Where to buy?

Timfy

Apologies if this is the wrong forum or indeed if this has been asked before...

I wish to purchase a quality air rifle, preferably on-line and delivered, as well as a target pistol. I reside in the West of Ireland and have recently obtained all the relevant paperwork and licences.

I originally lived in the UK where most sporting shops offered (restricted) air rifles, whereas out here in the West I have yet to see anything offered for sale other than airsoft toys or full on shotguns.

My main interests would be plinking, although there are a good few snipe, quail and pheasant in the area so a quality unrestricted .177 would be ideal.

Thanks for your help, comments and criticisms

Witcher

How do you have the licences without having the guns?

If you want a pistol you'll have to join a range and you can't shoot game birds with a rifle, have to use a shotgun.

Timfy

Hi there... I have the standard paper work from the guards, approved storage for the weapons and permission from three landowners to shoot on their land.

When I say pistol, I mean an air or CO2 powered pistol rather than a handgun.

Sorry for being a bit ambiguous with my initial post

For further info, my property consists of around 5 acres and my main reason for getting an air rifle and air pistol is target shooting although I would aim to get a .177 as this always seemed a better bet for reasonably close quarter game bird shooting over a .22

Unfortunately there are no clubs in my area.

Thanks for the quick reply...

Witcher

Timfy wrote: »

Hi there... I have the standard paper work from the guards, approved storage for the weapons and permission from three landowners to shoot on their land.

When I say pistol, I mean an air or CO2 powered pistol rather than a handgun.

Sorry for being a bit ambiguous with my initial post

For further info, my property consists of around 5 acres and my main reason for getting an air rifle and air pistol is target shooting although I would aim to get a .177 as this always seemed a better bet for reasonably close quarter game bird shooting over a .22

Unfortunately there are no clubs in my area.

Thanks for the quick reply...

Ah ok, you'll still need to be a member of a range even for an air pistol and you also can't target shoot outside of a range.

You can't shoot game birds with any rifle, doesn't matter what the calibre is, has to be a shotgun.

Timfy

Blay wrote: »

you can't shoot game birds with a rifle, have to use a shotgun.

Is this a legal thing in Ireland? I have put many pheasants and a good few rabbits on my plate in the past using a full power .177 air rifle with prometheus pellets whilst living in the UK...

Obviously not from 250 meters but at relatively close range ie 10 to 25 meters.

Timfy

Oops sorry, my post crossed yours! So I cannot set up a target range of my own on my own land Bugger!!!

zen260

hi timfy,,,no the laws here are insane,,anything over 1j u need a fac,,,i can fart out a pellet harder than that,,ya its a bummer for you coming over from the uk where it is very air gun friendly and have a vast quarry to shoot without being looked down on,,,when i was in the uk i had a great time hunting and shooting and in my own garden with pistols and rifles,,,only thing you can shoot in your garden here are airsoft guns and the bb bearly makes out of the thing,,,and even at that you wouldnt want to be seen doing so or some muppet will fone the cops and you will have the armed responce unit putting your door in,,,,

Timfy

Thats a real shame. I was born and brought up in the arse end of nowhere (UK) and getting your first air rifle at 14 was something of a right of passage.

I have to admit that one of the main reasons that the property I live in has so much land around it was that I was looking forward to plinking in my own garden

I wonder how difficult it would be to set up my own air rifle club and range? A semi shuttered open 20m range would not be difficult to construct along with metal backed target holders. Nearest neighbour is two miles away...

Witcher

There's a whole rake of regulations you'd have to meet to make your own range...there's a range in Sligo but that might be too far for ya.

rsole1

Timfy wrote: »

Thats a real shame. I was born and brought up in the arse end of nowhere (UK) and getting your first air rifle at 14 was something of a right of passage.

I have to admit that one of the main reasons that the property I live in has so much land around it was that I was looking forward to plinking in my own garden

I wonder how difficult it would be to set up my own air rifle club and range? A semi shuttered open 20m range would not be difficult to construct along with metal backed target holders. Nearest neighbour is two miles away...

If you want to plink away in your own garden the only legal way is to call it "zeroing in" the scope / rifle. If it takes you two hours it takes two hours.

Tommy87

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the "law" is you can't shoot at a target no matter what reason you have unless it's in an authorised range. Whether your "zeroing a scope" or "collecting data". I'm not sayin i agree but that's the law I believe. I mean most people do it anyway including myself. Im not going to drive an hour to a range to check my zero before going deer stalking.

I hope im not wrong about the law or I'm after makin myself look like a right arse!!

extremetaz

Blay wrote: »

If you want a pistol you'll have to join a range and you can't shoot game birds with a rifle, have to use a shotgun.

This!

Blay wrote: »

You can't shoot game birds with any rifle, doesn't matter what the calibre is, has to be a shotgun.

This again!

Timfy wrote: »

Is this a legal thing in Ireland? I have put many pheasants and a good few rabbits on my plate in the past using a full power .177 air rifle with prometheus pellets whilst living in the UK...

Rabbit is fine, Pheasent is not.

"Vermin" (rabbits count) may be shot with an air rifle - "Game" may not.

rsole1 wrote: »

If you want to plink away in your own garden the only legal way is to call it "zeroing in" the scope / rifle. If it takes you two hours it takes two hours.

This ain't strictly legal - but it's "overlooked" for hunters.

Tommy87 wrote: »

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the "law" is you can't shoot at a target no matter what reason you have unless it's in an authorised range.

Exactly correct.

extremetaz

To answer the OP, don't think you can get firearms shipped to your door here - you'll have to go to an RFD or arrange for your local to take delivery of it.

If you want quality then personally I'd recommend a Weihrauch. I use the HW100T FAC myself, the auld boy has a HW100TK and a HW90, another neighbour also has the '90.

Few of the lads on here have the other "runner up prizes" ...I'm sure they'll chime in soon enough.

As regards pistols - the only one you'll get a licence for is a 10m ISSF target air pistol. After that you're looking at .22LR pistols.

Neither can be used for hunting - target applications only.


...and if you want to go after snipe, quail, or pheasent, then I'd reccomend a decent shotty.

juice1304

If you ring up a dealer and rind something you like and apply and get the licence then he can ship it to you if he is in another part of the country.