What path did you trace to shooting?

[Blackstuff]

Always been 'into' guns from a young age Taught to shoot air rifle/pistol by my dad at 10, got a GAT pistol, then G10 and plinked in back garden with his Webley Hawk. At 16 got talking to a friend of the family and he took me pistol shooting. Had just put my FAC app in when Dunblane happened Saw how fragmented and back-biting the shooting community was and it put me off for years. Got into airsofting and paintball for a while then came back to firearms in 2006. Started plinking at an indoor club in Durham and outdoor club at Ponteland MOD range. Got into shotguns in 2008 when a friend asked me to help with pigeons at his farm. Then got into clays for practice, then into practical shotgun. Getting into PSG then got me into mini and gallery rifle shooting I've done a few deer stalks and a bit of game shooting, but for me the practical shooting disciplines is where its at! clapclap

[20series]

I had a 177 air rifle at 14 and plinked a few tin cans and target, did a very brief stint in the Raf Aux Regiment when I was 20 and put 30 rnds through a L85A1.

When I started at Perkins Engines I found out that they had a rifle club and ending up joining, I got seriously into small-bore prone rifle travelling all over the place doing open comps, attending Bisley every year becoming an A class shot through promotion through the classes. I also got in the County team shooting for Lincolnshire.

I also wanted to do my bit to help the sport so I was the Lincs county rep on the NSRA shooting council, also an instructor and coach. I was the chairman of the Perkins club at the time we had to wind up and helped form the new club Soke Target Sports Club in Peterborough

Through small-bore I knew lots of people from the surrounding counties and on one of my weekends down at Bisley for a council meeting I bumped into some of the Oundle mob who were down for a weekend of fullbore plinking, I was invited to shoot with them at 900yards the next morning and was given an AW and a 10 round mag, I came off Stickledown with the stupid grin we've all seen on people and became a member of Oundle a few months later.

That was about 6 years ago, I packed in Small-bore in 2012 after I got fed up with the politics and general bull-crap locally,

I now only shoot for fun, although the plan is to get back into F class hopefully soon, my collection currently stands at

Remmy 308 (triggers broom)
RPA Quadlock .284
Marlin 357 under lever
Smith Corona 30-06
Mauser 8mm
Mosin Negant 7.62x54
Lee Enfield No.4 in 303

and a slot for a .22 rifle for a rifle that will be my lads

Alan

[Mr_Logic]

Started with cadets and 22rf.
Then found my dad's old BSA cadet in the loft and spent the afternoon making chalk marks on the garage door. Pellets were bought, more air rifles followed.

Carried on shooting with the school
Rifle team, spent about 4 years as the best shot there - such that my name = shooting, nobody knew anything else about me!

Then added FAC and progressed up to f-class target and destruction of deer.

Even if you aren't shooting *as much* you never really quit!


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[HALODIN]

It's either in your blood or it isn't IMO. Thinking back, I'm pretty sure it all started with my gran telling me stories about the war and then war films like Kelly's Heroes and Where Eagles Dare capturing my imagination. I always wanted a Luger after that... and an MG15 after watching the BBC's the machine gunners

Even if you aren't shooting *as much* you never really quit!

[Meaty]

Took my first shot at the age of 9 with a .455 Webley, closely followed by a few rounds from my uncles Colt 1911 (heard my first ricochet as well but not surprising really as the back-stop was a flint wall!). Was then given an old BSA Meteor and a Webley Tempest to 'sort out the rats' on the farm-to this day I am sure the Meteor only had half a mainspring as the rats used to catch the pellets and throw them back. This was later replaced with a scoped HW35E and the rats days were numbered.
A few years in the Army cadets at school and shot for the school team with a no.8 and used to shoot the school no.4's and bren's when away on camp. Joined a local rifle/pistol club at 14 and regularly shot postal comps with rifle and service pistols, until at 18 hormones kicked in and shooting took a back seat. Settled down with someone who was very anti gun ( ) so shooting stopped for a lot of years. She buggered off eventually and a few years later a chance meeting with a local club member got me back in the saddle. Never looked back since and now have a wife who is an active shooter and a 8yo son who is as keen as mustard as well.

[Jabberwocky413]

BSA Meteor rifle and a Gat pistol as a teenager in the 70's, joined the Royal Artillery at 16 and progressed to SLR,SMG,LMG and 9mm Browning and one of the last trained on the 25 Pdr, then onto M107 175mm SP Gun Howitzers. In civvy street had a long time without shooting but got back into air rifles again about 10 years ago with a .177 Gunpower Stealth. Took up club shooting about two years ago .22 Lr and got the bug again. Now shooting various disiplines from .22LR to .308/7.62mm TR with a long wish list to buy (including a M107!).

[Watcher]

Started shooting with the cadets on old Lee Enfield No. 8s at the barracks in Kingston. When I left the cadets I went to the local library and looked through the card index for local clubs and societies. Found the Ham and Petersham Rifle Club. Got on the bus one Sunday morning and was soon a probationary member. Served my six months shooting single shot Webley's under one to one supervision and when I could get them all in the black at 25 yards I was allowed to become a full member. Shot pistol with them for a few years until I moved to Lancashire and shot with the Blackburn R&PC until I had to hand in my pistols. Took the money from my pistols and bought some rifles (the world being a much safer place...) and I've been at Altcar ever since. Some of happiest days have been spent at rifle ranges and my favourite smell is of a 25 yard range full of .22 smoke

Also spent a long time in the TA so always had some fun guns to play with.

[petedea]

I started in the Cadets with indoor .22, then on to full bore competitions with the Cadet GP (5.56) - Think there had been an incident with a Target Rifle, so Cadets weren't allowed to use them for a time!

We then started using Target Rifle, which at the age 16 took a bit of getting used to compared to the Cadet GP!

I then joined the TA for a few years, but no competition shooting.

I haven't touched a firearm now for about 7 years, but now getting back in to it.

[Dazza9t9]

2 years ago my good lady bought me a clay pigeon shooting lesson at park lodge. At the same time I started beating on a small shoot. From that moment I was hooked. My sgc was out in and my first gun lined up.
I managed to get on the shoot as one of the guns and got myself a little bit of land to shoot vermin.
Recently I joined a target shooting club in Durham with the father in law and I am enjoying another strain of shooting.
I will be applying for my FAC in the coming months


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[Christian]

Lots of interesting stories here. Thanks for sharing.

Around when I was four I started retrieving for my father, when he shot the odd pigeon or pheasant in the fields around our house.

At six I got my first gun, which was a 9mm bolt action shotgun. I think you call it a garden gun over here. I was obviously only allowed to use it when we were out together.

When I was around 10-12 years I got both a Gamo air gun with a turbular magazine, as well as a Webley air pistol. Small birds were not safe when my mates and I roamed the countryside.

At 16 I got my hunting licence and with that I also got permission to use one of my fathers shotguns and one of his rifles (Remington 600 Mohawk in .222). The Mohawk was great for roe where we lived, but I got the opportunity to shoot reds in Scotland and needed something bigger. That was a Remington 700 Mountain rifle in 30-06. Since then I've had various different rifles, mainly for hunting. I seem to keep changing my 'portfolio' to try new guns or calibers. I'm in the midst of a change at the moment so the cabinet looks a little empty.

Rifle hunting is my big passion, but in Denmark I also shot pistol competition (.22 and 9 mm). I had to give that up when moving to the UK. Fortunately there are lots of opportunities for shooting rifle here.

I did shoot a bit of F-Class, but have decided, for the time being, that I want to focus shooting sporting type rifles. Sporting rifle is an obvious discipline and I also really enjoy McQueens. I'm a little curious about S-Class, after reading about it here on the forum.

Atb,

Christian


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