Mike Yardley, he'll never change...

[froggy]

Must admit I'd quite fancy a go with my No.5 in the Historic Enfield class, but, with my dodgy half century+ old knees, I'd be very much in the category mentioned above

Thanks VM , exactely my point - Medias worship a whole range of gangasta rappers drawing heavily on illegal/violent gun culture but it is the mostly white bloke with dodgy knees & an impacable criminal record who is shooting a 60 years old rifle, that the "public" is scared of ??
Where have we gone wrong ?? One could not make that up ...

BTW , zillions of "youngsters" and young adults everyday play shooting video games (perfectly acceptable by the public), yet nothing is done to attract those to try the real thing. But in the mean time, our ranges are full of old geezers ...
Mind you, I give you a clue, if the British NRA thinks 22lr prone shooting is the discipline to attract "them young lads" to the sport, it is badly mistaken and kidding itself ...

[The Lord Flashheart]

Must admit I'd quite fancy a go with my No.5 in the Historic Enfield class, but, with my dodgy half century+ old knees, I'd be very much in the category mentioned above

Thanks VM , exactely my point - Medias worship a whole range of gangasta rappers drawing heavily on illegal/violent gun culture but it is the mostly white bloke with dodgy knees & an impacable criminal record who is shooting a 60 years old rifle, that the "public" is scared of ??
Where have we gone wrong ?? One could not make that up ...

BTW , zillions of "youngsters" and young adults everyday play shooting video games (perfectly acceptable by the public), yet nothing is done to attract those to try the real thing. But in the mean time, our ranges are full of old geezers ...
Mind you, I give you a clue, if the British NRA thinks 22lr prone shooting is the discipline to attract "them young lads" to the sport, it is badly mistaken and kidding itself ...

I think it's because the young rapper wannabes tend to shoot at each other whereas the comparative handful of public massacres have been by the "60 year old, dodgy knees" demographic, hence why I agree with your earlier comment of needing a gay, vegan, female DJ as poster... erm, person for shooting.

Also agree that prone .22 shooting is not the best way to get generation PlayStation into the sport, what would be the best, safest alternative?

[Kungfugerbil]

Also agree that prone .22 shooting is not the best way to get generation PlayStation into the sport, what would be the best, safest alternative?

My primary club is still very much prone NSRA shooting above all else. Go back 5 years and it was all that was shot, and had been since it was the largest club in the country at one time (apparently!)

We now shoot lightweight rifle and rimfire benchrest which attracts many of our new shooters young and old. The relative ease of getting started and crucially the relative ease of scoring well on your first few cards is a real draw. With a benchrest rifle even a brand new shooter will get them all in the black on their first go. With prone there is no such guarantee!

We make our new youngsters - and oldsters - try all the disciplines we offer. Surprisingly most of the yoofs are really getting into prone 25yd ten spots and doing well.

Looking around we're in the minority though!

[froggy]

I am very out-spoken & absolutely shameless about shouting from the roof-tops what a great hobby it is and constantly try to rope in new people into it.

IMO dynamic shooting has a great part to play. It is fast, exciting and little bit more of a physical "sport" ... I see it as a perfect gate-away to attract that video game generation.
BTW, when I take some newbies (of all ages) to a range, I can bet my bottom dollar the 1st gun they reach for is the CMMG with eotech. Lessons to be learnt ?

[Chuck]

Not Sheeple! People Chuck with their own lives and outlook. Calling people outside shooting sports Sheeple hardly helps our cause.

The US NRA exists in a totally different culture where there is a strong proportion of the US public who regard guns and gun ownership as a way of life.

Don't agree, the UK public believe all the tripe the daily rags feed them and are being dumbed down to a level of almost incomptetence when it comes to finding FACTS- after all, iif it's on farsebook or youtube it must be true. More people are killed in the UK by parents, cots or even doctors and abortions than guns I'd wager.

As for the USA, guns are not "a way of life" - they are a RIGHT! And it's a RIGHT the US NRA defends to the hilt. Nothing wrong with that IMO.

Whatever, unless the sport gets itself together and takes on the misinformation and fantasies postulated by the media and others like Yardley then we all know where it will end.

froggy - good post.

BTW: THe Finns don't seem to have these issues - check the pictures /youtube thread

[TattooedGun]

The thing with all this "militaristic fantasy" is that guns are ultimately the major tool that military use, so of course theres going to be some crossover. Some guys from the military are going to get into civi shooting after or during their enlistment. Folks who couldn't or cant get into the armed forces are going to be interested in shooting and find their way into the sport, and some people who really wish they were soldiers for whatever reason are going to be interested in using the tools. So long as they're abiding by the law and not showing any extremist or maniacal behaviour, whose to say that it's wrong. It's within the remit of the law, they/we should not be persecuted from within.

There should be a line drawn by all shooters, that it is not against the law, we are perfectly legitimate in our reasons for owning and shooting these weapons in this manner, and most of all, all shooters should stick up for the sport in all it's aspects as the chipping away will only lead to tighter controls, more constriction within the laws, and ultimately lead to shootigns demise.

Tattoogun, just for clarity are you referring to CSR as a "militaristic fantasy"

For clarity, I was quoting Mike Yardley and his fear of "militaristic fantasy" in shooting.
But ultimately he is talking about CSR.

I was advocating that it doesn't matter the discipline, we should all stand together.

[The Lord Flashheart]

Also agree that prone .22 shooting is not the best way to get generation PlayStation into the sport, what would be the best, safest alternative?

My primary club is still very much prone NSRA shooting above all else. Go back 5 years and it was all that was shot, and had been since it was the largest club in the country at one time (apparently!)

We now shoot lightweight rifle and rimfire benchrest which attracts many of our new shooters young and old. The relative ease of getting started and crucially the relative ease of scoring well on your first few cards is a real draw. With a benchrest rifle even a brand new shooter will get them all in the black on their first go. With prone there is no such guarantee!

We make our new youngsters - and oldsters - try all the disciplines we offer. Surprisingly most of the yoofs are really getting into prone 25yd ten spots and doing well.

Looking around we're in the minority though!

Agreed and I personally always start newcomers to shooting off on a bench with bags for just those reasons.

I progress them to shooting from their elbows on the bench and from there stood up at which point and having learned to shoot they can go on to whatever discipline and class of firearms attracts them on a solid footing with regard to basic marksmanship.

Now I do think a basic bolt action is the best rifle to do this but equally see froggy's point about attracting them in in the first place.

[Chuck]

NRA USA in Action:

https://www.policeone.com/police-produc ... Night-Out/

Somehow not the narrative that gets presented by MSM.

[The Lord Flashheart]

NRA USA in Action:

https://www.policeone.com/police-produc ... Night-Out/

Somehow not the narrative that gets presented by MSM.

That would never work here, for one thing the "Eddie the eagle" thing is copyrighted.

[Kungfugerbil]

:)