matt_hooks
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Everything posted by matt_hooks
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Why trap rather than shoot? Surely the end is the same, to destroy it, and shooting is quicker and less stressful than trapping!
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Neither of us is "right" it's all down to point of view. I'm quite happy for Chaz not to shoot mink if he doesn't want to!
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Chaz, you've met me, you know I'm not interested in numbers, or trophies. I shoot animals that are pests. I'm quite happy to sit and watch a pair of rabbits messing around outside their warren if they are not a pest issue. However certain animals, mink included, do untold damage to our native wildlife and need to be controlled hard. Yes I've seen mink hunt, many a time, and yes they're good at it and a joy to watch, perhaps too good! Would I shoot a fox? If it was a pest. I think they are great animals, but if they are causing damage to a farmers animals and he asks me to deal with them, t
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FAIL!
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Wouldn't be so sure. Unless you get an open ticket, you are still limited to land that is approved by the chief of police for the area. You are unlikely to get an open ticket on first issue, especially if they know that you are more than likely wanting to use it on land that they wouldn't approve. Are you a BASC member? Might be worth having a word with them, they may be able to advise. Did the FEO say why he thought it unsafe, even for .22lr?
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I'm a little puzzled. How exactly do you have one "on your grandads licence" ? You can own a shotgun from 15 on your own SGC, though you cannot buy it, nor can you purchase ammunition, until you are 18. It is legal to lend or gift a shotgun and ammunition to someone below the age of 18 as long as they hold an SGC. With the FAC, you can hold a section 1 weapon, as whippeter says, from the age of 14 on your own FAC. You cannot, however, borrow a rifle under the estate condition until you are 18, so in theory to be able to use a section 1 firearm you either need to have it on an FAC, or be in
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And that's why we need to positively identify the quarry before we pull the trigger! Good outcome this time, but what if it had been the neighbours cat? Bunny eye and cat eye look very similar in the lamp! Not being arsey, I'm sure you did identify it before you shot it, but that wasn't very clear from your post! Good shot though!
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I'm afraid mink are one of the few animals that are "shoot on sight". They're a non-native species, and they do untold damage to native species such as shrews, certain species of mice and all sorts of aquatic creatures. They are nasty little beasts, who will kill for the sake of killing rather than just taking what they need to survive! If you'd said stoat/weasel/polecat/pine marten then I'd agree, but mink are a dangerous, invasive pest! They are on a par with rats in my book, no matter how good they look. Davey, I know mate, and I promise I will make the effort in the next few weeks. Bee
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Congratulations. Now you have to learn how to be a stalker!
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.22lr/>17hmr licence
matt_hooks replied to pest hunter 151's topic in Rimfire, Centrefire & Shotguns
True Ric. Many ranges are not approved for magnum rounds which the .17HMR counts as. The .17 is not a popular target round, almost all small bore competitions are shot using the good old .22LR. You might get some funny looks if you start making all that noise with the .17, especially on an indoor range! -
Who are these people saying that the WMR isn't enough round for fox? They obviously don't know what they are talking about! The WMR boasts over 300 ft.lb of energy, is very accurate in the right hands, and will take foxes with aplomb, as long as the user is sensible. Of course, if you want to shoot foxes out beyond 200 yards, then the WMR isn't a good choice of round, though it will probably still do the job. However, if all your foxing is in closer than 100 yards then the WMR will do the job admirably, and cheaply too. If foxy is closer than about 40 yards then a .22LR is plenty of rifle for
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You see, InPrivate isn't JUST for surfing porn! Lucky lucky man!
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I can agree with that one, the hollow point pellets do nothing in the way of expanding when used in a sub legal limit air rifle... However (and it's a big however) aerodynamically they are superiour to any other pellet form, and give better accuracy. (Trust me on this, I'm an aerodynamicist by training!) The hollow point means that the "tip" that meets the air is just air, so they are far less susceptible to flyers due to damage, and transfer more energy downrange. I know it's counterintuitive, but it's true! Pointed pellets I wouldn't even bother with. Wadcutter types offer good close
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.22lr/>17hmr licence
matt_hooks replied to pest hunter 151's topic in Rimfire, Centrefire & Shotguns
You'd have to get your certificate conditioned for pest control once you have the land, probably get the FEO out to check the land etc. etc. so you can't just get the ticket for targets and then use it anywhere. That said if you have a decent amount of land then it shouldn't be difficult to get the condition added, though it might take some time, as all things FAC related tend to. -
And where was my invite? Looks like a blinder of a night, I'm working on getting some acreage round these parts, hopefully have a couple of thousand acres soon!
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How long from paperwork to visit? Anything from a couple of weeks, to several months, depending on the application, the applicant, how busy they are, where in the country you are etc. etc. etc. It's definitely a "piece of string" type thing. Once you send your paperwork off, give the FEO a ring and let him know the situation. He won't be able to do anything until he's passed the paperwork by HQ, but at least your name will be known to him when he gets it, and he will know the situation. I'd suggest yours might take a little longer than most, as they'll have a good dig into your
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I think it's down to how easily a gun could be adjusted. I've never played with a career, but I'm led to believe that it's very easy to make them produce more than the legal power. Most rifles need a considerable amount of work to do so.
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I got 50 acres cleared for full bore. As said it all depends on the land. If there are safe lines of fire then they will clear it, if not then they won't. The FEO's are pretty sensible too.
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It would definitely need recrowning if it was shortened or the original crowning was damaged in some way. Of course a proper gunsmith would know that, and I wouldn't recommend trying to thread a barrel yourself unless you have the kit to make sure the thread is concentric to the bore (NOT the outside of the barrel!)
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No.
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The S400 is a PCP, not a break barrel. I'm not aware of any of the standard break barrels in the UK that retail that high brand new. £400 buys you a whole lot of gun! Maybe one of the Weirach's with some serious tuning might get there, but only just!
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Lancs, that's the same as asking what's the difference between a brown bear and a black bear. They're completely different species. There's a good guide to the differences on the Bushcraft website. Deer recognition
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"Night" as specified by the deer act begins 1 hour after sunset. I'm not sure what day it was you saw these guys, but official sunset tonight in Belfast (I'm assuming from your name that you're near there) will be at 3 minutes to 8, making shooting deer legal up to three minutes to 9. Now it's more than possible that these deer could have been shot just before 9. Also, as stated, it is possible to get a licence to shoot deer at any time, if they are a proven problem. The forestry guys will often shoot late on, as this means less risk to the public from shooting activities, and less risk o
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Aye, email the BASC firearms licensing guys, they're really helpful and will fight your corner if necessary!
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Now now, that's not a nice thing to call the missus!