Deer

[UncleFester]

(1 December 2012, 00:18)SealDriver Wrote:

(30 November 2012, 23:59)UncleFester Wrote:

(30 November 2012, 21:28)SealDriver Wrote: I agree with what you say UncleFester, but if you join a rifle club you can use the clubs rifles and the rifles of other members whilst on the range so the larger calibres are there for new members as well as the smaller calibres. Also many centrefire clubs don't cater for the smaller calibres because they start shooting at 300 metres with centrefire rifles 233 upto 50 cal.

It's a case of 'horses for courses really' When I joined my first club non of the other members were hunters, they just shot at paper so I had to ask around to get stalking with a professional stalker. You can even get deer stalking on ebay these days.

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(30 November 2012, 15:06)Highlander Wrote: Thanks for that,... In this part of Scotland we are surounded by estates, who [ rightly so ] protect their deer because they bring in big bucks from shooters the world over,..it would be almost impossible to gain a weapon this way,...In my job I work with a part-timer who when not doing `our` job is the gillie for one of these estates,... I already get whole beasts from him for my dogs,... but it would be more than his lifes worth to `lend` me a rifle,.... mates would not come into it

.... but thanks for the tip `Guntraders`

Yeah as UncleFester pointed out when I wrote 'lend' a rifle I meant use an estate rifle for the purpose of stalking deer, you just can't go around lending other peoples rifles. The other way to get stalking is to help a Ghillie with his Hind Cull in the winter...No paying guest wants to freeze their bits off in a Scottish winter for a deer that has no trophy antlers.

My nearest range is only 25m on old raf base and you can use air rifle to 50cal, next nearest has 30m indoor then 75m outdoor and again any cal so they do exsist, I suggested starting small as most people don't have any experience and it's better to learn basic shooting and safety with a smallbore.

Like I said Uncle Fester 'Horses for courses' in the Midlands it's mostly MOD ranges out to 600 metres and some Midland Clubs shoot on the Welsh Ranges out to a mile with 50 cal.

The first rifle I bought was a 6.5x55 and I went straight into deer stalking, if deer stalking is what you want and money is tight that is one way to go, not everyone will want to work there way through air rifles, rim fires, small calibre centre fires all the way up to deer calibre rifles.

No fair point mate, I know I'd never want to be without my .22 in a survival situation though virtually silent and with good shot placement more than capable on large species at close range, lighter ammo to carry and not much left of a rabbit once a 308 round has hit any part of it. For me the .22lr is the ultimate survival rifle.

Defence is a different thing all together though bigger is better if you have time to see someone/something coming at you, close quarters though you can't beat a 12g for personal protection with some BB's or no1's down the spout.

Just my personal opinion mate.

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Thanks again,..I am ex Army so are familiar with most weapons, and I get whole beasts off the hill for the dogs so I can butch a bit too as I have to cut them into meal size lumps,.. and the nearest range/club is probably a couple of hundred miles away, so thats not practical,... I will look into it more and might come up with something yet
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In that case mate get an air rifle and some ferrets, go door knocking till you find a farmer who will let you shoot/ferret his land then apply for our licence your military background is likely to help you no end in your application, I'd apply for .22lr for vermin shooting and .243 for fox and paid stalking that'll cover you for pretty much everything.