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

[Kungfugerbil]

Arguably this is why our sport is so hard to get into, 6 months before you can even apply for a licence is a long time.

That’s a valid point - but why the rush to get your ticket if the club is giving you access to any type of shooting you want to do during that time with all kit supplied?

I think people who think “I want to buy a gun, what hoops to I need to jump through” have the wrong attitude. I’ve heard it countless times - “what’s the minimum I can do before I get my ticket” which is bad IMO.

[Thorney]

Arguably this is why our sport is so hard to get into, 6 months before you can even apply for a licence is a long time.

That’s a valid point - but why the rush to get your ticket if the club is giving you access to any type of shooting you want to do during that time with all kit supplied?

I think people who think “I want to buy a gun, what hoops to I need to jump through” have the wrong attitude. I’ve heard it countless times - “what’s the minimum I can do before I get my ticket” which is bad IMO.

Also a fair point and I do agree that the hurdles need to be high enough for people to 'want' to take up shooting but 6 months is too long (on the basis that formalised training took place).

We regularly have younger shooters here, properly supervised and when we say 6 months to join a club they switch off.

I'd rather it was dropped to less time but all clubs had to have a formalised training scheme in place, it would get more shooters for sure, but of the caveat to that is more members fee time and work and thats not fair either.

Its an interesting debate though considering the OP point about barriers to our sport.

[Alpha1]

I have been shooting for probably thirty year I have just gone through a mandatory six month probationary period with a new club. Six months is a sensible period of time in my opinion its not just about some one wanting to get into shooting and getting there hands on a fire arm certificate its about assesing wether the person is suitable to hold a cerfificate wether he is a safe shooter and has the right attitude etc. Its the club that has to be satisfied he is suitable. Six months is not a long time to get to know some one.

[KidsClays&Cartridges]

Sounds very comprehensive and good value. It's just that the overall price would make it a problem for me personally as it would wipe out my budget for my first rifle. I'm sure there are people out there that are in a different position though and I'm glad there is a place offering that kind of course.

The course I'm doing doing has lasted 12 weeks, with a single weekly session of 2 hours. I'm told it is an MoD / Home Office approved course with structured content that covers everything from safety, to ballistics, technique, disciplines, etc. The range is an indoor 25 metre range but we have been able to shoot .22 bolt action / semi, .357 underlever, .44 black powder pistol, and some larger calibre rifles with ammunition downloaded to meet the range requirements. Each week I pay range subs, gun hire and ammo costs. I would estimate that over the 12 weeks I have spent in the region of £200 on membership and the weekly costs mentioned.

Thats great and how it should be done, lots of clubs are the same and that should be celebrated. Still needs unpaid people of course but then all sports need that, the time I've seen coaches put into kids rugby is phenomenal and they all deserve medals as well for their sport.

I coach junior rugby at my local club. I get a massive kick out of seeing kids learn and develop. This season I have worked with an autistic lad who came down to our taster sessions in the summer as his brother wanted a go. His parents were amazed that the club even let him join in. He is only 7 so its tag rugby, but over the weeks he's really gained a lot of confidence. I spent the first few months running around the pitch with him as he wouldn't let go of my hand, but slowly he's got there. Medals are nice, but nothing beats the look on his and his parents faces when he runs in for a try. For some reason I always seem to get something in my eye when that happens We try to make everyone welcome at our rugby club and the members, coaches, etc play a part in that. Good shooting clubs are the same, just took me some time to find one.

[Kungfugerbil]

We regularly have younger shooters here, properly supervised and when we say 6 months to join a club they switch off.

I'd rather it was dropped to less time but all clubs had to have a formalised training scheme in place

We used to have loads of young shooters when I was club captain at our smallbore club - they were the main source of new members. They were just delighted to be shooting and improving week on week - not one ever mentioned ending their probationary membership or applying for their ticket. We helped one lass through her ticket as she was an excellent shot and really benefitted from her own rifle as she was shooting for county.

Anyone genuinely interested in shooting as a sport will consider 6 months reasonable. It’s not like you’re doing nothing during that period - you’re shooting, learning, getting to know what suits you and where your strengths lie.

I think smallbore is a different world to fullbore*. Smallbore is focussed only on marksmanship, improving scores, competition. Fullbore - for new members anyway - seems just focussed on ensuring you’re safe then saying ‘crack on, find out what works for you’... there’s less out and out focus on being the very best marksman you can be. I’m not saying one is right or wrong by the way :)

* A generalisation I know, but none of the fullbore clubs I have visited have pushed external competition on you in the way it tends to be in the smallbore world.

An interesting debate. Cost isn’t always a barrier (in the smallbore world) - at our club juniors pay less than a tenner a year for membership, no range fees and £1.85 a visit for their ammo I wish I spent as little on my shooting

[Thorney]

A lot depends on access to different rifles of course, most clubs have a decent selection and of course members can borrow one anothers gund but thats not so easy unless you know them. At the moment I've two members (big time field/vermin shooters, never been to a range before they joined here) who are having great fun shooting semi auto .22 and another ex air gunner who is working is way up through .22, 17HMR, 223, 243 and .308. Its great to see their faces.

[JSC]

The 6 month wait is a good point, especially considering the amount of time it takes some forces to grant a new FAC.

There are some aspects of this sport it's going to be very difficult to change, even if the collective will is there, but there are some obvious areas which could be improved, as this thread has shown so far.

[TattooedGun]

I'm not sure the 6 month probation is a stumbling block to be honest.

If you're interested in shooting, 6 months is no time at all to soak up all of the information you can and shoot as many disciplines and rifles as possible during this time to find out what works for you for when you get your license, and also to hone your craft. Not to mention it gives the home office approved club chance to see who you are and your intentions.

I'd be wary of anybody looking to try and short cut their way to a firearms license. What's the rush. Why do you need one soo badly...

[Thorney]

I'm not sure the 6 month probation is a stumbling block to be honest.

If you're interested in shooting, 6 months is no time at all to soak up all of the information you can and shoot as many disciplines and rifles as possible during this time to find out what works for you for when you get your license, and also to hone your craft. Not to mention it gives the home office approved club chance to see who you are and your intentions.

I'd be wary of anybody looking to try and short cut their way to a firearms license. What's the rush. Why do you need one soo badly...

Oh agree with that, we are the gate keepers to some extent so we need to be mindful of that, but 6 months, then what could be another 6 months waiting for the ticket, I feel thats too long. IMO of course.

[JSC]

I think it's about managing the expectation. From what I can tell,the demand seems to be there so even if some don't want to wait and drop out there will be plenty of others who will.