Rifle Ideas

[muddy42]

.303's massive rifles that take up a lot of space?
Have to disagree here, regarding Lee Enfields anyway, possibly longer if you have another shorter barrelled rifle, most likely narrower and generally will be less bulky because you are less likely to have optics and/or moderators.
If you look towards the Parker Hale custom Enfields they are even shorter, smaller and lighter.

Sorry my bad. I stand humbly corrected. My mate says his 303 is particularly heavy and long barreled, others are not.

 

[Twodogs]

Muddy.

Out of interest, probably to no one but myself, and of absolutely no scientific validity I got out the scales and weighed a couple of my rifles (without bolts):
Lee Enfield MkV - 3.66kg
Sako 85 - 4.2kg (Sako Carbonlight in .308 quoted on Sako's website as a svelte 2.5kg or in imperial about £2300).
Parker Hale No1 Custom - 2.82kg (Can be picked up for as little as £250)

It didn't measure but the Enfield is give or take the same length as the Sako, the Parker Hale a couple of inches shorter.
Another useless comparator, the Sako built sometime about 3-4 years ago, Enfield in 1924 and Parker Hale built on a 1918 body. I wonder how long the Sako will last even without the abuse of many squaddies over the years?

Stay safe.

 

[Rudolphus Cervus]

Dear All,

Thank you for your thoughts & suggestions - sorry it's taken a while to respond, "the day job" has been keeping me away from talking about stalking!

It would be worth speaking to Steve Beatty at Ivythorn Sporting in Somerset. He is a rifle specialist with plenty of stock across all price ranges. He is honest about the condition of his second hand rifles, and also has on site range where you can try before buying.

While I can see the appeal of a take-down or Blaser style rifle, I can't quite see the point if you're going to have a full length .303 and presumably .22. surely the gun cupboard will need to be able to fit them. Otherwise, I'd certainly give a lot of consideration to second-hand rifles. If you prefer wood and blued rifles, then there are a lot of high quality examples available for relatively little. The current fashion for anything made of plastic has suppressed the market for traditional rifles to your advantage. I bought second-hand Sako and a Heym last year for £6-700 each - the latter including a German scope. Both in good condition, accurate and slightly better than average-looking. I doubt many rifles in quite good brands get much use.

The Berkshire shooting school or whatever it's name is (nr. Yattendon) has a beautiful, new Heym .243 for sale which I have inspected. I'd be seriously tempted by that as a forever rifle. They also have a .308 too, slightly less pretty though.

Steve Beatty at Ivythorn and the Berkshire have solved my query about "try before you buy" which you simply can't do in central London. I've got a couple of days stalking in Devon in July so I'll go via Ivythorn on my way back from there and contact him before to tee it up. Might head over to the Berkshire as well which is a short trip from London.

I am surprised you managed to get slots for 243, 308, 303 and 22 on your first certificate. My advice, if you are short of space would be to buy one rifle and use it a lot. Familiarly gives you a quick mounting style and breads accuracy. A 308 with a decent variable scope can tackle any species or shooting range in the UK with lead or non-lead bullets.

243 is an amazing if you are only after the smaller deer and vermin, but 308 will also do that fine.
From what I know of 303s, they are massive rifles that will take up a lot of space.
I find 22LR has limited application for game or target shooting - if you want to practice, you might as well get an air rifle (and it doesn't need to live in the cabinet the whole time).

Just my advice, coming from a hypocrite that owns 243, 308 and 22LR and used to live in central London!! Zeroing and load development from central london is a pain. I've tried to join clubs before, but the rules and regs and ammo restrictions are a pain. If you know a landowner nearby you're as well to ask them if you can zero. A few places where I go stalking don't mind if you turn up in the afternoon before an evening stalk to zero. Good luck and don't let anyone put you off butchering a deer in central London - it is perfectly possible!

I'm also - very pleasantly! - surprised. I'd been told it would be worth applying for more than I needed as it would be likely they'd scale me down - but they didn't, they spontaneously said part way through the interview that they were very happy with what I'd applied for and with my attitude to safety, my security at home and my skills (I was able to show them some groups I'd shot at Bisley and at a rifle club), I suppose it also helps having had a SGC for 34 years without incident.

They therefore gave me all I'd applied for and an open ticket too, "any lawful quarry" on any land where I have permission, plus target shooting at any range (as long as I am a member of XYZ Rifle Club). After some of the horror stories I've read on here about FEO visits/interviews I almost fell off my proverbial perch. They couldn't have been nicer, more helpful or more encouraging.

The storage size thing isn't so much about height/length - an old .303 Lee Enfield (the original) was 49" in total (same as the old Martini-Henry which you can also get in .303) but then in 1904 they created a shorter version designated by the Army as "Rifle, Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield" but known as SMLE (pronounced "smellie") which is only 44", the same as a modern stalking rifle e.g. Tikka T3 with 24" barrel works out at 44" too, They also had a 39" carbine version for jungle warfare. The problem is the depth/width of the gun cabinet I have room for, thus restricting the number of rifles - my existing cabinet has room for 6 and already has 2 shotguns in it, hence room for 4 rifles max and I don't have room for another, or a larger cabinet. Going for the modular options thus means I could get more than 4 calibres in there eventually, should I apply for a variation, as I could have two calibres on one rifle, effectively.

Not sure what your quarry is, if you are after Boar then you will need something akin to a 308.

Deer principally, all UK species - however I also have the opportunity to go for Boar in Italy (though am aware of the logistical nightmare the end of the European Firearms Pass has brought!).

Having done (and now mercifully escaped) a London flat, the Blaser thing might work for you. I always felt very self conscious in the walk from my front door, across the road and maybe round the corner to wherever my car was parked carrying what was obviously a firearm. I’ve never owned a Blaser but if it can be dismantled and partially disguised, getting it in and out of the car will be less worrisome.

I saw a Sauer 404 in its case the other day - breaks down even smaller than the Blaser - have a look at this video I found of someone putting it in the case. Ideal for getting to/from car in London discretely without a dozen heavily armed Police descending upon you and a terrorist incident being declared!


Any thoughts on wood vs synthetic/plastic and thumbhole vs pistol-grip vs "ye olde worlde" grip? I know the obvious (wood can warp & scratch but synthetic is not always as strong; thumbhole can be slower to operate the bolt etc) but any real-life considerations from those who've used each type and concluded one way or another? My favourite shotgun is an inherited old English one I still use regularly, so I'm used to wood and the "olde worlde" grip, but am approaching my rifle journey with a completely open mind so willing to try anything...

 

[DRWC]

The discrete to/from car thing isn’t just about panicking passers by. I have one friend who came out to find front door and car covered in paint. Another had flat broken into when on holiday, and nothing touched except for the gun safe being hacked out. You never know who notices you coming and going.

 

[Rudolphus Cervus]

The discrete to/from car thing isn’t just about panicking passers by. I have one friend who came out to find front door and car covered in paint. Another had flat broken into when on holiday, and nothing touched except for the gun safe being hacked out. You never know who notices you coming and going.

Very true. Plenty of antis & general bunny-huggers around in London!