Viajero

I agree with all that , especially the last sentence.

Impressive

I dont even have to state land where I shoot ,it seems to be completely open.

I guess some Forces are very pedantic , I`ve got a collection of arms including muzzle loading revolvers , .22lr ,.22wmr, .204 , 45-70 , sect 1 shotgun, 308. etc etc, my FAC just states "The firearms and ammunition shall be used for shooting vermin and ground game/fox/deer and any other lawful quarry and for zeroing on ranges , or land and over which the holder has authority to shoot" No other conditions except a bit of waffle about expanding ammo , I`m confident I`d get a 338 if I wanted one with no restrictions , I have held an FAC for more than 25 years so maybe I`m now deemed responsible So stalking with my .22lr it is ,

Ive no issue with 338 Lap but wheres the sense in destroying the meat ? I do take issue with ultra long shots as not everyone is upto to it and then we end up with maimed deer wandering around , I`ve dispatched two this year , both had been shot in the leg and couldnt walk properly , no idea what rifle the half wits had used , a keeper mate has had deer on his estate with jaws blown off as well , its very possible none of these were shot with a 338 but the odds on guaranteed shot placement get higher with big distances which is what 338s are meant for and encourage.

I think the bottom line is no one "needs" a 338 Lapua for stalking , a 308 will do the job humanely on Reds and with a lot less meat damage , a 243 is fine on Roe and whilst legal on Red many will say its not sufficient in some instances, going stalking with a `kin great 338 AI is feeding the anti hunting mob just what they want "Nutters with military sniper rifles" would soon be on the pages of Faceache and help no one who enjoys hunting.

OP, you may wish to consider doing this course when you come to the UK , you will learn a lot about how deer hunting is done in the UK and qualifying may get you access to hunting estates that would otherwise not allow you on them ,if you go this route then see if you can get the manual sent to you in the US as theres a bit of studying to do, http://www.bds.org.uk/index.php/training/dsc1

Put in for a variation with a covering letter , demonstrating your knowledge of ballistics and a fully detailed explanation as to why you need that calibre , your reason may be wanting a dual purpose rifle thats good for long range target shooting and also stalking deer , explain you would load your own ammo and that a lower m/e would be used for deer , it may work but as we all know in the UK we need a reason to own a firearm and a reason for a firearm type so if you dont have a plausible reason.......

In the UK the stalking is the art , not blasting animals at very long ranges as often they are maimed , ie legs and jaws blown off , 300 yards is generally considered the max range for a competent shot on guided deer hunts , your calibre is far more powerful than necessary for the biggest deer and would no doubt cause meat damage way beyond an acceptable level. My advise would be leave your big rifle at home and bring a .308 or the likes otherwise you risk being ridiculed or refused permission to hunt deer on any respectable estate. I see your age is 71 , I hope you are in good health as there is often a days walking in mountains involved on a hunt , we dont do canned hunts in the UK (not that I know of anyway)

Thats all you need , maybe throw in a Multitool leatherman type thingy .