calibre advice

[ovenpaa]

.223 gets you a rifle that is good for vermin control and add a .22LR and you have all bases covered apart from Deer. The .223 also offers cheap ammunition and a massive choice of new and used rifles, they are for the most very accurate and a pleasure to shoot.

[whoowhoop]

Don't forget that .223 (with minimum 50 grain bullet) is also legal for muntjac and CWD and ammo and components are readily available.

[Dombo63]

....

It was the chat with Essex police firearms that made me think 308 may not available to me on my first FAC application...

Eddie

What was their reason against .308? It is one of the most common calibres at most rifle clubs for full-bore target shooting at longer ranges.

[Mr_Logic]

El plod don't grant decent larger calibres at first app now - they want experience. There are exceptions obviously but it's got silly and is getting sillier.

223 is the answer here. For up to 600 yard target, you can do fox, small deer and target with one gun. Get either a 9 twist barrel (CZ Varmint Laminate, or Kevlar, or Remington SPS Tactical or LTR) and have two loads - one for target (75gr Hornady BTHP) and one for fox (50-odd grain with plastic tip, also works on small deer). The other choice is something with an 8-twist barrel and the 75-gr amax, which does targets, foxes and small deer (and bigger deer in Scotland) without any worry. You will not stabilise the amax from a 9 twist barrel.

Handloading is the way to get the ammo to do what you need and at sensible price, so although it may seem a pain, you can get cracking in an evening, with a lesson, and it is absolutely worth it.

[ovenpaa]

This must be a regional thing as the two most common cartridges for first time club shooters around here seem to be the .308 and .303. Beds and Herts.

[Mr_Logic]

For clubs yes, but field use for fox was in there, and that is the issue. Mentoring and/or refusal is the common theme now and it is daft! However, in this case the 308 is OTT anyway as they are not the best for fox. They work, don't get me erong, but 223 causes less strife and leaves Charlie just as dead.

[Eric S]

223 would make sense then get a variation for a 308 or similar when you have permission for deer.

[Landy Dave]

223 would make sense then get a variation for a 308 or similar when you have permission for deer.

This is what I did but I did go for a 6.5x55.

Another chap at the club got 2 x 22lr, 223, 303 and 308 on hos first ticket but they are just for target shooting.