new to shooting

bartonj

hi, i am looking to get into shooting(mainly deer but also birds), looking for advice on how to get a licence etc?.

also looking for advice on the coilte leases, how do they work etc?.

thanks
Josh

Cass

bartonj wrote: »

hi, i am looking to get into shooting(mainly deer but also birds), looking for advice on how to get a licence etc?.

Welcome to the shooting forum.

Excuse the following post if any of it seems "newbie" but as i don't know your previous history, if any, i'm trying to cover all bases.

First thing you need to do is choose which type of shooting you'd like to do. Are you interested in:

• Hunting
• Target shooting

If i's target shooting you need to decide on what type.

• Benchrest rimfire/centrefire
• Gallery rifle
• Pistol
• Long range shooting
• Sporting rifle
• etc

Once you know what type of shooting you'd like to do you need to pick a range. Based on where you live you need to determine not only the closest range to you, but the one that best serves your needs/wants. So even though range A is closest does it allow you to shoot the discipline. If not then you need to look at range B, C, etc.

Ring the range and make an appointment to go and visit it. They will gladly show you around, tell you all you need to know and walk you through the membership process, etc.

Here is a list of all rifle/pistol ranges.

Now you have the type of shooting you want to do and the range that best suits your needs picked out you need to choose a gun. I always advise most people to start out with a .22lr rimfire rifle. They are tons of fun, practical, can be used or hunting and target shooting, are cheap to run, cheap to buy, and the kind of gun you can always keep in the safe.

Here is a post describing the types of gun and why a .22lr is best as a starter.

You can of course go for any caliber and you may need to go for a higher caliber depending on the type of shooting you decide to do. Go to various ranges and gun dealers and look at as many as you can. Bring someone with you if you're not 100% on the types, makes, or models. When you have a gun you want you pay a deposit, and only a deposit (do not pay for the gun entirely upfront). You then take the letter the dealer gives you and have to apply for the gun.

Now if you want to go hunting you need to have either two individual permissions from separate land owners or be a member of a gun club. You submit the details of these to the Gardaí with your application.


For your first licenses you need to be as complete as possible, but for any additional licenses over the years you'll find some of the above does not need to be filled in.

After all this is done you wait. Once the application is granted you'll be sent a grant letter. This confirms the application was successful. The letter must then be taken to the post office where you pay your €80 license fee. Within 3-5 days you'll receive your actual license and then you may go and collect your gun.


A few tips:

• If you apply for the gun for shooting on a range you must be a member of that range beforehand.
• Any security measures must be in place before you apply as you must declare you have satisfied the minimum requirements on your FCA1.
• NEVER pay more than a deposit (10% or so) on a gun. Also make sure that this deposit is refundable should you be refused the license as some dealrs will simply keep your money. Its for this reason you never pay for the gun upfront. Also a dealer will not return any money for change of mind.
• Always take someone with you even if you think you know all you need. A second set of eyes can provide helpful information and temper any "new buyers" excitement as sometimes we see things through rose tinted glasses when we want it.
• lastly don't be afraid to ask questions. Here, on a range, at the dealers, etc. Ask, ask and ask some more. Be 100% sure what you want and that you know what you need before committing to anything.

For rifle I would recommend a .22lr for your first rifle, but if its deer you want then ignore the following as you wish.

There are numerous reasons for this:

• It's a great rifle to learn the basics of shooting
• It's cheap to buy and cheap to run
• There are numerous competitions in most ranges (not just the one you are a member of) in .22lr
• They resell quickly as it's a desirable caliber
• HH has only a 50 metre range so a fullbore rifle is not going to show it's full potential
• There are no comps for fullbore rifles at under 100 yards/metres (not including Gallery)
• Applications for lower calibers are usually favoured for first time owners
• Not a huge investment if you find you don't like it
• It's good enough for vermin if you decide to do some hunting with your family

The limitations with a .22lr are range, and effectiveness on larger game. However if you have no experience with a rifle then i would not suggest jumping into a centrefire rifle. The differnce betwen a rimfire, and centrefire is based on the make up of the round used. See the picture below;



The round to the left being the rimfire meaning once the bottom/rim of the cartridge is struck by the firing pin the round is discharged. On a centrefire the primer (no 4 on right picture) must be struck which ignites the powder and fires the bullet.

Most rimfires have a range of between 0 - 125 yards, effective range. Centrefire rifles, depending on shooter ability have mush greater effective ranges, and hence need A LOT more experience to handle. Apart from the firearm you need to be aware of your environment, backstop (where the bullet will finish) shot placement, etc. Its not quite as easy as point and pull the trigger.

The best selling and most popular starter rifle is the CZ .22lr.



The setup above would cost, depending on scope choice, about €800 new or between €300 - €550 second hand. There are a fantastic gun, and if you asked i would say about 70% of rifle shooter either had one or have one.

To find out which rifle you want or more importantly which suits your intended purpose then i would suggest visiting a few rifle ranges, and seeing what others are using, and what they have, use it for, how it works, how effective it is, cost, etc. Most ranges would welcome you, and freely show you around. Simply ring before traveling as some ranges need prior notification before you can turn up.

For a shotgun i'd look at an over/under. One of these:



I'd say to look at an Over/Under (O/U).

They are cheap to buy, easy to license, and can easily accommodate most any type of shooting you could want in Ireland. Second hand you can buy from €300 up, and new from €550 up. The prices can go as high as a good second hand car, but we'll keep it sensible for the purpose of the thread.

Look at Baikal, Lanber, Yildiz for those in the €300 - €550 mark (second hand) or €550 - €750 new. Then if you want to go for something a little nicer look at Bettinsoli, Browning, Winchester for guns in the €450 - €850 mark (second hand) or €750 - €1,400 mark(new).

The most important part of picking a gun is fit. A shotgun must come up well with a good shoulder and be natural for your point of aim. Always bring someone with you that knows about the various guns. They'll keep you grounded and help you decide on something suitable rather than one that looks good, but doesn't really fit you. Nothing worse than buying a gun and it won't shoot right for you because it doesn't fit you right.


Once you have decided on the type of shooting you like, and a gun you want, you need to go out and find one. Go to as many registered firearm dealers (RFD) as you can. Do not rush the decision. It can be a long enough process to get the license so you cannot pick, choose, change your mind, pick, choose, change your mind once the license process has begun.
Go out and try as many makes/models of the gun/caliber you would most like, but keep an open mind to others as sometimes you end up buying a gun you did not intend to buy.

To apply for a firearm you need to fill in an FCA1 firearm application form. This post details all the specifics you'll need to cover as well as the security measures you will need in place before getting the gun. This post then goes into a little more detail with regard to the reasons you may give for wanting the firearm as this is a legal requirement.

After all this is done you wait. Once the application is granted you'll be sent a grant letter. This confirms the application was successful. The letter must then be taken to the post office where you pay your €80 license fee. Within 3-5 days you'll receive your actual license and then you may go and collect your gun.


A few tips:

• If you apply for the gun for shooting on a range you must be a member of that range beforehand.
• Any security measures must be in place before you apply as you must declare you have satisfied the minimum requirements on your FCA1.
• NEVER pay more than a deposit (10% or so) on a gun. Also make sure that this deposit is refundable should you be refused the license as some dealrs will simply keep your money. Its for this reason you never pay for the gun upfront. Also a dealer will not return any money for change of mind.
• Always take someone with you even if you think you know all you need. A second set of eyes can provide helpful information and temper any "new buyers" excitement as sometimes we see things through rose tinted glasses when we want it.
• lastly don't be afraid to ask questions. Here, on a range, at the dealers, etc. Ask, ask and ask some more. Be 100% sure what you want and that you know what you need before committing to anything.

To apply for a firearm you need to fill in an FCA1 firearm application form.

Here is what you need to do.

You want to be as detailed as possible, but without writing a novel.

Fill in sections:

For the following sections, just fill them in, but for the most part extra information is not necessary:

• Section 1 - Tick Firearm Certificate and in the box below tick "I have not held a certificate for this firearm in the previous three years".
• Section 2.1 - Fill in all the personal information stuff. Everything.
• Section 2.2 - Give name, address and phone number for your GP, and any other doctor you might be visiting.
• Section 2.3 - You need two people to vouch for you. Supply their name, address and details in this section.
• Section 2.4 - Tick the boxes as appropriate.
• Section 2.5 - Supply details of your competence, or if you've done the course just write "Copy of cert attached". Then attach a copy.
• Section 3.1 - Fill in the details of the gun you've bought here. All the info will be on the docket the dealer gives you.
• Section 3.3 - Write in the dealer PULSE ID. It'll be a 4 digit number that the dealer uses. Then his name.
• Section 3.5 - Tick "YES", and then "NO". Make sure you have at least a trigger lock bought for the gun. This is the minimu security needed.
• Section 4.1 - Tick English, and below that write in the amount of rounds you want. I'd apply for betwee 250 - 500 rounds.
• Section 4.2 - Tick Hunting. No need for target shooting and you might be required to show membership if you do. You can tick it if you want, it's your chice.
• Section
• Section 5.1 - Tick yes (no need for licenses as your firearms license covers you and you're not shooting deer, only pheasant)
• Sign it, and date it.

Ignore sections:

• 3.4
• 4.3
• 4.4
• 5.2

You need to provide more information for some sections on a separate piece of paper, labelled "Additional Information". See which sections apply to you, and fill in the following for those sections:

1. Section 2.1 - Previous Address: If you have lived elsewhere provide thos addresses.
2. Section 2.5 - Proof of Competence: Supply copy of your competence certificate.
3. Section 3.5 - Secure Storage: List your security measures as you have done. For a shotgun its a trigger lock and stored in three pieces around the house. You may be asked for a safe, but the Super will let you know.
4. Section 4.1 - Amount of Ammo: I am requesting 250-500 (example) rounds of ammunition for the following reasons:
   • Empty (fired) casings are treated the same as live rounds as per the Firearms Act, 1925 where it states that "ammunition for a firearm is any ingredient or component part of any such ammunition", with component part being the bullet, the casing, the propellant or the primer. So my license must allow me to have a high enough limit to have both live and fired rounds in my possession.
   • I regularly take part in clay shoots and actively attend clay ranges for practice. As a result of this I can go through a large quantity of rounds in a short period of time.
   • Buying bulk rounds of ammunition to reduce trips to dealer and for cost implications.
   • Distance to dealer being excessive & inconvenient.
5. Section 4.2 - Reason for Gun:
   • Control of vermin on my lands
   • Control of vermin on lands nominated in my permissions
   • Clay pigeon shooting
   • Hunting of game during the open seasons.

also looking for advice on the coilte leases, how do they work etc?.

thanks
Josh

Never had one, but from what i can gather, and someone else will be along to give better/more detailed information, you apply for a lease, or make a bid on one, get it, and then hunt it. They can vary in price from hundreds to thousands per lease and there are limitations on times you can hunt, amount of animals you can take, etc.

As said someone with more first hand knowledge should be able to better answer this for you.

no_4

all of the above from cass is 100% spot on advice

bartonj

Wow thank you for all that info, was a great help

omegaodie

For Coilte, you need to have a either HCAP or the Irish Country Sports (https://countrysportsireland.org/) equivalent. I'm in the same boat trying to get into deer stalking, some of the guys here are pretty sound. For deer, e.g for a calibre of rifle that it's legal to hunt deer with, you need all the stuff Cass was talking about. The hard thing is the permission, unless you have 100 acres of land handy you need to ask for permission from farmers or hire a let(€€€). I've kids and a job and it's hard to find the time tbh, I still haven't got out to a range to even do some basic shooting, covid isn't helping there. It's a tough conversation to have with a farmer, even if you know them, cause your talking about running around their property with a high powered rifle and no experience. I'm hoping to find a club, but the closest one to me is too expensive to justify. It's easy to get disheartened. On the plus side I was not 30 feet from a stag chasing a doe down near the bottom of my garden last night, fine stag, I mimed talking a shot but he was so handsome I'm not sure I could have pulled the trigger for real.

garyc007

Cass has a lot there for you. Personally I would start with a shotgun, and maybe a .22 or .17 rifle to get a feel for it and learn your ranges, safety etc. It will stand to you if you still want to get into a bigger rifle for deer. You will need to be quite competent to complete the hcap and shoot on a lease.
Heads up deer shooting is massively political so try not to take it as serious as some do if you do get into it. It comes last for me I love shooting birds or vermin over good dogs, and the shot comes second to watching the dogs work.
Best of luck and welcome to the sport!

bartonj

garyc007 wrote: »

Cass has a lot there for you. Personally I would start with a shotgun, and maybe a .22 or .17 rifle to get a feel for it and learn your ranges, safety etc. It will stand to you if you still want to get into a bigger rifle for deer. You will need to be quite competent to complete the hcap and shoot on a lease.
Heads up deer shooting is massively political so try not to take it as serious as some do if you do get into it. It comes last for me I love shooting birds or vermin over good dogs, and the shot comes second to watching the dogs work.
Best of luck and welcome to the sport!

Can i get a shotgun and a rifle on the same license, esp if its my first one.

would starting out with a shotgun be better and easier to get license for?. my sister has working spaniels, love watching them work too. just need to find land to shoot on now:).
Thanks for the heads up, the coillte lease system seems hard n competitive to get into.

The pigeon man

bartonj wrote: »

Can i get a shotgun and a rifle on the same license, esp if its my first one.

would starting out with a shotgun be better and easier to get license for?. my sister has working spaniels, love watching them work too. just need to find land to shoot on now:).
Thanks for the heads up, the coillte lease system seems hard n competitive to get into.

You need a license for every firearm. One firearm one license. Six firearms six licenses.

They're both easy to get a license for once you have the paperwork in order.

Essentially if you want to shoot birds go for a shotgun. If you want to shoot deer you need a deer legal rifle. If you want to shoot rabbits and foxes you can shoot them with either a rifle or shotgun.

If I could only have one gun it would be my double barrel shotgun. I can shoot game birds, rabbits, foxes, and clays aswell with it.

bartonj

The pigeon man wrote: »

You need a license for every firearm. One firearm one license. Six firearms six licenses.

They're both easy to get a license for once you have the paperwork in order.

Essentially if you want to shoot birds go for a shotgun. If you want to shoot deer you need a deer legal rifle. If you want to shoot rabbits and foxes you can shoot them with either a rifle or shotgun.

If I could only have one gun it would be my double barrel shotgun. I can shoot game birds, rabbits, foxes, and clays aswell with it.

Thank you for the advice, think ill look at shotguns now instead and get a rifle later on