The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: stephen on July 30, 2008, 01:54:05 pm
-
My partner and i are both intrested in shooting rabbits, phesant etc. Neither of us have any experience or a good place to start! so i have a few questions if anyone can help!
1 - what type of gun would we need.... air rifle / shotgun etc
2 - how do we go about getting licenced for a gun and do all guns need a licence?
3 - are their any associations / clubs / websites anyone can point us to?
Thanks!!
-
Dan uses a .22 airgun to shoot rabbits (and chickens). You don't need a licence (yet). He spent a while target shooting before he tried live prey, so that he could get a clean kill. He downloaded rabbit shaped targets and had them pinned to a straw bale in the field.
-
thanks rosemary thats really helpfull espically the target practice bit im sure ill need lots and lots of pratice!
Do you know who i would contact about a gun license? just incase i would need one in the future
Thanks
-
To have a shot gun license you get the forms from the local police station.
-
thanks kaz, i do think a shotgun for someone like me would be a bit excessive tho!
-
You may need a firearms certificate - again local police will help.
-
Hi,
If you want live target practice you are welcome to come and shoot my rabbits they are a bl**dy nuiscence.
Where are you based? we are in the North East of Scotland.
Elaine
-
If you do go down the Shotgun route I would recommend joining the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC). Details can be found at www.basc.org.uk as it covers you for £10M liability insurance and £35,000 personal accident coverage while shooting. They can also link you in to the whole shooting bit in the UK (legal, training, etc).
-
thanks for all the replys! ;D
-
Hi Stephen, after reading all of the messages below I believe the best route for you to take would be to try an air gun first (no licence required at this time). You will be able to shoot your intended quarry in reasonable safety. You would need to be able to get within 30 yards of the target to ensure a clean dispatch and I believe the advise from Rosemary is very sound regarding plenty of target practice prior to shooting any living target.
A rim fire 22 is most commonly used for the shooting of rabbits (is not suitable for any quarry above the ground or without a sound back drop); however It is unlikely that a firearms licence would be issued without any prior experience. It would certainly be a good idea to join a local rifle club, where you could gain experience without any large outlay of funds.
If you go down the air rifle route a .22 is in my opinion best, however you would need to ensure you brought one very near to the legal limit (a gun dealer/club will advise you further). Please ask if you require further details.
Dave
-
excellent thanks! ;D
-
Hi Stephen - just read your post
All sound advice. Just a few points worth noting. Air guns are a good introduction to shooting sports, however you may fall fowl of the local landowner, neighbour etc if you start popping of their reared pheasants for the pot!! If you have a local clay pigeon shooting ground nearby, i would strongly recommend going for a lesson. This can open all sorts of doors & will give you a good introduction to shotguns. It will also give you a good reason to apply for your shotgun certificate. 12 bores are the most popular game/clay guns although there are lighter alternatives such as 20 or 28 bores. The BASC and Countryside Alliance websites have plenty of info & would echo SD's post that joining one of these organisations would be beneficial (if only for the insurance).
-
Just a little something I would like to share with you. :) I have been with my husband for about 16 years. He has a number of guns which he stores in a locked cabinet and takes out to clean every so often. I dutyfully fill in his gun licence forms and send them off to be renewed every three years. Up until recently he has never shot at anything, that is until we had crows stealing the hens eggs and corn etc. I told him he would have to shoot some as the numbers were growing due to the good food supply. I feel that I am feeding half the crows in Cheshire. He sat outside for hours and never managed to shoot any. :-[ This became the butt of family jokes (alot were worse than that)!!! Frequently missing the target etc. Last weekend we went to a game fair. They had shooting lessons and I anounced that I was going to learn to shoot. My husband and 2 children fell about laughing. They said I would hit nothing. I do like a challenge. >:( I paid my money, listened to the instructor while my family stood laughing at the barrier. Then I hit 5 out of 5 clays. ;) That stopped them laughing. So I keep saying to my husband to get a gun out for me - I will shoot the crows. Must get a shooting jacket and must book a weekend deer shooting. :D This really made my week and despite being really busy at work I keep smileing to myself. :P
-
Excellent! Good for you!
And VERY bad for the crows.
-
Good for you! thats excellent news and certainley very encouraging!
-
Obviously a natural ;)
-
It amazes me at how the laws are so different across the pond when it comes to guns. I have been looking at the different posts over time on here about them. Over here the only license you need is when you want to carry a concealed weapon or if you want to hunt you need a license for that but not the guns themselves. Also in New Hampshire (my home state) that I live in it is an open carry state so as long as people can see it you are free to carry what ever weapon you want any place you want when ever you want (except government buildings). The only other time that the Gov is involved in firearms is when you purchase one from a store and then it is only to check your criminal history to make sure you’re not a bank robber.Other than that they say go crazy... ::)
Hmmm I wonder if that has anything to do with the high crime rate involving guns....
http://www.nationmaster.com/red/graph/cri_mur_wit_fir_percap-crime-murders-firearms-per-capita
-
Live Free or Die is that not the state motto for NH?
-
Why, yes it is, although if you ask me the "die" part is kind of a leap. I think there would be several steps in there someplace prior to death and I'm pretty sure "move" would come way before die... :-\ (maybe thats just me.)
-
Hi my understanding re shooting
Airgun good for Rabbit quiet and needs no licence as long as you have landowners permission - would advise BASC insurance.
Pheasant -I can see a couple of problems firstly is classified as game therefore has a season and requires a game licence.
Check you don't piss off the neighbour if they have bred it for sport - technically not illegal but not very diplomatic.
GOOD LUCK - safe shooting.
-
My advice is find a local pheasant shoot and over your services as a beater. You will end up with a brace of birds and may even get paid. If its a syndicate run shoot you may also end as a gun on the shoot when a space becomes available, but you may have to put in a few seasons beating before that happens.
Start with an airgun and shoot vermin (rabbits, crows, magpies squirrels etc) leave the pheasants well alone.
To do this you will need the landowners permission (the hard bit)
Then move on to a shotgun and start to practise on the clays and mix that with beating and you'll be well on the way
PS Game licences are now obsolete
Good luck
-
My son in law came up and went on a game shoot and got 2 Deer and Oh how that has upset lots of people...I am amazed how strangely people react to animals being shot opposed to being farmed..nothing wrong as long as you kill as quickly as posible!!!!
-
Just ignore them, Sandy, they are the ones that lose out. Wish I could get some wild venison, I love it. All I get is pheasant and hare on our shoot.
-
it takes time to adjust to the reasoning of shooting. i wouldnt allow shootin here a few years back, but now wer overrun wi pheasants so we put them in the freezer. seems so easy compared to all the hardwork that comes with domestic animals. plus theyre eating stacks of chicken feed so nice and plump. my boy was so excited when he found a pellet in his dinner!! ;)