Have you just started shooting or want try a new discipline?

[Kungfugerbil]

I'm quite interested in understanding what motivated you to get training in 5 disciplines

Quite often that’s stipulated by clubs to make sure members are safe with each type of firearm or course of fire they shoot. After all, at the end of it you are a full member - not a full member(gallery only) or full member(apart from S1 shotgun).

Full membership of a club gives you ‘good reason’ to acquire any type and calibre of firearm that is shot by that club so I can understand wanting to ensure probationers have a basic level of competence in each.

Plus it’s also a good way to give probationers a taste of each discipline; they may come in dead set on owning a semi auto black rifle but actually find they much prefer shooting .38 underlever or 300yd fullbore.

[Dorset_shooter]

I'm quite interested in understanding what motivated you to get training in 5 disciplines

Quite often that’s stipulated by clubs to make sure members are safe with each type of firearm or course of fire they shoot. After all, at the end of it you are a full member - not a full member(gallery only) or full member(apart from S1 shotgun).

Full membership of a club gives you ‘good reason’ to acquire any type and calibre of firearm that is shot by that club so I can understand wanting to ensure probationers have a basic level of competence in each.

Plus it’s also a good way to give probationers a taste of each discipline; they may come in dead set on owning a semi auto black rifle but actually find they much prefer shooting .38 underlever or 300yd fullbore.

I really don't get this, if the probationers are taught Safety ( Which applies to ALL guns) why does it make any odds if they are using a .38 or .243

What competence are your referring to?

IMO clubs are too zealous in making people do things they don't want to do or not interested in.

If said person doesn't want to shoot full bore at a club that does both full bore and small bore when the feo contacts the range regarding said member all they would have to say is said person doesn't shoot full bore here?????

I'm a member of a range that shoots all calibers, not once was i forced to try new things i didn't want to, I wouldn't be a member if i did.

[TattooedGun]

I'm quite interested in understanding what motivated you to get training in 5 disciplines

Quite often that’s stipulated by clubs to make sure members are safe with each type of firearm or course of fire they shoot. After all, at the end of it you are a full member - not a full member(gallery only) or full member(apart from S1 shotgun).

Full membership of a club gives you ‘good reason’ to acquire any type and calibre of firearm that is shot by that club so I can understand wanting to ensure probationers have a basic level of competence in each.

Plus it’s also a good way to give probationers a taste of each discipline; they may come in dead set on owning a semi auto black rifle but actually find they much prefer shooting .38 underlever or 300yd fullbore.

I really don't get this, if the probationers are taught Safety ( Which applies to ALL guns) why does it make any odds if they are using a .38 or .243

What competence are your referring to?

IMO clubs are too zealous in making people do things they don't want to do or not interested in.

If said person doesn't want to shoot full bore at a club that does both full bore and small bore when the feo contacts the range regarding said member all they would have to say is said person doesn't shoot full bore here?????

I'm a member of a range that shoots all calibers, not once was i forced to try new things i didn't want to, I wouldn't be a member if i did.

I disagree.

If an FEO knows that a range has facilities for full bore and small bore, and a member is a full-member of the club, then they would be considered cleared for both types of firearms. I would suggest that it is the clubs vetting procedure of probationers to make sure that members are safe and have at least a basic level of competency with all classes of firearms able to be owned or shot from that club.

[Dorset_shooter]

Ok, That still doesn't explain anything.

What competency are you looking for?

I want to shoot Bolt action .22 & .223?

Both at the same distance on the same range.

I know there are differences , but my club is cleared for .50BMG.

Why on earth would I want to pay £10 a pop just because you think the plod are going to let me have one based on the fact the club is cleared for them???

How many rounds of .50 cal do I need to use before you think I'm basically competent. ??

[JSC]

I'm not sure it should be a stipulation that you have to show competency in, say full bore rifle if you only ever want to shoot target shotgun. I'd have thought that might deter someone from joining the club if they want to concentrate on one discipline to begin with.

Let's face it, most new shooters won't be looking to fill their cabinet with a selection of different guns immediately and I'd argue it's probably better to start off with something like a .22 rifle and become very competent with it before moving on to full bore.

When you get your driving license, you don't have to take the motorcycle, HGV and forklift tests as well.

I think there's a place for multi-discipline clubs but they shouldn't discourage new shooters because they don't want (or can't afford) to shoot everything.

[Tithras]

Well if your a full club member then the chances are you have full access to what ever guns the club has in the armory as such you should be competent at shooting said firearms. While I agree there is no real difference between a 22 bolt action and a 308 bolt action there certainly is between a 308 bolt action and a 22 or 556 carbine.

P

[JSC]

How each club manages access to club guns is up to them, but I would have no issue if there was some sort of competency card system in place so you couldn't use a club gun unless you had some formal training on it first.

Just because the guns are in the armoury, I don't see why you should be forced to do familiarisation training with all of them.

[Dorset_shooter]

Well if your a full club member then the chances are you have full access to what ever guns the club has in the armory as such you should be competent at shooting said firearms. While I agree there is no real difference between a 22 bolt action and a 308 bolt action there certainly is between a 308 bolt action and a 22 or 556 carbine.

P

I'm not trying to start a war over this, I completely understand clubs wanting members to be safe and proficient with the firearms on offer.

But for the love of god please someone explain what this competence is all about?????

I am competent with a shotgun, and have used may rifles? Ive never found the switch between caliber any different?

If anything it should be taught how to load/unload action type nothing to do with caliber????

[Tithras]

Could it be that as the NRA course is laid out that way, i.e. telescopic, carbine / gallery and iron sights, that clubs model their own competency rules around it?

Also to be honest if you don't like how a club does it then don't join them, easy enough to ask the question about how they manage competency when you apply :)

P

[Thorney]

We start all probationers on a semi auto .22 for a few reasons. Firstly its the most complicated firearm in terms of semi auto, mag fed etc so unloading and clearing is more complex and awkward, training is one on one so its good they get the hang of it so that bolt action is less daunting. Secondly the rounds are cheap so they get more experience in pulling a trigger without a huge bill at the end. Thirdly the fact is a .22 round has less force in the event of an ND than a full bore round both in terms of ricochet and distance.

Once they have done 4 days with a .22 at distances from 10m to 100m we then get them onto full bore but really the choice is theirs in terms of gallery rifle or full bore rifle, we have both but really its where they want to go wit their shooting, we then train them on their chosen calibre and go from there.