Hi all
I'm going to be doing my DSC level 1 in mid-December, over in Essex (yes I know the Gloucester/Dorset locations would have made a lot more sense given my location but I've been itching to get on the course and that one was available! )
My stalking experience consists of shadowing a friend on 3 stalks, the last of which I shot my first deer (a fine young roe buck); not much experience but I'm trying my best to gain more, so that I have the practical to complement the theory element that the course offers - I can then present a good case to the FEO when applying for my variation
Anyway, I just wondered what advice you can give me for the course? I have the manual and am happy to mug up on the material in it, however I am slightly worried about the 'simulated stalk' section..... how hard is this? As I've heard if you get the slightest thing wrong, it's an immediate fail?? Is it mainly safety stuff like is there a backstop behind the target, and unloading before handing the gun to someone else??
Also, the shooting test..... I have a .22lr and will try and practice with that, as I have extremely limited experience with a centrefire - just 4 shots with my friend's 6.5x55! (3 for him to check my accuracy at range, and 1 for that roe buck!) do you think that practice with the .22 will be enough, or should I really try and seek some more experience with fullbore guns? It's just that my friend doesn't take me out very often at all (3 times in 5 months), and I can't really afford to spend out on those 'centrefire experience' sorta days at ranges
On that note - I'll be borrowing a gun from the course centre, and not sure what calibre that may be, I'm guessing it's likely to be a fairly common entry-level deer round like the .243?
I better leave it there as I am rambling on a lot!! I'll leave any more questions I have for another day!
Any help/advice is very much appreciated, cheers all!!
I'm going to be doing my DSC level 1 in mid-December, over in Essex (yes I know the Gloucester/Dorset locations would have made a lot more sense given my location but I've been itching to get on the course and that one was available! )
My stalking experience consists of shadowing a friend on 3 stalks, the last of which I shot my first deer (a fine young roe buck); not much experience but I'm trying my best to gain more, so that I have the practical to complement the theory element that the course offers - I can then present a good case to the FEO when applying for my variation
Anyway, I just wondered what advice you can give me for the course? I have the manual and am happy to mug up on the material in it, however I am slightly worried about the 'simulated stalk' section..... how hard is this? As I've heard if you get the slightest thing wrong, it's an immediate fail?? Is it mainly safety stuff like is there a backstop behind the target, and unloading before handing the gun to someone else??
Also, the shooting test..... I have a .22lr and will try and practice with that, as I have extremely limited experience with a centrefire - just 4 shots with my friend's 6.5x55! (3 for him to check my accuracy at range, and 1 for that roe buck!) do you think that practice with the .22 will be enough, or should I really try and seek some more experience with fullbore guns? It's just that my friend doesn't take me out very often at all (3 times in 5 months), and I can't really afford to spend out on those 'centrefire experience' sorta days at ranges
On that note - I'll be borrowing a gun from the course centre, and not sure what calibre that may be, I'm guessing it's likely to be a fairly common entry-level deer round like the .243?
I better leave it there as I am rambling on a lot!! I'll leave any more questions I have for another day!
Any help/advice is very much appreciated, cheers all!!