Returning to shooting in the UK, after working abroad

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JonR

Active Member
Hi All,

After over a decade working abroad, in the defence and security sector, I'm looking to spend more time in the UK (West Mids) and to get back into deer stalking. I've found this site to be very engaging in the couple years I've been a casual observer, and I've really enjoyed the discussions on the various firearms, calibres and ammunition types that members use (or love to hate)! I've been shooting since I was very young, starting with air rifles (and the .22 Theoben Countryman that I regret to this day selling) and developing interests in pest control, deer stalking, reloading and target shooting - before my military service took me down a tactical rabbit hole!

Firearms going in the cabinet will be a .30-06 and a 12g side-by-side, which I anticipate are among the least controversial options on here! Looking forward to engaging with you all.
Jonno
 
JonR said:
Hi All,

After over a decade working abroad, in the defence and security sector, I'm looking to spend more time in the UK (West Mids) and to get back into deer stalking. I've found this site to be very engaging in the couple years I've been a casual observer, and I've really enjoyed the discussions on the various firearms, calibres and ammunition types that members use (or love to hate)! I've been shooting since I was very young, starting with air rifles (and the .22 Theoben Countryman that I regret to this day selling) and developing interests in pest control, deer stalking, reloading and target shooting - before my military service took me down a tactical rabbit hole!

Firearms going in the cabinet will be a .30-06 and a 12g side-by-side, which I anticipate are among the least controversial options on here! Looking forward to engaging with you all.
Jonno
Click to expand...
Welcome back.

I hope your FAC application goes well.
 
Welcome to the site from Herefordshire (Formerly from West Midlands). For your 12g sbs you will want to make sure it’s steel proofed to shoot high performance steel. Your choice of 30-06 is an excellent one for all UK deer, boar and if you get the opportunity African plains game.

Like you with your Theoben I regret selling my Mauser M03 in 30-06.

Good luck with your FAC application.
 
Scotty99 said:
Welcome to the site from Herefordshire (Formerly from West Midlands). For your 12g sbs you will want to make sure it’s steel proofed to shoot high performance steel. Your choice of 30-06 is an excellent one for all UK deer, boar and if you get the opportunity African plains game.

Like you with your Theoben I regret selling my Mauser M03 in 30-06.

Good luck with your FAC application.
Click to expand...
Thanks! I had a M03 too! In .308. What a rifle! My old favourite calibre was 7mm-08 but even though I'm a handloader, with non-toxic considerations and some opportunities abroad, I figured .30-06 would be a little more useful. I had thought about 7x64, but some of the manufacturers still seem to be stuck on shallower twists.

For the sbs, it will be mostly used on the rare occassions when I get invited out on a walked-up day, so if I find the right gun I don't really mind paying for the mind-blowingly expensive bismuth cartridges. I doubt I'll be doing more than a case a year. A steel-proofed sbs would be a definite bonus though, so I'll try to find one that fits. Always had good luck with some of the longer stocked AYA No.1 examples.
 
JonR said:
Thanks! I had a M03 too! In .308. What a rifle! My old favourite calibre was 7mm-08 but even though I'm a handloader, with non-toxic considerations and some opportunities abroad, I figured .30-06 would be a little more useful. I had thought about 7x64, but some of the manufacturers still seem to be stuck on shallower twists.

For the sbs, it will be mostly used on the rare occassions when I get invited out on a walked-up day, so if I find the right gun I don't really mind paying for the mind-blowingly expensive bismuth cartridges. I doubt I'll be doing more than a case a year. A steel-proofed sbs would be a definite bonus though, so I'll try to find one that fits. Always had good luck with some of the longer stocked AYA No.1 examples.
Click to expand...

If you reload the 30-06 really is an excellent choice you can load from 110 grn right up to 240 grn bullets giving you almost endless options.

On the sbs front then if you’re not shooting much then bismuth will do fine and you might be able to pick up a really good quality sbs for not much money as people move them on as a result of the lead ban. Look at Holts auctioneers web site they have some quality used guns at realistic prices. I’ve always fancied an AYA No 1 myself…lovely guns.

As well as bismuth consider this fairly new ammo called Bioammo Blue which is a mixture of bismuth, tin, zinc and aluminium and can be shot from older guns like bismuth but might work out a bit cheaper than pure bismuth.
 
Scotty99 said:
If you reload the 30-06 really is an excellent choice you can load from 110 grn right up to 240 grn bullets giving you almost endless options.

On the sbs front then if you’re not shooting much then bismuth will do fine and you might be able to pick up a really good quality sbs for not much money as people move them on as a result of the lead ban. Look at Holts auctioneers web site they have some quality used guns at realistic prices. I’ve always fancied an AYA No 1 myself…lovely guns.

As well as bismuth consider this fairly new ammo called Bioammo Blue which is a mixture of bismuth, tin, zinc and aluminium and can be shot from older guns like bismuth but might work out a bit cheaper than pure bismuth.
Click to expand...
I hadn't heard of Bioammo Blue before, so thanks for the heads-up! I had played around with the idea that maybe 20-gauge might be a good option for bismuth, but the savings aren't really there.
 
I home load Bismuth in my AYA no3 non ejector, I just enjoy using it on the marsh, and as you say if your not throwing loads of carts through it, the cost isn't the end of the world. Im sure they will come up with other alternatives once lead goes.
 
Jason The Turner said:
I home load Bismuth in my AYA no3 non ejector, I just enjoy using it on the marsh, and as you say if your not throwing loads of carts through it, the cost isn't the end of the world. Im sure they will come up with other alternatives once lead goes.
Click to expand...
Oh awesome! Yeah, I've done some shotgun loading for an R&D project and it seems quite feasible to rattle off enough for personal, non-driven, use!
 
JonR said:
Hi All,

After over a decade working abroad, in the defence and security sector, I'm looking to spend more time in the UK (West Mids) and to get back into deer stalking. I've found this site to be very engaging in the couple years I've been a casual observer, and I've really enjoyed the discussions on the various firearms, calibres and ammunition types that members use (or love to hate)! I've been shooting since I was very young, starting with air rifles (and the .22 Theoben Countryman that I regret to this day selling) and developing interests in pest control, deer stalking, reloading and target shooting - before my military service took me down a tactical rabbit hole!

Firearms going in the cabinet will be a .30-06 and a 12g side-by-side, which I anticipate are among the least controversial options on here! Looking forward to engaging with you all.
Jonno
Click to expand...
Hope all goes smoothly for you my friend
 
Re comments on Steel and side by sides.

Absolutely no need for High Performance Steel proof. There are plenty of good options available that work perfectly well in standard guns with a standard proof (post 1954) with a recommendation of a max of 1/2 choke and that the gun is in good working order.

There are plenty of options for older 21/2” chambered guns, but many more for 2 3/4” chambered guns.

High Performance Steel kicks more, is a lot more expensive and is only really needed if you are shooting super high or long range on the Foreshore.

For most game shooting, rough shooting etc where shots are within the normal 35 to 40 yards standard steel works just fine and you have lots of options.
 
Heym SR20 said:
Re comments on Steel and side by sides.

Absolutely no need for High Performance Steel proof. There are plenty of good options available that work perfectly well in standard guns with a standard proof (post 1954) with a recommendation of a max of 1/2 choke and that the gun is in good working order.

There are plenty of options for older 21/2” chambered guns, but many more for 2 3/4” chambered guns.

High Performance Steel kicks more, is a lot more expensive and is only really needed if you are shooting super high or long range on the Foreshore.

For most game shooting, rough shooting etc where shots are within the normal 35 to 40 yards standard steel works just fine and you have lots of options.
Click to expand...
Hi Heym
Very good points. I was looking that very thing up yesterday, following comments on this thread. Given how cheaply some of those guns are now, it's still not entirely cost prohibitive to find a slightly beefy sbs in great condition and send it to Teague for choke modification and reproof, if that were required.
 
JonR said:
Hi Heym
Very good points. I was looking that very thing up yesterday, following comments on this thread. Given how cheaply some of those guns are now, it's still not entirely cost prohibitive to find a slightly beefy sbs in great condition and send it to Teague for choke modification and reproof, if that were required.
Click to expand...
I would not even worry about sending it off to have choke tubes. Most British game guns were pretty open choked in the first place.
 
JonR said:
Hi Heym
Very good points. I was looking that very thing up yesterday, following comments on this thread. Given how cheaply some of those guns are now, it's still not entirely cost prohibitive to find a slightly beefy sbs in great condition and send it to Teague for choke modification and reproof, if that were required.
Click to expand...
Also be very aware of many in the trade - as exemplified by Bang & Bodget - the well known gun emporium which is part of Trotters Independent Traders. Our hero walks in with a beautiful fine Scottish made gun. Twas his grandfather’s but still in beautiful condition with wall thicknesses and dimensions as per original proof marks.

Lots of sucking off teeth from Bang & Bodget. He hangs the barrels by the hook and just gets a dull thud when he rings them with his nails. Goes about measuring them and opines barrels are buggered don’t ring clearly and barrels paper thin*.

Useless for steel, in fact the gun is worthless. He will do you a good deal on the new Beretta side by side, and he will take in your old gun to save the costs of disposal.

£5,000 lighter in pocket our hero has a new steel proofed multi chocked side by side with all the handling of a fence post.

Bang & Bodget has shipped the old gun to his American cousin where its sold for several thousand $ to a Kentucky gentleman with a good backstory that it belonged to heirs of the Scottish laird that ran his forefathers off lands during the clearances.

Yes the above is fiction, but have seen similar happen to three guests of our little shoot in the last couple of years.


*easy enough to damp the barrels so they don’t ring clear, and zero the dial indicator so gives very misreading measurements
 
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