Hunting Law in Ireland.

pboyle12

I'm 15 now and when i'm 16 i want to apply to get a gun licence as my Grandad has an old .22 which I would like to hunt with.
Is it legal for me to own my grandad's gun when i get my licence? And do I need another licence for hunting? as I will be only hunting in my Grandad's fields.

meathstevie

You can allready apply for a training licence on that gun if someone ( your grandad for example ) is willing to "coach" you. It's a bit like a provisional driving licence, the experienced shooter must be with you as far as I know.

You can hunt with a .22 but if it's rimfire you can't shoot game with it, the likes of rabbits, crows, magpies ( these birds only for good reason, not just because you can ) etc is ok.

Anyway, have a good read through here, there's interesting bits and bobs for you all over the place.

Oh and by the way, some centerfire .22's are deer legal but you can't shoot deer without a seperate NPWS deer hunting licence.

newmug

Whats the difference between a rim-fire and a centre-fire? Surely if the bullet tip is the same size, .22, and the grams of black powder are the same, it shouldn't make much difference where the primer is struck?

Totally newcomer question, I know:p

Rovi

pboyle12 wrote: »

I'm 15 now and when i'm 16 i want to apply to get a gun licence as my Grandad has an old .22 which I would like to hunt with.
Is it legal for me to own my grandad's gun when i get my licence? And do I need another licence for hunting? as I will be only hunting in my Grandad's fields.

As meathstevie has already said, you can apply for a Training Firearm Certificate right now; this will allow you to use the firearm and learn about its safe use and handling under the direct supervision of its current full Firearm Certificate holder. You cannot use the firearm on your own, or more correctly, the holder of the full Firearm Certificate must be present and able to take control of the firearm at all times.
This route also removes any requirement on your part to arrange secure storage for the firearm.

When you turn 16, you may apply for a full Firearm Certificate for the firearm, and must fulfil all/most/some of the requirements listed on the application form (secure storage, land on which to hunt, etc, etc).
The current full Firearm Certificate holder may also retain their certificate, which MAY ease the secure storage part, but that'll be entirely at the discretion of your local Garda Superintendent.
If the current owner is relinquishing their certificate, it'll be up to you to meet all the requirements.

rrpc

newmug wrote: »

Whats the difference between a rim-fire and a centre-fire? Surely if the bullet tip is the same size, .22, and the grams of black powder are the same, it shouldn't make much difference where the primer is struck?

Totally newcomer question, I know:p

The difference is more to do with the case size than the bullet calibre. All .22 centre fire rounds have a larger case size and so contain a greater amount of powder, the case size of the .22lr is too small in diameter to contain a centrefire primer.

Tackleberrywho

the .22lr rimfire is the most common small calibre for bunnies in the state, centrefire are preferred by fox shooters for more range and power on a larger animal.

newmug

Thanks for that RRPC and Tack. Another couple of newbie questions for ye: What does the LR stand for, as in .22lr? And whats a magnum? Thanks in advance, newmug

Tackleberrywho

newmug wrote: »

Thanks for that RRPC and Tack. Another couple of newbie questions for ye: What does the LR stand for, as in .22lr? And whats a magnum? Thanks in advance, newmug

LR means long rifle (believe it or not there are smaller or "shorter" calibres than a .22lr)
My Da's Rifle is an SLLR which can fire .22 short, long and long rifle. .22lr is the only variant of these in everyday use.


.22WMR is edit "similar" to a magnum version of .22lr (more powerful, generally used by foxers)
it is based on a different casing that is now obsolete though.

The .22WMR has fallen out of favour these days as more modern faster flatter shooting fox rounds came on the market like the .17HMR

CJhaughey

.22WMR is quite different from .22LR, its case is bigger in length, width and in case thickness. Case diameter is 6.1mm .22lr is 5.7mm
It is actually based on a different parent case than .22 LR .22 long and .22 short.

newmug

CJhaughey wrote: »

.22WMR is quite different from .22LR, its case is bigger in length, width and in case thickness. Case diameter is 6.1mm .22lr is 5.7mm
It is actually based on a different parent case than .22 LR .22 long and .22 short.

So how does that work in the chamber? Is there .4mm of play all round the case? Or do you just need a totally different rifle?

Tackleberrywho

CJhaughey wrote: »

.22WMR is quite different from .22LR, its case is bigger in length, width and in case thickness. Case diameter is 6.1mm .22lr is 5.7mm
It is actually based on a different parent case than .22 LR .22 long and .22 short.

True it's based on the .22 Winchester Rimfire, there are a serious amount of .22 Calibres out there.

Vegeta

The term magnum when applied to ammo usually means that there is a similar round already in existence but the magnum version has more power.

It applies to a wide variety of ammo for all firearms from shotgun to pistol. The .22WMR is a Winchester Magnum Rimfire

Yeah you need a totally different rifle. And before someone says "But a .22lr round will fit and fire from a .22WMR" would you really advise it?

Tackleberrywho

Vegeta wrote: »

The term magnum when applied to ammo usually means that there is a similar round already in existence but the magnum version has more power.

It applies to a wide variety of ammo for all firearms from shotgun to pistol. The .22WMR is a Winchester Magnum Rimfire

Yeah you need a totally different rifle. And before someone says "But a .22lr round will fit and fire from a .22WMR" would you really advise it?

As a mate of mine says "once ya go for the "big ones" you'll never go back!!

My da's rifle works on a similar principal, says it can fire 3 different rounds, he has only fired .22lr out of it though.

CJhaughey

newmug wrote: »

So how does that work in the chamber? Is there .4mm of play all round the case? Or do you just need a totally different rifle?

Totally different rounds .22lr is a totally different animal to the .22WMR.
You could concievably chamber and fire a .22lr out of a .22wmr but the results would be likely be unpleasant and longlasting and not recommended.
The .22wmr family is .22wrf .22 wmr and .17hmr.
the 22lr family also has a .17 member the .17 mach2 but they seem to be rare enough.

Magnum in Rifle and pistol cartridges usually mean more velocity or range.

Magnum in shotgun terms means a bigger payload not more velocity.
a 3.5" supermagnum shell will hold a lot more shot than a 2 3/4 shell but won't put it any faster or further than the smaller shell, there will just be a lot more lead in the air .

Tackleberrywho

CJhaughey wrote: »

Totally different rounds .22lr is a totally different animal to the .22WMR.
You could concievably chamber and fire a .22lr out of a .22wmr but the results would be likely be unpleasant and longlasting and not recommended.
The .22wmr family is .22wrf .22 wmr and .17hmr.
the 22lr family also has a .17 member the .17 mach2 but they seem to be rare enough.

Magnum in Rifle and pistol cartridges usually mean more velocity or range.

Magnum in shotgun terms means a bigger payload not more velocity.
a 3.5" supermagnum shell will hold a lot more shot than a 2 3/4 shell but won't put it any faster or further than the smaller shell, there will just be a lot more lead in the air .

Are you sure on the magnum cartridge bit?
Any time I fire a magnum cartridge the wad goes further in ther air which to me says the lead must be going further too??

I'd always pick a few 3" mags for my 12G when going duck shooting for same reason.

tac foley

newmug wrote: »

Whats the difference between a rim-fire and a centre-fire? Surely if the bullet tip is the same size, .22, and the grams of black powder are the same, it shouldn't make much difference where the primer is struck?

Totally newcomer question, I know:p

Apart from some vintage-style shotgun cartridges, designed to be shot in the old-style Damascus-barrelled guns that are only proofed for black powder, to my knowledge there are NO commerically available black-powder-loaded cartridges in the RoI.

All modern-style cartridges use a single or double-based nitro-cellulose propellant in flake, ball or rod-shaped particles.

tac

newmug

Jaysus this is complicated. Is there a chart, or table available to compare sizes, lengths, names, distances, velocity etc.?

Vegeta

newmug wrote: »

Jaysus this is complicated. Is there a chart, or table available to compare sizes, lengths, names, distances, velocity etc.?

The chart would be enormous as there are so many different types of cartridge

Wikipedia is a good source of information on each cartridge and usually has pictures of them too

Rovi

Here's as good a pictorial demonstration of the bewildering diversity of ammunition sizes and nomenclature as I've ever seen:

(3.3Mb image)

CJhaughey

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

Are you sure on the magnum cartridge bit?
Any time I fire a magnum cartridge the wad goes further in ther air which to me says the lead must be going further too??

I'd always pick a few 3" mags for my 12G when going duck shooting for same reason.

What Shotgun magnums do is put enough lead into the air that at a range greater than usual your pattern is still good and not too dispersed.
So I was wrong about the range part, they will shoot to the same distance but a 2 3/4 shell loaded with #4 shot will have a pattern likely to be ineffective at distance past 40 yds depending on choke. the 3" or 3.5" magnums put a lot more lead into the air and therefore the pattern will be denser at the same range or further.

newmug

Rovi wrote: »

Here's as good a pictorial demonstration of the bewildering diversity of ammunition sizes and nomenclature as I've ever seen:

(3.3Mb image)

Bloody........ Hell:eek:

Tackleberrywho

newmug wrote: »

Bloody........ Hell:eek:

And that is not an exhaustive list, there are a few others not mentioned!!

CJhaughey

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

And that is not an exhaustive list, there are a few others not mentioned!!

So then pick one cartridge from those listed and find out the different projectile weights and ballistic info for each loading.
Yep its a big topic alright.....

newmug

You'd think they'd just class them as length x diameter x amount of gunpowder, and in ONE measurement system, either mm's or inches, not both. Thats like classing slating lats by the breed of tree they came from:eek:

tac foley

newmug wrote: »

You'd think they'd just class them as length x diameter x amount of gunpowder, and in ONE measurement system, either mm's or inches, not both. Thats like classing slating lats by the breed of tree they came from:eek:

Like the man said, get some reading done before you begin to try and re-arrange systems that have been in place for the last 150 years and more.

Basically, if it was designed by the British or Americans, then it's probably going to be measured in inches, or in measurements derived from English weights and measures. If not, then it's metric.

Look up 'gun-powder' for a start....then look up 'nitro-cellulose propellant.

Firearms - their descriptions, history, design and development and use occupies over five billion entries on google....

Yup, there's a LOT to learn. I'm XX, and I learn something new every day.

tac

Tackleberrywho

newmug wrote: »

You'd think they'd just class them as length x diameter x amount of gunpowder, and in ONE measurement system, either mm's or inches, not both. Thats like classing slating lats by the breed of tree they came from:eek:

Most stuff chambered in Europe in Metric, and most US stuff in Imperial.

Chuck Hawkes has some good articles on a lot of them.