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RobB wrote:I did the NSRA RCO course last year. Definitely does not cover anywhere near enough to be competent with centre fire and the typical ranges and reloading that go with it.


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I was gobsmacked.

I did x weeks at Warminster in order to cover Gallery, barrack and field firing ranges as part of a 6 week SAAI course.

Seems you learn the same in less than 48hrs at the NSC....but if that is all that is required to present a scapegoat when things go wrong and the MOD are satisfied....

I doubt I will re do mine when it goes down the pan.

Maggot wrote:

RobB wrote:I did the NSRA RCO course last year. Definitely does not cover anywhere near enough to be competent with centre fire and the typical ranges and reloading that go with it.


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I was gobsmacked.

I did x weeks at Warminster in order to cover Gallery, barrack and field firing ranges as part of a 6 week SAAI course.


MOD training
first week was cleaning & PT
2nd week PT & cleaning
weeks 3&4 the lesson plans on how to use 2 bits of nylon as a rifle sling
week 5 tests
week 6 practice for end ex p*** up

as i said on another post 'The NSRA Safe shooter Certificate is worth diddly squit' & here i can add 'And so is their RCO qualification'

The NRA one covers everything & you dont have to be an NRA member or in an NRA affiliated club to do the course or maintain the qualification.

Although I'm a 'proud' owner of the NSRA RCO certificate...totally agree with hitchphil

I would not want a NSRA RCO holder who didn't realise he didn't know anything about fullbore safety to think he can RCO a fullbore shoot.

For one thing, stopping a shoot at Bisley on Stickledown as the deer wander through 40 feet below the bullet flight would be irritating



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RobB wrote: For one thing, stopping a shoot at Bisley on Stickledown as the deer wander through 40 feet below the bullet flight would be irritating

toffe wrapper wrote:

Maggot wrote:

RobB wrote:I did the NSRA RCO course last year. Definitely does not cover anywhere near enough to be competent with centre fire and the typical ranges and reloading that go with it.


Sent from my boing using "An application"

I was gobsmacked.

I did x weeks at Warminster in order to cover Gallery, barrack and field firing ranges as part of a 6 week SAAI course.


MOD training
first week was cleaning & PT
2nd week PT & cleaning
weeks 3&4 the lesson plans on how to use 2 bits of nylon as a rifle sling
week 5 tests
week 6 practice for end ex p*** up

Not sure what that has to do with the SAAI course at Warminster but there you go.

hitchphil wrote:as i said on another post 'The NSRA Safe shooter Certificate is worth diddly squit' & here i can add 'And so is their RCO qualification'

The NRA one covers everything & you dont have to be an NRA member or in an NRA affiliated club to do the course or maintain the qualification.

Another NSRA RCO here that agrees.

Interesting about the NRA RCO course, I may have a look into that.

Edit, pre-RCO course requirements are:
"-The applicant must be a full adult member of a Home Office Approved Club
-The applicant must have at least 2 years adult experience of relevant shooting disciplines and hold a current shooters certificate of competence.
-Applicants must have acquired at least 6 months experience of working under the supervision of a qualified NRA RCO as a range/safety assistant at their club."

Having watched an nsra course in action, I was not satisfied that it was adequate for smallbore, let alone fullbore.

Perfectly ok for single shot rifle..however, the pump action Winchester defeated the examiner....was it safe or not safe....
The examiner explained that the rco was not supposed to handle the rifles....I demonstrated to the examiner how to establish that the pump action was safe....by operating the slide a couple of times..the crowd were amazed!

Mike95

As a holder of the NSRA's RCO qualification, I must admit that I would not feel sufficiently confident (let alone competent) to act in that capacity on a full-bore range - I think the situation on a full-bore range is potentially far more complex, and I would not feel that I have the requisite knowledge /experience with which to act with out further training. Having said that, doing a course and getting the certificate of competency is no guarantee that the holder will always perform to standard........ As you can gather, I have much to learn about modern full-bore range shooting!

I have both NSRA and NRA RCO qualifications. At the indoor 25m range I shoot at we're picky about who we put through the NSRA course and let RCO on that range, people have to demonstrate to our normal RCO that they're capable but we also have a requirement for people to be qualified and the NSRA course is the easiest way to do that. The two (capable/qualified) are not the same thing. If someone is a qualified NSRA RCO and we're happy with them and their full bore shooting experience we'll let them RCO full bore gallery shooting (not on an MOD range).

The day and a half long NRA course is significantly more involved than the NSRA version but there were still people on my NRA RCO course who passed that I'd not want running my ranges.