Which calibre has taken the most deer?

[8x57]

I think the recent BASC article on the 243 mentioned that number.

Edit : just looked at the article - it mentions that 60,000 stalkers use the 243. There are about 150,000 FAC Holders. A reasonable proportion of those will be target shooters who don’t stalk, so 243 is used by a very significant proportion of deer stalkers. Appreciate that many FAC holders will have more than one centre fire rifle, equally many FAC holders will be non FAC holders.

How would they know? I think that BASC don't have any more solid information than anyone else and are simply making a best guestimate.
You lost me with the last bit -" many FAC holders will be non FAC holders."

 

[Heym SR20]

How would they know? I think that BASC don't have any more solid information than anyone else and are simply making a best guestimate.
You lost me with the last bit -" many FAC holders will be non FAC holders."

Senior moment - I meant non centre fire arms holders - ie just hold an fac air rifle or a section 1 shotgun or just rimfires.

BASC regularly interact with home office / police etc on matters of policy so presume will have the data, given that the police should know exactly how 243 rifles are held by FAC holders.

 

[8x57]

Possibly information is shared with BASC on the number of .243 rifles held on record on the two data bases operated in E&W and in Scotland (don't know about the register for N.I.). However if the authorities were willing to share that information with BASC I doubt it would be possible for them to state with certainty just how many .243 rifles were authorised for deer stalking as opposed to other uses. While we all know that the .243 is predominantly used as a stalking rifle, I still think that it would be a guestimate at best.

 

[Hambone]

I have thought for a long time that the .243 has been so popular as it has been deemed to be the smallest legal calibre. If the 22/250 had been deemed the smallest legal calibre would that have been 1st choice by many who just want the minimum deer calibre rifle in case a rare opportunity (or paid stalk) arises? I was advised a .243 as my first centerfire for that very reason.

 

[Dickie]

If you think of pre deer act there's a lot accounted for by the .222 probably after the deer act too.

 

[Twodogs]

.308, .300 Win Mag & .30-06 are all the same calibre, just saying.

 

[Beagle boy]

I have thought for a long time that the .243 has been so popular as it has been deemed to be the smallest legal calibre. If the 22/250 had been deemed the smallest legal calibre would that have been 1st choice by many who just want the minimum deer calibre rifle in case a rare opportunity (or paid stalk) arises? I was advised a .243 as my first centerfire for that very reason.

I was tempted to when I first got my cert, but went for 22-250 after shooting with a friend for a while and I just followed what he had in the end

 

[Foxyboy43]

I think the recent BASC article on the 243 mentioned that number.

Edit : just looked at the article - it mentions that 60,000 stalkers use the 243. There are about 150,000 FAC Holders. A reasonable proportion of those will be target shooters who don’t stalk, so 243 is used by a very significant proportion of deer stalkers. Appreciate that many FAC holders will have more than one centre fire rifle, equally many FAC holders will be non FAC holders.

The last part of your last sentence seems to be mildly contradictory; or is it me?

 

[enfieldspares]

6.5mm except NOT the modern ones but 6.5x54 and 6.5x53R but as I assumed that this poll meant modern cartridges I voted .270 even though that's now, what a century old this year! But overall in the UK in the era of breechloading high velocity rifles firing metal cased expanding bullets it'd be 6.5 in the calibres I note here or, possibly, .303"? Maybe even the .275 Rigby iteration of the 7x57.

 

[Taff]

Looking at figures for calibres held is a pointless system as bad as statistics taken from a small group of people, who know each other, the 243 maybe the most held but do those people actually shoot many deer ?
World wide it is said the 30-30 holds the record, mainly because nearly all shooters in the USA own one. Here in NZ the 303 would probably hold the record due to the deer culls of early days, now I would say the 12g/ 223 is catching up due to helicopter culling, who’s deer will probably not be counted properly.

 

[Heym SR20]

The last part of your last sentence seems to be mildly contradictory; or is it me?

I corrected myself, senior moment etc. i meant to say “many FAC holders will be non centre fire rifle holders”

I am allowed to make typos and get distracted and unable to correct my poor writing. Shows I am not an algorithm.

The only real way to tell would be by insisting on full cull returns with cartridge used etc.

Or take data from Police records on what rifles are held, conditions of use attached etc and where they are used etc

Another surrogate would be to extrapolate from sales of expanding ammunition and expanding bullets in deer legal calibres.

 

[Foxyboy43]

I corrected myself, senior moment etc. i meant to say “many FAC holders will be non centre fire rifle holders”

I am allowed to make typos and get distracted and unable to correct my poor writing. Shows I am not an algorithm.

The only real way to tell would be by insisting on full cull returns with cartridge used etc.

Or take data from Police records on what rifles are held, conditions of use attached etc and where they are used etc

Another surrogate would be to extrapolate from sales of expanding ammunition and expanding bullets in deer legal calibres.

Thank God for clarifying that. I really thought it was me….

 

[8x57]

I corrected myself, senior moment etc. i meant to say “many FAC holders will be non centre fire rifle holders”

I am allowed to make typos and get distracted and unable to correct my poor writing. Shows I am not an algorithm.

The only real way to tell would be by insisting on full cull returns with cartridge used etc.

Or take data from Police records on what rifles are held, conditions of use attached etc and where they are used etc

Another surrogate would be to extrapolate from sales of expanding ammunition and expanding bullets in deer legal calibres.

As you say "The only real way to tell would be by insisting on full cull returns with cartridge used etc."
The other methods would simply be indicators.

 

[Heym SR20]

As you say "The only real way to tell would be by insisting on full cull returns with cartridge used etc."
The other methods would simply be indicators.

Agreed and it’s one of those questions that doesn’t really matter. All cartridges work pretty well.

 

[suburban bushwacker]

it very much depends on whether its the UK or Worldwide and over what time frame.

Go back 20 to 30 years I would have said the 270, as it was the main cartridge used in the Highlands and by the Forestry Commission.

Over all time in the UK the 303 reigned supreme for many decades.

However the 243 accounts for 25% plus of firearms held and with increase in deer numbers down South and its widespread use in Scotland I suspect this accounts for many deer shot. I suspect not more than all others combined, but still a significant percentage.

.243 is 25% of firearms held - That's interesting - where did you find that out?
My assumption that most of the people who only have one rifle might have a 243, but there are lots of collectors who would have skewed the average. I met a fella who has 40+ enfields the other day

 

[Ratel]

6.5mm except NOT the modern ones but 6.5x54 and 6.5x53R but as I assumed that this poll meant modern cartridges I voted .270 even though that's now, what a century old this year! But overall in the UK in the era of breechloading high velocity rifles firing metal cased expanding bullets it'd be 6.5 in the calibres I note here or, possibly, .303"? Maybe even the .275 Rigby iteration of the 7x57.

I agree there were an awful lot of 6.5x54 (256 Gibbs etc) in most Scottish lodges together with .303.
I think pre acts .22 Hornet accounted for a great many along with rimfires which I used initially. My Grandfather used a .300 Sherwood until he got a 7x57 after seeing them in the Boer war.

 

[enfieldspares]

I agree there were an awful lot of 6.5x54 (256 Gibbs etc) in most Scottish lodges together with .303.
I think pre acts .22 Hornet accounted for a great many along with rimfires which I used initially. My Grandfather used a .300 Sherwood until he got a 7x57 after seeing them in the Boer war.

Yes. The .300 be it the BSA Extra Long or the Sherwood must have taken many "park deer" (for which one might assume fallow deer) as, as others may not know these in this chambering were NOT rook and rabbit rifles but park deer rifles. Advertised as suitable for park deer but "without the danger of the highland stalker's rifle" or somesuch words.

 

[Ratel]

Yes. The .300 be it the BSA Extra Long or the Sherwood must have taken many "park deer" (for which one might assume fallow deer) as, as others may not know these in this chambering were NOT rook and rabbit rifles but park deer rifles. Advertised as suitable for park deer but "without the danger of the highland stalker's rifle" or somesuch words.

Yes my G father's Sherwood rifle was used for park fallow deer or local escapees. He admired the accuracy of the Boer 7x57, so he purchased one for longer range shots, which I inherited and used for nearly 50 years.

 

[enfieldspares]

Yes my G father's Sherwood rifle was used for park fallow deer or local escapees.

Again, for those that don't know the Sherwood and the Extra Long propelled a metal based (like a big gas check) 140 grain hollow point bullet at 1,400 fps. Which is pretty much .357 Magnum performance levels you'd have expected from the weight bullet in a six inch barrel revolver. It was of course all effectively done away with by British Deer Society idiots and their fellow travellers obsessed with velocity that gave us the deer legislation that also killed off the 6.5x54 and that ilk with their factory 160 grain loadings. And the 215 grain .303 loading for use in UK for deer. I recall buying a .300 Sherwood from Powell's in the late 1980s when these things were still on s1 controls so made no money at all. No one wanted them...because they were illegal for deer....so I paid £60 for it. I wish I had it now they are s58.

 

[Ratel]

Again, for those that don't know the Sherwood and the Extra Long propelled a metal based (like a big gas check) 140 grain hollow point bullet at 1,400 fps. Which is pretty much .357 Magnum performance levels you'd have expected from the weight bullet in a six inch barrel revolver. It was of course all effectively done away with by British Deer Society idiots and their fellow travellers obsessed with velocity that gave us the deer legislation that also killed off the 6.5x54 and that ilk with their factory 160 grain loadings. And the 215 grain .303 loading for use in UK for deer. I recall buying a .300 Sherwood from Powell's in the late 1980s when these things were still on s1 controls so made no money at all. No one wanted them...because they were illegal for deer....so I paid £60 for it. I wish I had it now they are s58.

If I'd seen it you wouldn't have got it. I always wanted one but Grandad pxd his for the 7x57.