The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

For me it started with a .22 air rifle when I was 10 years old and later with The Army Cadets. The cadets paraded at the local TA centre which had a 50 yard small bore indoor range and the local Army range for the No4 Lee Enfields. We even had a couple of Bren Guns in the cadet armoury which we took with us when we went to the ranges. IIRC we shot those on Dreghorn ranges Edinburgh.

Air rifles, cadets and army, from .177 to 120mm.

Still learning, always will be.

As long as I can remember I was around guns and shooting. I probably shot air rifles from as old as I could hold them, I had my own 20 bore shotgun by the time I was 9 (on my fathers ticket) and I was shooting .22lr TR from 12-13, until my dad started working away and wasn't around on shooting nights to take me to the club.

At around 19 I started really gaining an interest in shooting again, although it wasn't until I started dating a girl whose mom was heavily involved in my current shooting club that I got completely hooked on learning to shoot properly again. I must have been 22 when I started visiting weekly. Probation out of the way, a good few months of full membership and FAC application in so I could get my own rifle and not have to worry about people moving the sights so I could learn to shoot without having to spend an hour re-zeroing to my massive groups at the time.

I was coached at the club for the first 12 months or so, and I had some input from one of the main coaches at the NSRA whilst my coach went down to do a coaching assesment.

I've just started shooting for the county, instead of the county reserves and I have aspirations to keep improving and see where it takes me.

As someone above stated. If someone is just setting out to learn to shoot, I could not offer better advice than this:

kingburyshot wrote:Join a .22 club, learn to shoot using a sling, enter a league, practice weekly, its not very exciting but you can afford it and it will give you the skills to do anything.

Certainly I have found that the better shots at all disciplines, at my club, are those who have taken the time to learn the basics from within a sling.

didnt start shooting until I was 33

I knew a few people that were into shooting and I was invited along one day, was hooked pretty much immediately

'er Maj had one of Her Minions teach us...

At the instruction of my father and uncles. First air rifle at about 8yrs old, allowed to shoot a 410 shotgun shortly after (under instruction).

My first rifle was a BSA Monarch in 270 but had been shooting rifles with the cadets, etc for some time before.

First formal instruction was at the brutal hands for Sgt Ferguson. I'll bet even old Nick was dreading his arrival! One of his favourites was stamping on shoulders.

I bought a pellet gun when i was around 15, Dad asked what i wanted it for.... 'to shoot things' was my obvious reply, he asked if i'd rather shoot real guns, my answer was a definate yes. They had a range at his work in Harrow, and a few guys still shot there after the bans. The guys there refereed me to Alan Sherry at thorn range, I then learnt how to shoot .22 target rifle, I did ok, got into the county junior team at one point, also got into one of the Eley finals one year at Bisley. never got a ton at any distance, a few 99's.... but target rifle started to get a bit boring, and work changed so could get down to shoot less and less. then some guys displaced from bassingbourne pitched up at the club and started up black powder and pistol caliber stuff... shooting passion reignited!

Wow there's a wealth of experience here on this form, love it! Thanks for all the replies!

as per some of the previous,
Air Rifle in the back garden at 14, I was briefly in the RAuxAF Regiment when I was 20 but only shot L85's once.

Later I shot small-bore rifle for a while and did OK shooting my way from C to A Class at Bisley including making the "Bobs final" one year, County team etc.

Then I was introduce to full-bore and got hooked, packed in small-bore having got fed up with the local politics andjust shoot for fun at the mo but hopefully will be back to doing some F Class/F-TR maybe this year or next.

Alan