So don`t let yourself worry about trying to reach a certain level of impact energy with your hunting rounds. Instead, look for the terminal ballistics of the ball you want to shoot and see if the impact speed in the areas you want to shoot at gives you the bullet power you need. Only Muntjak and Chinese water deer can use a rifle with a minimum caliber of at least 0.220 inches and a muzzle energy of at least 1,000 ft/lb and a bullet weight of at least 50 gr. For all deer of all species, a minimum size of 0.240 and a minimum muzzle energy of 1,700 ft lbs are the legal requirement. For deer, the projectile must weigh at least 50 g AND have a minimum muzzle velocity of 2,450 fps AND a minimum muzzle energy of 1,000 ft lb. For all deer of any species, the projectile must weigh at least 100 g AND have a minimum muzzle velocity of 2,450 fps AND a minimum muzzle energy of 1,750 ft lb. Deer legislation throughout the UK is not uniform. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, legislation differs from that of England and Wales. It is important for the international hunter to remember this, as hunters often choose to pursue one species of deer in Scotland and another in England. For all deer stalkers who stalk, the ball must be of a type designed to expand or deform on impact. For example, soft nose or ballistic tip.

Among the most readily available calibers in the UK, however, it wasn`t very surprising that Steve chose the reliable .308 Winchester as a caliber capable of comfortably handling all the tasks assigned to it. For Steve, this former believer is a versatile and excellent option for all British deer species. It was developed in 1952 and with its designation doppelgänger 7.62 mm, NATO has rendered many services in the worlds of commercial and military hunting. A short and relatively greasy housing helps in an efficient and uniform ignition of the powder. Square shoulders help to use the headspace in the bedroom more efficiently. All of these factors help the .308 provide sniper-like accuracy and shoot bullet weights of 150 to 180g with many loads in between. Even when dealing with smaller British species, Steve pointed out that the combination of the .308`s modest speed (about 2,500 to 2,800 fps) and a less fragile ball head such as locking or interlacing won`t unduly damage a deer carcass. One of the other advantages is availability. In fact, factory-loaded cartridges are guaranteed at almost every gun store across the country. The second consideration is that until 1972, deer hunters had access to appropriate firearms of an appropriate caliber.

However, the publication of Ordinance S.I. No. 187/1972 – Firearms (Temporary Guard) of 1972 provided that persons who possessed towed firearms of a calibre greater than 0.22 inches and ammunition were required to surrender such firearms to garda siochana by 5 August 1972 at the latest. This Regulation was to remain in force only for one month from 2 August 1972. The Ordinance was never expanded or amended, but it has become commonplace and the superintendents of garda siochana naturally refuse to issue firearms certificates for rifles with a caliber greater than 0.22 inches. This remained the case for a period of twenty-one years until 1993, when an application for judicial review of ministerial policy was made to the High Court of Cork by a person applying for a certificate for a firearm more suitable for deer hunting, particularly of .270 calibre. The minister at the time immediately took steps to conduct a review of the policy, and judicial review of the departmental policy became irrelevant. As a result, firearms certificates for calibers ranging from .243 to .308 have been and are regularly issued. The Garda Commissioner`s Guidelines on the Practical Application and Practical Application of Firearms Laws, 1925-2009, published pursuant to section 3A of the Firearms Act, 1925, inserted into section 31 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2006, now govern the practical application of firearms legislation.

Firearms larger than 0.308 inches are referred to as “restricted firearms, as are all handguns of any calibre (with the exception of certain handguns used for competitive shooting). No firearm is prohibited as such, but only “restricted” and is subject to special enforcement procedures and considerations. The result of the policy revised since 1993 is that the vast majority of licensed deer hunters now use rifles of an appropriate caliber, i.e.243, 6.5 x 55 m., .270, .308 and many variants in this range. Unfortunately, a number of hunters continue to use the .22-250, including using a bullet with an initial energy of less than 1700 foot-pounds. Below are some of the most important legal points you need to remember. As for some of the other calibers popular for deer hunting in the UK, Steve had some interesting things to say, especially about the .243 Win, which accounts for 70% of all deer guns in the UK, according to a recent survey of british Deer Society members. Launched in 1955, the .243 Win is simply a .308 chassis set up for the .243 ball. The caliber was designed in the United States as a vermin caliber, with optimal bullet weights ranging from 70 to 85 g. It is possible to load heavier bullets into the cartridge, up to 105gr, which makes them more suitable for deer. In fact, it is only legal in Scotland to shoot deer (with the exception of deer) with bullets of 100 g or more at more than 2,450 fps. Steve agreed that the .243 is a very versatile trick, but only in the hands of a competent shooter. “There is little margin for error in larger species,” he said.

“For foxes, deer, Muntjak and Chinese water deer, you couldn`t get a better cartridge than a .243 because it flies flat and is accurate, but for larger species, a slight miscalculation of the shot is likely to cause wound problems.” While the Guidelines for the National Parks & Wildlife Service`s Deer Hunting Permit Application Form state that “a .22 caliber with an muzzle energy of at least 1700 feet of pound is the minimum legal requirement,” it also states that “a rifle with a minimum caliber of .240 is recommended as a more suitable firearm for shooting deer.” The big brother of the .270, the 30-06 Springfield, designed in 1906, is an old favorite of Steve, although, as he says, it is too much of a weapon for Britain. It will treat the red deer with its optimal ball weight of 150-180 g, but this extra speed and energy will lead to unnecessary damage to the meat. The most common figure when hunters discuss the energy required to ethically kill a white tail is 1,000 ft.-lb. According to this logic, at 1,000 ft.-lb. and above, you are ethical; Your shot becomes questionable when the energy falls below this level. The problem here is that energy is not what kills an animal, which makes this reasoning almost irrelevant. For all deer of any kind – a minimum caliber of .240 and a minimum muzzle energy of 1,700 feet of pounds is the legal requirement. For deer where the ball weighs at least 50 grains AND must have a minimum muzzle velocity of 2,450 feet per second and a minimum muzzle energy of 1,000 feet of pounds, can be used. The .223 Rem. is available in bullet weights from 55 to 77 grains and initial energy levels from 1282 to 1333 foot-pounds. The .220 Swift pictured above is available in a 55-grain sphere that provides 1800 foot-pounds of energy to the mouth.

We were interested in Steve`s thoughts on the .270 Win as it was once a very popular caliber in the UK and widely used by the Forestry Commission in the UK and Scotland. Although this is an effective and relatively accurate round, Steve believes that this long-acting caliber is too aggressive after observing major damage to the carcass and flesh resulting from the high speeds of the round. As a collared version of the Springfield 30-06, the 130gr sphere has a muzzle velocity of over 3,000 fps. This means that anything fired at close range (up to 150 meters) is likely to suffer from explosive shooting trauma. There is also a considerable amount of recoil of this cartridge designed to overcome the new calibers.