FAC air gun license

[Tommy]

Has anyone on here got a fac for an air rifle? Could do with a bit more range than the 12ft/lb can manage. Not convinced I need to go for a rimfire as its always handy to pop crows/pigeons around the yard. If in the future I could then go for a 17hmr for the longer bunnies if I felt the need and they can sort the ammo problems

 

[Dan7626]

Looked into getting mine but everyone I spoke to about it advised me to go down the rifle route.
Fac air gun kit is expensive and for less money you can get a good .22 rifle and scope.

 

[Tommy]

I was hoping to tweak the one I have into a fac as then I could choose the power I needed. It's a pcp so should be do able

 

[Farmerdunk]

I have both. Got a .22fac air rifle and a .17hmr. Use the .17 more but the FAC is handy where the .17 maybe to much. .17 cheaper to buy, but bullets cost more.

 

[Nick.]

TBH I wouldn't touch a .17HMR with a barge pole. Just look at all the squibs and misfires.
.22lr are the one for 60/70yd shots.
FAC air rifles have a place around buildings etc.

 

[Farmerdunk]

The .17 is a far safer round than the .22. The police are in more in favour of the .17, it shoots flatter and you get a lot less ricochet.

 

[Gone Shooting]

Agree with above have had more problems with the .22 esp semi-auto gumming up all the time - once the .17 hits anything the lead breaks up.

 

[milkloss]

Go for the fac air. As you say good for round buildings etc. Just remember that it will permanently devalue the rifle as downrating doesn't happen as a rule.

 

[principal skinner]

TBH I wouldn't touch a .17HMR with a barge pole. Just look at all the squibs and misfires.
.22lr are the one for 60/70yd shots.
FAC air rifles have a place around buildings etc.

I've put a minimum of 5000 rounds through my 17hmr, I've only ever had one miss fire. The 22 stays in the cabinet now, I hardly ever find an occasion to use it the the 17 won't do better. I hate the sound of a 22 round ricocheting off into the night!

 

[milkloss]

I've put a minimum of 5000 rounds through my 17hmr, I've only ever had one miss fire. The 22 stays in the cabinet now, I hardly ever find an occasion to use it the the 17 won't do better. I hate the sound of a 22 round ricocheting off into the night!

Similar. I have had one misfire and had to head home and rod the bullet out. A careful shooter would know by the sound what happened before throwing another one down the barrel.

 

[Longlowdog]

Never had an issue with a hummer. I had one of the very first in the country and a bucket load of the earliest ammo. I've also had a FAC air rifle. I didn't find it to be all it was cracked up to be. It was terribly ammo sensitive, had perceptible recoil, required a considerable effort to maintain a constant hold and when I grew tired of it it wasn't worth half of what I paid for it despite being in immaculate condition.
I have a PCP 12 ft/lb for in sheds, around buildings etc, a Desmond for wholescale rabbit clearance on naive populations and the hummer for longer range shots at crows and for foxes(generally with the 20 grain rounds).
If you are going down the route of having an FAC then you might as well request the lot and save on variation fees in the future.

 

[CornishTone]

Had a .17 for years. Never went back to .22 after. Far superior ballistics and much harder hitting. Ballistic tip or hollow point, nothing ever crawled away!

 

[TripleSix]

Does anyone use the "shot" cartridges for a .22 for shooting around buildings?

Been given a boxload of them...

 

[Pasty]

I was hoping to tweak the one I have into a fac as then I could choose the power I needed. It's a pcp so should be do able

Which PCP have you got?

FAC air can be very expensive. You can go the springer route such as HW80 which is the cheapest way but it's never going to be as good as a PCP. That said, a decent PCP with all the kit can run to a grand easily.

Remember also that once you have converted your gun to FAC, it can never go back so if you give up / lose your license, it'll have to be sold and probably at less than if it was 12ftlb.

 

[CornishTone]

Does anyone use the "shot" cartridges for a .22 for shooting around buildings?

Been given a boxload of them...

They'll give pigeons and rats a sore arse, but that's about it.

 

[MrNoo]

.22 rimfire and a .17 Hornet here (centre fire), love the Hornet but wouldn't be using it round the sheds or yard, not used the .22 since I've had the Hornet. It's everything a .22 should be, devastatingly accurate, zero'd at 200yrds.

 

[Tommy]

Not sure I need to be at 200 yards[emoji50]. What would that gun cost to run?

 

[suffolksmallholder]

I had a .22 FAC air gun. The cost to fill the divers bottle was pennies, the Crosman solid lead pellets were not too expensive. A shooting friend checked out the charge & pellet weight and it is so accurate the shot is down to you. I had this so i didn't have the worries on over-shooting with rimfire which are one mile & counting.
I paid a considerable sum for a beautiful rifle, scope & moderator. Plus divers bottle & buddy bottle. A well made case as well. I sold the whole set up for similar money some years later. Don't buy cheap sh1t!
https://www.guntrader.uk/guns/air-r...22/tiger-ten-sporter-grade-ii-170307123523004
SS

 

[MrNoo]

Not sure I need to be at 200 yards[emoji50]. What would that gun cost to run?

Not cheap compared to a rimfire, £80/100 (bought) but then I reload my own (beauty of CF) and it works out around 22-24p a round, a pot of powder lasts an age. But in my opinion the performance it gives you makes it worthwhile, I love it!!

 

[Tommy]

The Americans seem to be enjoying the .17 hornet and the .22 wsm