Why I've given up shooting...

[Boggert]

I have owned a gun since I was 15, from and air gun to a 9mm pistol (before it was banned)

but the other day was a sad day for me, got my shotgun renewal through and decided it was time to give it up.

Its been a nightmare getting anywhere to shoot, all the farmers are fed up with being pestered by people who want to shoot. The land where I did go the farmer has done a deal with the environment agency and we can no longer shoot clays there.

I went to a local Clay club where you just Pay to shoot and all I got was snotty comments about not having the right kit, they didn't make me feel very welcome so I didn't go back.

So i took the gun to the local gun shop and sold it.

While I was there a group of locals all about 50 years old came in looking for a 3 shot semi, what a bunch of muppets... all dressed in tweed. there were so loud "F"ing and blinding flashing cash about, the guy spent £500 on a Beretta 3 shot semi auto just because he wanted too... Quote "Massacre as many Teal tomorrow as possible" What a muppet.

Then another chap cam in his early 20's looking for a .22 rim, he had just got his ticket. Well he was a bad Swearing like mad. He eventually purchased a .22 with a massive silencer, monster scope, case all the trimmings and set up to 400 yards! he through £1600 at the shop owner to have gun ready the next day so he could be out for a ... "Bunny Massacre" the next day. Where is the fun in that the best bit was setting the kit up!

Well that sealed it for me with planks like that getting into the sport I'm out!

[dreadnought110]

Scare's the bejesus that there are planks out there with that cash, flash ,brash and no brains!! :(

[diggerdog36]

Im thinking of selling mine too, I have a .303, .243 and a .22 RF.  When I bought my .243 there was a young lad (early 20's) who bought a synthetic Tikka .243 with massive sound mod and scope, dressed in burberry cap and trainers with joggers tucked into his socks.  He had the shop zero the rifle, because he wanted to, quote, "Waste some Deers", Im not sure if he meant deer, or old dears down the high street. 
I think Ill kep my shotguns for rough shooting and clays.  But I dont think it will be long before they are banned anyway!!

[Boggert]

Scare's the bejesus that there are planks out there with that cash, flash ,brash and no brains!! :(

And Armed to the teeth!

[Disco Matt]

"Massacre as many Teal tomorrow as possible"

"Bunny Massacre"

"Waste some deers"

 :shock:

If they have so little respect for their quarry then they really should not be allowed a gun at all. I would have big problems with shooting anything that I did not intend to eat (apart from vermin). Attitudes like those scare me and cannot bode well for shooting remaining legal. It sounds as though an interview should be added to the licence application process in order to weed these morons out (if there isn't one already).

I have never owned or used a firearm but would be interested in trying some target/clay shooting if the opportunity arose. Knowing my luck I'd probably injure myself firing the thing though!  :lol:

[pux]

I am so lucky where i shoot as there is only three people with access and we all know each other. I also stay away from clubs as there are far to many planks for my liking. I really hope i don't feel the day when i have to give up shooting it will be a painful day.

[hrh_dave]

I think Ill kep my shotguns for rough shooting and clays.  But I dont think it will be long before they are banned anyway!!

I'm sorry but do you want to hand your guns in on a plate to Firearms and give the Anti's what they want????? 

Shooting in the UK as it is at the moment can not be banned any further, they might put a few more hoops in the way to get a licence etc but for the money that is generated in the UK from shooting a rough figure of £1.6BN... Do you think the government can afford to loose that over night? Or the fact that Shooting supports the equivalent of 70,000 full time jobs..... Its ill thought out comments like that that give the antis the ammunition to try ban it...... We should all stick together and fight them at there own game!

Dave
Wildfowler, Clay Shooter, Game Shooter

[Mark Y]

I'm surprised that you are all Surprised, of course there are planks out there, there are people like that in all walks of life, just look at the off roading there are some irresponsible owners, the vast majority of shooters are decent people and Boggert you of all people should know that there are good and bad.
You don't have to stick to the clay club you mentioned find another,I know the police have clay clubs try them most of ours are very welcoming, occasionally some person will have all the gear and no idea but that's fine if they want to waste their money like that. 

[Blue72]

I still  miss my guns from way back when I lived in Norfolk and was fortunate to get invited on the local shoots ( mainly due to my old Springer!!!) but I only ever shot what I wanted to eat.

Also setting up a scope for your eye is one of the most important elements so the guns shops must be laughing when getting paid to set one up as you know, whats zeroed for 1 guy at 100 yrds is 3ft off to the right for another!!

I think its yet another element of Old school British tradition going down the pan to those with all the gear and no idea!

[gnasha]

Im thinking of selling mine too, I have a .303, .243 and a .22 RF.  When I bought my .243 there was a young lad (early 20's) who bought a synthetic Tikka .243 with massive sound mod and scope, dressed in burberry cap and trainers with joggers tucked into his socks.  He had the shop zero the rifle, because he wanted to, quote, "Waste some Deers", Im not sure if he meant deer, or old dears down the high street. 
I think Ill kep my shotguns for rough shooting and clays.  But I dont think it will be long before they are banned anyway!!

if u do sell let me no plz as my father and uncle are into shooting and may be interested they shoot at oundle rifle club http://www.orpc.org.uk/

[TDi90]

 :? :shock:
i have had a license for two years now, and i generally only got my shotgun license for vermin in our field.
i beat on a shoot every second saturday and thouroughly enjoy it and the atmosphere is good.
however it does worry me that people are getting licences for extremely powerful rifles (303's, 243's) where bullet can go for miles  :shock: :?
Rob

[carracarra13]

well folks I am starting up my own buisnes pest controle and now going into what is required the first stop was BASIC insurence, the next step was where else can I shoot as at the moment Ive got 100 acers, and waiting for a permission letter to come through on 2000 acers (got it verbley) then I can apply for my firarms cert (already have had shotgun and air rifles for years) so once the land comes off and has been servayed should be ok

[littlepow]

Did look at getting a rifle for target shooting, but most clubs aren't overly interested. So have saved my money and just shoot at work, with there guns and ammo.

[carbore]

well folks I am starting up my own buisnes pest controle and now going into what is required the first stop was BASIC insurence, the next step was where else can I shoot as at the moment Ive got 100 acers, and waiting for a permission letter to come through on 2000 acers (got it verbley) then I can apply for my firarms cert (already have had shotgun and air rifles for years) so once the land comes off and has been servayed should be ok

Why do you need the permission letter for the 2000 Acres if you have 100 Acres already? Im thinking of getting a FAC and I only have 5 acres of rabbit infested land. Its no good for a rimfire as the land banks away and has too many foot paths, but an FAC air rifle would be great as most stuff ends up beign 50yds away. I have a decent non-fac air rifle but thast 35yds only for clean headshot kills (maybe 40 on a clear day if I practice and get as good as I was when I was a kid)

[Sharpshooter]

I Have shot for quite a few years now. It always astounds me some of the peeps with Guns who are chatting in the gun shops. But as said, its no different to the Off Roading community.

I have been a member of a club, but it didnt work out for me.

Im lucky to have over 1000 acres to shoot, and from shooting these, i usually gain another 2-300 per year. Myself and my shooting partner are very lucky. All our land is just for us. We did share, but it got too dangerous. (other party turning up with rim fire half way through my shoot)

I love the sport, and i love to hunt. I wouldnt give them up just because i wasnt fitting into a club. Travel a bit more if you need to.

I currently use PCP Air rifles, and have been very succesful with them. 52 Rabbits in 3 hours shooting with my shooting partner one night. The landowners are please, this is how i get the extra land. And i get a night out for it. :)

[Suvvey]

So let me get this right :-k

You drive 4x4's AND shoot? :shock:

How do you lot sleep at night??? :roll: :lol:

[diggerdog36]

It sounds as though an interview should be added to the licence application process in order to weed these morons out (if there isn't one already).

There is a kind of interview for the FAC process.  But its only to check you have a bit of savvy with firearms.  Mine, all the enquiry officer asked me was how would I tell the difference between 20g and 12g cartridges!! It was a joke!!

I was a gamekeeper for 5 years, and twice there were poachers, once I walked out the trees and there was a lad in an Astra with his .22RF out the window after our Pheasants, his aim was right at me, but he was zoomed so far in at his target he couldnt see me in his sight picture!!  I nearly poo'd myself when he pulled the trigger, I shouted, his mate floored it and they were never seen again,  I took the reg number, phoned the police and they didnt seem interested, even though they were shooting from a public road towards me!!

[Bishops Finger]

What the hell is wrong with using a Uzi 9mm, an AK 47 and better still a ex German army 88mm anti aircraft gun to cull rabbits


Or Chavs...Or Premiership footballers.....(Is there a difference?)

[Lord Shagg-Pyle]

:? :shock:
i have had a license for two years now, and i generally only got my shotgun license for vermin in our field.
i beat on a shoot every second saturday and thouroughly enjoy it and the atmosphere is good.
however it does worry me that people are getting licences for extremely powerful rifles (303's, 243's) where bullet can go for miles  :shock: :?
Rob

this was a problem that was foreseen by a lot of country cops. These idiots mentioned in the other posts will be using the excuse "I need one for vermin control now that fox hunting has been banned"

[lee celtic]

I use a 20 year old air rifle for rabbits does the job and they taste wonderful  :dance:

I have been thinking of getting a shotgun ticket so I can sort a mates rabbit problem on his farm 100 ish acres on the side of snowdon. He doesn't like killing things even for food  :lol: :lol:

His son has to load the sheep when they go off to to the market .. :lol: :lol:

[Lord Shagg-Pyle]

It sounds as though an interview should be added to the licence application process in order to weed these morons out (if there isn't one already).

There is a kind of interview for the FAC process.  But its only to check you have a bit of savvy with firearms.  Mine, all the enquiry officer asked me was how would I tell the difference between 20g and 12g cartridges!! It was a joke!!

I was a gamekeeper for 5 years, and twice there were poachers, once I walked out the trees and there was a lad in an Astra with his .22RF out the window after our Pheasants, his aim was right at me, but he was zoomed so far in at his target he couldnt see me in his sight picture!!  I nearly poo'd myself when he pulled the trigger, I shouted, his mate floored it and they were never seen again,  I took the reg number, phoned the police and they didnt seem interested, even though they were shooting from a public road towards me!!

Unfortunately, poaching and other rural crime is not seen as a Major Impact Crime by the vast majority of Police Forces. You need to ask for your force wildlife crime officer and don't give up until you get hold of them.
The problem is that the calls about this sort of crime has to get past the call takers (usually civvies, with no Police experience), then to the crime bureau (more civvies) then to Sector level where most officers don't have a clue about rural related crime. That is not meant to be derogatory to them, but they don't get taught the law on these offences, therefore don't know what to do when asked to deal with.
Prior to my transfer 'Dahn Sarf', I was a rural cop for a number of years. It took me ages to build up contacts and trust in the rural community, but the benefits were amazing.
I had numerous succesful prosecutions against illegal coursers and poachers, which involved seizure and destruction of their vehicles and guns.
All I would say is that if you know of poachers or anyone acting in a dangerous manner, report it. The more reports that go in, means that it can't be ignored.
There will always be somebody out there who is interested in what you have to say, you just have to find them.

[hrh_dave]

Just to clear up a few myths and legends.......

FAC Requirements - 2 References from people that you have known for over 2 years and preferably shot with or are aware of your attitude towards guns.

Shotgun is one reference from a JP, Doctor, Lawyer or person of equal standing (which can also include company directors) that you have known personally for at least 2 years.

Then you have your chat with either your firearms officer or up in scotland we have civvies doing the enquires now.

As for the land thing..... Well they like to see that you have got permission to shoot over ground but as we have found out up here putting down on the form "Any land on which I have gained permission to shoot over" as the number of people that hold firearms and only every buy stalking days etc is growing, the firearms licensing departments are having to accept this.

[Red Defender]

i had to supply 2 references for my shotgun renewal ? :-o

[Range Rover Blues]

I've got to do that for my student loan :-.