How to prepare
Prepare for DSC1 in three parts: work through the DMQ manual and the revision questions, study the six deer species for the visual assessment, and arrive with a zeroed rifle of .243 calibre or higher and 50 rounds of ammunition. The safety questions are issued in advance, so none of the safety module is a surprise.
The kit list
Bring the following. The list is short because each item on it has cost somebody an assessment.
- Bring your own rifle with you, preferably of .243 calibre or higher — or hire one on the day if you would rather not travel with a firearm.
- Bring sufficient rounds (we recommend 50 rounds).
- Ensure the rifle is zeroed prior to your arrival.
- A gunsmith will be available on site to assist with serious rifle and/or optic issues.
- Bring a rucksack, roe sack and bipods with you in order to shoot from sitting.
- Ensure your rifle has a sling attached for the assessment.
- Bring your own shooting sticks, if you have them; however sticks are available for use at the shooting range as necessary.
- Bring ear defenders, as all shooting must be conducted with them.
The gunsmith is there for a serious fault — a loose mount, a damaged scope, a rifle that has taken a knock in transit. He is not there to zero a rifle that arrived unzeroed. Point three is the one to take seriously.
The shooting test
The shooting test is 6 assessed shots, all fired at a roe target: two at each of 100 m, 100 m and 50 m. You arrive with the rifle already zeroed; the test does not begin with a session to get it right.
| Distance | Shots | Position | Shot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m | 2 | Seated | Roe target, at the shoulder |
| 100 m | 2 | Off shooting sticks | Roe target, at the shoulder |
| 50 m | 2 | Off shooting sticks | Roe target, head shot |
Two of the three stages are taken at the shoulder. The last is a head shot at the shorter distance, and it is the one worth practising: a head shot is unforgiving of a rest that is not steady, which is why it is fired off sticks rather than freehand.
This test is not especially challenging, but assessment stress will always take its toll. Use a rifle with a small calibre; a .300 Winchester Magnum or a 9.3×62 punishes you across a day of shooting for nothing gained.
Revision
- Work through the DMQ manual. The written questions are drawn from a published bank of 480 questions, of which 90 questions appear on the day, so the reading has an end.
- The safety questions are issued to you before the day. Read them. They are the module where no faults are permitted, and they are the module you can prepare for completely — see the sample safety questions.
- Spend your last week on deer identification, particularly summer sika against fallow and winter sika against red.
- Learn the sex and age terms for each species. They are not interchangeable, and every image in the visual assessment asks for sex as well as species.
Common questions
What rifle should I bring?
Your own, zeroed before you arrive, preferably of .243 calibre or higher. A heavy magnum is a poor choice for a day of assessment shooting: recoil costs you accuracy and nothing is gained. A gunsmith is on site for serious rifle or optic faults.
How much ammunition should I bring?
Fifty rounds is the recommendation. That covers the zero, the assessed shots and a margin for a rezero if travel has knocked your scope.
Can I hire a rifle?
Yes. A rifle can be hired for the assessment, which avoids moving a firearm across a border and the paperwork that goes with it. Say so when you enquire and it is arranged with your booking. If you do bring your own, bring it zeroed — familiarity with your own rifle is worth a lot under assessment stress.
Do I need shooting sticks?
Bring your own if you have them. Sticks are available at the range if you do not. You will want them for the standing and sitting shots.
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