SPORTING ANSWERS
Is this rifle legal for deer?
RIFLES
Q I have a .223 Sako Vixen rifle that I use for foxing. Is it legal for deer?
It depends on which part of the country you live in.
In Scotland, the .223 is legal for roe deer as long as it shoots a bullet no less than 50-gr weight, with an expanding construction and a minimum velocity of 2,450fps and minimum energy of 1,000ft/lb. In England and Wales, it is illegal for roe because the minimum calibre is .240 — hence people like the .243 Winchester round — but it is legal for small species deer such as muntjac and Chinese water deer.
However, you still need to shoot a minimum calibre of .220 with a muzzle energy not less than 1,000ft/lb, and a soft or hollowpoint bullet not less than 50-gr.
Provided you meet this requirement, you will be fine.
Check the British Deer Society (bds.org.uk) or BASC (basc.org.uk) websites for more information. BP
A cuckoo’s egg question
BIRD LIFE
Q In May, I found a dunnock’s nest with what was clearly a cuckoo’s egg, which prompts the question as to how many eggs a cuckoo lays each spring?
A Studies have shown that an individual female may
