Is My ELR Rifle Legal in the UK?

[DW58]

 

maximus otter

My thoughts exactly.

[DW58]

ive knocked a fig11 down at 1800yds with one.

[Coughs] Bullsh!t

 

[brown dog]

 

maximus otter

That's the truth.

 

Swaro, I get the impression that, even if locked in a room on your own, you'd still manage to pick an argument.

 

Please stop.

[Swarovski1]

It's not me picking arguments.i don't argue with anybody else

[Viajero]

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 ,

[Swarovski1]

I had a brief conversation with the lady who deals with my variation and the 338 was for target only.the daft thing is who would know if you did take it across the fields.

[Grum87]

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 ,

 

 

I know plenty of people with the same, if you ask for *one* of your guns to shoot over land with, the whole let get opened up for use on land....mad.

 

I too have .22lr conditioned for fox and deer.....that made me giggle. I had the centrefires conditioned for Deer/fox/aolq and they just dumped the .22 into the same conditions when I asked for it.

[Viajero]

 

 

I know plenty of people with the same, if you ask for *one* of your guns to shoot over land with, the whole let get opened up for use on land....mad.

 

I too have .22lr conditioned for fox and deer.....that made me giggle. I had the centrefires conditioned for Deer/fox/aolq and they just dumped the .22 into the same conditions when I asked for it.

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

[Grum87]

I had a brief conversation with the lady who deals with my variation and the 338 was for target only.the daft thing is who would know if you did take it across the fields.

My neighbours would, not planning on a mod for now, even if I do have a slot for it.

 

Suspect they'd hear it

[Grum87]

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

My rifles are conditioned for quarry, no mention of where I can shoot them, just anywhere with permission.

[gazzarM1]

 

maximus otter

[Cumbrian 1]

To answer the OP your rifle would be perfectly adequate to shoot red deer, however long range shooting is generally frowned upon in the UK. For some reason a person who has practised continuously at the range and has worked out the limit of his/her ability is unethical yet the people who never shoot more than 200yds are generally the ones that will shoot them in the guts. I have seen far more deer gut shot at close range than at 300/400 metres.

 

I own a lot of commercial forestry and rely upon it for an income and deer unfortunately are a pest and providing I am confident with the conditions (I.e. the wind not continuously gusting from 20-50mph) I will shoot deer at extended ranges. However when I go on my annual trip to stalk stags then I really enjoy the stalk and crawling really close.

[Cumbrian 1]

I don't think the .338 will do excessive meat damage, quite the opposite. I have a .375 for use in the UK and believe me a .300 grain soft hardly opens up and does little damage, I think bullet construction has more importance than calibre.

[Cumbrian 1]

Rifle: .375 double

Bullet: Hornady 300 grain DGX

Distance: 70yds

Notice the exit hole

 

The rabbit is left whole

[Cumbrian 1]

Double post

[gazzarM1]

To answer the OP your rifle would be perfectly adequate to shoot red deer, however long range shooting is generally frowned upon in the UK. For some reason a person who has practised continuously at the range and has worked out the limit of his/her ability is unethical yet the people who never shoot more than 200yds are generally the ones that will shoot them in the guts. I have seen far more deer gut shot at close range than at 300/400 metres.

 

I own a lot of commercial forestry and rely upon it for an income and deer unfortunately are a pest and providing I am confident with the conditions (I.e. the wind not continuously gusting from 20-50mph) I will shoot deer at extended ranges. However when I go on my annual trip to stalk stags then I really enjoy the stalk and crawling really close.

Nails it IMHO

[Ronin]

I have a 338lap conditioned for deer

 

 

 

So do I

[Grum87]

Great post Cumbrian, and a point I was trying to get across, but perhaps not very well.

 

A bullet that fails to stop in it's target is only dumping a fraction of the energy it's carrying. The majority of the bullets energy is dumped into the backstop.

 

I'd guess, assuming a similar bullet construction(ie, a traditional softpoint), there is only a finite amount of energy a carcass will absorb, before the bullet exits. I'd be very, very surprised if the energy absorbed is that much greater when hit with a 338 over a 308 - assuming it exits which in both cases they almost certainly will. Infact, I'd bet it's possible that a smaller calibre, or lighter bullet that is more likely to stop, could impart more energy on the target, than a big heavy round that zip's on through.....

 

However, change bullet construction, to say a ballstic tip, and it'd be entirely different.

[brown dog]

Yup. It's about bullet choice (and shot placement: I'd be interested to learn where the 'meat destroyers' are placing their bullets too. Not much meat to destroy with a side-on heart shot.).

[John MH]

I had a brief conversation with the lady who deals with my variation and the 338 was for target only.the daft thing is who would know if you did take it across the fields.

 

You would I suppose and you'd be breaking the law but I'm sure you knew that. I hope you were not suggesting that its ok in any way.

[gbal]

Yup. It's about bullet choice (and shot placement: I'd be interested to learn where the 'meat destroyers' are placing their bullets too. Not much meat to destroy with a side-on heart shot.).

cf post 45

 

I should have rambled on-succinct was not enough. Seldom is on complex issues-still ,any hole in the heart is generally enough,irrespective of final bullet destination. Damage varies-angles,bone -all that stuff. Heather damage is secondary,very! :-)

 

gbal

[Swarovski1]

You would I suppose and you'd be breaking the law but I'm sure you kew that. I hope you were not suggesting that its ok in any way.

definately not promoting it john.just making the point that it would be so easy too do.

In something like the 338lm I would expect a big exit/damage with a 250 is grain ballistic tipped bullet.i seen a few big exits with 180gr sst's with a 30 -06.soon stopped using them.

[Grum87]

definately not promoting it john.just making the point that it would be so easy too do.

In something like the 338lm I would expect a big exit/damage with a 250 is grain ballistic tipped bullet.i seen a few big exits with 180gr sst's with a 30 -06.soon stopped using them.

 

That's where bullet choice comes in....

 

A traditional lead softpoint with a thicker jacket, possibly a harder lead alloy in the core, which expands less rapidly, will do much less damage.

 

I've shot many a critter with my .260 with bullets like the 95gr Vmax, or 130 TMK, and they are absolutely devastating. I've also hit corvids with a 308, with 175 Matchking, and you'd never even know they'd been shot.....I struggled to find either entry or exit on some examples.

 

Obviously you wouldn't shoot deer with anything other than expanding ammo, but some bullets expand more rapidly than others.

[duey]

I've had more meat damage from a 150BT than 165 soft nose in 308

It's more about the bullet design than the bullet weight and also placement of shot

A 22-250 with BT bullets can be more destructive because they're more explosive due to speed

Many factors for potential damage not just caliber

Personally don't see a problem with 338 as a hunting round

[Swarovski1]

I don't think anybody is disputing that it isn't a great hunting round.it was the mention of shooting deer like animals at a mile that did.personly I wouldn't have for hunting but I would get one if I could shoot it at bisley.