Rifles and guns...

No hand guns for hunting.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/6x6.htm

In some U.S. states, like NJ, only shotguns are allowed because of the density of human population.

Bow and arrow season is longer than firearm season, BTW.

... A hand gun just isn't the best for the sport. They are not nearly as accurate as a rifle with a scope.

Walmart and Kmart sell good hunting rifles in certain US states. You might want to google them.

P.S. It is legal to use a hand-gun in many areas, but it just isn't as easy, and therefore not done.

Hand guns kick a lot. You can brace the rifle against your shoulder, which keeps it steadier. I'm a petite thing, yet strong for my size. I can handle a large gauge rifle or shotgun, but with a hand gun I am very inaccurate.

I'd suggest taking a trip to a shooting range with a friend and trying to fire a few different fire arms. It will give you more of a perspective than posting will.

Hand guns kick up a lot! I've fired a lot of stuff, from a WWII Enfield to a Chinese SKS, to a 12 gauge shot gun, to a 44 calibre pistol and a lot in between. I can't hit a taget with an automatic pistol. The only pistol I ever fired with accuracy was a black powder remake six shooter.

Just a basic matter and I think I have this right. Originally a rifle was a type of gun which had rifling down the inside of the barrel to make the bullet spin. It gives it more accuracy.

People use different rifles for different reasons. A shot gun scatters pellets. Small pellets are used for birds and heavier ones for bigger animals. Rabbits and ducks killed with a shotgun can be full of lead pellets but you don't have to be quite as accurate.

Small animals can be shot with a smaller bore of rifle. A .22 is a very small bullet but you can bring down kangaroos if you are a good shot. The larger callibers bring down an animal faster and with greater surity. I suppose you could kill a rhino with a .22 but I wouldn't count on it!

So it depends upon what he would want to kill.

In Australia you have to be a member of a club to own a gun or have property over about 30 acres, I think. Your local gun club or the police would soon let you know the exact facts.

I've owned pistols and can hit the target. I've shot birds for food with it. I believe the saying is, if your enemy has a pistol run directly away from him. His chances of hitting you are slim. If you weave about you might run into the bullet.

Shotguns are good for birds. Mumut would be much the better authority for Australia. Hunting is a big thing in parts of the US, and in many areas, a lot of people have guns and hunt.

tailstrike said:

i understand i just wanted to know that if you can shoot one hand gun can you use any other hand gun...same with a rifle...

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Yes, basically.

short answer yes, long answer no

tailstrike said:

i understand i just wanted to know that if you can shoot one hand gun can you use any other hand gun...same with a rifle...

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Sort of.
You'd probably be able to figure out how to turn off/on the safety, although some weapons are made different and it can be confusing at times. If you like a revolver and had never seen an automatic pistol you might take a while to figure out how to load it. There is a learning curve for each weapon even if you are talking same make and model so the person is not likely to be as accurate with a weapon new to them. The question is sort of like, if you can drive a pickup truck then you can drive a mazarati.

It would probably be easier to answer if you specified what particular weapons are in your story.

tailstrike said:

1. What kind if rifle would he use to hunt with that would be profficient for basically all purposes ie killing animals and people if need be?

2. If you are able to use a handgun and a rifle does that mean that you will be able to use any gun or rifle?



Cheers

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1. It depends on what exactly he is hunting; different size caliber, difference if you use a shotgun or rifle varies on what game. But you can kill a person with almost any long gun.

2. Generally, yes. If you can shoot, you should be able to shoot either equally well. I learned to shoot very young and my dad made sure I was proficient at either. That said, however, my accuracy is far better with a long gun (rifle or shotgun) than a handgun.

A 30/30 or 30 aught 6 are great all around guns. The first is a bit more compact and can easily take down deer and other animals(e.g. people), accurately at ranges up to a few hundred yards. The aught 6 is a bit bigger, and is accurate out to about 800-1000 yards. It's basically a similar caliber to what typical sniper rifles and the like are, and is capable of taking just about any large game short of a water buffalo/elephant.

Also both guns are abundant, and the ammunition is cheap and widely available.

There's a difference between "more old fashioned" guns and automatics - revolver versus automatic handgun; single shot rifles versus multi-shot rifles versus automatic clip rifles. A lot of this difference is in how the guns are loaded and how many shots without re-cocking you can fire once the gun is loaded. Your MC would be able to shoot with any of these guns; the question would be how quickly he'd be able to figure out how to load and cock the guns.

The second issue would be caliber of the guns and accuracy/ ability to fire a second time. If the MC is used to shooting .22s and has to use a .44 or .45 handgun or a 25-06 or 30-06 rifle - there's a big difference in the kick which affects accuracy and even desire to fire again. Puma

ETA: On what rifle he'd have to hunt with - a lot depends on what he's hunting for. A .22 would be fine for a rabbit or pheasant but a 25-06/30-06 would tear those small animals up pretty badly. On the other hand, you wouldn't go hunting for a bear with a .22.

Many hunters will also carry a powerful pistol, in case of bear or boar attacks.

(I guess in Australia it would be crocodile attacks)

If it was a life or death situation and someone was stuck with a pistol they had never used before, it might well get them killed if they can't find the safety/safeties.

The only example I can think of is a remote control. You've got simple ones that are basically a number pad, power, volume, and channel controls, but you can go up to those giant universal remotes with a hundred buttons or more. Someone who's only familiar with a simple remote will likely be overwhelmed, while someone familiar with a complex remote will be left wondering if they're missing something.

All guns are NOT alike. The basics of point + shoot are, but the details aren't, and that's what will get you killed. Safeties would be the biggest problem since there is such a wide variety used and they're different for just about every model of gun out there. You have to know how to turn them off or disable them before you can fire the gun; otherwise you've got nothing but an expensive club.

For example, my Ruger P-95 (a semi-auto pistol) has nothing but a decocker on the slide, while my uncles 1911 has several safeties, including one on the side that someone unfamiliar with the gun might never notice in an emergency situation.

Also, reloading is different for different guns. Magazines, clips, speedloaders, popping out the cylinder and putting another one in...you need to know different things depending on the gun.

Yes, someone could do research and be familiar with different types, but you can't be familiar with a single gun and expect to automatically know the intimate workings of all others.

Actually, I have gone hunting with a Thompson Contender (single shot, changable barrels) with a 10" barrel, 41magnum, with a 4x scope. Took a deer down with almost no problem. Lean against a tree for a little more support and dropped it in its tracks.

Some people prefer a revolver over an automatic. I have a friend who has trouble with the auto because they flinch when they see the round being ejected. Luckily, I've never had this problem. I also carry a Walther P-38 9mm, and I can put 7 out of 8 shots in the head of a target on a consistent basis, but that comes from lots of practice.

Now, with that out of the way, some hunters like using a .30-.30 rifle for a brush gun. Slightly less powerful round, but it will go through brush and low hanging limbs with less deflection because it's moving a little slower than a .30-06 round.

Other people I know like using the 7.62mm round (.308 Winchester) to hunt with because it does hit with a larger impact and the rounds are fairly easy to come by. Lots of manufacturers make rifles like this because 7.62 is (was?) the NATO standard round although the 5.56mm round (.223 caliber) is what the U.S. uses (The AR-15 is a popular civilian version of the M-16/M-4 carbine).

Also, depending on what you're hunting, a 12-gauge shotgun is easy to use once you get used to the kick. Some go hunting larger game with 12 gauge slugs while others swear by 12 gauge buckshot . . . some even come in a 12 gauge magnum version (little more powder behind the shot).

1. What kind if rifle would he use to hunt with that would be profficient for basically all purposes ie killing animals and people if need be?

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I would say the .30-06 or a 7.62 rifle would make a great hunting rifle. Of course, if he's a treasure hunter and is expecting trouble out in the boonies where he's unlikely to run into the cops, he might have a sawed-off rifle (trim the barrel down to just sticking out beyond the foregrip and cut the stock off behind the hand guard) slung over his shoulder for carrying in and out of tight spaces. Obviously it'll be less accurate with a shorter barrel, but if he's shooting at something within 100 feet, a shorter barrel might be better.

Otherwise, he'd probably carry a handgun for self-defense (10mm, .40 caliber, .45 caliber would be most likely.)

2. If you are able to use a handgun and a rifle does that mean that you will be able to use any gun or rifle?

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Yes and no. I trained on the M-16 in the Army. Could I pick up and use an M-14 or a G-3 or an AK-47. Sure, the basic function is the same. (Insert the magazine, rack a round into place, selector switch from safe to fire, squeeze the trigger.)

Would I be as accurate with any of them as I was with an M-16? Probably not. Each weapon has its own peculiarities, they weigh differently, sights are different, rounds are slightly different. Given time and enough ammo, I could certainly famliarize myself with the weapon, but yes, I could pick one up and spray lead at a bad guy or a charging wild boar. *grin*

Same with a hand gun. A Colt Python .357, a Ruger Redhawk .44 Magnum and a S&W .32 snubnose are all revolvers. Still, each one is going to kick differently, each one likely has a different trigger weight (they fire at different times as you pull the trigger back) and each weighs a different amount. All of these things will affect accuracy initially.

But, these are my opinions. Others may disagree.

If you're fortunate enough to know in advance
what your needs are, then research.
A nice Ruger Mini ranch rifle is a great all
around rifle, compact in either .223 or .30 cal.
High velocity, rapid fire (for defense).
As far as handguns, I think you go one way
or the other, stopping power (.44 dirty harry,
only 6 shots before reloading, so hit what you
aim at), or volume (I prefer Glock 17 or 19 9mm
or model 21 .45cal both with high capacity
magazines
But depending on the year (late 1800's, 50's, 90's future?)
your choices are endless. Remember the more
moving parts and technology the weapon has
the more likely it will fail.
A razor sharp Rambo style blade/kinfe, that can be
attach to a tree limb (making a spear is a great weapon).
A collapsibility crossbow?
Carrying a shotgun with a load (bullet/round)
enough to kill would be quite heavy (if your MC
is carrying extra ammo '00'buck or slugs) if it's
a pump action. A double barrel shotgun is
risky for defensive fights.

my two cents
. . . do I get change?

As has been stated in this thread,

Most guns are very similar in design, so you learn one, you kinda learn 90% of them

Rifles are very similar in design, so you learn one, you kinda learn 90% of them.

Lastly, head to a shooting range and fire a few off. The hardest thing about shooting is overcoming your own reflexes and anticipating the shot. Most people can't and that's why most people (especially with hand guns) aren't that good a shot. But once you learn proper shooting technique, you can be incredibly accurate with a gun and this goes triply so with a rifle.

With a hand gun I can shoot 'make' a smiley face from 20 yards.

With a rifle I can make a smiley face from 60 yards.

God, how that use to piss off the Range Sergeant, "God damn it Mel, it's not a toy!!! Stop fucking doing that!!!"

some people have no sense of humor.

ANyways, in the States, you can go to a range and have a lot of fun shooting for $50, cheaper if you have your own guns (borrow from friends).

I have no idea what it costs in Australia, but I imagine it's comparable.

I highly recommend going to a range if you are going to write about shooting. Otherwise, your writings may come of amatueristic

Mel...

Terrain also makes a big difference. If its wooded or rolling hills or you have moving targets a scope may be more bother than a benefit. Also some weapons are so precise and finely milled that they jam if just a bit dirty. If he's slogging through swamps I'd take an SKS. It's a cheap and scaled down version of the AK47, but durable and will work if you drop it in the mud. The ammo is really cheap.

Look up a local gun club and ask if you can rent a firearm for use at a range. Most cities have indoor ranges. Take a few classes from them or even the NRA. In some places the police will have classes too. It can be a fun hobby.

Interesting, useful, and curious ideas already +2 cents...

Big question, as it depends on a buch of things, like when this story takes place, what your character hunts, and in what kind of terrain and in what part of the day. Wide open spaces require a different tool than dense brush. Heavy or medium-sized game require a different tool than light game. Might want to stick with open sights in some places, but a scope in others. That said...

Hunter and treasure hunter? Need a handy, portable rifle capable of covering the broad spectrum of hunting and anti-personnel applications from urban environments to wide-open spaces to dense brush and forest land? Sounds like you want only one club in your golf bag, so something that looks treasure-hunter-esque might send you looking for an FN FAL type rifle, something with a shorter barrel, a folding stock, a few other refinements, as pictured in treasure-hunting-zeal mode here.

Read about the Australian issue of this type of rifle here. (You'll have to scroll down.)

If your characters wants something with similar range of application but in a different configuration, a sort of in-between-mode, he might tote an M1 or M14 or one of the modern Springfield Armory offerings in SOCOM/Scout variation. You can look at these gadgets here.

If your guy's rifle is mostly a wide-open-spaces hunting tool, stick with .308 (as in aforementioned rifles) give him a bolt-action with a long barrel and a scope.

As others have said, knowing how to operate a few types of handguns or rifles doesn't mean your character would know how to operate all of them. The more familiar he is with the most common types, though, the more likely he'll be able to operate what he'll likely encounter. Should your character pick up an Adams type revolver, though, with its spurless hammer and a couple of frame-mounted levers, one of which is a safety, and all he's used to is, say, a Colt Python, he might be screwed if he needs to use it in a hurry.

Twenty YARDS? Zowie!

dgiharris said:

With a hand gun I can shoot 'make' a smiley face from 20 yards.

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I aspire to such skill. Have to ask, What type of handgun, what caliber, how many rounds fired to make the dots, at what pace, on what kind of target (b27? b21? something else?), are you using an optical sight, and is this shooting from a rest or unsupported?

tailstrike said:

I am in need of opinions and views about rifles and guns...mainly because i have never used one...My MC is a hunter/treasure hunter...

1. What kind if rifle would he use to hunt with that would be profficient for basically all purposes ie killing animals and people if need be?

2. If you are able to use a handgun and a rifle does that mean that you will be able to use any gun or rifle?

3. If there is anybody here from Australian with firearms and firearms legislation experience i would be greatly appreciative of help with a few things...

Cheers

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Hello, Tailstrike!
As a former Marine and a former fed - I've dealt with both but I'm no hunter... anyway, if a rifle will kill an animal it'll work on a person just as well. I've only had experience with the M16.

As for question 2: being proficient with a handgun doesn't make one proficient with a rifle and vice-versa. Totally different. Also, guns vary by make/model (I think that is what you are asking). For example, I carried a Sig Sauer and prefer Sig firearms. Handguns that are similar in mechanics would be easy for me to pick up and use (ie., H&K for one). If one is familiar w/DA/SA then a 1911 would take a little getting used to but if you are comfortable with firearms -- easy enough to figure out the mechanics. In short, if you know guns, then you can generally pick up an unfamiliar firearm and figure it out.

I hope that helps and you are likely to get a lot of responses on this one. LOL

Great questions with a lot of good responses. All dependent on different variations, a lot of which could fit your criteria.
As a hunter, my personal choice of rifles is a Scoped Remington .270 Boltaction with a 150 grain round. I can put three rounds in the bulls eye at 100 yards and cover it with a quarter. So if you want accuracy & distance, the rifle wins every time over the handgun. With the .270, you would have the capability of killing just about any game in North America if you hit the animal right and it would definitely kill a human. I've seen exit wounds nearly the size of my fist on a whitetail deer before.
As stated in several other posts, a 30-06 is also an excellent choice for a rifle. Until I got my .270, I used a 30-06 & really liked it.
Some people actually do hunt with handguns, but they are generally big bore & often are scoped and/or laser sighted. Those weapons have serious knockdown power. Depending on the scene, that red dot of the laser traveling over your body would get your attention in a biiiigggg way.
My personal choice of handguns is a .357 Magnum revolver with a 6" barrel (no scope on my revolver, I shoot open sights with it). I prefer the dependability and accuracy of a revolver over an automatic - but thats just my own personal preference. A nice feature of the .357 is that I can shoot the cheaper .38 Special cartridge to practice with.
I don't really like any handgun larger than a .357 because I want the ability to accurately use my handgun with only one hand comfortably. With a .44 or .50 or any of the other big bore handguns, the recoil is just too much for me to handle with one hand.
The shooting mechanics for rifles & handguns are also different. Just because you can accurately & effective use a rifle does not mean you can use a handgun. (They both take a little work to be proficient with.)
It can also be different from handgun to handgun. One day I was shooting at the range with my son & I put 6 rounds in the bullseye at 50 ft with my revolver, but when I used my sons 1911 .45, my shots were off a bit. The grips, sights, trigger pull and overal feel of the weapon was different from what I was used to shooting so I had a little trouble adjusting to it.
As a side-note - the day I was at the range with my son, a young guy came in with a 9mm auto and used the classic 'thug' movie grip of holding the pistol sideways and firing. He missed the target with every single round. I can only hope if I ever have the misfortune to face someone with a hand gun, it will be one of those sideways shooters. He, on the other hand, will not be so lucky. Accuracy is a joke when you hold the weapon that way.
If you need your MC to have close up protection, a pistolgrip, shortbarrel 12 ga. shotgun could be a great choice (much like the one Mel Gibson carried in Mad Max). Short, easy to manover and devastating in confined spaces and short distances - especially if loaded with '00' (double ought) buckshot.
I'm not familiar with Australian legislation so I couldn't comment on it.
Sorry for rambling on, hope this helps.

Adrian