Shooting Club

[pete123 45]

Evening all,

 

I have only ever shot out in the field but since moving away from air rifle to my rimfire I have thought about joining a club as I suspect I would vastly improve my skills from the range?

 

Do many of you guys go to ranges alongside hunting? Are rough round the edges bunny basher often welcomed into a range?

[nasher1 258]

I solely hunt with my guns but have fancied some range time i live in Bristol but as of yet i am struggling to find a range where I can pay and play. The ones I have contacted have big waiting list and haven't been very helpful. Best of luck

[Lloyd90 509]

I went to one before n was full of self important people who like tell you how great they were n bossing people around

 

Also a couple fantasists who seemed to think they were SAS or some shit ... weren't all like this but Deffo attracted some odd folk ...

 

Rather stick a target up down the field and do some plinking n shooting on my own out in the countryside

[zx10mike 137]

totally the opposite i joined a club that was so good hunting now comes second .i regularly shoot 3 5 8 and 1000 yards and that 300 yard rabbit seems doable now.has helped fill the gaps in my knowledge and i get to shoot with the best at national f class.i come about last lol but i'm learning.get a centerfire and do it is my opinion.

[Alsone 789]

I believe Deker on here shoots regularly at Bisley and is an excellent shot, and I know a few people who shoot in clubs and enjoy it.

 

Personally, I can't see why it would do anything but increase your accuracy and knowledge, especially of BDC and using turrets. The only thing you can't do with a club is use expanding ammo, so you'll learn to shoot with a non expanding ammo and zero / hunt with another. However, provided you zero and understand the ballistics of the ammo you're hunting with, I can't see any issue.

[jacknife 2,005]

Its well worth joining a club even if its just to zero the rifle

 

Not sure about not being able to use expand ammo never heard it mentioned where i shoot

[TheRealChuckNorris 42]

Love my club as it provides a good indoor range, good bunch of people to learn from and access to comps. I do more at my club than I do in the field now and have recently started shooting for the county in LSR comps.

 

Wouldn't be without it.

[Tremo 138]

I went to one before n was full of self important people who like tell you how great they were n bossing people around

 

Also a couple fantasists who seemed to think they were SAS or some shit ... weren't all like this but Deffo attracted some odd folk ...

 

Rather stick a target up down the field and do some plinking n shooting on my own out in the countryside

 

It saddens me to say, but I have to agree with Bigthug87. My father in law and I joined a club back earlier this year. We got to know a good number of the members there, and although we found the majority of them to be very friendly and easy going, a substantial percentage were indeed full of their own self-importance. It seemed to me to be a trait associated with being on the committee (?). "My Precious!" .

 

It didn't really bother me, I just ignored them, but my father-in-law found them extremely condescending, and even felt humiliated at times. Long story short, we haven't been back. A shame really, but I wasn't going to let him put up with that.

 

I have no other experience with such clubs, but I am sure that there are plenty out there that are much more welcoming and accommodating to new members. Try one out and trust your gut instinct.

[zx10mike 137]

clubs are like pubs there is allways one dick head and co trying to spoil it for the rest.it might be an age thing but since turning 40 i got so much better at a:ingnoring people or b:telling people exactly my opinion of them so they choose to ignore me.both work with wallys you will often find your not alone in your opinion.

Edited December 14, 2014 by zx10mike

[pete123 45]

Sounds like a mixd repsonse :-). Like you say though I'm thinking will improve my field game as mostly shoot alone and never been out with anyone with FAC experience. Must say bar getting my zero set up and knocking bunnies over within 100 ft my abilities ar limited being self taught lol.

 

Is the expanding ammo piece just not approved for FAC holders that don't hunt? Or is it that clubs don't let you use it? Not sure my local shop sells anything bar Winchester and cc hollow points.

 

Don't think I'll ever need a CF for the shooting I do (mainly bunnies) but can't say I would say no to trying one on a range.

 

Sent a local club a message- no response yet but hopefully they invite me for a look around before I apply for membership and hand subscription fees across.

[pete123 45]

Within 100yards not feet lol not that bad of a shot. ;-)

[Alsone 789]

Its well worth joining a club even if its just to zero the rifle

 

Not sure about not being able to use expand ammo never heard it mentioned where i shoot

 

It's illegal to use it for target shooting, only zeroing, sufficient training and hunting.

 

Expanding ammunition is banned under the Firearms Act but then permitted for live quarry and zeroing under an exception to the ban.

 

Taken from the Firearms Guidance as the Firearms Act is amended and thus difficult to consolidate / read:

 

 

Definitions

4.2

Section 9 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 extends the prohibition on expanding

pistol ammunition to cover all types of expanding ammunition.

Thus section 5(1A)(f) of the Firearms Act 1968 now prohibits any ammunition which incorporates a missile designed or

adapted to expand on impact.

Section 5(1A)(g) prohibits the bullets for such ammunition

(missiles, in the words of the Act).

Exemptions

4.4

Section 10 of the 1997 Act amended section 5A(4) of the 1968 Act, to exempt from the

general prohibition of expanding ammunition people who use it for specific purposes. The

exemptions cover those people who use expanding ammunition for the:

i.

lawful shooting of deer;

ii.

shooting of vermin or, in the course of estate management, other wildlife (for more

information see chapter 13);

iii.

humane killing of animals; and

iv.

shooting animals for the protection of other animals or humans.

Other uses

4.7

Section 10(2)( of the 1997 Act amends section 5A(4)( of the 1968 Act so that the

use of expanding ammunition is in connection with the various exempted purposes. This

allows, for example, a deer stalker or vermin shooter to zero with their rifle on a range or

other suitable land and to do sufficient training and testing with the expanding ammunition.

It does not allow them to take part in target shooting or any competitions using expanding

ammunition.

[jacknife 2,005]

Someone might know the exact rule but I was under the impression that it was just competition target shooting that expanding ammo wasn't allowed

[Alsone 789]

BASC best people to consult.

 

However, I don't see a target practice exemption. The exemptions are quite clear apart from the definition of "sufficient" (unsure if that's been established through case law).

 

I understand some clubs have a blanket ban on expanding ammo, even for exempt activities. Presumably to protect their club licence.

[Born Hunter 17,780]

So out of interest, is there anywhere in the UK where you can pay to train exclusively with a hunting rifle set-up?

 

And where do you find these places? Without wanting to take up some paper punching discipline and talk about ballistics with all the other target shooters.