First rifle questions

[Magnum Banana]

Well I just bought my very first firearm a Remington 700 SPS Varmint in .223

This is my first experience with a gun so I have a few questions

First, Ammunition:
It is my understanding that "armor piercing" rounds are not permitted at shooting ranges. So I can't use Wolf with steel cores right? If not what bulk ammo would you recommend for the range?

Second, Transport:
The guy at Dick's said that it is fine to transport my rifle in my car trunk so long as the bolt is open and the lock is on (going down and out through the floor plate). But I see the law says I need a license to carry? I'm confused

Third, Ranges:
Are there any public ranges near the Mechanicsburg area? When I get there do I just setup and start shooting? Is there a secret handshake?

Sorry for being a newbie.

[BearTitan]

Congratulations on your first rifle! You will enjoy shooting it. With that gun, you can reach out a looooong way. I like to shoot playing cards and eggs with my .223 at 300. Lots of fun!

Originally Posted by Magnum Banana

First, Ammunition:
It is my understanding that "armor piercing" rounds are not permitted at shooting ranges. So I can't use Wolf with steel cores right? If not what bulk ammo would you recommend for the range?

Steel core and armor piercing are two different animals. While you wouldn't shoot steel-cores on an indoor range, there is no reason not to shoot them into a dirt backstop. I find the Wolf 62 gr .223's to be remarkable accurate for the price.

Originally Posted by Magnum Banana

Second, Transport:
The guy at Dick's said that it is fine to transport my rifle in my car trunk so long as the bolt is open and the lock is on (going down and out through the floor plate). But I see the law says I need a license to carry? I'm confused

Partially correct. You need not do anything with the bolt or put any kind of silly lock on your firearm. Keep the ammo and firearm separate enough so that you could not reasonable grab and load the firearm quickly and you are covered. There is no law requiring it, but I like to use empty chamber indicators on my rifles. They are cheap and an easy way to make visual confirmation that the rifle is unloaded. There is no law requiring them.

Sorry I can't help you on ranges in Mechanicsburg, but if you are out West (Pittsburgh), you can shoot PMSC with me anytime.

Originally Posted by Magnum Banana

Sorry for being a newbie.

We are all newbie's. Some in one area and some in another. No one knows it all. Welcome!

[Brown-Bear]

I'll give answering you QA's a try but I'm sure a more knowledgeable member will come along soon.

Ammo; I don't think there is a problem using wolf ammo, I've been using wolf .223 for years. Its cheap, and not the best for cpmpetition, but perfect for killing paper.

Transport; You do not need a liscence to carry firearms (LTCF) to take your rifle back and forth from the range, thats for handguns, and other fireamrs as defined in the firearms code. Just make sure it is not loaded and the ammo is stored in another compartment, or if the rifle is in the trunk, I think you cann get away with the ammo being in box or bag. So long as its not loaded your fine.

Secret handshake; No! Not really. Most at the public ranges are good guys and will probably help you out if you ask. Just be safe and don't act like a fool. I think the closest range to you that I can think of is the PGC range on RTE 74, but you can also check the range sticky under the ranges forum.

Welcome aboard by the way. Now just sit back and wait for the guys to come along and correct my info.

Dave

[Magnum Banana]

Thank you both for your quick replies! Glad to know I can shoot the wolf ammunition. If I bought 500 rounds of ammo and couldnt use it I'd be stuck not shooting my rifle on top of eating ramen noodles . Being a young guy in the IT field does not make for a fat wallet!

[Magnum Banana]

One more question. Are there any kinda "shooting for dummys" classes. I really would like to become proficient. But seeing how I never had the opportunity to shoot as a kid i'm really far behind the rest of you.

[MTechnik]

A few things...

Your Remington 700 is capable of amazing accuracy... the ammo you have, not so much. If you want the minute-of-angle (1" at 100 yards) possible with that rifle, you will want better ammo. Wolf won't hurt the rifle, but Black Hills will get you very good results. You won't be left wondering "did I pull that shot, or was it just a poorly loaded round?"

Make sure you get a good scope and it is mounted well. A great rifle with a cheap scope can make for a very frustrating time.

Shooting for Dummies... hrmm... take a look at the USMC shooting manuals - they'll tell you something about breath and trigger control.

Something else to think about is a .22lr plinking rifle. .223 ammo is expensive - even wolf. You can learn just as much about breathing and trigger control on a .22lr rifle shooting a brick of 500 shots for $11 as you can shooting .223 at a cost of $200 for 500 shots.

Enjoy!

[BearTitan]

Originally Posted by Magnum Banana

One more question. Are there any kinda "shooting for dummys" classes. I really would like to become proficient. But seeing how I never had the opportunity to shoot as a kid i'm really far behind the rest of you.

NRA basic rifle is a great class for you to take. Some may be a review, but it will get you ready to have a fun, safe, time on a range. Here is the link to the page on the NRA site. Looks like a class is coming up in August in Bedford.

https://www.nrahq.org/education/trai...PA&Type=BRifle

Kudos to you for identifying the need for formal training! There is no better, safer way to learn how to handle your firearm.

[Emptymag]

Originally Posted by Magnum Banana

Well I just bought my very first firearm a Remington 700 SPS Varmint in .223

This is my first experience with a gun so I have a few questions

First, Ammunition:
It is my understanding that "armor piercing" rounds are not permitted at shooting ranges. So I can't use Wolf with steel cores right? If not what bulk ammo would you recommend for the range?

Second, Transport:
The guy at Dick's said that it is fine to transport my rifle in my car trunk so long as the bolt is open and the lock is on (going down and out through the floor plate). But I see the law says I need a license to carry? I'm confused

Third, Ranges:
Are there any public ranges near the Mechanicsburg area? When I get there do I just setup and start shooting? Is there a secret handshake?

Sorry for being a newbie.

First of all, do not apologize. There is no need.

Welcome to the forum!

Seems most of your questions have been answered, but I thought I'd mention that Full Metal Jacket(FMJ) Wolf ammo isn't "steel core" ammo.
Multiply the cost by about 4 times for true steel core. (if you can even find any)
And yes, again, FMJ Wolf will be fine to shoot at an outdoor range.

Regarding the "secret handshake", it's pretty much like you did here.
"Hi, I'm (your name here), How are you today?"
Introduce yourself, and without apologizing, explain that you are a new shooter and ask(if they are not readily available)what the range/safety rules are. Don't be afraid to ask questions, either here or on the range. Most people you run into are more than happy to help a new shooter.
After all, we were "you" once, too.

[Magnum Banana]

Thank you all. I look forward to seeing on the range some day

[schmol]

Just a heads up when and if you go to the range BB suggested, you can only have three rounds in your magazine at all times when shooting there...that means no full 30 rounds mags.