Mattersey Rifle and Pistol Club

im planning on joining as soon as i have the cash spare.....its not cheap but its going to be ideal i think. sounds like they have some good plans for that place
 
just had a quick look on their site and they have an open day next saturday 10:00-16:00. i might try and get over to have a look
 
when did you last email steve? i did a few years ago and i didnt get anywhere either but i think the club might have had a few changes since then. i asked couple of months ago and i received a call from a man called brent(i think) who was telling me all about the club etc. i think they have plans to build 2 and 300 yard ranges if they havent already etc. it would be worth trying again or maybe just go over on saturday i assume your prob not too far away with your location? like i say its not cheap but you get your own key which makes it more convenient than most clubs
 
Hi,
Just been for a look, hard to find, no greeting comitee, no one seemed interested, never thought to take eye and ear protection because it's an open day, so not allowed on the firing points, could not really have a good look around so came home. On the plus side, lots of firing points and looks like it has potential.
Joining for me a shift worker would be difficult due to the induction process, so I will leave it on a back burner untill the 2 and 3 hundred ranges emerge.

Jim
 
thanks for the heads up jim, i didnt manage to get over myself. i was also told they will be doing practical shotgun if they havent started that already? if i find out anymore etc ill add info on here
 
Hi,
I went, paid my £100 and had my interview. There was one particularly obnoxious person on the interview panel who treated me and the people who went in before me like idiots. I recall him saying I don't care how long you have been shooting Mr, when you come here you are a beginner until proven otherwise (To the person who went in before me) He came out looking shell shocked.

I have had my licence 21 years, I got a rather obnoxious lesson on how to apply for my renewal and how to bolt a cabinet to a wall.

The rules say you cannot use the fullbore range until you have served a 3 month probation so for 3 months I would have been doing a 70 mile round trip to use my .22lr whilst a .222 and a .270 sat in the cabinent. I would have to show that I knew how to clean my rifle etc.

So in short, it was a bad £100 punt as I thought do I really want to be treated like a retard buy someone who has spent all his life punching holes in paper or do I just get on with my own thing on my own land.

To be fair, the other people I met there were fine but you know what its like when you give some people a bit of power.

Ian
 
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Oh dear, seems like they don't really want new members, just money to build the new ranges, do you know what credentials Mr obnoxious has to his name?.
I did look through the doorway on one range where they were changing and patching targets, no breech flags were visible and some guns were faced port down, so no need for Mr High and Mighty to get on his soap box.

Cheers

Jim
 
thanks ian, do you think it would be worth perservering with? if so its ideal for me as its only 10 minutes away. i only wanted it for trying new loads and practice at the longer ranges. it does seem daft that you wouldnt be allowed to use the centrefires during probation and surely its up to you how you care for your rifle etc. i cant stand people talking down to me like that. i really dont know if i should bother applying now or not. at reepham everyone is friendly and couldnt be more helpful, the only downside there is your limited to 25 and 75 yard ranges
 
Hi,
no idea and if I gave a description it would be obvious as to who it was. I can understand moulding new people to what you want who are using the club to get a new ticket. But having had a section 1 ticket a lot of years without incident, previous background as a cop working with an armed unit doing terrorist searches etc then you would think I would be given a tiny little bit of credit for prior knowledge.

You are right, they do need new members to build ranges but I think that is for the benefit of those already there.

I was given a hell of a public bollocking for mentioning that I had included on my renewal my pending application for membership at which point I got a strip torn off me. I went to great pains to tell them than I had stressed it was a pending application to the club but that did not matter. He was on his high horse at that point telling me that applications had to be kept secret and their licence as a club could be revoked etc, etc.

I mentioned all this to the FLO when he came to visit and he was gobsmacked, how could they get in to trouble etc. He was pleased I had included it as supporting evidence etc. But when I decided not to follow an exclusive full membership I retracted my variation for a lever action rifle which had been granted on the strength of my current land holding anyway.

When I said I had heard of the rifle club via the Stalking Directory, said obnoxious man said "So you are one of those are you"!!!!!

If you want to collect obscure Russian sniper rifles I would suggest its a good place to go, if you are involved in hunting then maybe not.

Ian
 
ok bud, thanks very much for an honest opinion.....doesnt sound like the right place for me then.
 
I understand everyone's concerns, and will give feedback to Mattersey via their website.
It's such a shame that these type of people can, if left unchallenged spoil what could be in the future. We all mix in circles of like minded people who when they hear these stories will give the place a wide berth. 20 odd years ago when practical pistol was in full swing, it was the club to belong to.

Cheers

Jim
 
I was thinking of joining in spring, or when I finish pheasant shooting and get saturdays free,

not so sure now, I can shoot a few zeroing rounds locally, but load development is always better on a range, rather than upset someone with lots of shots.
 
Hi,
I went, paid my £100 and had my interview. Ian
That was easy then Ian, I've just changed clubs and am having to jump through hoops including 3 classroom sessions with non FAC holders, being mentored and trained to control ranges, use rimfires, semi autos and underlever Marlins. We then face a written exam and a committee interview.
Use of HV rifles faces even tighter restrictions.
Similarly, I know of another guy who changed clubs recently, he had shot and competed competitively up to 7.62 cal for 30 years, he was faced with a 6 month probation and 12 attendances during that time.

Things have and are changing, we either do it or don't get in.
Previous history and experience count for nothing!
 
Hi,
I have only ever been a member of one other gun club and that was in the 80's never been surrounded by so many strange and inadequate people stroking their pythons etc.

So if gun clubs attract strange people I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised when I am interviewed by one :)


Ian
 
have you thought about north cotes club near grimsby ian? they really are a friendly bunch and you get your own key and are allowed to go whenever you wish. they also have a 100m tunnel but it can get busy if wanting to use that
 
have you thought about north cotes club near grimsby ian? they really are a friendly bunch and you get your own key and are allowed to go whenever you wish. they also have a 100m tunnel but it can get busy if wanting to use that

+1 north cotes is very friendly has various sections and if you go off peak it is usually free, if someone else is using it they usually have a break so you can have a go. It is a bit out of the way but to me that is an advantage.
you can do your own thing or join in as you like, never had or seen any safety issues
atb
 
the only reason i didnt join was it was easier for me to get to reepham but otherwise i would prob have chosen north cotes.
 
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