Shotgun Argument!

[langouroux 14]

Please can you guys help settle an argument I have been having with a friend.

 

Are shotguns legal to shoot deer with?

 

I say no, if not legally then certainly ethically! But he says yes dependant of cartridge!?

 

Can anyone clarify?

[socks 32,253]

I regularly shoot red stags with my 410 hushpower ..........

[langouroux 14]

Bell end!

[socks 32,253]

Bell end!

No I already told you the 410

[perthshire keeper 1,239]

yes under certain circumstances.. i had shot a lot of roe with one but will not go into it on hear due to...ejits ......drop me a pm if you want

[walshie 2,804]

Yes, but only a 12 bore and only shot larger than AAA or solid slug.

[scraggoak 46]

yes Walshie is quiet right, http://www.thedeerinitiative.co.uk/uploads/guides/91.pdf

[socks 32,253]

Yes, but only a 12 bore and only shot larger than AAA or solid slug.

No wonder them red stags keep running off ..........

[Hydropotesinermis 724]

It is only legal to shoot deer with a shotgun if they are in an enclosed area for reasons of public safety or for crop protection. If you were caught you would have to defend your actions, prove the crop damage and prove that there was no other reasonable means of control and that you had gone to reasonable measures to reduce the damage..

 

This means you can't just decide one morning to go out and lump into a deer with your 12 bore. If you think you have justification to legally use a shotgun to manage deer then ffs do your homework and make sure you have evidence ready beforehand that what you are doing is legal because it will be up to you to defend your actions should you get caught.

 

For point of fact You can ONLY use AAA shot, not AAA or larger

 

I am not sure where the law stands on solid slug but as far as I am aware if they are conditioned on your FAC then you can use them. I'd have to check.

 

My advice is if you are a member of BASC or NGO, CLA. contact them and ask them for advice rather than an Internet forum where no two people will post the same response and you end up more condused than when you started.

[walshie 2,804]

Yep you're right. I should have checked before I answered. Only AAA in England, Wales and Ireland or a rifled slug of not less than 350gr. Scotland has slightly different requirements.

 

As far as slugs are concerned, as you would need a FAC to buy them the FAC will be conditioned for deer or not, so legal if it's on the conditions.

[Ruby Lakey 18]

Seen lots of stuff on here and other forums about DSC1 being a waste of money and shouldn't be a neccesary, but these type of questions are exactly why it is worthwhile.

 

Walshie is spot on.

Edited December 11, 2015 by Ruby Lakey

[Hydropotesinermis 724]

Yep you're right. I should have checked before I answered. Only AAA in England, Wales and Ireland or a rifled slug of not less than 350gr. Scotland has slightly different requirements.

 

As far as slugs are concerned, as you would need a FAC to buy them the FAC will be conditioned for deer or not, so legal if it's on the conditions.

Sorry to be a pedant walshie but the conditions on your FAC apply to the individual Firearms they are attached to, not the certificate itself.

 

For example if you owned a .308 and a .223 the . 308 conditioned for deer and AOLQ and the. 223 conditioned for vermin it would be illegal for you to shoot muntjac with the. 223 until you got that rifle conditioned for deer even though it's a legal calibre.

[walshie 2,804]

 

Yep you're right. I should have checked before I answered. Only AAA in England, Wales and Ireland or a rifled slug of not less than 350gr. Scotland has slightly different requirements.

 

As far as slugs are concerned, as you would need a FAC to buy them the FAC will be conditioned for deer or not, so legal if it's on the conditions.

Sorry to be a pedant walshie but the conditions on your FAC apply to the individual Firearms they are attached to, not the certificate itself.

 

For example if you owned a .308 and a .223 the . 308 conditioned for deer and AOLQ and the. 223 conditioned for vermin it would be illegal for you to shoot muntjac with the. 223 until you got that rifle conditioned for deer even though it's a legal calibre.

 

 

What if the 223 was for any lawful quarry?

 

Ok then - If you had a S1 shotgun on your FAC, and you were allowed to purchase slugs, and the conditions of the FAC allowed you to use said shotgun and ammo for deer, then you'd be ok. Phew.

 

The only reason you're likely to get slug is for target shotgun or deer and the conditions would be quite clear what you could use it for,

[Hydropotesinermis 724]

Good question on the. 223 AOLQ I would guess in that case that muntjac would be okay. But as it is a species that is usually specifically mentioned I would want to check anyhow.

 

Like I said. Sorry to be pedantic with my last post.

[walshie 2,804]

Good question on the. 223 AOLQ I would guess in that case that muntjac would be okay. But as it is a species that is usually specifically mentioned I would want to check anyhow.

 

Like I said. Sorry to be pedantic with my last post.

 

No worries mate. It's good to clarify. The AOLQ thing varies from force to force. The legal interpretation is quite simple. How the forces choose to interpret that is sadly not always the same.