millrace Posted July 31, 2011 Report Share Posted July 31, 2011 can the more experianced out there educate me a little couple mates wanting me to do dsc1 with them,ive never had a big interest in rifles,,so very limited knowledge in them,,what exactly do you need to shoot deer,been on to basc web site and for n.ireland (where im at) it needs to be .236 and on mainland .240 so does this mean id be lookin for a ,243/.308 etc now when i do deer search on here some have said .223 so whats it all about just lookin some pointers for the future... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted July 31, 2011 Report Share Posted July 31, 2011 (edited) .223 is Legal for Roe in Scotland (.22CF with a few conditions) .223 is legal for CWD/Muntjac in England/Wales (.22cf with a few conditions) For all other deer in the UK you basically need a minimum of .243...... yes, slightly smaller calibres are legal in parts of the UK but they are like Rocking Horse ****, (there are conditions). I am happy with .243 on any UK deer, others prefer the likes of .308, up to you! Shoot straight and true and you don't need a cannon! ATB! Edited July 31, 2011 by Dekers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millrace Posted July 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2011 cheers,,thats kinda what i thought its hard with all the regional varitions,,,tho i hadnt thought id be looking for anything like a .243...its a big calibre for prob very little use every year..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted July 31, 2011 Report Share Posted July 31, 2011 I'm not sure why your mate is trying to talk you into doing the DSC if shooting Deer isn't your thing? If you have an interest in Foxing you can do the DSC with a .22 centrefire, but why bother if you don't want/need to shoot Deer? :look: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millrace Posted July 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2011 to answer im trying to get more info to weigh up the costs,, firstly i would have no probs with deer and have just been offered land with deer on it and told shoot away(i was only interested in the woodcock..lol) ,,,,i already shoot game in a syndicate, woodcock on my door step and hut foxy with terriers and have couple of flight ponds to play with so its to do with is the 243 a lot of money just to sit and do very little,whereas a smaller rifle can still do a fox if required bash bunny etc and *** have more use but just no deer hence why i asked for advice.. the dsc would be to add to goose shooting trips to scotland for something more to do,, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted July 31, 2011 Report Share Posted July 31, 2011 (edited) I'm not sure why your mate is trying to talk you into doing the DSC if shooting Deer isn't your thing? If you have an interest in Foxing you can do the DSC with a .22 centrefire, but why bother if you don't want/need to shoot Deer? :look: I expect he might be trying to talk you into it because there aren't enough people signed up yet and without more takers the course might be cancelled. Is it local, by any chance, and easy to travel to each day and the only alternative months and miles away? To your main point, I personally favour the .308. It offers a huge range of loading combinations and is inherently accurate. You can make it shoot as flat as a .243 for foxes or take it to Africa and shoot plains game with it. A .243 is a sleeved down .308 and a .270 a sleeved down .30-06. Both 30 cal originals are better than their smaller variants. In my opinion............ Edited July 31, 2011 by Gimlet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tikka.223 Posted July 31, 2011 Report Share Posted July 31, 2011 Millrace SACS run a Deer Rifle Competence Course in N.I. It a one day course and takes place up in the Bushtown Hotel in Coleraine.It maybe worth contacting them to see when the next one is running.I paid £100 for the course but think its upto £150 now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millrace Posted July 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2011 (edited) I expect he might be trying to talk you into it because there aren't enough people signed up yet and without more takers the course might be cancelled. Is it local, by any chance, and easy to travel to each day and the only alternative months and miles away? To your main point, I personally favour the .308. It offers a huge range of loading combinations and is inherently accurate. You can make it shoot as flat as a .243 for foxes or take it to Africa and shoot plains game with it. A .243 is a sleeved down .308 and a .270 a sleeved down .30-06. Both 30 cal originals are better than their smaller variants. In my opinion............ in northern ireland its all local...lol thats not whats behind it.... ive considered a rifle for couple of years but recon id never get much use for it,,now with the land with deer present it ceems more of an option just wanted info on whats required to weigh up all the costs etc, i know the scope mod will be where the options/big money are,, ammo cost also needs to be considered so thanks for the info!! bushtown hotel coleraine.....typical you never know whats on your doorstep... Edited July 31, 2011 by millrace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tikka.223 Posted July 31, 2011 Report Share Posted July 31, 2011 Im sort of in the same postion as yourself regarding buying a rifle for deer which would be used a few times a year,so I've decided to go for a 2nd hand rifle with scope for a budget of around £350-400,as for ammo its not like your going to be putting a lot of rounds through it so wouldnt let that put me off either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted August 1, 2011 Report Share Posted August 1, 2011 Im sort of in the same postion as yourself regarding buying a rifle for deer which would be used a few times a year,so I've decided to go for a 2nd hand rifle with scope for a budget of around £350-400,as for ammo its not like your going to be putting a lot of rounds through it so wouldnt let that put me off either. That's just where I was. I was saving up for a Browning X bolt in .308 when My stalking mate spotted a second hand Parker-Hale Midland in the local gunshop for £290. It was in excellent condition and didn't appear to have had many rounds through it. I'd had a Parky before many years ago so I wasn't sniffy about buying another. I got it for £270 and another £20 for some second hand Parker-Hale scope mounts. (You need specific mounts for a Parky.) I put a second hand Leupold 3-9x40 on it for less than £100m, now upgraded. Though I've shot deer to 200 yds with that set-up with total confidence. I don't bother with a mod on a deer rifle. You'll hear mixed views (as if!) about Parker-Hales on PW. Some love them and reckon they're all the gun you'll ever need, others think they're door-props used by ****** and old duffers. They are basic and workmanlike. The rattly Mauser action doesn't appeal to everyone, though its thoroughly reliable and immensely strong. They have floor-plate mags which some don't like because you have to empty them into your hat. But then again there's no clip to lose. But they're well engineered firearms. Mine will shoot less than 20mm at 100 yds. I'd happyily put it up against most £1000 new rifles out of the box. Basically, it shoots very sweetly and it fits my 6' Anglo-Saxon proportions comfortably, and a lot of new rifles don't. You pays your money etc etc. As for calibre, as said I favour the .308. You never know how your shooting is going to evolve and a .308 is just so versatile. There's a huge range of factory ammo before you start hand loading. If you see a loading book in a gunshop flick trough it. The .308 part will be the longest section in it. .308s are easy to sell too. But any legal calibre will do the job. There's nothing wrong with any of them. Its your money and your choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bewsher500 Posted August 1, 2011 Report Share Posted August 1, 2011 looking for a cheap rifle? dont under estimate what can be had in a tight market with lots of second hand options. less than £100 can get you this!: http://www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk/showthread.php?27026-My-new-rifle-and-a-story-for-those-looking-for-a-2nd-hand-bargain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millrace Posted August 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2011 ok cheers for the info,, as a prelim before any deer recon i,ll go for a .22 mag to get some practice,skills etc basically learn to shoot with a rifle,so heres a new question i am going to look at a 2nd hand cz this week prob, but have also found a new marlin for same money its synthetic which is what i prefer, so any opinions/advice on these two pieces of kit im thinking new cause at least i know what ive got esp as i know very little about rifles..... i know ,17 is everybodys choice at mo but having read all the reviews atc the 22mag suits my needs better,,, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Logic Posted August 7, 2011 Report Share Posted August 7, 2011 You can make it shoot as flat as a .243 for foxes No, you can't. However, for deer, I would also go with 308, bullet choice is better. That said, the 243 kicks less and will happily kill any UK deer. As deker said, put it in the right spot, no cannon is needed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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