new shoot

[rushty 1]

Hi fellas, wonder if any one can help me. I have just obtained some smashing permission on my doorstep. The farmer wants me to not only deal with the rats but also the rabbits and reynards. I am experienced in air gun hunting for rats and rabbits but obviously I will need something to deal with the foxes. I wo nder if any one can reccomend a rifle (obv. not air rifle) that would treble up and so all three vermin , or, even just the bunnies and the foxes as I could keep the air gun for the rats. I havent got a FAC at the moment so i must get started, to be honest i cant think there will be a problem as I am 50 years old and woked in fire service for 32 of them and got no convictions, any help would be greatly recieved, thankyou.

[waidmann 105]

should not have any trouble getting an fac. i would apply for fac and sgc at the same time( co terminal) it will cost you £60.

do you have any experiance of firearms? someone to show you the ropes?( this may be a condition of the fao)

is the land cleared for firearms?

as a rifle for rabbit and fox the .22 or .177 hmr ( for fox a bigger cal would be beneficial. see other topics on here).

good luck.

[HUnter_zero 58]

I havent got a FAC at the moment so i must get started, to be honest i cant think there will be a problem as I am 50 years old and woked in fire service for 32 of them and got no convictions, any help would be greatly recieved, thankyou.

 

Okay, obviously you have established that your going to need something a little more powerful than an airgun.

I am sure you will have many replies and loads of advice but I'll give you my 2'p worth based on my experience of many years.

First off, I'd apply for a Shotgun certificate. You can take rats/rabbits & foxes with a shotgun but the shotgun isn't the tool of choice for foxes, but that's a good thing. Once you have you shotgun certificate, keep on with that for six months or so and get some experience of firearms albeit a shotgun. Then speak to the Firearms licensing department and ask them if the land has been passed for firearm use and if so, to what maximum calibre. There will be two options, either the land will have been passed or not. If it has, request that you apply for a firearm (rifle) for fox control & general vermin control. A .223 & .22lr will do both and more. It is then down to the Police to decided on your character and suitability. They could do one of three things, first they could say no. They could say okay but you need a mentor, however you have the upper hand as you already shoot the land with a shotgun and have proven that you are safe with regards to the public but just lack experience with rifles. The third option is that they will say okay but only for the .22lr, however they might let you have a centerfire in one or two years time. Obviously this is just presumption but based on the normal course of proceedings.

If the land has not been passed for firearms use (we all need at least on area of passed land to own a firearm, these areas of land are like gold dust to some people). You can then speak to the landowner and explain that you really need a rifle to properly control the foxes and that you need to have a firearms enquiry officer to take a look at the land and speak to him with regards to the fox problem, the firearms enquiry officer will then decide what the maximum calibre of rifle would be suitable for the land and for the purpose you require, then you restart at the above. In the meantime you need to read up on firearms, and firearm use to get a good understanding of the different aspects and types of rifles available.

One thing I will say, is it's not something that will happen over night.

The above is based on my experiences in resent times.

 

John

[jamie g 17]

air rifle for rats 22lr or hmr for rabbits depends on distance. and 223 or 22/250 for fox. again depending on the land you shoot over.

[langouroux 14]

getting an FAC i fine ...but regardless of who you are your first FAC will almost defo come with restrictions on it.

 

if you wanted something for rabbits then either .22LR (cheap and quiet) of 17HMR (fecking noisey a little more expensive but has more "grunt") both of these calibers can drop foxes, and most people on here will have shot both fox and rabbit with them, however getting fox on your ticket for these calibers can be difficult (although i did get them on my first application)

 

the clasic foxing caliber of 22-250 for fox wold be a much better choice. However due it being your first FAC it is unlikely you will be able to use anything that is a centrefire without restrictions again! they are a pain in the back side mate but that life, and its depenmdant on your local constabulary.

 

so to summarise:

 

.22LR ir .17HMR will do rabbits and fox, if you can get it on your ticket to do so , but really a larger caliber is need for old charile.

 

22-250 is a proven fox caliber but unlikely you will be allowed to use it on your own.

 

just one last thing......if you ever think your going to get into stalking then why not go for .22LR for rabbits, just ask IANB f*ck me that man shoots rabbits like they are going out of fashion! and go for a .243 for fox and deer? mmmmm venison!

[rushty 1]

thanks very much for replys guys, much obliged for the sound advice.

[Fishslayer 10]

Savage 24J - .22 mag over 20 ga.

Best of both worlds!