Applying For Fac , But What's Best For Different Quarry

[Alsone 789]

Whereas I don't disagree with anything said above, unfortunately what is the law and what FEO's do, can be two different things.

 

In my own case, there were no grounds for refusing what the FEO refused on a licensing application. The BASC said so. The BASC made long representations. Everything was ignored with a formal refusal being issued.

 

In the end it finished up in Crown Court with barristers and although I won, it took about a year from the application to the case, and involved a lot of hassle in gathering evidence / speaking to the BASC / faxing the police. Both the Court expert and the Court agreed with my / the BASC position, but it still finished up there in the 1st place.

 

At the end of the day it is individual, but I personally fully understand those who either don't want to risk upsetting the FEO or face a Court case to prove a point.

 

I guess the point I'm making is that if you're going to stand ont eh letter of the law, then you need to be prepared to follow it through as the FEO might not always back down, even if they ARE wrong!

[stillair1 16]

I started off by advising considering the hornets .17 and .22 and i stand by that advice.

If fox is involved at greater than 100yds as you have stated then you will need something more substantial than a hmr. My mate has a .17 hornet and i used it to shoot a few rabbits with him last night, not a mark on them and very flat shooting. I think they are ideal for quarry up to fox size to 200yds and up to 300yds on corvids, rabbits.

 

On my mates first outing with the .17h, he also body shot a few rabbits which were unmarked. Swizz we thought. On the next outing the more expected damage was found .

 

 

Edited August 24, 2014 by stillair1

[Agent Orange 0]

 

160 yard Rabbits 'easy' 17hmr. (yeh right)

Check your range with a laser not your fantasy matey I don't think so.

That's a long way, you can't even see a Rabbit properly from that far let alone 'head shoot' one, with

a crap airgun scope.

Don't get carried away with range.

:hmm:

 

What may be easy for some is impossible for others, don't be too hasty to jump in.

 

My furthest rabbit with a HMR was 258 yards witnessed and confirmed on a range finder, another pal took one at 285 yards. These are one off shots and I would never suggest that was the norm, the circumstances and situation came together to allow these shots.

 

I have taken many a rabbit at 160 yards with my HMR but I would again suggest that if anyone considers they need that distance regularly they should consider something more than a HMR, possibly a .17 or .22 Hornet.

 

Most of my shots are under 150 yards, I need to give careful consideration to the shot if I am looking any further than that with a HMR, but 150 yards +++ is definitely achievable.

 

ATB!

 

So you were content to take a shot at 258 yrds and be confident you would have a clean kill on a 1" target area? I don't care if it was a one off shot, it certainly wasn't a considered shot, because nobody would be confident of not wounding the quarry at that range and it finding a hole to die slowly in. pretty dumb ass admission IMO. What were the circumstances and conditions??

 

[celticrusader 78]

Well tbh if you have good enough magnification and the right circumstances it is easily achievable but things have to be taken into consideration, also at that range it does not necessarily have to be a headshot but an upper body shot.

 

Don't forget this calibre was marketed as a 200-300 yard gun originally and the majority of people barely stretch it outside of the 150 yrd range.

 

To say it was not a considered shot I believe is a bit harsh as you do not know the circumstances to judge, also I believe you have to take into account that you'll never be able completely irradicate the problem of an animal suffering and retiring to a hole to never be seen.

 

One occasion I've seen this happen and its been when a rabbit has done a uturn on the spot and been clipped on the back end.

Edited August 25, 2014 by celticrusader

[Agent Orange 0]

Well tbh if you have good enough magnification and the right circumstances it is easily achievable but things have to be taken into consideration, also at that range it does not necessarily have to be a headshot but an upper body shot.

 

Don't forget this calibre was marketed as a 200-300 yard gun originally and the majority of people barely stretch it outside of the 150 yrd range.

 

To say it was not a considered shot I believe is a bit harsh as you do not know the circumstances to judge, also I believe you have to take into account that you'll never be able completely irradicate the problem of an animal suffering and retiring to a hole to never be seen.

 

One occasion I've seen this happen and its been when a rabbit has done a uturn on the spot and been clipped on the back end.

 

Fair points. However I wouldn't be inclined to admit online taking a shot at those sorts of ranges. My own hunting range limit is 120m anything beyond I try and stalk closer to or await another day.

[celticrusader 78]

Very true...I do myself but we all know of the elusive ones that avoid us, in some fields I shoo they are so open and flat that by just entering one or two if them is enough for them to scare off for the night, so we sit at the required range which in my case is about just under the 200 yrd range but they are generally taken between -160yrds depending as there is a lot on the land and the position we use is very similar to a firing point... Raised ground with an over view of the field.

As I'm out tonight if the weather permits I will post a PIC as I can show you as to what I mean.

[Rowan 308]

Personally I enjoy going out with my .22 rimmy , a good calibre to either build you experience on and to keep as a good all round bunnie rifle . I however do not hold with the long range shots , good luck if you are confident enough too , but part of the fun for me is the stalk ,(If you can stalk bunnies).

The vast majority of my shooting is 80yrds and less.

[celticrusader 78]

Oh I do agree Rowan and that's why I keep my .22 lr semi auto for those closer encounters and especially for stalking in as close and quiet as possible.

 

Its all about what the environment dictates or allows and as these rifles are tools its about what's required at that specific time/venue.

 

One thing is sure and that's by having higher magnification on a hmr for this job I/you or anybody would restrict there closer range shooting if you had something like a 6-24 x50 so a bit of thought has to be taken into account on what setup is to be used.

 

You will loose out in one way or another regardless on setup as we've all been out and wished on something different at that time for a specific job whether it be the repetition of a semi auto and quietness of a subsonic or the flatness and distance of a 17hmr.

[Elliott 436]

Personally I feel shooting the HMR past 200 yards is irresponsible. Even the V-Max bullets don't expand past these ranges and instead drill a .17 size hole through whatever they hit.

 

If the target is a rabbit, chances are it will bleed out slowy. Don't draw any similarities between a .177 pellet either. Travelling at much slower speeds the soft lead pellets deform much more than HMR ammo, causing more internal damage

Edited August 25, 2014 by Elliott

[Deker 3,478]

 

 

160 yard Rabbits 'easy' 17hmr. (yeh right)

Check your range with a laser not your fantasy matey I don't think so.

That's a long way, you can't even see a Rabbit properly from that far let alone 'head shoot' one, with

a crap airgun scope.

Don't get carried away with range.

:hmm:

 

What may be easy for some is impossible for others, don't be too hasty to jump in.

 

My furthest rabbit with a HMR was 258 yards witnessed and confirmed on a range finder, another pal took one at 285 yards. These are one off shots and I would never suggest that was the norm, the circumstances and situation came together to allow these shots.

 

I have taken many a rabbit at 160 yards with my HMR but I would again suggest that if anyone considers they need that distance regularly they should consider something more than a HMR, possibly a .17 or .22 Hornet.

 

Most of my shots are under 150 yards, I need to give careful consideration to the shot if I am looking any further than that with a HMR, but 150 yards +++ is definitely achievable.

 

ATB!

 

So you were content to take a shot at 258 yrds and be confident you would have a clean kill on a 1" target area? I don't care if it was a one off shot, it certainly wasn't a considered shot, because nobody would be confident of not wounding the quarry at that range and it finding a hole to die slowly in. pretty dumb ass admission IMO. What were the circumstances and conditions??

 

 

 

Nope, it was very considered and calculated, my shooting partner first pointed the bunny out at around 360 yards and suggested I could make it, I probably could, he knows how I shoot, but as it happens I refused until I got into a position I was confident about. I am not a trophy hunter and I don't care about the size of anyone dick, if I am happy I do it. My furthest bunny with a .22lr was actually a baby, 192 yards with subs, the very day after I spent all day shooting it at at 200 yards at Bisley!

 

Such is life. Some of us can. But perhaps you would be well advised to note my entire post! I have used my HMR at 600 yard on the range, and I am shooting at 1000 yards next Sat, so don't be too hasty to make an ill considered judgement!

 

You are welcome to your opinion!

 

And no doubt you will have another after this, you are welcome, I chance ISP tonight and the new one isn't in place...so crack on unchallenged!

Edited August 25, 2014 by Deker

[ProGunJohn 2]

When I apply for my licence, I'll be wanting it for bigger game. Ideally would like to take hunting trips and bag myself a deer.

[charlie caller 3,654]

What kind of bigger game? And what sort of "hunting" trips are you considering?

[ProGunJohn 2]

What kind of bigger game? And what sort of "hunting" trips are you considering?

 

Deer stalking up in scotland, a couple of my mates pay to do it every now and then

[celticrusader 78]

Well I hope for your sake progunjohn that you can get that first off, unless you have land to shoot deer on and have previous experience with cf I doubt your first rifle would be for that otherwise every would be stalker in the UK would already have one...and that would predominantly be people who lack the necessary experience first off instead of the people who are genuinely professional.

If you do lack that requirement then by going from the bottom up like starting with rimfires is a necessity in an feo's eyes.

Edited September 4, 2014 by celticrusader

[ProGunJohn 2]

Well I hope for your sake progunjohn that you can get that first off, unless you have land to shoot deer on and have previous experience with cf I doubt your first rifle would be for that otherwise every would be stalker in the UK would already have one...and that would predominantly be people who lack the necessary experience first off instead of the people who are genuinely professional.

If you do lack that requirement then by going from the bottom up like starting with rimfires is a necessity in an feo's eyes.

 

Had plenty experience with rifles on ranges, to be honest it's 50/50 whether I apply or not, as I'm possibly moving to the states. So I'm trying to decide what to do because if I go to the states next year, it's not really going to matter anymore. So I'll keep going to the ranges until then