First Phone Call From The Firearms Department.

wayneinthepub

Well-Known Member
Well I had my first phone call from my firearms office today with regard to my application. Some good news some not so good.

The good news is that they have managed to check most of the land as it is already on the system, the bad news is that up to now its only the land in Scotland that has passed for .243 so none of my local land is any good.

So what do I shoot the foxes with, I had put down on my form for a .22RF, .17HMR and a .243, does this now mean I am going to have to buy a .22 centrefire for the foxes:doh:

Any advice on what to do next.

Wayne
 
.243 suitable fox calibre (see firearms handbook). What force is Doncaster? South Yorks? Do they give out open tickets like they do in North Yorks? I can use my firearms wherever I deem safe with lawful authority. So long as you have some cleared land somewhere all is right in the world. Thy just need something to put in their system.
 
Yes mate Doncaster comes under South Yorkshire and no I am not quite as lucky as you it will be on a closed condition. I am going to speak with them tomorrow to see what I can do.
 
Are you a member of a shooting organization? Maybe speak to them first?

Offer to shoot foxes from high seats with your .243? What is the land like? Should there be some suitable geography?

The more info you can give, the more workable suggestions to 'glitches' the better your chances of getting what you want.

Or put in for a bigger calibre deer rifle and get something like a 22-250 for fox and small species of deer?
 
Thanks for the advice Apache. I am in the Countryside Alliance so I suppose they are always there as a back up. The land is quite flat but I have shot there for years so am well aware of the surroundings and when we are out lamping we always shoot from a sunroof of a 4 x 4 so the bullet is always travelling towards the ground.

I will let you know how I get on tomorrow when I have spoken to them.
 
Try and get away from phoneing, use email to do your FEO dealings. They will be alot less likely to write BS than speak it. JC
 
Try and get away from phoneing, use email to do your FEO dealings. They will be alot less likely to write BS than speak it. JC

ha!
you would be surprised!

I would love for any FEO/FLO to explain the physics behind why a 50-60gn .224 jacketed SP travelling at 3200f/s is safer than an 85gn jacketed SP doing 2900f/s!!

is the land not cleared for 243 but is cleared for .22CF? if so then that is a start.
if the land is only cleared for rimfire then find out why.
 
I have just had a look for a email address for South Yorkshire firearms department but cannot find one. Can anyone help ?

Wayne
 
Thanks for that Si it will come in handy. I have rang them again today and got a different girl to talk to that was very helpful and seemed very clued up.
 
its only the land in Scotland that has passed for .243 so none of my local land is any good.

I would have thought that the easiest thing to do is ask them to re-assess the lands suitability for .243". Walk the land with the FEO on their visit. My understanding is that land suitability can not be based on the use of high seats. Well thats the case in my force area due to one chap having the garden passed for .243" due to a high number of Fallow deer that used to pass though. He had built a huge earth back stop, the FEO agreed that shooting the deer from his bedroom window would be safe and the garden was passed for .243 and a certificate issued for deer. Five years later on a return visit, the chap had removed the earth bank because it obstructed his view.
True story, told to me by my FEO.

O_R
 
Wayne, I presume this is a first application, if so is the .243 purely for fox ? If you are only after a fox calibre and not intending to shoot deer, go for a smaller calibre .223 or .204. I have a .204 it will kill foxes all day at 300yrds +. Going for the smaller calibre will make it easier to get the land passed, then go for the bigger calibre once you are on an open ticket.

Tony
 
Wayne, I presume this is a first application, if so is the .243 purely for fox ? If you are only after a fox calibre and not intending to shoot deer, go for a smaller calibre .223 or .204. I have a .204 it will kill foxes all day at 300yrds +. Going for the smaller calibre will make it easier to get the land passed, then go for the bigger calibre once you are on an open ticket.

Tony

How is a piece of land safe with 223 and not 243. This is madness and a total lack of thought on behalf of people who condone this type of constriction.
 
How is a piece of land safe with 223 and not 243. This is madness and a total lack of thought on behalf of people who condone this type of constriction.

Redneck, it's not madness, if this is a first application they are hardly likely to grant a .243 purely for foxing. See Firearms Law Guidance to the Police 13.23 page 72. I agree it's not the calibre of weapon that is safe but the person who is using it.
Firearms Law Guidance to the Police 2002 (PDF file - 895kb)
 
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Redneck, it's not madness, if this is a first application they are hardly likely to grant a .243 purely for foxing. See Firearms Law Guidance to the Police 13.23 page 72. I agree it's not the calibre of weapon that is safe but the person who is using it.
Firearms Law Guidance to the Police 2002 (PDF file - 895kb)

It's true... I was refused .270 and discouraged from .243 on first application in favour of .223 to gain some C/F experience. I tried to put my point across that a .55grn bullet travelling at 3400ft/sec is no less dangerous than a .130grn .270 bullet travelling 600ft/sec slower but he was having none of it.
 
I agree with these points but they have told me that the first two pieces of land local to me are only passed for .22 RF and I also understand that on a first application they have no idea of my experiance, what pi*$es me off is that with a open ticket these pieces of land could be shot over.
 
Redneck, it's not madness, if this is a first application they are hardly likely to grant a .243 purely for foxing. See Firearms Law Guidance to the Police 13.23 page 72.

Don't see why not. The .243 was first developed as a 'varmint' round and it's easy to make the case for it on fox sized animals if you google it and use the reference material. Here's one: http://www.chuckhawks.com/243Win.htm

Even the section of the HO Guidance you have quoted contains this proviso:

"In windy areas, where heavier bullets
aid accurate shooting, or if applicants wish to
use one rifle for shooting both deer and foxes
they may choose a rifle in 6mm (.243/.244) or
6.5mm (.264) calibre."

Plus the 'suitability' chart at the end of the chapter recognises that .243 is suitable for fox for establishing an initial 'good reason'.
 
It's true... I was refused .270 and discouraged from .243 on first application in favour of .223 to gain some C/F experience. I tried to put my point across that a .55grn bullet travelling at 3400ft/sec is no less dangerous than a .130grn .270 bullet travelling 600ft/sec slower but he was having none of it.

With respect Si, from what I've read I suspect that some of the subsequent problems you have experienced in getting your FAC sorted might have been eased if you had obtained a .243 from the off rather than following the FEOs 'advice'. I'll stand corrected if it's not the case.
 
Good points Orion, this is why I opted for a .243 my first thought was a 22-250 but this then resticts me on the deer, so I went for the .243 as a allrounder. I don't think my police force are seeing it the same as me though :doh:
 
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