look for CZ 452, CZ453 or CZ455 in .22LR. There are usually quite a few of each - except perhaps the 453 - on Gunstar, Guntrader etc.

 

 

As a newcomer myself I'd agree with this (it's what I did). They .22 is good for close-ish work and quiet enough to get a few shots in before the quarry realise something's up. The .17 is good for those spots where I need to shoot across open ground but as quoted above the noise scares most things off.

Where in the UK are you? If anywhere near me you're welcome to come and have a try of each.

On 12/17/2018 at 8:40 AM, les said:

 

 

[sussexsteve]

22 wmr

 

[Vermincinerator]

On 12/17/2018 at 9:32 PM, Humphrey106 said:

Hi Elliott,

I'd want to keep the noise of the rifle down to a minimum if possible. Volume of rabbits would be fairly low and it'd mainly be during the day with the occasional night shoot. As for range.....anything from 100-200yards should be more than enough for now.

17 Hornet will suit your needs perfectly

Ian.

[richard griffith]

Hi.After a while and more experience perhaps you may wish to turn your attention to foxes.Should that be the case the 222 or 223 should be considered-buy once!regards Richard.

[Remmy308]

.22lr for being quiet and a .17 hornet or any .20 cal for putting a smile on your face and a big hole in anything you point it at.