In article ,
Derek Turner wrote:
On 20 Oct 2002 19:14:52 GMT, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:

And here. But I want to object strongly to the above of shotguns
for such purposes on the grounds of cruelty. The fact that the
misbegotten politically correct idiots in this country support the
misgenated Powers That Be that want to disarm the peasantry is a
disgrace. The appropriate weapon is a 0.22 rifle, or even a long
barreled pistol firing a 0.22 magnum.

Beg to differ.

Shotgun is not only cruel but illegal against deer in UK.

It is now. It wasn't until a few years back.

Any .22 is illegal against deer in England and Wales.

I am aware of that. The UK gun laws are notorious for their
stupidity.

What you need is a .243 or larger. There are very strict regulations
about the minimum calibre and foot-poundage of rounds used to kill
deer of any species, though in IMNSHO they are way OTT for muntjack,
having been legislated with native species in mind. You need somone
with an open license (allowing them to shoot anywhere) firing
downwards: i.e. someone who REALLY knows what he/she is doing. I'm
told it is delicious but I've never eaten it.

You have contradicted yourself thoroughly. The APPROPRIATE weapon
is a .22 magnum, as you seem to be aware of from the above paragraph;
the fact that it is illegal is irrelevant.

It should be obvious that the laws are stupid from the very fact
that they insist on the same calibre for roe and red (to include
just 'native' species). A .243 is too small for most people to
use on red without a serious risk of wounding, and anything
above that is too large to use on roe because of the risk of
passing straight through.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren,
University of Cambridge Computing Service,
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QH, England.
Email:
Tel.: +44 1223 334761 Fax: +44 1223 334679