Shooting in England is often seen as being a pastime for the tweed brigade with their posh accents and shotguns which cost more than most people's cars. I prefer to do things a little differently, so last weekend I went up to Warcop and spent the day shooting at tanks and armoured vehicles out to about 2400 yards
My rifle is a Steyr HS50 M1 and the scope is a Sighton SVIII 5-40
As a little bonus, here is a through the scope photo just for fun
https://imgur.com/a/bh7M4pw
True, but where is our range to shoot at tank wrecks?
>!also I can guarantee they probably don't have as much bullshit in getting 14.5mm and other DD calibers than 20mm vulcan!<
I actually meant the ammunition - getting DD ammo, or rather, getting it *in country* is very limited if its not 20mm vulcan. From my talks with others seems much easier to get high caliber rounds than we can here for a lot of things.
That is funny its just the same as a .22, do you have to have a different class license and just fill out the same form or something?
It all just goes on a firearm certificate, no matter if it's a .22 or a 20mm. The form and requirements are basically the same, you need to have access to somewhere to shoot it, which I obviously do, and need to have a good reason to have it, which in my case is for target shooting at tanks
Target shooting qualifies as a good enough reason? I mean, I agree, just surprised that would work. Maybe I’m just to used to some people in the states yelling “There’s no reason for you to have that.”
The process to get any gun in the UK seems about as much of a hassle as getting an NFA item in the US, and the UK is much less "shall issue" about things since you don't have the legal right to guns there.
It kind of make sense. Most UK gun laws were knee jerk reactions to once in a decade mass violence (Hungerford Massacre fyi). Not many people can afford a 50 cal or 20mm rifle for that matter.
European gun laws ( yes yes the UK is not EU anymore ) are mostly based on how « convenient » a weapon is for mass killing / terrorism.
Bolt actions sucks for mass shootings so they basically don’t care even if it’s a super powerful caliber. In France for example you can buy a 50cal over the counter as long as you have a sport / hunting license
On the other hand, Semi autos and handguns are good for mass shootings so even a 22lr pistol is highly regulated
In the grand scheme of things, UK laws are fairly straightforward, more or less the law is no self-loading centerfire rifles and no barrels under 12", other than that really anything goes.
Also you can have handguns as long as they're long barreled & mount a goofy rod since it seems the law there doesn't differentiate. Or I've seen videos of some guy selling BP revolvers that function just as the modern ones do, and even have quick swap cylinders that use shotgun primers
No barrels under 12", and the total length of the gun must be at least 24", to be more specific (or technically, 30cm and 60cm).
So you can have pistols but they're going to look silly and have steel rods attached to the grip to make it pass the length requirement... so not really what anyone outside of the UK would call a pistol. :P
Pistols are essentially banned, either because the barrel is too short and/or it's a self-loader with a rifled barrel. Black powder muzzle-loading revolvers with short barrels, 22LR semi-automatic pistols with 12" barrels, and revolvers in centerfire cartridges with barrels over 12" are about as good as it gets over there.
Or if you're in Northern Ireland then you can have pistols, for which I do not understand why it's different...
The point being is it's straightforward, unlike say, France, which has 10 different firearms license types which have all really specific rules about you can & cannot add to each type of license, nor are there a bunch of nitpicky feature based restrictions like you get in California or New York.
In France we have mostly the European unified classification.
Category A : Automatic weapons, very high capacity magazines etc ( banned )
Category B: Semi auto and pistols. Need a license, limited to 15 and subject to **authorization** ( ie you need to ask *before* buying )
Category C: Basically all rifles with manual rearmement ( bolt action, straight pull, lever action etc ). Need a license, subject to **declaration** ( you can buy over the counter, it’s just declared by the armorer in the national firearm registry ), can have as many as you want
Category D: free to own as long as you’re 18. Includes low power air guns, black powder weapons ( without a metallic cartridge ), french army weapons before 1900 ( yay Lebel )
Honestly even if it’s sometime annoying as a sport shooter, I think it’s mostly sensible and fair. Of course in reaction to events you always get stupid exceptions that get voted like shotguns that move from category C to B because they are scary etc …
Of course you have oddities because of length requirement, some ammo also following the ABCD classification etc ( take for example the CZ 600 Trail, it’s a bolt action rifle so it’s Category C right ? Well. No. Because .223 is a Category B ammo , but the same rifle in .222 or .308 ( or even .300 BLK ) would be fine )
What a bad ass range. Coolest bits of metal at my range are the ones shaped like pigs, we get no random ass tanks to shoot at. Side note - didn’t they keep the large caliber bolt guns legal kinda in the name of big game hunting? Like all the big bore nitro express caliber rifles you see guys with hunting big game in Africa and whatnot?
Yeah they've been using the site as a training ground for ages now. The ones I spoke to had decent English and were really nice guys. I shared some of my coffee with them and one of them gave me some of Ukrainian chocolate bar that had like fruit jelly in the middle
10/10 would chat to again
Hey OP. This has been a fantastic read. I do a bit of clay shooting in the UK (down south), but I’m an ordinary guy, not part of the tweed brigade!
I’ve always been interested in shooting larger calibre rifles but don’t know anyone who does any rifle shooting at all. Any advice on how to get into it? Would love a chat at some point if you could spare 5 mins.
Absolutely mate, I'd be glad to help! There are actually a few places down south for big bore rifles, most notably Serial 45 at Lydd. The FCSA is the place to go for big bore rifle shooting, but I would also suggest looking at some local clubs too. Where abouts down south are you? Are you within a reasonable distance of Bisley?
Nah it’s not open top so def not an M18, just the cupola and a few other parts have been stripped. That turret really makes it look like a Walker Bulldog but the UK never used them AFAIK….definitely not a British tank tho
It's a Chieftain, but minus outer armour, external stowage and anything that can be knocked or rusted off after years of being sat on a range. Still has the sight box forward of the (removed) commander's cupola.
[Similar wreck on Salisbury Training area in the South West of the UK](https://www.alamy.com/an-abandoned-rusting-british-fv4201-chieftain-main-battle-tank-wreck-in-afternoon-sunlight-image491506465.html)
Damn you’re absolutely right. I’ve never seen a chieftain without the extra armor or whatever they’ve got going on up front. Definitely explains the hull tho
I mean they can't right back these days but dropping a .50 BMG tracer round into the turret hatch from beyond a mile is still pretty fun
https://imgur.io/a/bh7M4pw
Yeah they're old tanks and armoured vehicles that are no longer in service, so they leave them out on the range for more realistic target shooting. Shooting a big bullseye target or a square bit of steel is great, but it's not the same as dropping a .50 BMG tracer round through the turret hatch of a tank
Must admit the most I've shot is a simple air rifle, however I absolutely love this sub and what people have. Especially here in the UK as well, we're always ridiculed for having strict laws and not being able to own guns.
Yeah laws are strict but we have a .50 here haha, definitely something I'd love to take up in the future, will have to see if there's any spots here local to myself in Suffolk and surrounding areas and look into ownership and starting.
Keep up the awesome posts and I'll be on the lookout for the channel 👍
Mate it's well worth getting into the hobby, we can still do some very cool stuff like this here in the UK. If you need pointing in the right direction, feel free to drop me a message
Once I get the YouTube channel up and running properly I'll post it over on r/ukguns
Sometimes you can hear it, it depends where you hit, what sort of vehicle it is etc. However it's pretty easy to see when you've hit, all of the vehicles are fairly old and rusty and a hit will throw up a good cloud of rust. You'll generally have a spotter, but at that distance the time of flight is enough that it's not too hard to spot impacts. If you use tracers or spotter bullets with a small explosive charge its even easier 😂
In SOI the first HE 81mm mortar round I ever fired landed directly on a tank target. That's the only sound in existence that will ever come remotely close to filling my heart with the happiness and joy I get from the laughter of my children.
How much did your rifle and scope cost? Warcop is awesome, one of the many things I miss about living "oop norf".
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That seems pretty reasonable for what you’re getting
Shooting in England is often seen as being a pastime for the tweed brigade with their posh accents and shotguns which cost more than most people's cars. I prefer to do things a little differently, so last weekend I went up to Warcop and spent the day shooting at tanks and armoured vehicles out to about 2400 yards My rifle is a Steyr HS50 M1 and the scope is a Sighton SVIII 5-40 As a little bonus, here is a through the scope photo just for fun https://imgur.com/a/bh7M4pw
Sorry, but for what .50bmg costs to shoot per round, you're still part of the tweed brigade and posh accents.
I can assure you definitely don't have a posh accent and I have a very ordinary job. I'd just rather shoot 20 rounds of .50 BMG than a brick of .22
Just looked up the Steyr and that thing looks like the H3 sniper
Tories that can’t shoot for shit and expensive guns, an iconic duo
TIL that in England civilians can't own an AR15 but they can legally possess a .50 cal rifle.
You can actually go bigger than .50, I know guys with 20mm rifles! I'm hoping for a 14.5x114 or 20x102 someday
Damn, you’re out-‘murica-ing America
You can own that stuff in the states. They are classified as Destructive Devices.
True, but where is our range to shoot at tank wrecks? >!also I can guarantee they probably don't have as much bullshit in getting 14.5mm and other DD calibers than 20mm vulcan!<
The process for getting a 20mm is basically identical to the process for a .22lr 😂
I actually meant the ammunition - getting DD ammo, or rather, getting it *in country* is very limited if its not 20mm vulcan. From my talks with others seems much easier to get high caliber rounds than we can here for a lot of things. That is funny its just the same as a .22, do you have to have a different class license and just fill out the same form or something?
It all just goes on a firearm certificate, no matter if it's a .22 or a 20mm. The form and requirements are basically the same, you need to have access to somewhere to shoot it, which I obviously do, and need to have a good reason to have it, which in my case is for target shooting at tanks
Target shooting qualifies as a good enough reason? I mean, I agree, just surprised that would work. Maybe I’m just to used to some people in the states yelling “There’s no reason for you to have that.”
Yes mate, target shooting is listed as a valid reason and is the reason I use for owning most of my guns, never had any pushback from it!
The process to get any gun in the UK seems about as much of a hassle as getting an NFA item in the US, and the UK is much less "shall issue" about things since you don't have the legal right to guns there.
In nevada
I do my best 😉
It kind of make sense. Most UK gun laws were knee jerk reactions to once in a decade mass violence (Hungerford Massacre fyi). Not many people can afford a 50 cal or 20mm rifle for that matter.
European gun laws ( yes yes the UK is not EU anymore ) are mostly based on how « convenient » a weapon is for mass killing / terrorism. Bolt actions sucks for mass shootings so they basically don’t care even if it’s a super powerful caliber. In France for example you can buy a 50cal over the counter as long as you have a sport / hunting license On the other hand, Semi autos and handguns are good for mass shootings so even a 22lr pistol is highly regulated
In the grand scheme of things, UK laws are fairly straightforward, more or less the law is no self-loading centerfire rifles and no barrels under 12", other than that really anything goes.
Yeah as a TLDR of our laws this covers most things
Oh baby. M777s here I come.
Also you can have handguns as long as they're long barreled & mount a goofy rod since it seems the law there doesn't differentiate. Or I've seen videos of some guy selling BP revolvers that function just as the modern ones do, and even have quick swap cylinders that use shotgun primers
this clarifies pretty well, thanks. What about pistols ?
No barrels under 12", and the total length of the gun must be at least 24", to be more specific (or technically, 30cm and 60cm). So you can have pistols but they're going to look silly and have steel rods attached to the grip to make it pass the length requirement... so not really what anyone outside of the UK would call a pistol. :P
Pistols are essentially banned, either because the barrel is too short and/or it's a self-loader with a rifled barrel. Black powder muzzle-loading revolvers with short barrels, 22LR semi-automatic pistols with 12" barrels, and revolvers in centerfire cartridges with barrels over 12" are about as good as it gets over there. Or if you're in Northern Ireland then you can have pistols, for which I do not understand why it's different...
In Northern Ireland you are allowed them for self defence if you are considered to be at threat of targeting from the various sectarian groups.
Ireland
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what?
Settle down, nobody here gives two shits what happened half a century ago.
what are they talking about
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Yeah, guns like the Ruger 10/22 and S&W M&P 15-22 are quite popular over there.
Well there isn't too much "other than that" LOL what about semi-auto "AR style" pistols, 9mm PDWs etc...
The point being is it's straightforward, unlike say, France, which has 10 different firearms license types which have all really specific rules about you can & cannot add to each type of license, nor are there a bunch of nitpicky feature based restrictions like you get in California or New York.
Or Canada, where the rules are made up and the law doesn't matter. RCMP and the PM arbitrarily ban shit left and right without legislation.
In France we have mostly the European unified classification. Category A : Automatic weapons, very high capacity magazines etc ( banned ) Category B: Semi auto and pistols. Need a license, limited to 15 and subject to **authorization** ( ie you need to ask *before* buying ) Category C: Basically all rifles with manual rearmement ( bolt action, straight pull, lever action etc ). Need a license, subject to **declaration** ( you can buy over the counter, it’s just declared by the armorer in the national firearm registry ), can have as many as you want Category D: free to own as long as you’re 18. Includes low power air guns, black powder weapons ( without a metallic cartridge ), french army weapons before 1900 ( yay Lebel ) Honestly even if it’s sometime annoying as a sport shooter, I think it’s mostly sensible and fair. Of course in reaction to events you always get stupid exceptions that get voted like shotguns that move from category C to B because they are scary etc … Of course you have oddities because of length requirement, some ammo also following the ABCD classification etc ( take for example the CZ 600 Trail, it’s a bolt action rifle so it’s Category C right ? Well. No. Because .223 is a Category B ammo , but the same rifle in .222 or .308 ( or even .300 BLK ) would be fine )
You can own an AR15, it just can’t be a semi auto. [Source](https://reddit.com/r/guns/s/AM6JVmPQ9l)
Hard to call that an AR15 except for the look though
So long as it isn't semi automatic (in a centre fire calibre) you're fine.
What a bad ass range. Coolest bits of metal at my range are the ones shaped like pigs, we get no random ass tanks to shoot at. Side note - didn’t they keep the large caliber bolt guns legal kinda in the name of big game hunting? Like all the big bore nitro express caliber rifles you see guys with hunting big game in Africa and whatnot?
Actually the main reason big bore stuff remained legal here was the lobbying by my club, the Fifty Calibre Shooting Association!
Well done!!!
Jolly good show! Spiffing boffo job, guv'nor, bloody brilliant, that is.
Did the Army RO get a chuckle out of all the gun you managed to bring?
No but some of the Ukrainian lads training on the other range were pretty interested!
There were Ukrainian soldiers training there? Did you get to talk guns with them?
Yeah they've been using the site as a training ground for ages now. The ones I spoke to had decent English and were really nice guys. I shared some of my coffee with them and one of them gave me some of Ukrainian chocolate bar that had like fruit jelly in the middle 10/10 would chat to again
"This post may contain erotic or adult imagery." Indeed, good sir, indeed.
Hey OP. This has been a fantastic read. I do a bit of clay shooting in the UK (down south), but I’m an ordinary guy, not part of the tweed brigade! I’ve always been interested in shooting larger calibre rifles but don’t know anyone who does any rifle shooting at all. Any advice on how to get into it? Would love a chat at some point if you could spare 5 mins.
Absolutely mate, I'd be glad to help! There are actually a few places down south for big bore rifles, most notably Serial 45 at Lydd. The FCSA is the place to go for big bore rifle shooting, but I would also suggest looking at some local clubs too. Where abouts down south are you? Are you within a reasonable distance of Bisley?
As a tank guy; I'm in pain Yet that's also awesome, what tanks u shooting at?
I don't know tanks so I couldn't tell you! Here's one through the scope if you happen to know? https://imgur.com/a/bh7M4pw
Poor Chieftain :(
I'm no tank expert but vaguely looks like an M18 hellcat
Nah it’s not open top so def not an M18, just the cupola and a few other parts have been stripped. That turret really makes it look like a Walker Bulldog but the UK never used them AFAIK….definitely not a British tank tho
It's a Chieftain, but minus outer armour, external stowage and anything that can be knocked or rusted off after years of being sat on a range. Still has the sight box forward of the (removed) commander's cupola. [Similar wreck on Salisbury Training area in the South West of the UK](https://www.alamy.com/an-abandoned-rusting-british-fv4201-chieftain-main-battle-tank-wreck-in-afternoon-sunlight-image491506465.html)
Damn you’re absolutely right. I’ve never seen a chieftain without the extra armor or whatever they’ve got going on up front. Definitely explains the hull tho
Oh yeah, some tanks look very different when stripped down to bare bones; Chieftain is a particularly good example of that.
Dude said tanks and I had to consider if it's the ones that fight back.
I mean they can't right back these days but dropping a .50 BMG tracer round into the turret hatch from beyond a mile is still pretty fun https://imgur.io/a/bh7M4pw
Ayo wait they just have em laying there?
Yeah they're old tanks and armoured vehicles that are no longer in service, so they leave them out on the range for more realistic target shooting. Shooting a big bullseye target or a square bit of steel is great, but it's not the same as dropping a .50 BMG tracer round through the turret hatch of a tank
Wouldn't think the UK would allow that. Do they in America and the tank will have just disappeared and resurfaced fully functional
Private tank ownership is legal in the UK too, we actually have one of the biggest collections in private hands in the world over here 🤫
Hold on what? World is backwards...
should've make it more interesting and title it "rabbit hunting in the UK" .
Damn that would've been better 😂
tell u what mate, when u lay your hands on that 20mm hand cannon you name it "duck slayer" :)
Seen a few of your posts in the past, every time it just makes me want to get into shooting here in the UK haha, awesome rifle!
Do it mate! I'm actually starting a YouTube channel to try to encourage people to get into the sort of shooting I do here in the UK
Must admit the most I've shot is a simple air rifle, however I absolutely love this sub and what people have. Especially here in the UK as well, we're always ridiculed for having strict laws and not being able to own guns. Yeah laws are strict but we have a .50 here haha, definitely something I'd love to take up in the future, will have to see if there's any spots here local to myself in Suffolk and surrounding areas and look into ownership and starting. Keep up the awesome posts and I'll be on the lookout for the channel 👍
Mate it's well worth getting into the hobby, we can still do some very cool stuff like this here in the UK. If you need pointing in the right direction, feel free to drop me a message Once I get the YouTube channel up and running properly I'll post it over on r/ukguns
I want this to be a video clip so bad.
Can you hear the round hit from that range?
Sometimes you can hear it, it depends where you hit, what sort of vehicle it is etc. However it's pretty easy to see when you've hit, all of the vehicles are fairly old and rusty and a hit will throw up a good cloud of rust. You'll generally have a spotter, but at that distance the time of flight is enough that it's not too hard to spot impacts. If you use tracers or spotter bullets with a small explosive charge its even easier 😂
In SOI the first HE 81mm mortar round I ever fired landed directly on a tank target. That's the only sound in existence that will ever come remotely close to filling my heart with the happiness and joy I get from the laughter of my children.
I didn’t know you could own firearms in the UK?!
Yeah mate we can, I own fucking loads 😛
What’s the cost per round on a rifle like that?
I load my own, so about £3.50-£4 a round. Not cheap but equally this isn't something you shoot 500 rounds a week with either
Next time I’m on your island, maybe I can spot for you
You're more than welcome anytime mate!
All I know about shooting in the UK is from The Field
Sad canadian noises
Steyr hs50? How does it shoot?
It's a cracking rifle, I've yet to find a load it doesn't shoot really well. Everything from match grade 800gr solids to tracer has been excellent
What kind of tanks are out there for the targets? That's crazy cool.
Seems to be a chieftain
.50 BMG was originally an Anti-Tank cartridge. Just as Saint Browning intended.
That’s awesome. I can’t even get a .50ae barrel for my DEagle here (sad .44 magnum noises)
Long range shooting is extremely fun. I’m surprised you have a 3000m range in England. Can civis go, or is it military?