Quote:
Originally Posted by YYC in LAX
I'm highly interested in starting to hunt. I have no guns, permits, or hunting licenses.
1. How much am I looking for start up costs? (The cost for the paperwork and a solid new gun)
2. If I applied for permits/licenses today, how soon could I be hunting?
3. What rifle would you recommend? I don't want a "solid beginner" gun. 30-6?
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1: Your PAL and RPAL cost about $80-$120 each. Best to do them both at the same time. Most people get the R afterwards anyhow, and you save money on the application by doing both at the same time. Just affords you more options if you expand into the sport (like wanting to shoot restricted rifles). After the course, the application fee is $80. Courses can be done almost any weekend, the application is what takes time. There is a mandatory 28 day waiting period for all applications (they call it a "cool down"), and then they get processed. Most take about 2 months from app to having the card in your hand. As for a decent rifle, it depends! Calibre? Stock material? Quality? etc all play into it. You can get decent rifles that will get you going for $500-$700 with a low end scope (bolt actions)
2: Realistically, if you started today, probably by November
3: Budget conscious guns would be ones like Mossberg Night Trains, Savage Axis line. More money, Sako and Remington come to mind. They'll all go bang when you pull the trigger, so its whatever is comfortable for you, and feels nice. I would say a decent beginner calibre is .223, its dirt cheap and very manageable recoil, still good enough to hunt smaller animals (AB regs say its ok for Deer, I'll leave the ethics decision up to you). If you want more, go to .308, once again, very common, very affordable