Guest Posted October 10, 2012 Report Share Posted October 10, 2012 I'm currently in the process of filling out my firearms application as I fancy doing a spot of rabbit and fox control on my permissions that I only ever really use for pigeon shooting. I'm a gamekeeping student and understand that predator and pest control is a must but was wondering if anyone could help me out in terms of the right tool for the job? Any good budget rifles..? Calibers etc... Any help is much appriciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_b_wales Posted October 10, 2012 Report Share Posted October 10, 2012 You would do well if you purchased a CZ 452 rifle, either in .22LR or .17HMR (or both) if you can afford it. Not all police forces allow .17HMR for controlling foxes, so check first to make sure. The .22LR is an excellent bullet, and I use Winchester SuperX sub sonic ammunition in my rifle/s. Steve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 10, 2012 Report Share Posted October 10, 2012 Thanks Steve just having a look now.. What sort of price 2nd hand would you be looking at? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_b_wales Posted October 10, 2012 Report Share Posted October 10, 2012 Thanks Steve just having a look now.. What sort of price 2nd hand would you be looking at? Depends on the quality etc, but a new CZ is around the £400 mark, or cheaper, so a good 2nd hand one should be about £250. If you look on Guntrader, or Gunwatch on here, you may get an idea on prices. If you can, get a new one. Most RFD's will have one or more in stock, and will be happy to quote you a price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telf Posted October 10, 2012 Report Share Posted October 10, 2012 as steve says get both calibres if you can afford it,both have their uses and ranges,mine are anschutz but youll not go wrong with cz atb dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted October 10, 2012 Report Share Posted October 10, 2012 I'm currently in the process of filling out my firearms application as I fancy doing a spot of rabbit and fox control on my permissions that I only ever really use for pigeon shooting. I'm a gamekeeping student and understand that predator and pest control is a must but was wondering if anyone could help me out in terms of the right tool for the job? Any good budget rifles..? Calibers etc... Any help is much appriciated! The moderated .22 lr is the most used tool in the Uk, most keepers keep a .22 c/fire as its hard to get close enough to use the .22 lr on crows and its considered widely to be less than suitable for serious foxing. depends on the ground but up to modest ranges no more than a .22 Hornet is required and its easy to moderate and quite capable of anything up to fox at ranges far exceeding the 17HMR which likewise aint a proper foxing gun. On hill ground etc were ranges tend to be longer consider something bigger 22-250 or perhaps .243 which is a great catch all gun that will do everything and more the 250 can but is also all deer legal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olliesims Posted October 10, 2012 Report Share Posted October 10, 2012 Get your self a .22 first it's where most of us started off before getting onto the centrefires, good rabbit gun and with a silencer you only hear the firing pin, the .17 is also a good longer range rabbit round, try put in for a smaller cf round like the .22 hornet it's always worth asking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jam1e Posted October 10, 2012 Report Share Posted October 10, 2012 Get your self a .22 first it's where most of us started off before getting onto the centrefires, good rabbit gun and with a silencer you only hear the firing pin, the .17 is also a good longer range rabbit round, try put in for a smaller cf round like the .22 hornet it's always worth asking I agree with Olliesims. I recently applied, and got my fac. I only put down for both the .22 and .17 rimfires. But when my feo came to interview me i mentioned i'd regretted not putting down a cf for fox. He said he could just add it for me, and in his words, "It's worth a try, they can only say no". So i asked him to give it a try and i got all 3. So go for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 10, 2012 Report Share Posted October 10, 2012 Thanks for the info chaps really appreciate it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon pete Posted October 10, 2012 Report Share Posted October 10, 2012 The moderated .22 lr is the most used tool in the Uk, most keepers keep a .22 c/fire as its hard to get close enough to use the .22 lr on crows and its considered widely to be less than suitable for serious foxing. depends on the ground but up to modest ranges no more than a .22 Hornet is required and its easy to moderate and quite capable of anything up to fox at ranges far exceeding the 17HMR which likewise aint a proper foxing gun. On hill ground etc were ranges tend to be longer consider something bigger 22-250 or perhaps .243 which is a great catch all gun that will do everything and more the 250 can but is also all deer legal no disrespect to Thomas but like he has said ,he is new to rifle shooting , a .22 is great for bunny bashing , don't try and put a 243 in his hands if he has only just started rifle shooting ,think be before you write kent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beretta28g Posted October 10, 2012 Report Share Posted October 10, 2012 Thanks Steve just having a look now.. What sort of price 2nd hand would you be looking at? Earlier this year i bought a CZ 452 .17HMR Hawke Scope Sak Mod 120 RNDS of ammo For £400 secondhand, the rifle was MINT tho! 3.5 years ago i got a complete setup .22lr for £400 new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Funker Posted October 10, 2012 Report Share Posted October 10, 2012 The price of 2nd hand CZ's holds really well from what I've seen. I picked up a used 452 Varmint 17 for around £370 but the scope was toilet, they hold price well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert 888 Posted October 11, 2012 Report Share Posted October 11, 2012 You could go down the route i did,join a rifle club get loads of practice with calibers you think you might need,ask loads of questions and make your own mind up.I must have put well over 3000 rounds through about 10 different .22 rimfires.Soon found out amo is the key for good groups.Also helps for you and the fac app if you could go out with someone and maybe lamp for them as you gain knowledge whist helping out. I whent for .22lr rimfire and .223 centerfire.And got granted on first application as i have used the said calibers quite a bit on the ranges and it was what i needed for target shooting and pest control. Ended up with an amazing .223 cz 527 varmint kevlar for £450 rifle only s/h. and currently looking for a new or secondhand cz452 or 455 varmint. Only gone for the heavy barrels as used for target and pest control. Good luck,my fac took 5 months to land. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepasty Posted October 11, 2012 Report Share Posted October 11, 2012 (edited) I got my FAC a couple of months back... I only asked for .22 RF and .17 RF and was granted both. I got the .22LR first, I bought a used cz511 with scope and mod for £150... yeah its a little rough around the edges but shoots sweet (which is all that matters really). I shot that for a couple of months until I was happy with my shooting and had learnt the ways of the rifle (accuracy is key and the smallest thing can make your shot miss). Once happy with myself and the .22 I went out and got a new CZ455 Varmint cutdown thumbhole .17HMR... a truely awesome rifle that shoots amazingly well (I am now the weakest link :(). The 22 has now become my go to hack rifle as I'm not that precious about it, I use it on the move, lamping etc... the .17HMR I use off a bipod from fixed positions as it can reach out alot futher than the .22 and I cant hit **** shooting free hand. Edited October 11, 2012 by thepasty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bewsher500 Posted October 11, 2012 Report Share Posted October 11, 2012 no disrespect to Thomas but like he has said ,he is new to rifle shooting , a .22 is great for bunny bashing , don't try and put a 243 in his hands if he has only just started rifle shooting ,think be before you write kent why the hell not!? if anything the .22lr is more dangerous in the wrong hands 40gr doing 1050fps solid lead will zing off anything a 75gr Vmax doing 3000fps+ will shatter on a twig! rifle shooting is rifle shooting, no rifle is more dangerous than the next one, that is what makes ground clearance by FLO a mockery put in for as much as possible the first time round. you are a gamekeeping student with permission already .22/.HMR vermin and ground game .222/22-250/.243 for fox (and deer depending on where you are/what you have) get all your facts in order, prepare your case and walk the FLO through your request if you demonstrate that he is not going to get a hard time from his Firearms manager when he slaps your processed request on the desk then there is no reason why you wont get what you want. get a mentor/mate with an FAC, demonstrate safe use and common sense, any experience you can show will help your case good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon pete Posted October 11, 2012 Report Share Posted October 11, 2012 (edited) why the hell not!? if anything the .22lr is more dangerous in the wrong hands 40gr doing 1050fps solid lead will zing off anything a 75gr Vmax doing 3000fps+ will shatter on a twig! rifle shooting is rifle shooting, no rifle is more dangerous than the next one, that is what makes ground clearance by FLO a mockery put in for as much as possible the first time round. you are a gamekeeping student with permission already .22/.HMR vermin and ground game .222/22-250/.243 for fox (and deer depending on where you are/what you have) get all your facts in order, prepare your case and walk the FLO through your request if you demonstrate that he is not going to get a hard time from his Firearms manager when he slaps your processed request on the desk then there is no reason why you wont get what you want. get a mentor/mate with an FAC, demonstrate safe use and common sense, any experience you can show will help your case good luck .22 range 1.5km 243 range 4000m @36 dr angle do some maths ,he is better starting off with a .22 unless he can get some range use in first ,ive seen it so many times ,new lads turning up on the range and not knowing what the rifle can do ,and ive seen Vmax and a lot more different rounds bounce off the ground ,and needs to now about back stops and yes good luck , Edited October 11, 2012 by pigeon pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1066 Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 If you're on a budget or saving your dosh for a better centrefire I would suggest you have a look for a Brno No 2 as your .22 rimfire. What ever else you buy you should always have a .22 rimmy in the cupboard, there are times when no other tool will do the job such as the 50yd rabbit where silence is required. The Brno No 2 is the forerunner of the current CZ range - very accurate, reliable and you could pick one up for about £100 if you are not looking for a perfect example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 If you're on a budget or saving your dosh for a better centrefire I would suggest you have a look for a Brno No 2 as your .22 rimfire. What ever else you buy you should always have a .22 rimmy in the cupboard, there are times when no other tool will do the job such as the 50yd rabbit where silence is required. The Brno No 2 is the forerunner of the current CZ range - very accurate, reliable and you could pick one up for about £100 if you are not looking for a perfect example. I'll second that, just picked one up myself. Lovely rifle and full of character. Mine's a carbine screwcut. Does the same job as a £450 rifle and leaves more dosh to spend on some centrefire kit when the time is right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullet1747 Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 You would do well if you purchased a CZ 452 rifle, either in .22LR or .17HMR (or both) if you can afford it. Not all police forces allow .17HMR for controlling foxes, so check first to make sure. The .22LR is an excellent bullet, and I use Winchester SuperX sub sonic ammunition in my rifle/s. Steve. That's wot I have can't fault ,I've just added a 527 22 hornet as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 I'm considering a 527 in 223. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted October 12, 2012 Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 I too would go for a .22lr for sure. Then there's the question of foxes and it all comes down to your land, what quarry is on there and what the land owner will want you to shoot? If there are deer available then the .243 is a good crossover. I don't really like it much for larger quarry myself but for foxing and the odd deer it's perfect. If no deer then the .223 is the standard go to round. It shoots further than the Hornet and lasts longer than a .22-250. It doesn't hurt to ask for a couple of guns. Being a trainee keeper will go some way to showing your need and you will also most likely be around others with more experience in shooting when doing work experience etc. Someone who can show you how it's done will be a great help, not only from the angle of getting what you ask for but also to fast track your experience levels a bit. You can't beat hands on learning but even sitting in the pub and talking about how to go about getting that fox etc will be a huge advantage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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