jimbob123

Thanks Richiew, yes that's a big help, thank you. I wasn't really sure how comparable the ftlb was so that's a good guide.

I've been using StrelokPro this evening with my 223, and some of the click readings are quite different to the reality. I don't have a chrono so at the moment I'm unsure if the FPS I've entered (from the ammo box) is very different to what I'm actually getting. I use StrelokPro with my air gun too, so it sounds like it's stil recommended for the 22LR if I go down that route.

Good advice re: avoiding ricochet, thank you.

re: pump. It's a nightmare. I get around 20 shots before I have to top up the gun, and the Hills pump nearly killed me. Hence the two dive cylinders

Cheers

Jim

Hi all

Hopefully this post/query makes some sense.

I currently have a .22 Daystate Airwolf MCT FAC (approx 40 ft lb) and a .223 Remington. Both are primarily for bunnies.

The Airwolf is now 8 years old and probably needs a service (£400) and my two 300 bar 12ltr dive cylinders are overdue for hydrostatic testing (£50 each). So I'm looking at swapping out the FAC Airgun for "somethin else."

.22LR seems to be a logical choice, perhaps with subsonic, and the ammo is affordable; not like my tins of 500 pellets of course but much cheaper than feeding the .223. BUT everything I read about .22LR says "ricochet".

So a bit about my requirements. The .223 is for long-range bunnies; I have permission across 250 acres (neighbouring farm). But we do get bunnies in the garden, which is around 3 acres and is surrounded by trees and a field. There are also some neighbouring houses 80-90 metres away, to the side (not in the direction I am shooting). But because of that, both ricochet and noise are concerns. And my nearest dive centre for fills is 75 minutes' drive each way and that's a PITA.

What are your views on what I should do? Keep the FAC Airgun or replace it with a newer FAC airgun? Swap it out for a .22LR? Swap it out for something else?

Over to you knowledegable people! 

Many thanks!

Jim

Hi all

I’m looking for recommendations for a chronograph. I have an FAC .22 air rifle and a .223 Remington. So something that can cover anything between 700fps and 4000fps.

I had looked at the Chrony F1 but it’s out of stock everywhere, and I can’t afford the Labradar, as much as I’d love to have one.

Many thanks

Jim

Thanks all. I'm quite new to rifles (e.g. four days), having had FAC airguns for 8 years, so I'm not at the stage of reloading yet (dummy or otherwise). So I'll get some of the snap caps.

Cheers

Jim

Brilliant  Thanks Pete!

Hi

i have a Tikka T3x in .223 and I am trying to get used to the trigger weight, which is very different to my FAC air rifle.

Rather than annoy the neighbours any more, is it safe to dry fire? Or can I buy a “blank”? Or could I reinsert used cartridges? Or is it safe to just leave the chamber empty and fire?

Looking to avoid damage.

Thanks

Jim

Many thanks everyone, thanks for the quick and very helpful replies.

32 minutes ago, jcampbellsmith said:

I bought a good set off Amazon that was aimed at setting torques on bicycles. I've added a few American sized hex drivers to the set since I got it. Very handy for working on my CZ 457 MTR.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07JKJTDWC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Lots of similar stuff on Amazon. 

Regards

JCS 

Many thanks JCS, I had seen that one too, whilst poking around this morning, so it's great to hear good feedback for it.

Jim

Hi all

Can anyone recommend a reasonably priced torque driver for fitting picatinny rails and scope mounts etc? Much of the stuff I have says max 2nm torque and I have no idea what that "feels" like.

Thanks

Jim

34 minutes ago, Richiew said:

Hi Jim 

glad to help mate as I had lots of fun finding the right rifle and then going with a local dealer to order it from GMK . Lots available at sportsman gun but mostly to order and some were a years wait . A tikka super varmint was nearly a year wait so got the standard varmint and added a tikka picatinny mount myself , so it’s nearly a super varmint but without the adjustable cheek piece. Standard tikkas have 3 shot mags whereas the varmint ones have a six shot one . Plenty of ammo choice at Glasgow fishing megastore including some cheap stuff to get the ball rolling. 
They have a green super varmint 223 1:8” in stock with 2 stage trigger( bonus ). 
Best advice is make sure it’s got 1:8” stamped on the barrel . 
Good luck 

 

Fantastic advice, thank you! This is my first real rifle so it's a steep curve. I really do appreciate your time.

Jim

30 minutes ago, Richiew said:

Hi again 

just checking with StrelokPro and it comes up with ,

52 grain Amax/Eldm hornady at 200 yards with a 100 yard zero, 3144 feet per second speed gives a 3” drop .

73grain Berger at same distance and zero doing 2674fps speed gives 5” of drop . 

Wind drift for a 10 mph wind at 90 degrees is 6” drift for the light hornady and 5” drift for the heavy Berger.

This is actual data from my loads . 
So looking at how the reticle is I’ll aim dead on for 100 and put crosshairs on top of the line of fox’s back for the longer shots . I know you’re doing rabbits so might be best dialling up . 
Zero 0.5” high at 100 yards gives a point blank range for a 0.5” kill zone of between 56 to 138 yards . 

Sounds good, with my FAC airgun I've tried to get a 0.5" zone too, although obviously the ranges are much smaller; I zero at 45 with that. I need to do some resarch on ammo too; since I'm a novice with real ammo (not pellets) I won't be home-loading initially.

Thanks for the link to countryman website, yes, delivery to local RFD will be necessary. I'm rural-ish Scotland, and whilst I have an RFD 3 miles away they are mostly shotguns and very little ammo. So I'll probably get the gun delivered to them, and will probably have to go into Edinburgh or Glasgow for ammo. So I want to make sure I choose suitable ammo to begin with as I'll want to avoid too many trips (I requested more than 150 on the form but didn't get it). Edinburgh Rifles have a reasonable website but I've never dealt with them.

Many thanks for sticking wioth me

Jim

16 minutes ago, Richiew said:

Tikka t3x varmint 20” barrel is 1::8”  . So 1:8 is better than 1:10 . 
 

It’s also synthetic stock so very durable. 

Thank you  

This is going to sound really lame, but when you say "at least a 1 in 9"; would a 1 in 8 be better or would a 1 in 10 be better? I ahd been looking at the Tikka T3x but it's 1 in 12.

Hello

This is little bit related to my previous post here. I finally settled on a .223 and have had my variation approved. I applied to purchase 200 rounds and have been approved for 150.

My previous question provided a wealth of information - thank you - and I'm looking to drill into this deeper. I'm now looking to purchase a rifle and suitable ammunition, and I am looking for recommendations. I've seen recommendations for Tikka rifles, but I don't know which models. I've alsos een recommendations for GGG and Hornady ammo but there's a huge price difference between them. There's also a huge difference in 200 yards drop between GGG and Hornady due to the different gr. And then there's barrel twist....

Can anyone report on their experiences? Ideally, I want to zero around 100 or 150 and then have predictable and low drop out to 200 or so.

Apologies if these are lame questions, I come from an FAC airgun backgroun with a tin of 500 JSBs

Many thanks

Jim

I’m really chuffed with all the info I’m learning here, thank you everyone. I’ve posted my Variation today, so the next few weeks will decide the future. Barrel twist is not something I had even considered; lots to learn.

Jim

On 3/24/2023 at 8:02 PM, Richiew said:

Hi there 

if your buying ammo then GGG stuff is very good and not stupid prices and uses a quality Sierra bullet . Geco is good and also sako 55 grain soft points , last batch £22 for a box of twenty . Rifles wise I use a tikka stainless varmint with 1:8” twist ie one full turn in 8” of barrel which suit the target type heavier bullets and also the 55 grain standard factory ammo . A slower twist is better for the lighter bullets but that may mean more meat damage . Been watching capercaillie and ptarmigan hunting in Norway with lapua target bullets, good shot placement means a clean kill with a pass through and minimal meat damage. Good backstops needed though. 
Happy hunting 

Excellent information, thank you so much. I have lots of research to do!

Thanks Richiew that’s very helpful and useful. I only have the funds for a single gun, so the .223 will be my option, but I’ve not got as far as even thinking about ammo. The bunnies will be for the pot and my goal wilL be headshots; is there specific ammo you can recommend? And a particular gun, if you have any recommendations? I’ve only got as far as calibre so far.

Many thanks

jim

Thanks popsbengo, yes I've added that on the variation form. I have a mod on my FAC airgun but it didn't seem to make a lot of difference; I suspect a mod on supersonic bullets would be very different though.

I'm going to edit my post. I've been reading more forum posts and I'm now thinking a .223 might be a good option. Yes the ammo is still pricey, but it seems to have both performance and be less wind-susceptible.

Hi

My first post here, so I hope I'm following the rules and etiquette.

I currently have an FAC air rilfe (Daystate Airwolf), rated at around 40 Ft lb. which I use to control rabbits and squirrels around our five acres of ground. I've held my FAC for just under nine years.

I have now very kindly been given permission to do the same on the neighbouring farm, which is 625 acres of arable land, some woodland, etc. The farm owner is fully supportive of me, but is also fully supportive of me applying for an FAC variation and going for something bigger.

So....17 or .22, centerfire or rimfire. Or a .223.

I might not get what I ask for,and might be allowed only a rimfire rather than centerfire, but I want to at least ask for the right thing at the start.

In my mind, the main advantage of the c/f are the reduced drop across the likely target range - for the 17 Hornet 20 gr V-MAX Superformance Varmint zeroed at 100 yards, the drop at 200 yards is only 1.1" But they're about £28 for 25. The r/f equivalent is half the price, but the drop at 200 yards is 8 inches. I may not shoot at 200 yards of course, but I don't want to cut off my options before I even start. I imagine .17 is also more susceptible to wind; I'm used to .22 heavy pellets in the the airgun.

Price of the gun isn't too concerning as it's a one-off, it's the recurring ammo price that's a factor.

The other concern I have is noise/report. Is a .17 hornet (c/f) likely to be MUCH louder than a r/f equivalent? And what about recoil?

And lastly....I like rabbit casserole; is a .17 hornet likely to obliterate the bunny and make it worthless? I always go for headshots with the airgun.

EDIT Since I posted this I've been reading more, and a .223 would seem a good option.  Thoughts?

Ideally I'd go and find someone/somewhere to discuss, but the landowners around me don't seem awfully keen to discuss their kit, and price/noise/recall doesn't seem to bother them anyway,

I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts. And to confirm, this will be bunnies and "on the ground" grey squirrels only, no deer, no foxes.

Many thanks

Jim (in Perthshire)