FAC , which rifles on first application advice please

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Molski
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FAC , which rifles on first application advice please

#1 Post by Molski »

Afternoon all
I have just completed my six month probationary period and am now a full member of the Yorkshire Shooting Centre in Huddersfield and am shortly about to apply for my fac but would firstly like to ask for some help and advice from you lads on which rifles to apply for.
At the moment I don’t have any shooting permissions but there may be a couple of possibles in the near future , however until then i would be more than happy to concentrate on competitive target shooting disciplines especially long distance shooting ( the club is passed for all calibres) so i’m Ideally looking at rifles which could possibly be suited to both target shooting and hunting.
I have started to put a shortlist together which includes the following rifles but it is by no means set in stone and I would be very grateful for any advice from you more experienced folk if there are more suitable alternatives.

.22 Air rifle
.22LR
.177HMR
.223
6.5 Creedmore
.308
Am I asking too much by going for the both the 6.5 and .308 on first application or would it appear to be a sensible choice on the FEOs visit?.
Any help and advice is very much appreciated .
Regards
Molski
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Kungfugerbil
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Re: FAC , which rifles on first application advice please

#2 Post by Kungfugerbil »

Molski wrote:.22 Air rifle
.22LR
.177HMR
.223
6.5 Creedmore
.308
If you don’t have permissions, expect to get questioned on why the .17HMR as it’s of no real value as a target round (and exceeds many range velocity limits). The .22 air rifle - do you mean FAC air rifle? If so again, no real use without a permission. If not, no need to consider on your ticket.

There’s a bit of crossover in the small calibres - and again on the .223/6.5/.308 - but if you can explain what ranges / disciplines you intend to shoot at then you should be okay.

If it was me I would drop the HMR and 6.5 and add moderators for the remaining calibres; then if you don’t need a mod down the line you can 1:1 it for another calibre for free.
Molski
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Re: FAC , which rifles on first application advice please

#3 Post by Molski »

Kungfugerbil, Thankyou for the advice, it’s very much appreciated, can I ask why you would drop the 6.5 rather than the .308, from my very limited knowledge i was led to believe that the 6.5 was a more accurate round but I may well be wrong!.
One thing is for certain and that is I realise i have an awful lot to learn, barrel twist rates, short action, long action , the different shooting disciplines and much much more, with the help of other forum members and by asking loads of questions i’m sure I shall get there in the end.
Thanks again
Rockhopper
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Re: FAC , which rifles on first application advice please

#4 Post by Rockhopper »

Don’t forget that if you apply now based on membership of a target shooting club you’ll need to apply for a variation to be able to use at least some of your firearms for pest control. You’ll probably have to go through the whole mentoring process as well and I’d guess it’s unlikely that you’d be allowed to use the larger calibre’s for pest control untill you’ve been shown to be competent with the rim fires etc.
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WelshShooter
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Re: FAC , which rifles on first application advice please

#5 Post by WelshShooter »

Molski wrote:Kungfugerbil, Thankyou for the advice, it’s very much appreciated, can I ask why you would drop the 6.5 rather than the .308, from my very limited knowledge i was led to believe that the 6.5 was a more accurate round but I may well be wrong!.
One thing is for certain and that is I realise i have an awful lot to learn, barrel twist rates, short action, long action , the different shooting disciplines and much much more, with the help of other forum members and by asking loads of questions i’m sure I shall get there in the end.
Thanks again
To play devil's advocate, if the 6.5 is indeed more accurate then why would you consider a 308 as well? Or is the former for target and the latter for stalking?

As you say there's much too learn, but the good news is that it doesn't take much knowledge to get started quickly! If you can identify what type of shooting you'd use the calibre for, it's a case of researching what bullets you'd use, what velocity you need and what type of firearm is best suited to achieve this. On one hand I have a basic Cz527 chambered for 223 and then a custom Remington 700 chambered in 6.5x47 Lapua with a fancy chassis and a nice scope, but both rifles still shoot half inch groups at 100m despite the significant difference in cost!

(ok the 6.5 is much better at long range but this is why it's important to know what type of shooting you intend to do).
Molski
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Re: FAC , which rifles on first application advice please

#6 Post by Molski »

Rockhopper wrote:Don’t forget that if you apply now based on membership of a target shooting club you’ll need to apply for a variation to be able to use at least some of your firearms for pest control. You’ll probably have to go through the whole mentoring process as well and I’d guess it’s unlikely that you’d be allowed to use the larger calibre’s for pest control untill you’ve been shown to be competent with the rim fires etc.
Hi Rockhopper
Thanks for the heads up and the valuable info. I WAS going to apply for my fac AFTER securing some permission but ithat may well be a long time coming , or may not happen at all, so it just seemed to make more sense to get the ball rolling and get the application in once i know exactly what to apply for( hence my post). I understand that I would have to apply for a variation if I am lucky enough to gain some permission.
Would I necessarily need mentoring if the land was passed for .223 calibre which would only be used for fox control?. If I was fortunate enough to be allowed either the .308/6.5 it would only ever be used on the range.
Thanks again
Molski
Rockhopper
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Re: FAC , which rifles on first application advice please

#7 Post by Rockhopper »

I only target shoot so I’m not 100% on the pest control aspect but I don’t think there is a law as such that says you need a mentor but some police forces do ask for one before they let you loose with centre fire rifles.
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Kungfugerbil
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Re: FAC , which rifles on first application advice please

#8 Post by Kungfugerbil »

Molski wrote:...can I ask why you would drop the 6.5 rather than the .308, from my very limited knowledge i was led to believe that the 6.5 was a more accurate round
There may be a slight ballistic superiority to the 6.5 beyond a certain distance, but for a new shooter there are a few reasons why I would personally go .308 over 6.5:

* Rifle choice - much greater, particularly in the second hand and lower cost market
* Factory ammo availability - much greater in .308
* Ammo price - surplus and low cost ammo is available for .308, less so for 6.5

If, as I assume, your shooting is likely to be on the 100m range with periodic trips onto military ranges at 300m - 600m, the 308 will do what you need at a more modest and accessible price point. Also plenty of folks around you will shoot it and can offer advice / load data etc.

Just my 2p - other 2ps are just as valid :)
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GeeRam
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Re: FAC , which rifles on first application advice please

#9 Post by GeeRam »

Kungfugerbil wrote:
Molski wrote:...can I ask why you would drop the 6.5 rather than the .308, from my very limited knowledge i was led to believe that the 6.5 was a more accurate round
There may be a slight ballistic superiority to the 6.5 beyond a certain distance, but for a new shooter there are a few reasons why I would personally go .308 over 6.5:

* Rifle choice - much greater, particularly in the second hand and lower cost market
* Factory ammo availability - much greater in .308
* Ammo price - surplus and low cost ammo is available for .308, less so for 6.5

If, as I assume, your shooting is likely to be on the 100m range with periodic trips onto military ranges at 300m - 600m, the 308 will do what you need at a more modest and accessible price point. Also plenty of folks around you will shoot it and can offer advice / load data etc.
^This.

Suggested the same to a new member that had been thinking of the 6.5, but after taking all the above points into consideration, opted for the sensible option of applying for 308 slot instead.
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Geek
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Re: FAC , which rifles on first application advice please

#10 Post by Geek »

I would ask for:

.22 LR self loading + moderator
.22LR bolt action + moderator
5.56/.223 bolt-action or straight-pull, whichever is your preference + moderator
7.62/.308 bolt-action + moderator
.38/.357 underlever

All the above for target shooting. Also, if you club has PSG facilities, you may even want to consider a s1 shotgun?

And then possibly a 6.5Creedmore.

I have both a 308 and a 6.5CM. The advantage of the 308 is the choice and cost of factory ammunition if you do not reload. However, if you are reloading the 6.5CM is far superior out to longer distances.

The moderators are optional, however, it is actually for a spare slot which you can change for a one for one variation in the future, another option would be black powder (I didn't choose this option).

As said above, others will have their own opinions what to choose.

Good luck, have fun and safe shooting!
Regards,

Geek


AI AT (.308/6.5CM), Ruger PR (6.5CM), American Rimfire (.22LR), Remington 700 (.223), Marlin underlever .38/.357/.44, Savage 6BR, RimfireMagic .22LR, Fabarm Lion (s1), Fabarm Axis Baikal S/S
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