New Club probationary membership.

[Lozza79]

It's unlikely you'll screw up unless you do something stupid like breach club safety rules or have a bad attitude. I have also just joined a fullbore club that books MOD ranges, a step up from my Home Office approved smallbore club. I told them on joining I completed an NRA assessment course, had a shooters certificate card, and also had a FAC with two .22 rimfires and a .357 on it. Despite this they said I still needed to complete a probationary course of three months which could be up to six months at club discretion in which I have to do a minimum of four supervised shoots. I suppose I cant blame them considering I will be using high powered firearms on their ranges, so understandably, they'll want to get to know me a little first. However, mirroring what someone else has said here, I kind of wondered if there was something about me they weren't sure about and just used the probationary protocol to screen me, like they weren't being entirely honest about their intentions with me. Maybe I'm over analyzing.

[Mattnall]

NRA permit transfer of safe certificate between clubs too i.e. you dont need a separate one for each club & they do not apply to rimfire 22 shooting on NDA ranges.

But apparently not if you leave a club that issued it even if you are still a member of another suitable club.

I guess it is a case of the new club really doesn't know who you are or what you are like. I have seen some iffy behaviour at some clubs and on one occasion was told 'that is so-and-so, he's like that, we keep an eye on him'. I didn't go back.
But he could have joined another club and potentially been given full membership and unsupervised time on the range in the mistaken belief that he was a safe and competent shooter.
A minimum period just to see if you are up to the standards most of us expect is not a bad thing.

[Rockhopper]

At the end of the day its the club secretaries name on their FAC etc (thats how it is at my club). He personally is the one who'll be up the neck in it if something goes wrong so if I was him I'd want the paperwork nailed down tightly before I left anyone risk my freedom!

[David Nimrod]

At the end of the day its the club secretaries name on their FAC etc (thats how it is at my club). He personally is the one who'll be up the neck in it if something goes wrong so if I was him I'd want the paperwork nailed down tightly before I left anyone risk my freedom!

Have to agree... the buck stops with the Club Secretary.

[ColinR]

That is good to hear ColinR. Am I correct in assuming that the test at the end for the different modules is for the SHooter Competency Card?

You know I am not sure as I already had an SCC, but it would make sense - I must find out. The test is NRA Bisley centric with questions that are unanswerable for anyone who has not shot at Bisley. Like 'which side of the peg do you shoot from?' and 'what is the range office channel number on radios'?

[Alpha1]

Im going again to morrow evening I have been looking at the discplines they shoot. They are quite competative lots of the nights involve some sort of competition. They have a full bore shoot this weekend I asked if I could attend they said yes but the morning is about testing set ups ammo etc in prep for a trip to Bisley.
The afternoon is a club competition. But ay ho I will give it a go its a 300 yard range so Im sure the old Steyr SSG 69 P1 will be able to cope. I need to find out if they allow hand loaded ammo before I go.

[Alpha1]

They do allow you to use your own ammo on full bore shoots.
They don't allow jacketed bullets in underlevers on the indoor range but thats OK. You can use your own hand loads. I brought up the question of shooting full bore rifles with cast bullets and fast pistol powders they obviously have no experience with this kind of shooting so its un likely they would go down that route. But that's fine as well.
They have a night dedicated to long barrel pistols and black powder revolvers I'm hoping that its not compulsory to shoot them otherwise that's me done.
The mainstay is .22 caliber rifles. I have to admit my interest in shooting .22 ceased when they stole my handguns. I am not comfortable shooting .22 prone. I have forgotten how to shoot .22 standing and even sitting at a bench does not feel right with the kit they are using. I don't own anything in .22 that's suitable for the disciplines they shoot. They keep springing club competition targets on me. I don't want to shoot competitively I don't need to be a better shot than any one else I just want to have fun. If it was up to me I would never shoot .22 except for my military trainers.
Don't get me wrong its a great facility. But the probationer has to full fill all of the mandatory shooting disciplines in the six month period otherwise you don't get in.

[Rockhopper]

That sounds a bizarre set up. Are you saying they force you to have a go at every kind of shooting they offer even if you have no interest in that particular discipline? Whats the thinking behind that? How does that work legally with LBP as well?

[JimJimmy]

The club I joined does something similar. I believe the thinking behind it is simply to ensure everyone can safely handle and shoot all of the firearm types they shoot. Obviously with the exception of LBR and LBP as that currently wouldn't be legal (which is daft if you ask me).

Sent from my mobile using "An application"

[GeeRam]

That sounds a bizarre set up. Are you saying they force you to have a go at every kind of shooting they offer even if you have no interest in that particular discipline? Whats the thinking behind that?

I agree...........that's crazy

I wouldn't be walking through their door again.