In January you will get to read the full review of a product martin has been using recently one of his deer rifles, as you can tell from this little preview he is quite excited about it. Check out our usual gear review post in January for a full account.
It's never too late to have one of those "I wish I'd known about this 20 years ago" moments and I just had one! I'm 61 next birthday and have fired many weapons in a variety of disciplines and situations and I can't think of one in which the aim point micro H-2 wouldn't have made me a better shot. I grew up with small bore rifle and a lot of shot gunning for pest control and on my best days, I was good but never great. The military had me shooting with assault rifles and sub machine guns as well as an assortment of man portable antitank weapons and once again, the aim point would have been brilliant in all but the pure long range applications.
My other love, whilst the military encouraged it and civilians tolerated it, was pistol shooting. Tragedy bought that to an unnecessary and abrupt end but without doubt, this too would have benefited from an aim point micro with its pinpoint accuracy and 'both eyes open' capability, I only wish I'd had the opportunity to try it! But alas, those opportunities have gone and unlikely to return. The one I do have though, is to put it on a short, light and fast handling deer rifle for woodland stalking.
Watch this space for my experiences in the cambridgeshire woodlands, shooting Muntjac, Chinese Water Deer and Roe. See you in the woods! MG
November sees the start of the Chinese water deer (CWD) season and to open it I often make an outing with a few like minded companions to make a good start on the cull. This is an account of one of those early season outings from a year or two ago:
Before we even reached our parking spot, we saw our first CWD, unperturbed by our presence we could only watch him briefly before trundling
on. Once parked, we wished each other good fortune and set off after a careful
re-brief on safety and communications procedures and where everyone would be
seated on this grey, damp and increasingly windy morning.
A few minutes later we had all taken up our respective
positions and began our vigil as the light slowly gathered in the east. Through
binoculars, dark shapes could be seen but not yet in sufficient detail to be
useful, weeds and the ever present ‘bog oak’ projections, can all take on the
form you want them to in poor light and patience is the only solution.
A double Crack and thump told me that Carl had found his
mark with 2 rounds in quick succession. I awaited Carl’s call so that I could leave
my seat as I could also see deer now, though not close enough for a shot and I
was eager to move but didn’t want to rush Carl and safety and communications
protocol demanded that we were in touch before I moved. Carl’s report came, he
had two deer and was observing another, as was I. We agreed that he would make
safe and I would leave my seat to pursue one of my opportunities, Steve hadn’t
seen anything yet but the day was young.
I was out of my seat and crossed a very rough track to the
cover of some tall weeds, from here I confirmed the position of 2 deer and
dropped back into deeper cover to make my advance unseen. Progress was slow to
avoid making any noise in the brittle cover and soon I had closed the range to
around 75 yards, a safe and comfortable shot even in this morning’s stiff
breeze. I opened up my shooting sticks and rested the rifle on top, made a few
minor adjustments and slipped behind the stock to take the first view of my
target through the scope. It was a good size yearling buck, no fangs to speak
of and moving confidently and freely with no sign of impediment. I slipped the
safety catch off and as he turned broad side on to me, two deep breaths, exhale
as I put the cross hairs just behind his shoulder and squeezed the trigger. The
rifle cracked and nudged me gently in the shoulder and I heard the bullet
strike its target and saw a shower of hair to confirm the fact.
Chinese water deer often shed huge clumps of fur when they are hit, this makes is fairly strait forward to track them down if they run from the point where they were hit.
My phone buzzed
almost immediately with a message that Steve had dropped a nice buck and I
replied that I had too. The deer I had shot had disappeared in to cover as they often do but
experience told me that I was only going to walk a very few yards to find my
prize. This was my hundredth CWD. I made safe
and started my gentle stroll to the spot where I last saw my deer and as I
expected, I found hair and blood at the point of impact confirming what I
already knew and a significant blood trail led the 8 or 10 paces to where the
little fellow lay motionless in a dry ditch. He was in lovely condition, fine
coat and fat. I carried out all of the carcass inspections required for meat to
be put in the food chain and got to work with knife and rubber gloves to prepare him for the carry out.
Back at home, the butchery confirmed that the animal was in
great condition, very fat from a plentiful supply of quality fodder, kidneys almost
invisible in a shroud of thick fat, this is going to eat beautifully!
The nature of this article does mean that there will be some pictures which are quite graphic and that we will be discussing a subject that some may find distasteful; PLEASE STOP READING NOW IF YOU ARE A SNOWFLAKE.
Following on from yesterday's review of the browning x-bolt I'm dedicating a whole post to a lesson related to firearms and their use for getting wild food in the UK, rather than trying to shoe-horn it into yesterdays post.
We'll be discussing terminal ballistics which is the term used to describe the path of a projectile once it has hit it's target. If we are planning to harvest wild game as part of our practice of bushcraft then we need to understand this so we select the right weapon to kill something for the pot. The nature of this article does mean that there will be some pictures which are quite graphic and that we will be discussing a subject that some may find distasteful; PLEASE STOP READING NOW IF YOU ARE A SNOWFLAKE.
It's important if we are going to take a life to fill our freezer that we do so as humanely as possible and in accordance with local laws.
I have written about archery here before and why I have never dedicated any significant amount of time to it's practice for the simple reason that it is not legal to hunt deer in the UK with bow and arrow so it practising never seemed like a good use of my time. So this post will focus on the terminal ballistics of rifle bullets and how they affect our quarry.
A range of ammunition for modern rifles; from left to right .300 Win Mag, .303, 10.3x60mm, .243 Winchester, .222
When we discharge a rifle at a deer, rabbit or anything else that we intend to kill for the pot the projectile doesn't stop moving once it hits our target, obviously it penetrates it and causes traumatic damage and blood loss leading hopefully to a quick or instant death. The path of the projectile after it's first impact with the target and it, or it's pieces coming to rest, the projectiles terminal ballistics are the topic of todays post.
To set the scene watch this video to get an understanding of what happens when bullets strike their targets. These videos are quite old but show in great detail the effect of modern and antique firearms on ballistic gelatin and bone. Ballistic gelatin is made to mimic flesh in tests and so these videos are indicative of a bullets behaviour once it strikes a live target. One of the Browning X-bolts featured in yesterdays review is chambered in the same 5.56 mm calibre for the M16 that is tested in this video, the calibre is known as .223 in civilian circles.
The video is an old one but is does show perfectly what is meant by terminal ballistics and compares quite effectively the damage caused by modern rifle bullets compared to frontier era pistols and rifles which might also be of historical interest to bushcrafters.
To put what you have just seen into perspective and relate it to gathering food the legal minimum calibres for shooting Chinese water deer and muntjac (the two smallest deer species in the the UK) in England and Wales is .220 with a minimum bullet weight of 50 grains and minimum muzzle energy of 1000ft/lbs. For the larger species of deer the minimum is .240 and a minimum muzzle energy of 1700ft/lbs (there is no mandated minimum bullet weight). This guideline exists to ensure that deer are only shot with calibres that can kill them humanely.
It is true that smaller calibres can kill deer, especially with a well placed shot but the welfare of your quarry is paramount and you should never be tempted to use smaller calibres or inappropriate shotgun loads for shooting deer. Shotguns loaded with non spherical slug or AAA shot can be used to shoot deer in England and Wales but slugs require a section 1 firearms licence and good reason to posses and AAA is really only a loophole to allow farmers to shoot deer if they are doing severe damage to crops and they don't have access to a rifle. I would strongly recommend AGAINST using shotguns on deer unless it is to dispatch an already immobilised or trapped deer that can't easily get away and then only at very close range, even AAA shot which is large by most game shooting standards only carries a few ft/lbs of energy per individual shot and is not capable of killing or even severely wounding deer except at extreme close range. One of the reasons for this lack of wounding capability is that the shot (which is actually a similar diameter to a .223 rifle round) does not deform on impact.
The deformation of a rifle round is what allows it to transfer the maximum energy to it's target and kill it humanely. In fact rifle rounds for use on deer must be 'expanding rounds' that is they are designed to deform rapidly on impact with the target.
You can see the ammunition here on the left has plastic orange tips and on the right has slightly hollow points. The ammunition in the centre is NATO Ball ammunition with a full metal jacket. The other rounds are designed to deform on impact with soft skinned mammal targets and impart maximum damage to cause a humane kill.
The ammunition shown in the video was all non expanding ammunition in that it was either fully jacketed or solid lead which will deform but only when it hits something quite solid like bone. The rounds designed to expand rapidly are generally partially jacketed in copper but split open and rapidly deform on impact, an exposed lead tip, un-jacketed hollow point or plastic tip cause the bullet to rapidly open up bursting the copper jacket and smashing open the bullet to cause maximum shock and blood loss. The rapid expansion of these bullets causes catastrophic temporary wound cavitation even more extreme than what you saw in the video but the bullets do not penetrate as far as they deform and fragment so quickly.
The permanent wound cavity of a .243 soft point rifle bullet. You can see the lead fragments at the end of the individual wound channels.
A close up of the farm end of the wound channel. bear in mind that on a live target this expansion would start at the bullet strikes the skin and passes through the first layers of meat, fat and bone before entering the chest cavity and encountering softer organs and structures, so wounds to live targets do not look exactly the same.
Comparing the wound channels of different projectiles, standard .22 rim fire hollow points on the left and expanding .243 rounds on the right.
The rim fire rounds although hollow point do not do nearly the same damage as the more powerful centre fire cartridges as they do deform slightly but do not break up or carry as much energy.
Another comparison of permanent wound cavity this time a .25-06 at the top, .22 rim fires in the centre and .243 at the bottom. You can see the .25-06 has caused temporary cavitation large enough to split the gelatin open completely.
The temporary wound cavitation shown so clearly in the slow motion video isn't obvious looking at the gelatin afterwards except in the case of the 25-06 round where it has split the gel open but that shock as it is transferred to the target is often although not always enough to knock an animal to the ground even if it doesn't kill it instantly. To ensure a humane kill though this energy needs to be directed at a vital part of the animal where the wound caused will kill quickly and humanly. In small game a head shot is often preferred and the rapid bullet expansion through an animals skull is always going to be fatal.
Entry wound of a 55 grain hollow point .223 round on a rabbit.
Exit wound on the same rabbit; you can see that the bullet has expanded significantly and the temporary wound cavity was larger than the animals head causing the destruction you see here. There is no doubt though that it was a humane kill.
While headshots on small game and vermin are acceptable they are not encouraged for deer, deer have large heads in comparison to the vital part of that head which must be struck by a bullet if the shot is going to be fatal. Not to mention that the head is the most mobile part of a deer and easily missed. Chest shots are considered best practice giving a larger target and an instant or near instant kill if the animal is struck in the heart and lungs. The head shot though has this major danger;
This might look like an ordinary young red stag but there is a gruesome story to this particular animal. It was shot due to a severe wound it was suffering from which you can see in the next picture. (Image courtesy of David Carr)
Some time before it was finally culled it had been shot in the head causing this gruesome wound but had not been killed. You can see there that the wound is heavily infected and necrotic and this animal would have been in agony not to mention unable to feed and would have eventually died of starvation or infection. (Image courtesy of David Carr)
Just because bullets are so incredibly damaging doesn't mean that they are magically able to kill any quarry or that a head shot is always successful like in video games and movies. You need to carefully select a suitable calibre and type of ammunition for your quarry and be aware of the performance of the round so you can safely and humanely select your shot placement to ensure you achieve a humane kill.
I would suggest the following calibres for common UK quarry;
Rabbit; .22 rim fire, .17 hmr, .22 magnum, small .22 centre fires such as .22 hornet, .222
Hare; as above
Fox; rim fire are acceptable at close range and if you are taking head shots but for mid to long range shots centre fire rounds such as a .220 swift, .22-250, .223, .222 up to things like the .243 and .260 are great for foxes.
Muntjac and Chinese Water Deer; although .220 centrefire rounds are legal on these small deer I am unconvinced of their stopping power and prefer something larger such as a .243 Winchester.
Larger deer; .243 Winchester, 6.5x55 mm, .308, .270 etc... for red or large fallow I would prefer something larger than .243 (6.5x55mm would be my first choice) although it will do the trick and is legal.
To sum up terminal ballistics then;
Temporary wound cavity; the shock wave caused by the energy transfer from the bullet causing the surrounding tissue to stretch and expand, due to the elasticity of flesh this will return to it's former shape once the energy has dissipated but the act of expansion may tear the flesh or split it open. Bones do not have the elasticity of flesh and will break, and may shatter, under the influence of this energy transfer.
Permanent Wound Cavity; this is the permanent wound caused by the passage of the projectile, it's pieces and potentially also of bone fragments. This will be a permanent penetrating portion of the wound where flesh has been torn away, bones broken and displaced and will not return to it's original shape. The permanent wound will bleed and will extend into the organs and internal structures of your quarry.
You have seen these permanent wound cavities in some pictures here and that is the result of a bullet wound either killing through rapid blood loss by a shot to the heart and lungs or immediately through shock at the destruction of a vital organ like the brain or heart. So that is the gruesome reality of putting meat in the pot as a buschrafter.
Traps are an alternative in some cases and air rifles are probably the most versatile weapon for gathering small game such as squirrels, pigeons and rabbits and do not have the same restrictions and licence requirements as section 1 and 2 firearms but if you want to go after deer you will need to use the larger legal calibres. Even your interest in buschraft and primitive skills doesn't allow you to use ancient methods to hunt although you can skin and prepare deer with flint tools to practice your primitive skills but must hunt and kill them according to local laws.
The Browning X-bolt is already a tried and trusted hunting firearm, which I already own and use in its 6.5 x 55 form so when I needed a lighter calibre, another X-bolt was an obvious contender. It looks almost identical to my other synthetic stalker and straight from the box it points nicely, is light and beautifully balanced.
Un-boxing the new rifle
It seems a shame to spoil that balance with a sound moderator and I’m sure there will be times when I don’t burden myself or the rifle with that extra weight right up the front. However, the practicality of a moderator can't really be contested, it deadens the report of the rifle and can reduce recoil considerably, although recoil wasn't really a concern with the .223.
Looking down range at Riddy Wood to zero in the new .223
The new feature on this rifle is the ‘Super Feather’ trigger, which I found to be superb! I’m looking forward to having much longer to get acquainted with this lovely rifle in the coming weeks and months and to preparing a more detailed test report.
Some time later......
A proper range session with the .223 and 6.5x55mm
The .223 is now fitted with a kite optics scope which has a lovely fine reticle for precise shooting which can be illuminated for dusk and dawn shooting.
the x-bolt in .223 above and 6.5x55 mm below
One of the fantastic features of the x-bolt is the safety catch which allows the bolt to be operated while the safety catch is engaged. This is often not the case on rifles which require you to disengage the safety catch to open or close the bolt meaning that for a split second you have a round in the chamber and no safety catch applied. If you practice proper muzzle discipline this isn't a problem but it is nice to be able to operate the bolt with the safety applied and browning provide this comforting feature.
The x-bolt is light, features a relatively short action bolt making cambering a round very strait forward and fast and the synthetic stock while not attractive is very practical. All in all the perfect stalking rifle and one which in .223 or 6.5x55mm or any other calibre can be highly recommended.
A successful stalk with the 6.5mm, two muntjac bucks in the bag.
We normally feature some sort of lesson in each of these product reviews on the bushcraft education blog but in the interest of giving the topic of todays lesson a bit more space it will be released tomorrow as part of out Bushscience series. In it we'll cover terminal ballistics, in simple terms that is how a bullet behaves once it has struck something. This is important to understand for anyone using firearms to cull deer or to take any other wildlife for the pot, it relates to what firearms and types of ammunition are legal for use to kill deer and how we choose our shot placement. Check it out here tomorrow.
My working week consisted of a half day at a remote
warehouse, three long days, two short nights, 2 planes, 3 trains, a tram, two
cars and a cab, along with two hotels in two cities and I was wrecked at the
end of all that!
I arrived home at 11-00 pm on Thursday, barely safe to drive
so, after 6 hours of deep sleep, I did the bare minimum in the office on
Friday, before taking the rest of the day off to get some rest and recreation
in the Cambridgeshire woodlands!
I headed to the woods where our cameras had captured a daily
visit from Muntjac and an occasional Roe. I have the faithful Browning X-bolt,
with 100 grain hollow points today.
A range of ammunition performs a range of tasks, lighter bullets for foxes and vermin to heavier bullets for the larger deer species.
The matching Browning x-bolts one in .223 for smaller deer and foxes and one in 6.5*55 for the larger deer. the 6.5 was my choice today.
I made slow and near silent
progress to my high seat. I ascending the ladder and made myself comfortable in
my seat for a long, warm afternoon and it really was warm! I think I had a
little doze.
Checking my watch, it was close to the time of the regular
visit, this is the joy of trail cameras which date and time stamp pictures, I
was focussed on the right spot at the right time, the shortening days creep up
on you and I was a little surprised as roosting pigeons started to drop in
around me and the light faded by the minute. I was wondering if it was going to
be a no show day, when, as if by magic, a nice little Muntjac buck stood just
clear of the trees about 70 yards distant. I readied myself but I wasn’t going
to wait long as it was a narrow field of view and if he spooked, he’d be gone
in seconds. I followed him through the scope with the cross hairs over his
heart and as he paused to sniff the warm evening air, I increased the pressure
on the trigger and sent the bullet on its way.
The little fellow put up his white flag of a tail and
sauntered off at a brisk pace, clearly disgruntled but completely unharmed! I
wasn’t so tired that I couldn’t see straight and that Muntjac should now be
lying dead in the leaf litter of the forest! Disappointed, I made safe and
climbed down, making for the spot where the deer was standing when I fired. I
did all the right things and checked for signs of impact, blood, hair etc but I
knew I wouldn’t find any, the deer wasn’t touched, which is the best possible
outcome if he’s not lying dead where he should be, no wounded animal to track,
no worry about any undue suffering.
Then I saw it, a 2 inch diameter blackthorn stump had been
exactly over the Muntjac’s heart as he stood a couple of yards behind it, there
was no colour contrast between the deer’s coat and the blackthorn when I took
the shot but now there was, the reddish orange of the freshly shattered shaft
showing where the hollow point bullet had struck it and come to pieces
instantly throwing a few splinters of wood but nothing more deadly than that
towards the unsuspecting Muntjac, who had immediately done the smart thing and left
the scene! There was nothing more to be done, I cursed my luck and l laughed a
bit as I collected my kit and headed for the car. There are no guarantees, this
is hunting not shopping and you don’t always get what you came for, today was
one of those days!
On the grounds that a successful deer stalking outing for me usually involves a fairly heavy carry out, what I carry in is always kept to an absolute minimum!
Everything I take fits in my pockets and a very small light-weight pack, the largest single item is the
Roe Sack which is used to carry out a deer in the event of my success. This is folded as small as
possible and tucked into the small pack and only deployed as required.
Of course the most essential item for me on a deer stalking expedition is my rifle. A trusty Browning
X-bolt synthetic stalker, in 6.5 x 55 calibre, with a sound moderator and telescopic sight, I carry it by
means of a sling which is permanently attached.
In my pack I carry
The Roe Sack, a very strong and water proof canvass bag with shoulder straps and pockets which carry a deer or occasionally 2 or exceptionally even 3 and has a washable lining, which is normally cleaned by a good hosing.
A compact bone saw for assisting in the carcass preparation and typically is used to saw through the pelvis of a deer, prior to moving the elementary canal complete from the carcass.
I normally carry at least 2 knives, one is an inexpensive fixed blade knife with a red handle so that it is harder to loose in the grass and vegetation. It is in a hard sheath to reduce the risk of it protruding from the ruck sack in case I should fall or use it to rest the rifle on. The other knife is a folder but has a ‘gut hook’ which I much prefer for gralloching a deer as it reduces the risk of damaging any of the guts or stomach which can contaminate the meat and render it unfit for human consumption. Disposable surgical gloves are also carried to ensure hygienic butchery and clean up.
I carry a pouch of ammunition, 14 rounds of ammunition protected from damage and permitting carriage silently for replenishment of the magazine as required, many outings only use a single round but you need to have enough.
My trusty binoculars
The bolt and magazine for the rifle, without which it is just a high grade club!
I carry a large dressing too because its good practice, although a close range wound with deer legal ammunition is likely to be beyond the capability of a dressing to contain it.
I carry a pair of 7 x 35 binoculars which I have had for a very long time, over 40 years in fact but I have recently wrapped them (originally black) in camouflaged duct tape to be a little less obvious and reflective.
my strobe light
My final item is a signal strobe so that if I need to attract attention for a medical evacuation, I can do it effectively after dark.
As a creature of habit and so that I know where everything is in a rush or in failing light, I try to put everything in the same pouch or pocket, every time I go out, I also put the same number of rounds in the rifle so that counting them and loading them is also easy and instinctive.
In this extra issue of Applied Bushcraft this month Martin tells us a bit about the use of flint and the function of firearms.
Flint, no spark without fire!
If the only link you can make between flint and weapons, is
a lump of it lashed to a wood or bone handle by a strip of leather and being
wielded by a stocky man dressed in skins or even the beautifully crafted
arrowheads found on historic sites around the globe, then you have missed a
vital piece of weapons history!
A vital piece of firearms history revolved around flint. Now
I'm sure that you have seen Ray Mears and Bear Grills starting a fire with a
flint and steel, well the same principle was used to ignite a charge of black
powder in a ‘flint lock’ weapon to propel a not very sophisticated projectile
from its barrel.
All ‘barrelled weapons’ work on the same basic principle
i.e. a projectile (ball, bullet or charge of shot) is launched out of a tube
(barrel) by the detonation of an explosive charge. In modern weapons, a
cartridge will contain all of the necessary components to achieve this in a
single unit. In the case of a rifle or pistol firing a single projectile, the
bullet will be firmly retained in the neck of the cartridge, behind that will
be a carefully measured charge of explosive or propellant and in the base of
the cartridge will be a primer or initiating charge, which will detonate the
main charge and drive the bullet down the barrel and onward to its target. The
primer these days will invariably be struck by a firing pin and its shock
sensitive contents thus detonated and initiating the whole process.
Modern cased ammunition
In bygone years, the barrel would have been ‘charged’ with a
carefully measured portion of black powder, a felt wad may have been carefully
and firmly tamped down on top of that to keep it in place before a single ball
or charge of shot would be placed on top of the charge, this in turn would have
been tamped into place and retained in position with a ‘top wad’. The clever
bit was a small touch hole from the base of the barrel (containing the charge
of black powder) to the ‘pan’. The pan was literally that, a shallow tray
containing a small amount of black powder, strategically placed ahead of a steel
striker plate which was in turn, placed in the path of a spring driven flint.
When the trigger was pulled, the flint would fly forward and
strike the steel, the spark thus generated would ignite the powder in the pan
and flash through the hole to ignite the primary charge and send the projectile
or projectiles on their way. On occasion, a damp charge of powder or a blocked
flash hole, would prevent the whole cycle working as planned and a ‘flash in
the pan’ would occur (a term used today to describe an incomplete task or false
start) when only the pan charge would ignite and leave the primary charge and
its projectile still in the barrel.
Of the many critical components in this process, the subject
of my little article today, is the humble flint and millions of them would have
been collected and shaped for the weapons industry of yesteryear.
In Suffolk, the beautiful woods and heathland of the Brandon
Estate, owe much of their fortune to the income derived from the industrial
scale collection of flints for the British and other armies of the world, who
were then dependant on flintlock weapons as their primary defence. This lovely
little town and the surrounding area has Pubs bearing the name ‘The Flint Knappers’ alluding to the industry and
process of shaping a flint. Flint can be flaked in to an incredibly sharp edged
tool and smaller shards are almost as good as a scalpel for intricate cutting
tasks.
Even before the use of flint in firearms, flint was
mined as far back as the neolithic period and ‘Grimes Graves’ is well worth a visit if
you are in the area.
Flint is a hard, sedimentary form of the mineral;quartz, It is cryptocrystaline in structure meaning that the crystals which form it are so minute that their structure is vague even under a microscope. It is categorized as a variety of chert; another stone suitable for knapping. It occurs most often as nodules in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestone. Once broken open flint is usually dark
grey, black, green, white or brown in colour, and often has a glassy appearance. A thin layer or 'cortex' on the outside of the nodules is rough and often chalky.
So that’s what to
look for when you visit an area rich in flint but if you want to try your hand
at flint knapping and making modern day flint arrow heads, wear eye protection!
Gaining an appreciation for its sharpness by getting a piece in your eye, is
not recommended, oh, and you’re going to cut your fingers too. Enjoy the history,
enjoy the outdoors, go find flint!
The second in the series on bushcraft and the law.
For those of you who want to take furred and feathered quarry as part of their involvement in bushcraft air rifles are normally going to be the most easily accessible and affordable option for you (unless you are planning to collect road kill; and bear in mind that animals killed on the road are often mangled beyond the point where you would want to eat them and the meat often tainted by burst guts, massive bruising, and the beginnings of decomposition).
Despite not needing a 'firearms' licence for most air rifles, the exception is for air rifles which fire a projectile with a muzzle energy of 12ft/lbs or more, all air rifles are still classed as firearms. The definition being a weapons which has a barrel and fires a projectile. This means that by law you could be punished as harshly for a crime which involves an air rifle as with a full bore rifle.
There are several age limits that apply to air rifles;
Under 14; you can use an air rifle under the supervision of someone at least 21 years of age on private premises with the permission of the occupier. You can't shoot without supervision AT ALL nor can you own an air rifle having received it by purchase, hire or as a gift, this also applies to air rifle ammunition.
14-17; you can borrow an air rifle and ammunition and use it without supervision where you have permission. You can't own an air rifle having received it by purchase, hire or as a gift. If the air rifle is 'yours' it must be purchased and looked after by someone else who is at least 18 years old. Although you can shoot unsupervised where you have permission you can't have an air rifle in your possession in a public place unless supervised by someone over 21 or have a reason; "I'm on my way to go shooting".
18; no restrictions on purchasing or owning an air rifle, it can only be used on ground where you have permission to shoot.
Permission to Shoot
You must have the permission of the land authoriser to shoot over land, this can be the owner or tenant of the land. If you access land where you do not have permission to shoot while you have your air rifle with you you are committing armed trespass. You can carry it in a public area as long as it's in a case and unloaded but not on private property without permission. The permission to shoot, whether given by a land authoriser or you are using your own land extends only to that land, this means that not only must you fire your air rifle from within the boundaries of the land but the projectile must land within those boundaries, if the projectile goes beyond your boundaries you can be prosecuted. It is also an offence in England and Wales to fire a weapon within 50 feet of the centre of a public highway if a user of that highway could be injured, interrupted or endangered.
Quarry
Although powerful enough to kill game birds such as pheasants and partridges with a well placed head shot it is not 'the done thing' to shoot game with air rifles. Land owners will rarely, if ever, give permission to shoot game with your air rifle in the first place and bear in mind that if you are caught shooting game without express permission not only will you loose your shooting permission but will leave yourself open to action from the landowner. You should restrict your pursuit of live quarry to pest birds as set out by the general licences and the smaller pest mammals; rabbits, squirrels, rats etc.. This does not mean that all pests are suitable quarry for air rifles and legislation does state that animals should not be caused to suffer so you have a responsibility, moral as well as legal to kill your target with the minimum of suffering and distress. This means you should practice and be confident in your ability to hit a target consistently before you shoot at a live target and that you should only take on live quarry which are suitable for taking with the air rifle. So quarry as large as lesser black baked gulls, mink and foxes although pests should not be shot at with an air rifle.
There is something satisfying about being able to take food from the countryside whether that food is from plants or animals/fish/birds and an air rifle is going to be a fairly cheap and hassle free way of achieving that.
Due to sometimes complex UK firearms legislation firearms other than air-rifles are rarely discussed in the context of bushcraft. In other countries this is not always the case perhaps particularly in the United States where firearms are much more a part of every day life than they are in the UK.
In my day job as a countryside management lecturer specialising in game and deer management I regularly teach students to use firearms as a vital part of their studies. Many of them will go on to be the game keepers, deer stalkers, pest controllers and park rangers of the future so a good understanding of the practical use of firearms as well as a theoretical knowledge of legislation, codes of practice and ballistics is going to be vital for them.
Yesterday for instance I was demonstrating the effectiveness of various types of shotgun ammunition using a pattern board to illustrate the spread of different shot types at different ranges before going on to coach students who were shooting at clay pigeons, some for the first time.
Here I have culled two reeves muntjac as part of a deer management plan to reduce numbers of deer in and near two woodlands which harbor vulnerable plant communities and on the surrounding agricultural land where the attention of too many Chinese water deer is damaging crops.
The rifle I am using here is a Tikka T3 Hunter chambered in .243 winchester with a T4 moderator and a 6*40 leopould scope.
One of the major skills associated with bushcraft is the collection of food whether that's plant food or food in the form of meat. There are a similar number of laws and codes of practice in the UK related to the use of traps as there are regarding the use of firearms so maybe it's time to look at the possibilities of introducing some firearms training courses for people interested in the use of firearms for gathering food in the context of bushcraft. Who would be interested?
.JPG)
