First FAC in Scotland – .270 vs .308 vs 6.5×55 vs something else as all‑round stalking calibre?

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I have just done a very long stint on fox & badger with a .25-06, probably the biggest calibre I'd want to use for fox (loud too, think about night time), but it will also take the big stags every time too.
For a dedicated deer rifle on the hill, if you forget about foxing for now, then a .270.
 
The OP is just starting out.
He needs to get basics down first before going custom or home loaded ammo route. No point chasing marksmanship principles/shooting technique as well as bullet or charge weights at the same time. That'll come later.

@ackers1 you've asked the internet to narrow your choice, and unfortunately it's only widened it.
My advice is to apply for a cartridge size readily available off the shelf and something that's familiar to you. Gain the experience and you can always vary your FAC at a later date when you have the experience to make that call.
 
My recommendation these days would be 6.5 cm to anyone starting out. Easy to feed, shoot and buy. Will do all that you want

If you think you need something to reach a bit further out then 6.5 prc. This costs a bit more to feed though.

I use a 270 daily but not through choice.
 
Tim1 said:
For the use you state, my opinion would be to go:

.22lr
.243 Win
.308 Win

Funnily enough that’s what I have together with a 7mm Rem mag.

The .243 will act as a backup deer rifle as well as for foxes. You could substitute the .308 for any deer legal cartridge to suit your fancy.

T
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This is what I would do. Fast twist .243 and take your pick of deer calibres if .308 is not your preferred choice. Get the 22lr and.243 first and then see what you would like after a few more months and stalking trips. If it is not a .308, do a 1 for 1 and get a different calibre.
 
Kane01 said:
For me, .270 in non-toxic is about the same if not cheaper in some cases than .308 non-toxic, might just be my local RFDs, but it was a factor in me picking .270 for a future proof all-round stalking rifle, plus fox.
Click to expand...

This is what I had heard and recommended by a friend
 
deeangeo said:
Ha ha - yer gonna get a lot of different answers to your questions, but my take is simple.
A .25-06Rem will take ANYTHING in the UK with absolute ease. so it'll do yer fox & take big red stags in the rut - I know this - I've done it for the thick end of 30yrs with my .25-06.
For me it's always been important to see quarry reaction to impact & the .25 has low recoil - rather like a .243 on steroids... but it's FAST & will easily manage all ranges out to 350yds.
The thing is - you'll need to load yer own ammo as dealers don't have much in the way of supplies. Good bullet choices too so pick the right ones to do the job. But once yer know how, it's easy & accuracy improves dramatically.
The quarter bore has never been very fashionable, but it's bin around a long time & those who know -KNOW!
Good luck
Click to expand...

Yes i was expecting a lot of different views lol but they're all appreciated. Especially views with 30 years of experience behind them like yours. I will definitely have a look at some .25s and see what they feel like if I can too.
 
M@tt said:
The OP is just starting out.
He needs to get basics down first before going custom or home loaded ammo route. No point chasing marksmanship principles/shooting technique as well as bullet or charge weights at the same time. That'll come later.

@ackers1 you've asked the internet to narrow your choice, and unfortunately it's only widened it.
My advice is to apply for a cartridge size readily available off the shelf and something that's familiar to you. Gain the experience and you can always vary your FAC at a later date when you have the experience to make that call.
Click to expand...

Thanks @M@tt you're exactly right, I think for the first few years at least I'm going to be looking for something that I can get ammo off the shelf for. I'm trying to get the calibres on initially that give me the most utility for what is going to be a steep learning curve.
 
ackers1 said:
Hi all,

Looking for some advice on calibres for my first FAC. I’m based in Scotland and looking to mainly focus on roe, fox and a bit of rough driven shooting, and I’ve also done guided red hind stalking with a view to booking more days, including in England and Wales.

Current plan for the application is:
- .22 LR (+ mod) for vermin and range practice
- One centrefire as an all‑rounder for roe and red, plus fox.

Mid to long‑term I’m conscious of non‑toxic ammo availability and cost.

For those of you stalking similar ground and quarry, would you lean towards .270, .308 or 6.5×55 as the main stalking rifle? Or would you go for something else entirely? Any thoughts on how that looks to Police Scotland on a first grant, and whether my “.22 + one stalking rifle” approach makes sense?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Starting out: very important to get something that you can shoot easily.

All of the above will work. As will 6.5 Creedmoor, which is rapidly becoming the go to starting out general purpose cartridge.

.270 is probably a touch too punchy to start out with. I have seen several people begin with one, develop a nasty flinch, and then take a long time relearning basic technique.

.308 is more forgiving, but can still be a bit much for a beginner.

6.5 x 55 or 6.5 Creedmoor are delightfully easy to shoot well and comfortably kill everything at sensible ranges. Creedmoor is probably the easier to get ammo for now. There’s no point arguing about which of the two is ‘better’ - they are ballistically identical.
 
ackers1 said:
Hi all,

Looking for some advice on calibres for my first FAC. I’m based in Scotland and looking to mainly focus on roe, fox and a bit of rough driven shooting, and I’ve also done guided red hind stalking with a view to booking more days, including in England and Wales.

Current plan for the application is:
- .22 LR (+ mod) for vermin and range practice
- One centrefire as an all‑rounder for roe and red, plus fox.

Mid to long‑term I’m conscious of non‑toxic ammo availability and cost.

For those of you stalking similar ground and quarry, would you lean towards .270, .308 or 6.5×55 as the main stalking rifle? Or would you go for something else entirely? Any thoughts on how that looks to Police Scotland on a first grant, and whether my “.22 + one stalking rifle” approach makes sense?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
I think they would see more sense in getting a foxing rifle and a deer rifle tbh. But without really knowing what they're like north of the border.

End of the day if they're letting you getting a full fat deer gun a fox gun (223 etc) isn't a big ask.

I don't see why you would want to use your deer gun with foxes unless you intend to run a clip on or use a digital NV scope on your deer gun.

Better off getting a fox gun with a nice IR scope (e.g alpex, zulus). It's a different world compared to lamping.

If money is an object then yeah you could run an all rounder but I think a dedicated fox gun makes more sense. I suspect the police will think you've thought about it more to use a reasonable fox calibre. Sometimes they don't like overkill it seems. Dunno might raise an eyebrow.

Bung a 17 hmr on there was well, they're cheap as chips second hand. Even if you don't get one you can convert the slot to something else on a 1 to 1 variation.

You want to minimise your interactions with them going forward. Better to get everything you might want now.
 
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