firearms certificate

reptileguy16

hello i was wondering what is the age limit is for obtaining a firearms lcertificate for a .22 airgun for rabbit hunting. and what do i need to do get one? please help !! thanks

Rusty Knight

Reptileguy,

Please don't get an .22 airgun with the intention of shooting rabbits with it.... Unless you are an Olympic standard shot and get close enough each time, there is going to be a lot of 'winged' rabbits in a lot of pain. Most rabbits will carry a .22 pellet and suffer elsewhere ( i.e in their burrows)and thats just cruel.

.22 pellets are for paper targets or tin cans.........

Get a .22 rifle and scope and give them a decent send off into oblivion......


R.

reptileguy16

thanks rusty knight im planning on buying scope for it wat calibre wud you recomend for a novice hunter ?? and how to i get a firearms certificate and wat is the age limit???? any1????

SMERSH

You must be at least 16 years old to begin with.

You must either be a member of a gun club or have permission to shoot some land. A letter from 2 farmers will do. Provided you have no criminal record you should be fine. A safe will also be required by most superintendents.

Go to a gun dealer and select a weapon and pay a deposit on it. The dealer will give you a receipt which will detail the guns make and serial number. Take this with your other documents to your local garda station and they will do the rest. Wait between 1 to 3 months and you should get your licence. Take licence to the dealer and collect your gun.

As for shooting rabbits, a .22 LR will do nicely. Don't bother with an air rifle.

reptileguy16

thanks for the info smersh

spideog7

Include with your licence application:
Letter from dealer.
Letter from Gun Club (if applicable)
Letter from landowners (if applicable ie. not a Gun Club member)
Letter of permission from your parents

I include this last one because mine got returned and I got asked to submit it after my application being gone away for a month I'm sure that depends on your local Super. but better safe than sorry. If you can, also go and see your local Garda and get him to fill out the application with you, he needs to add notes (such as your intended use etc.). And if you get to know him and have a chat with him, he'll come to realise you're fairly level headed (if indeed you are ) and might be able to recommend you. No harm to try !

Sparks

Rusty Knight wrote:

Please don't get an .22 airgun with the intention of shooting rabbits with it.... Unless you are an Olympic standard shot and get close enough each time, there is going to be a lot of 'winged' rabbits in a lot of pain.

Really? I've seen .22 air rifles intended for bunny whacking and they're a long, long, long way from ISSF air rifles. Much higher pressures, much, much heavier pellets, much longer ranges. I mean, they're happily punching through tin cans at 50 metres, and they're still grouping inside of an inch at that range.

Hezz700

Its not legal to hunt live quarry in Ireland with an air rifle.

Sparks

Does that apply to shooting vermin though Hezz? I thought that bunny-whacking wasn't classed as game shooting...

Sharpie

I understood it to be anything other than targets could not be shot at with air-rifle, but the act does seem to specify birds as being banned from hunting rather than vermin.

from the wildlife act

(1) It shall be an offence for a person to hunt or injure in the course of hunting—

(a) with a repeating or automatic shotgun (other than a repeating or automatic shotgun which is adapted or modified so as to render it incapable of carrying more than three shotgun cartridges), with an airgun, air-rifle, gas-rifle, pistol or revolver, or with any firearm fitted with a silencer device, any wild bird,

Our man in Havana

with an airgun, air-rifle, gas-rifle

Is this a catch all to cover all rifles?

rrpc

Bond-007 wrote:

Is this a catch all to cover all rifles?

I wouldn't think so Bond. You couldn't class a percussion fired rifle in any of the above.

I can understand the listed firearms may be liable to wound and cause unnecessary suffering to birds, but I don't see where the silencer comes in.

BryanL

you can shoot vermin with an airgun.
you can't shoot any birds with a rifle.

this has been covered a few times,there is nothing illegal about hunting with an airgun/rifle.
they are highly effective on rabbits(head shot are the only option though) silent,very cheap to run,little risk of ricochets.
here are 2, 5 shots groups at 25 yards with and open sighted spring airgun

BryanL

this is a 10 shot group @ 50 yards,with a gas airgun(recoiless) running at 12 ft/lb and .177 calibre

BryanL

alot of airguns were designed for the english market and are set to run at 10-12 ft/lb.you really need 12ft/lb to have an effective hunting gun.
but in Ireland you can run an airgun at any power,@ 30ft/lb you can easily hunt very effectively up to 70 yards.(with the non recoiling)
i have a nice self tunned springer that will group well sub inch at 45 yards.
don't dismiss a nice cheap,easily tuned gun that you can plink away with in almost total silence and fill the freezer.
5 shot 25 yard(recoiless)
Bryan

rrpc

BryanL wrote:

you can shoot vermin with an airgun.
you can't shoot any birds with a rifle.

I don't think that's the case Bryan. I know I have an unconditional rifle licence for a Brno .22, plus that quote Bond gave from the Wildlife Act does not specify rifles that are fired with a percussion system (i.e cartridges).

I also know many people have shot magpies, hooded crows, pigeons etc. with .22 cartridge rifles.

BryanL

rrpc the airgun license is also unconditional.

there was a response on here recently pasted from an NARGC reply which said you can hunt with an airgun but you can't shoot birds(or hares)with a rifle.
Bryan

rrpc

BryanL wrote:

rrpc the airgun license is also unconditional.

Indeed, but the air rifle is specifically excluded under the wildlife act while the cartridge rifle is not.

there was a response on here recently pasted from an NARGC reply which said you can hunt with an airgun but you can't shoot birds(or hares)with a rifle.
Bryan

Can't find that, but hares are protected anyway, so perhaps that quote was referring to protected wild birds and hares, which is one of the preprinted conditions on your licence (condition A).

I would like to know what act or section of an act prohibits the shooting of wild birds with a cartridge rifle (other than protected wild birds). So far I cannot find anything and from experience I have never heard of such a restriction.

BryanL

with an airgun, air-rifle, gas-rifle, pistol or revolver, or with any firearm fitted with a silencer device, any wild bird,

the important word in that part of the act is silencer not airgun

maglite

Bird refers to garden birds game etc,

it does not apply to vermin, crows, magpies, swallow, once they are deemed to be a vermin and you are able to ague it

Any bird can be shot with a rifle, if it is a pest and you have taken all reasnable measures to ride the pest you are entitled to shot it

rrpc

BryanL wrote:

with an airgun, air-rifle, gas-rifle, pistol or revolver, or with any firearm fitted with a silencer device, any wild bird,

the important word in that part of the act is silencer not airgun

I don't follow your logic. If they specify silencer, then they are not specifying a firearm without a silencer which is by definition a cartridge rifle (as pistols and revolvers are already specifically named).

Could you explain your point please?

BryanL

they are stating every type of weapon that will take a silencer,so it's saying that you can't shoot a bird with an airgun or anything fitted with a silencer(including a rimfire)

thats not saying you can't hunt with an airgun,only not with one fitted with a silencer(they specificaly name guns people may not think are firearms)
Bryan

Our man in Havana

So why are the NARGC saying you can't use rifles on birds?

rrpc

BryanL wrote:

they are stating every type of weapon that will take a silencer,so it's saying that you can't shoot a bird with an airgun or anything fitted with a silencer(including a rimfire)

thats not saying you can't hunt with an airgun,only not with one fitted with a silencer(they specificaly name guns people may not think are firearms)
Bryan

I think you are reading the commas wrong there Bryan. It's a bit like boolean maths trying to figure the meaning from some of the acts.

The way I read it is this

* with a repeating or automatic shotgun (other than a repeating or automatic shotgun which is adapted or modified so as to render it incapable of carrying more than three shotgun cartridges),
* with an airgun,
* (with an) air-rifle,
* (with a) gas-rifle,
* (with a) pistol
* (with a) [or] revolver,
* or with any firearm fitted with a silencer device:
any wild bird

In other words each of the firearms mentioned cannot be used to shoot any wild bird with.

rrpc

Bond-007 wrote:

So why are the NARGC saying you can't use rifles on birds?

I can't find anywhere the NARGC have actually said this, nor can I find the post that BryanL refers to.

BryanL

guys it was certainly on here quoting the NARGC,but the history only goes to 7 pages.thats why you can't find it now.
yes it's all in the commas.i'll take a trawl through the acts and see what i can find.But there is no difference on the license between an airgun or rifle and an airgun is defined in most acts as a firearm
Bryan

cavan shooter

I have to agree with Brian, unfortunately be it a 17 air gun or a 220 swift under the acts they are rifles. Des crofton wrote a book a couple of years back " a guide to the wildlife acts" it is very useful. I went to find it to check on something but cant lay my hands on it.

The query is: Is the definition of wild bird as in anything with wings or as in protected except under open season. Vermin, greys and mags have been known to pass away by 22 LR.

As for silencers (even though shooters do not use silencers) Moderators are what are used. Standard hunting firearms cannot be silenced, the sound is moderated to an acceptable level, That law is linked to old anti poaching laws going back years similiarily use of lamps for roosting pheasants.

rrpc

cavan shooter wrote:

I have to agree with Brian, unfortunately be it a 17 air gun or a 220 swift under the acts they are rifles. Des crofton wrote a book a couple of years back " a guide to the wildlife acts" it is very useful. I went to find it to check on something but cant lay my hands on it.

But that section of the wildlife act does not refer to a rifle but to specific rifles. Why specify so many different variants where the words any rifle would suffice

The query is: Is the definition of wild bird as in anything with wings or as in protected except under open season. Vermin, greys and mags have been known to pass away by 22 LR.

That specific section excludes shooting any wild bird with specific firearms. Your question is answered if the section is interpreted (as I have) as meaning that wild birds (other than protected wild birds) can be shot by two or three shot shotguns and unsilenced rifles.

As for silencers (even though shooters do not use silencers) Moderators are what are used. Standard hunting firearms cannot be silenced, the sound is moderated to an acceptable level, That law is linked to old anti poaching laws going back years similiarily use of lamps for roosting pheasants.

I think you've hit the nail on the head here Cavan Shooter, I couldn't figure out why silenced rifles couldn't be used and certainly poaching would answer that query. It would make it easier for wildlife rangers to stop poaching as anyone found hunting with a silencer could then be stopped. Anybody not poaching would not require a silencer as they would have nothing to hide.

I know there are other reasons to use a silence while hunting, but that interpretation makes sense.

cavan shooter

Interpretation of the law, one side arguing this and the other side arguing that. Thats why we have Barristers. Persons who get paid to argue the toss so someone else who is more experienced (Judge) can decide which argument is the best.

There is plenty of law in this country but no clear interpretation.