FAC for someone without experience?

[Tom21 0]

Hi guys,

 

Well i currently use an air rifle for my hunting but its not really the best option for my permission ( golf course), because A) the rabbits are extremely skittish

its effective range is a little on the small side.

I am considering applying for an FAC to get a .22lr and .17hmr. The problem i have however is that i have never shot one before so would i be best going to a rifle range for a few months to get experience, apply for Fac for target use and then get it changed to one i can use for hunting ? ( am i correct in thinking that there are different types of FAC for hunting and target shooting?)

I hunt alone and dont know anyone else with an fac ( that hunts).

Edited October 13, 2011 by Tom21

[j316 119]

is the golf course flat or hilly if you have permision you do not need to join club is the course near houses are there any rights of way thro course this may effect your aplication you may need a mentor for 6 months atb j316

[Tom21 0]

its pretty hilly with a road running through the middle of it, no houses in the areas i shoot ( well there is one on the actual golf course but i dont shoot anywhere near it). the only thing that concerns me is the potential for rebounding bullets, last think i want to do is send a bullet off the permission and injure any livestock or people.

Thats why part of me thinks that FAC air would be a safer bet ( give me a bit more range, still very quiet which is a must). Would FAC air be a more likely bet to be approved?

Only down side is the high price of the equipment.

 

i also shoot corvids because they have a bad habit of taking chunks out of the greens so an fac air rifle would probably be more suited to this too.

[j316 119]

fac air rifle

[paulus 26]

you should be able to pickup an fac rated air rifle secondhand for about the same price as a rimmy i brought an fac mk1 rapid 12 with a good scope and mod, complete with divers bottle and regulator for £300. of a lads mate on here.

[sureshot11 1]

I dont know your location but If your near me drop a pm , I got a hmr as police said no to the .22lr and FAC air.

[Tom21 0]

why would they allow .17 hmr but not fac air? surely fac air is less of a risk.

[Tom21 0]

you should be able to pickup an fac rated air rifle secondhand for about the same price as a rimmy i got an fac mk1 rapid 12 with a good scope and mod, comlete with divers bottle and regulator for £300.

 

bloody hell thats a good deal!!

[PMC 2]

Probably said yes to the .17hmr due to the ammunition being frangible and therefore greatly reducing the ricochet hazard. Nice flat shooting round but disintegrates as soon as it hits a twig on it's journey down range. Can be expensive to feed as well. FAC air sounds like a good bet, especially if the terrain is hilly, providing good back stops.

[wabbit slayer 16]

I just got my FAC and it's great! On open ground with no cover its a god send. Yes you do have to think a lot more about any shot you take to ensure its safe to do so, but if its not you dont take the shot or this is when your sub 12ft lb air rifle comes in. (a different tool for each job)

I had a look at FAC air and the price was two or three times that of a rimfire and you were limited to the amount of shots you had before you needed more air.

I picked up a cz/brno mod 2 in 22lr with a moderator, sling and swivels in great condition for £150 and it shoots far better than I could ever hope to be.

My firearms officer was really helpfull, I just provided proof of land to shoot over and explained my reasons for wanting my FAC, filled in the forms and about 5/6 weeks later my licence arrived. I had no experience of rimfire's so i went to my local club who gave me loads of advice and let me loose on their rifles. A club is a good place to start, but be carefull you will soon become hooked and end up buying more rifles for target shooting.

[Tom21 0]

yeah i see what your saying about ' limited number of shots before you need to get more air'. if i was going to go down the rimfire route id probably go for .17hmr due to the flatter shooting and the bullet fragmenting far easier - one thing that really worries me is the bullet being deflected. im very careful with regards to taking shots even with my sub 12ft lb air rifle and would rather not take a shot unless im very sure its safe. But the limited number of shots FAC air offers isnt really a concern as around 20 shots would be more than enough anyway.

 

What do you think an effective range for an Fac air rifle of about 30ftlb in .22 would be?

[Millwall Paul 0]

I shoot with a 17 hmr, 22lr and 22 FAC air rifle. I can head shoot bunnys as long as the weathers good, i.e. not to blowy out to 70 yards or so. Its a Logun Gladi8or at about 36 ftlb i think. I can use the lr out to 100 yards - an Anchutz 1417 and the HMR is good out to about 150yds. Its all tools for different jobs. No doubt these ranges can be bettered, but I'm more than happy with them.

[jamie g 17]

go for it ! we all have to learn somewhere. put a threa don here see if anyone local will take you out with there rifles. that is how i learnt before getting fac

[matt_hooks 188]

Probably said yes to the .17hmr due to the ammunition being frangible and therefore greatly reducing the ricochet hazard. Nice flat shooting round but disintegrates as soon as it hits a twig on it's journey down range. Can be expensive to feed as well. FAC air sounds like a good bet, especially if the terrain is hilly, providing good back stops.

 

 

If the FEO gave this as a reason for allowing the .17 but not the .22, then he's a complete muppet and knows nothing about shooting. If you are a responsible shooter, who makes sure he has a good backstop before pulling the trigger, then the calibre means nothing. Yes, the .22 might be a bit bouncier, but a good backstop will make it safe.

 

Now, if you're NOT a responsible shooter, and decide to take unsafe shots, then the .17 will be dangerous to a greater distance.

[j316 119]

22 fac air riflesafe bet very few zingers i shoot 22 222 243 22 air is your best bet atb