Getting back into shooting.

Conure

Well-Known Member
As it has been a long time since I last held a FAC or even a SGC and it seems everything has changed so much so that it has left me quite confused about it all. So have been reading the forums and posts and to be honest a lot of what is here is confusing as well.

So at present my plan is join one of the shooting organisations as have not held membership in one for years now and ask for their guidence on what is required. In the meantime see what shooting clubs and ranges are in a reasonable travelling distance and enquire about memberships and costs. All common sense so far.

Next is to sit and dream about what rifles will fill the requirements and check prices and what is available around in a reasonable travelling distance and then visit a few gun shops to see what is one offer. My thoughts are at the moment that it would be ideal to have a couple of target rifles for club use a 7.62 and .22 rim fire and a couple for field sports. Now this is where the confusion really sets in! Years ago I did some recreational stalking for the meat. So in a good year perhaps 6 or so outings a year of course that did not mean 6 deer as not every outing was successful and by outings I do not mean whole days as often it was just a morning or evening affair. Back then I had a BSA 270 and a Brno 308 for this use. The 308 came about as one chap that I booked quite a few of my outings with disliked the 270 intensely so the reason for a second deer rifle came about. I still like the idea of a 270 as a matter of fact but after reading things on here the idea of a 280 has sort of been sown in the mind. This will require more thought and reading about on my part.

Now I find that a few bits and bobs from my past shooting is still hanging about like my binos. Spotting scope which has been used for watching the birds etc and even some reloading tools. I fear my old Lee press is scrap now as years of laying in the shed have taken their toll and when I dug it out it's rusted badly. My 270 Dies on the other hand having been kept indoors are in fine condition. Sadly my 308 dies have not been found as yet but they are probably tucked away somewhere I do know where my old powder scales are so yes I would be reloading once more.

So the question is is this a reasonable way to go about the come back or not?
 
i obviously dont know your situation but to be honest i think the hardest thing you going to find is not what rifle/rifles to get its going to be getting back your old shooting ground if you havnt used it for a few years i wouldnt mind betting the land owner has let somone else in
 
Never had my own ground and that is why I stalked by the booked outing or Let day route and it's been more than a few years now. That is why I am finding that everything has changed so much. In reality I doubt that I could get the FAC and rifle sorted out much before next years Roe Buck season anyway.
 
fair enough if its just stalking and target shooting you would be doing then i would just go with a .308 as you know it has a big following in the target world as well as the stalking world so it will cover both bases then your .22 on top if you want i wouldnt bother with getting anymore rifles than you really need
 
Never had my own ground and that is why I stalked by the booked outing or Let day route and it's been more than a few years now. That is why I am finding that everything has changed so much. In reality I doubt that I could get the FAC and rifle sorted out much before next years Roe Buck season anyway.

if you are joining a target shooting club there is usually a probation period to go through.
 
Dead simple.
1. Decide on your calibre (this week)
2. Get your application in ( next week ). You can always change your mind on calibre.
3. Get an outing booked as this will help your application and if you book it for the buck season you can lean on your Firearms dept.
4. Get your gun cabinet sorted while you wait.

If you hang about you'll be waiting forever
 
Dead simple.
1. Decide on your calibre (this week)
2. Get your application in ( next week ). You can always change your mind on calibre.
3. Get an outing booked as this will help your application and if you book it for the buck season you can lean on your Firearms dept.
4. Get your gun cabinet sorted while you wait.

If you hang about you'll be waiting forever


Wish it was as simple as that. Before I can seriously consider a stalking outing there is the fitness issue to address. At present I cannot walk very far so this is the first priority. Followed by building arm and upper body strength. Hence the idea of a little gentle target shooting as the first step in the shooting part. Cabinet wise well I still have an old one that got used for tool storage.. Oxford Gun company if I remember correctly. Needs a bit of clean and a lick of paint to make it presentable after being used for the tools in the garage. The door is secured by two large closed hasp padlocks and it holds 5 or 6 guns. Need to go and check that bit. There is also an old pistol cabinet that got used for storing papers that may do for ammunition?

Things like this are why I need to join an assocation or organisation for the security advice.
 
Stalking needn't be that strenuous, depending on what you want to do. I wonder if it's just your general fitness that's the worry or whether it's some injury or medical problem you are in the process of overcoming from what you say. Maybe a stalk in the highlands for red deer is something to aim for at present, where a woodland stalk on fairly level ground may be something to aim for.

Anyway, with previous experience of full bore rifles, the next step is to get your application in order. For each rifle you have to have good reason to possess before you will get a certificate. Joining a range will do that, although there will be a probationary period, generally 6 months before you have full membership and can then apply for your certificate. If you have land to shoot over, then the good reason could be vermin control for the smaller calibres and deer for the larger ones, if there are any!

I would say that with what seems to be a fair amount of time "out of the game", joining a club would work well for you anyway. There will be people there who stalk, target shoot, are into game shooting and more. You can explore your skills in a safe environment and get practicing without much in the way of worrying about the physical side of things. Advice on here can be very good, but with the best will in the world a half an hour chat with someone in person is going to say much more than a few posts on here ever can and will get you contacts.
 
Thank you the well thought out response it's most appreciated. An injury is one thing that we have to contend with and I now have reduced movement in my left wrist as well as a slight weakness. This is making the use of many gym machines not possible as I cannot grip them as intended. This is also making supporting a rifle a little troublesome at present. I dug out my old BSA Meteor and it is uncomfortable to hold at present.

It seems that I no longer bounce as I once did. The knee is recovering better than the wrist thank fully. If we can make some room for it then we do have an old excercise bike that hopefully is still usable but it is at least 30+ years old but has been in the summer house piled up with stuff for years now so we shall see how that goes. Will also get the push bike serviced and usable again but that is for later as right now the wrist will not take the pressure. So slowly does it has to be the way.

Shooting at a club it should be possible to shoot prone and with a rest for practice and while strength is built up that was my thought anyway.
 
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Well if you can get down to Dorset then I can arrange to have you carted around on a quad and you need not even get off it for the shot. Estate rifle facility too. You just need to book in.
 
Well if you can get down to Dorset then I can arrange to have you carted around on a quad and you need not even get off it for the shot. Estate rifle facility too. You just need to book in.

Thank you for the offer and I will indeed look into the possiblility of getting away. Due to things going on right now it will not be possible to get away this year but in the new year we will see how thigns go if that is OK?
 
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