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Southampton
Buccaneers Field Target Club
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Southampton Buccaneers Field Target Club is exclusively a target club and does not participate in, or endorse any form of hunting of live quarry with air rifles. This page is not intended to endorse, encourage, justify, disapprove of or consider the ethics or morality of hunting, or to give a comprehensive review of the law (it is solely your responsibility to ensure you are fully compliant and conversant and anything relating to UK law contained within this website should not be viewed as accurate or complete) but it will help to ensure that if this is something you choose to do, you do it lawfully and humanely. Although the Clubs interests are solely target shooting, we recognise that air rifles are a widely used and legitimate means of controlling pest species or to provide food for the pot at other locations. If you decide that you want to go hunting, do not make the decision lightly as it's significantly more difficult to do than most people realise and the level of skill required to be effective and humane is not easily achieved. You also need to be very aware of the prevailing law relating to air rifles. Being something that's usually done as an individual and away from the influence of a club or other potentially more experienced shooters it's easy for a new shooter to acquire dangerous habits or to on occasion break the law without realising it. You are also in locations where passers by or farm hands may not be expecting to see someone with a rifle, so how you conduct yourself is very important. Be under no illusion, although an air rifle can be purchased without any form of licence, any offence committed with it is classified as a firearms offence and will carry a jail sentence and/or fine. This is not always emphasised enough by some retailers and it is wholly the responsibility of the shooter to ensure they are fully compliant with the law. The interest of BFTA affiliated clubs such as SBFTC is exclusively target shooting, however, as shooters we have a responsibility to ensure that wherever possible we positively influence air gun owners to act in a safe, legal and appropriate manner that will hopefully prevent stupidity by a small minority. We have occasionally seen a dangerously lack lustre knowledge of the law on the part of some new shooters who without any prior knowledge or consideration have purchased a cheap rifle on a payday whim, kitted themselves out in army surplus DPM and seem to be on a testosterone driven rampage to kill anything and everything that moves. Air guns are not toys and can cause serious injuries, potentially fatal, to anyone within 100 yards. Before you go out hunting for the first time, learn how to shoot and understand both your own limitations as well as those of your weapon and chosen ammunition. Shooting an air rifle is not easy, and if you start taking pot shots at the wildlife without having first attained any real ability will only serve to make your quarry gun shy or worse still all you'll do is injure or wound. Even with vermin, wounding is absolutely unacceptable and is not the signature of a true hunter. You need to be able to consistently hit a 2p piece at all ranges out to 45 yards before you even go out of the door and if you can't do this, go and practice until you can. (and yes, it will take a while). This may sound an unnecessary level of accuracy but it's not about being able to hit your quarry anywhere, it's about hitting it in the right place every time to ensure that you are humane. 45 yards is the furthest distance you should consider shooting but not because of power but because of accuracy as even slight winds can deflect a pellet an inch or two at 50 yards so it comes down to accuracy. If you look at competitive FT shooting where you have a static target and very expensive equipment it's the targets over 45 yards that tend to be missed most frequently and it's no different when hunting. Occasionally you hear of a 60 or 100 yard kill, but take it with a pinch of salt as it's either wildly exaggerated, misranged or just pure luck and you probably won't hear about the other 20 shots that missed or wounded. Air pistols should never be used for hunting as their power output is insufficient, even at close range. Part of being a hunter is knowing what your capabilities are and having the self discipline to only pull the trigger when you are assured of the outcome. Successful hunters will never waste a shot, it's far better to wait until conditions are favourable and every shot you take is well within your limits than to alert everything in the area to your presence. Don't be impatient and do spend time planning and practicing. The first few times you go out take a camera and not a rifle. Practice stalking and also ambush to get some really close up photographs and to practice the skill of getting close. It's no good being a crack shot but not being able to get close enough to take a shot. Stalking with an air rifle is a significant skill that can take years to master.
Insurance is not a legal requirement, but you would be foolish not to have at least basic third party liability cover. BASC and BASA both offer good cover but read the policy before buying as there are significant differences in what's covered and the BASC policy is the more comprehensive of the two. Note that even if you are a member of a BFTA club their insurance only covers you whilst at the club and not for hunting. The majority of landowners will expect you to have insurance and for the costs involved it's a prudent measure. If you intend to do night time lamping take a copy of your permission and your insurance to the local police station for their records. They may ask you to notify them prior to each night outing. Let them know your mobile telephone number as well so if someone reports a shooter they can check to see if it's you before they send a car. Speak to the owners of adjacent property and ensure they know you are there with the permission of the land owner. If they have any objections, or ask you not to shoot at certain times or in certain areas ensure you comply with their wishes and let the landowner know. Whilst they can't prevent you from shooting where you have a legitimate right and landowner permission to do so they can make life difficult for you so if they are really against hunting be discreet or give them a wide berth. Antagonistic behaviour will invariably lead to a call to the Police and whilst you may be entirely in the right, it will probably cause you to spend some time in discussion with the local constabulary. If the neighbour is also suffering pest problems you may find that they allow you to shoot on their land if you talk to them. If neighbours have livestock on adjacent land it's only natural for them to have concerns about a complete stranger with a rifle in close proximity. You know that a 12ft/lb air rifle isn't anywhere near as powerful as a .303, but they don't. Trust is an important consideration, and even if you've been acting in a responsible way, perceptions carry much weight. If you do get a visit from the Police be co-operative and courteous, they have a job to do and we need to support them in clamping down on gun crime and irresponsible use of weapons. If you have permission and a legal right to be hunting it's a small inconvenience on your part. Developing a good rapport with the local Police may pay dividends later on so treat any encounter as an opportunity to establish your credibility as a conscientious shooter. If they have reasonable grounds to suspect that your rifle is over powered they do have the right to take it away for testing so being obstructive and rude will almost certainly get your rifle taken away for testing. You may have the right to be hunting, they have a right to ask you to prove it. Ensure that any carcasses are disposed of appropriately and that you always clear up behind yourself and keep all gates closed. Equipment used should be of good quality and well maintained as any problem with a rifle or scope will make you far less accurate. Avoid low budget, low quality rifles. If you can't afford an accurate rifle you aren't ready to shoot live quarry although you don't need to spend a fortune. You are strongly advised to ask for advice at a club or an experienced air rifle shooter and not rely entirely on a shop regarding what to buy. There are many places you can buy air rifles ranging from hobby shops to agricultural wholesalers to shotgun and firearms dealers as well as the specialist air rifle dealers but remember that air rifles and shotguns are fundamentally different with virtually no similarities so always ensure you take advice from someone who has experience with air rifles. If you wanted to buy a motorcycle you wouldn't ask for advice in a bicycle shop, it's the same principle with air rifles. Really cheap rifles (under £100, and especially Chinese built spring rifles) are fine for shooting at tin cans or paper targets, but are not generally suitable for anything else. Why do you think they're so cheap? Certainly the ones we've seen at the club have an effective range of about 15 yards due to accuracy and consistency issues and many are low powered. In terms of calibre there is much conjecture. Historically, .22 has been the favourite hunting calibre due to the larger heavier pellets which for many years manufactured to a higher standard than 177 pellets giving better performance, but .177 is now just as effective if you aim at the right place and is now possibly more popular especially on feathered quarry. If you intend to do any target shooting with the rifle then .177 is the better calibre. Unless you really know what you're doing, avoid .20 and .25 calibres as they will severely restrict your choices and are not at all common. Pellets are a matter of personal choice but don't go for novelty 'hunting' pellets, always use the pellet that gives the best accuracy at all ranges which generally means domed rather than pointed or hollow tip. Under penetration is rarely a problem (except on the larger calibres at longer distances) and over penetration is not an issue if it has hit the right organs on the way through.
In summary here are the main points 1. Join a club or pair up with an experienced shooter and learn to shoot accurately and safely. This takes significantly more than just 1 or 2 visits to a club. If you've never shot an air rifle before expect a minimum of 2 months hard practice before you start to approach the level of skill required if attending a club, longer if you do your own thing. Know your limits and do not exceed them. 45 yards is commonly held as the absolute maximum distance that an air rifle is effective at, but 40 yards is a better limit and learn to estimate ranges accurately especially if you're shooting .22 calibre. You should be able to consistently hit a 2p piece on your first shot at all ranges between 10 and 45 yards before you venture out. Although you'll find many online forum posts that claim a sub 12ft/lb rifle is effective at much further ranges do not be tempted to try as the information is usually from unreliable sources or is based on an exaggerated claim. A landowner will expect you to rid them of a specific problem, not to use their land to learn how to shoot, and if the results aren't forthcoming they may seek an alternative arrangement which does not feature you. 2. You MUST have the permission of the land owner (which includes local authority land such as parks or common ground) which should be in writing. Failure to have permission constitutes armed trespass which is a criminal offence and carries significant sentences and/or fines. Respect boundaries and ensure your pellet cannot travel beyond them. Do not shoot close to public rights of way or anywhere that the public have right of access. Remember that landowner permission may be revoked at any time and without notice, so how you conduct yourself is important. If you want to take another shooter with you, always ask for permission to do so and ensure they also have appropriate insurance. Remember that you are responsible for their conduct and safety so ensure that you know where every other member of your party is and don't shoot towards each other. It's best to decide who will be where and the directions that you may shoot in in advance to avoid an accident, especially if shooting at night. Once you get your shoot do not go there every day. Rabbits soon become gun shy so after the initial few times leave it a couple of weeks or so between each visit. If a field that was once full of rabbits become deserted, leave it a few weeks and go back at a different time to usual. The reason you don't see them anymore is because they recognise you as a predator and have gone to ground, not because you've cleared the area! It may also be that someone else is shooting there, possibly without permission, so look out for signs of another shooter and ask the landowner if you suspect there is another shooter. If someone else is also shooting the land it could be potentially dangerous if you are both there at the same time in the same area, or if they are there without permission you may get the blame for any dodgy activities that they undertake. 3. Be clear about what you may legally shoot and if in doubt don't. Check the DEFRA and BASC websites periodically for changes and always respect closed seasons. Note that songbirds are not on the list, so don't shoot sparrows, blackbirds, thrushes etc in your back garden and if lamping don't shoot at unidentified eyes. Hares are considered too large for hunting with an air rifle and also require a game licence. Wood pigeons may only be shot if it's the only practicable means of controlling their numbers to avoid damage to crops. 4. Take out appropriate insurance and keep it up to date. You may not be at fault and you'll be glad you've got access to a good lawyer for 'free'. Remember that anything that happens with an air rifle is potentially a firearms offence and you'll be facing a minimum 5 years if successfully prosecuted so access to legal representation is a good idea. The BASC have a dedicated firearms law team at your disposal should you require it. If you are a parent, you may also be prosecuted if the offence is committed by your child if they are under 17 years old. 5. Ensure your equipment is of good quality and in excellent working order. Don't rely on what the shopkeeper tells you and ask for objective advice at a club prior to buying a rifle or scope. If you think there's a problem sort it out using paper targets and not on live quarry. Buy the best you can and avoid very cheap equipment. Expect to spend £200 for a spring rifle and scope and at least £300 on a PCP (without divers tank or pump), but ask us for advice first. You may be better off buying quality second hand equipment than very cheap new. 6. Be absolutely sure that at all times you're operating within the prevailing law or prepare to spend 5 years in prison. No matter how much you argue, you will not win. There is a view that air guns should be completely banned in the UK, ensure you don't help this argument so be courteous and always respect the wishes of the landowner and their neighbours. 7. Generally go for head shots as it is less likely to wound and if your accuracy is good it will be instantaneous. If you intend to eat your catch you'll find that a headshot is less likely to puncture the gut making the process of paunching less smelly and messy and the meat is less likely to be tainted. With .22 calibre a well placed chest shot can be just as effective. The key is knowing the anatomy of your quarry and always shooting vital organs (brain or heart) to ensure a quick humane kill. If in doubt, don't shoot and always respect your quarry. 8. If any of this is news to you, do further research prior to going out. Having your gun confiscated and spending potentially 5 years in prison is a high price to pay for one rat. The rules are fairly clear and hundreds, possibly thousands, of people legitimately and safely hunt with air rifles, often providing a valuable service to land owners. If you've just bought a rifle, be aware that finding somewhere to shoot is very difficult and can take months, possibly years and don't hold out any hope of obtaining shooting permission on local authority land as the HSE implications are too onerous. 9. Don't be tempted to ignore the law, you may get away with it for a while, but sooner or later someone will see and report you and it's just a matter of time before you're caught. Offences committed with air rifles or pistols are firearms offences and can carry significant prison sentences. An air rifle is not a toy.
If you're a landowner looking for help regarding pest control please feel free to contact us if you need any information or advice on choosing a rifle. If you need someone to help clear an area we can usually put you in touch with someone that is reputable, discreet and insured or even just have a look at your property and give you an honest appraisal of it's suitability for air rifles.
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Send mail to Robert at
webmaster@sbftc.co.uk with questions or comments about this web site.
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Although it's easy for anyone aged 18 or over to buy an air
rifle, you can't just shoot anywhere that takes your fancy (this also applies to
target shooting) and you must have the permission of the land owner, or
the tenant where they are authorised to do so. Insist on it being written
so you can always carry this with you when shooting as proof of your permission
if challenged, unless it's land that you personally own or are the tenant.
There are absolutely no exceptions to this requirement so stopping off in a
lay-by, or popping over a fence to shoot a few rabbits is a firearms offence and
if caught, apart from poaching you may also be charged with armed trespass which
could get you a minimum five years in prison. Regardless of how the
landowner feels about vermin, they will generally ensure you are prosecuted and
if it's on land owned by a local authority you will be made an example of.
You should ideally have a map on which the landowner has marked the areas for
which you have permission to shoot and ensure you do not cross over into
adjoining land or even onto land owned by the landowner for which you do not
have permission. You must also ensure that you do not shoot within 50 feet
of a public right of way (even if you are shooting away from the right of way),
as it may constitute an offence regardless of whether you have permission to be
there or not. Whatever the landowner tells you, the law will always apply
and will take precedent over any agreement you've made with the land owner.
There are mixed views regarding hunting with air rifles, and if anyone takes
offence or is concerned by your behaviour you may end up explaining to some
unsympathetic Police officers exactly what you were doing, even if you have
permission to be there and are acting within the law. If you are
especially unlucky it may be an armed response unit that pays you a visit, which
is probably the worst thing (and potentially the last thing) that could ever
happen to you as an air rifle can look alarmingly like a 7.62mm fully automatic
assault rifle. Also consider where your pellets will end up.
Shooting towards a public right of way is asking for trouble. An air rifle
pellet can travel over 300 yards, so think about backstops. A garden fence
will not stop a pellet so don't think it will, at distances in excess of 30
yards a pellet can pass cleanly through 1/2 inch plywood and keep going so a
typical garden fence will not slow it down much and it may cross a boundary onto
a neighbours land which can get you charged with armed trespass. Unless
you live in the sticks be very careful shooting in the back garden as it could
end up with someone seriously injured and you in court. The best advice is
don't fire a shot unless there's at least 150 yards of land before you leave
your own premises and a substantial back stop as well. 
In the UK there are very specific
laws regarding what you may shoot, even if you have landowner permission.
The list of pest species changes from time to time and details are available on
the
Most hunters will have a knife of some description, many
of which are restricted by law so ensure that you know the law relating to
knives. In general any blade which is longer than 10cm and/or has a
fixed blade and/or has a blade locking mechanism regardless of length may
not be carried in a public place and must only be about your person when
appropriate. So in short, treat your knife in the same way as your rifle
and don't keep it in your car. The best bet is to keep it in your rifle
case and only have it on your person when hunting. For the kind of quarry
suitable for air rifles you don't need a large blade, 6-10cm is perfect (longer
blades are actually less useful) so spend your money on better steel rather than
a bigger blade. Folding knives are safer to use with a locking mechanism
but these are not permitted to be carried in public places (including your car)
without good reason. Good steel will hold a sharper edge for a longer
which means you don't have to sharpen it after every use so buy on specification
and not looks. A perfect knife for hunting with an air rifle would be an 8cm folding
locking blade and synthetic handle (wood can be
unhygienic) with a high carbon stainless steel blade of a named material. AUS8,
12C27 or VG10 are very good steels but there are many others that work just as
well or better but avoid low carbon or massed produced Chinese steel blades as
they don't hold an edge. Some of the new generation laminated 3G powder
steel blades hold a surgical edge way beyond razor sharp (if you know how to
sharpen them) but can be slightly brittle making them less suitable as a general
purpose field craft knife. Gut hooks are a waste of time with small game. Click