Oracle is right..this is ALL about demonstrating how public safety demands can be managed.
I think there's a few dangerous precedents being discussed that are used time and time again as evidence backing "good reason" but which in themselves are not requirements in law. I'm referring specifically to:
- Obtaining DSC1 (or any other quali come to that)
- Mentoring
Neither are, nor ever have been legal requirements and no authority can refuse on the grounds that either condition is not being met. However,
both remain good evidence to back up experience and training which is why they are mentioned. The police are placed in a difficult position when deciding to grant where the person's experience is an unknown but the sheer levels of ignorance and lack of ballistics knowledge on the part of some forces means that they equate larger CF calibres as equalling greater risk. We all know that a 223 can travel 1000 yds and kill someone, or likely travel a mile and do the same if it comes down out of the sky onto someone's bonce. The same can be said for 22LR though as proved by the tragic case in Co. Fermanagh, just outside Enniskellen a a few years ago. It is fair to say that higher energy CF's do pose a greater risk in certain conditions such as no backstop being present, where the projectile is likely to travel further than any RF in the event of a miss or pass through.
I go back to my earlier point that as far as the police are concerned, it is not they that really control the application, it is the applicant and the quicker the shooting community wake up to this, the more that organisations such as BASC can do to further education on application matters instead of perhaps taking the confrontational route and arguing points of law. The place for actually arguing those is the courts and the CC's know this so are bound not to unreasonably refuse anyone of good standing the right of an FAC providing good reason is evidenced.
We get back to evidence. Myself, the OP and many others on here have military backgrounds but shooting on ranges counts for nothing when considering the open countryside where you are on your own with no RO supervising proceedings. It is for that reason that the authorities simple wish to see some sort of evidence to support applications to put them at ease as they cannot have personal knowledge of the applicant. The fact that an FAC was granted in the first place for a rimfire has to count for a lot in terms of safe handling. If they had not been satisfied that the applicant was safe to roam with a rimfire then one could argue "what's the difference if backstops are used?". That being the case then show them that by a) offering tho walk the permission with the feo describing where a shot might or might not be safe wrt backstops, boundaries, farm workers, buildings, plant and machinery and public access and what steps you would take to ensure the shot was safe. This is practical demonstration of the proper assessment or risk.
Put that to paper on the application and note that the FEO (if he agrees and has the time) walks the permission with you. You can also chat to the FEO on the way round and show that you do have good CF knowledge and understand the risks although it has to be said that in terms of muzzle awareness is shouldn't matter what the firearm is, the same controls should be observed. I did this for mine and it was the evidence presented to the licencing manager by the FEO that swung things in my favour. You have to be proactive and demonstrate these things. Do that, add in the need in terms of controlling vermin or managing deer (and here it also helps to show some understanding of the Deer Act ) and you should get your variation. You would be unreasonably refused if turned down after all these things were demonstrated and then is probably an appropriate time to challenge in the courts but I very much doubt it would happen if you ticked these boxes.
As Malc suggests, the backing evidence through courses etc may cost you a little but lets be honest...your cheapest scope is likely to cost as much if not more than the cost of a course, let alone mounts, moderators, bipods, sticks, NV etc, plus is way cheaper and easier as a way in than obtaining a certificate on the continent.
