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.17hmr


matgriff
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Hi, I live on a farm (well ex-farm) with a couple of acres of land, chickens... getting some pigs, veg plots etc etc.

I already have a shotgun certificate, two 12 G guns + two air arms air rifles. I've got a big rabbit problem going on at the mo, eating the veg and digging up the plots.  They're a bit out of range for my air rifles, and I'm not too keen on firing off the 12g at 4am in the morning or 11pm at night.

I was thinking of getting a .17HMR so that I can drop them from 50-60 yards or more.

Would I have a problem getting the FAC ?

 

Thanks

 

Mat

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22RF yes, but background background background......you must make sure you have a good background and there is no chance of a rico.

Two acres, your probably going to get trouble getting an HMR anyway, maybe even a 22RF.   Not knowing your layout, I would be tempted to put a high seat up covering the most used places, not only would this give you a comfortable safe place to shoot from but would also impress the Firearms Licensing Officer.

You can buy 'frangible' 22RF sub sonics these days but they are pricey. I have not used them but the description indicates they would be less likely to bounce.  CCI do them but they work out at twice the cost of normal CCI subs.  

As said above there is a fairly large crack from the HMR even when silencer fitted.

Hope this helps. 

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Had 17hmr when they first came out went back to 22lr quieter cheaper and i think better for bunnies shooting 17hmr on windy evening the small grain 17hmr head got blew all over the place and some of the hornady cases where cracked coming out of the rifle my advice would be go with 22lr but try both decide what YOU thinks best

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OK, thanks for the info guys. I'll do a bit of research on the 22RF.  Basically we are surrounded on all sides by fields (which I have permission to shoot on) apart from at the front of the house, which is the single track lane public road, but everything is well away from that. The surrounding fields stretch to around 200 Acres with the odd farm dotted at around 3/4 mile away at the closest point.

 

 

Mat

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Size can be a problem (in lots of situations)! Your 2 acres isn't really a lot for FAC tools but who knows the lay of the land, it may be eminently suitable, but first thoughts are its too small for grant.

FAC Air or .22lr may be best options for noise situation you mention, but maybe a word with your region is in order first!

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A 2 acre square plot has sides that are almost exactly 100 yards. If you have permission to shoot in the surrounding fields then I don't think you'll have a problem getting an FAC. Go for both 22lr and 17HMR - bound to be someone local who can let you experience how loud it is - it's not that loud, quieter than a 12 bore certainly

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Thanks for the info, I'll perhaps call my friendly FEO and ask his opinion... I regularly shoot pigeons/crows on my land and also in the fields next door and all around with my Beretta semi 12g , but at a reasonable hour, It's not that the 12g is too loud for me or our house, it's just that the noise carries so far across the open fields in these still summer evenings or early mornings & I don't want to upset anyone or give anyone cause for complaint, even though I'm perfectly legal doing it.

What's a realistic range to kill rabbits with a 12g ?  I'm guessing similar to pigeons... 35-40 yards with something like 32G #6 carts ?

 

Thx

 

Mat

 

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On 13/07/2018 at 11:07, matgriff said:

Thanks for the info, I'll perhaps call my friendly FEO and ask his opinion... I regularly shoot pigeons/crows on my land and also in the fields next door and all around with my Beretta semi 12g , but at a reasonable hour, It's not that the 12g is too loud for me or our house, it's just that the noise carries so far across the open fields in these still summer evenings or early mornings & I don't want to upset anyone or give anyone cause for complaint, even though I'm perfectly legal doing it.

What's a realistic range to kill rabbits with a 12g ?  I'm guessing similar to pigeons... 35-40 yards with something like 32G #6 carts ?

 

Thx

 

Mat

 

Yeah similar to the range on pigeons. Years ago I used to shoot rabbits on a bit of land where rifles were a no go but shotguns were fine. I used full choke and 42 grams of no 3 and could cleanly kill them out to 50 plus yards. With your land I'd be thinking .17 hmr. It's not overly loud, I've shot several rabbits within metres of each other. Also you have a much lower chance if ricochet.

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