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Thread: 2nd rifle.
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09-12-2020, 09:36 #11
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- Stella
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Re: 2nd rifle.
Would you please give us some extra information:
- must it be a rifle (how about a shotgun - it makes for great fun with clays!)
- how much experience do you have?
- what are your interests ie how about big bore shooting?
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09-12-2020, 09:44 #12
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- Aug 2011
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Re: 2nd rifle.
I have a shotgun and must admit, we love clay days!!
I have a .22 so my youngest can join in the fun.
My boys are really proficient with all my firearms, 9mm, .22, 12g end 30-06.
There will be mostly range time but ever so often boys will be boys and I'll take them into the veld.
Sent from my SM-G988B using Tapatalk
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09-12-2020, 10:19 #13
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- Jul 2012
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Re: 2nd rifle.
Well 222 or second 223. 243 and 22-250 both love going through barrels.
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09-12-2020, 10:24 #14
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09-12-2020, 10:28 #15
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- Nov 2011
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Re: 2nd rifle.
My vote goes in this order:
.22lr if you haven’t got one yet.
.260Rem/6.5x55 if you want a smaller caliber for Freestate Springbuck hunts.
.300WSM if you want a bigger caliber if you foresee some Kalahari or EC hunting larger game.
It is also a good time to buy some of the last .375H&H CZ’s that are around.
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09-12-2020, 10:29 #16
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- Apr 2013
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- Bryanston, JHB
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Re: 2nd rifle.
If you reload, a 6x45 (223 necked up to 243) would be ideal for what you described. Minimal recoil calibre well-suited for kids and bushveld applications.
6.5 Grendel would also be good but you'll need to reload for that too as factory ammo choices are limited.
As a factory option a 243 would work, especially with a silencer. 22 Centrefires are cheap to feed but very limited for hunting purposes, especially in the bushveld.
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09-12-2020, 22:22 #17
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Re: 2nd rifle.
9.3x62 or 375 h&h for bush
Your 30-06 can be used for plains
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10-12-2020, 07:17 #18
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Re: 2nd rifle.
I concur with Wesley, either a 6,5x55 or 260Rem would be the ideal companion for a 30-06. Light on recoil, wide range of bullet weights available, easy on barrels, excellent penetration, accurate, minimal to acceptable meat damage, fairly good ammo and component availability. You cannot go wrong with anyone of the two.
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10-12-2020, 11:45 #19
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- Dec 2010
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- Philippolis
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Re: 2nd rifle.
The .223 is an excellent choice for practice on the range and for close to medium range pest control, it has very limited application as a hunting rifle. A lot of farmers won't allow its use at all. If you hunt on your own land this is not a problem but it doesn't make the .223 a good choice for hunting either.
The smallest caliber I would choose as a second hunting rifle is a 6.5mm. I have had considerable experience with the 6.5x55 and the 6.5 Creedmoor, there is no difference between the two as far as performance on game is concerned. The .260 rem falls between these two, so it will deliver the same performance.
A 6.5mm in a sporter weight rifle is light enough and recoil is mild, so it will be a good choice for children. A 6.5 with premium hunting bullets will efficiently handle anything from steenbok to kudu sized animals in the bush and it also makes a good open country hunting rifle. Despite them being very different calibers there is a good deal of overlap between one of the 6.5's and the .30-'06 when it comes to hunting. This is a good thing because it can serve as your backup hunting rifle should your .30-'06 be out of action for a while.
So, if hunting is important to you, bypass the .22 center fires (you already own a .22lr for practice) and get a 6.5mm, any of the three mentioned above will work.
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10-12-2020, 19:38 #20
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Re: 2nd rifle.
Buy a range rifle, in any flavor you want.
People have this grand idea of another hunting rifle that might hunt 0.05% of its lifetime, while most father and son time is spent on the range, and whiles hunting nobody shoots at the exact time, meaning the old 06 is good for whatever you want to hunt.
Personally, get a Howa 6mm creed, it’s not a little 223, it’s rather flat shooting for the plains, somewhat accurate, can be loaded with 80gr monolithics that can hunt anything up to kudu, no recoil.
I’ve said it a million times, hunting is done on the range, that is the only place normal human folk hone their skills, we simply do not get good at shooting in the hunting field.
Follow your instincts, you yourself said this rifle will see little hunting, so don't ’t buy a hunting rifle.
Rather leave your next hunting rifle to be some large caliber thingamajig that is shiny and nice and whatnot, like a family heirloom 9.3 or similar.
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