First off my name is Steve & i'm based in the Greater Manchester area of the country, I'm 37 years of age with a wife & 11 year old lad who is convinced he knows all there is to know in life! I'm sure many of you have them haha.
I used to shoot in my early teens, using air rifles until I joined army cadets in my mid teens. After that, coming from a family with serving members, I joined up myself but didn't last long if truth be told for various reasons
during the brief time I was in though & through my cadet years I got to shoot the .303 Lee Enfield, SLR & SA-80 so had some limited experience of firearms.Life flashes by & before you know it you're in your 30's & married! Then last year a good friend took me shooting & I loved it. The discipline of waiting for your perfect shot, the breathing & general feeling of calm I felt from target shooting at various ranges was enough to get me hooked.
A good six months later after several sessions with my friend, I decided to join a club. I looked online & found one not too far away that I felt suited my needs with availability, price etc. I headed down & signed up as a probationer, did my induction & had my first session on their indoor range... Yep I was hooked.
Another six months later & I was a fully fledged member of the club & regular shooter. I've been going most Monday nights & in March decided to go for my FAC. Being Manchester based & under GMP I was caught up in the issues with delays through them re checking all FAC holders, I was told it'd take a minimum of six months to go through so prepared myself for the long wait.
Anyway... The process took only three months & in June I received both my FAC & SGC through the post, to say I was pleased was an understatement. I was also approved for everything I'd requested which was also a bonus. To top it off my wife got hers too, hers allows her to shoot & have access to ANYTHING on my FAC but to also buy her own allocation of ammo.
My FAC currently has:
3 x .22lr > plan was a bolt action each & a semi auto
1500 .22lr ammo each
.308 > long range target at MOD ranges & local full bore range
600 .308 ammo each
Section 1 12g shotgun > practical shotgun & bird
200 slug each
4 x moderators
So that's pretty much where I currently stand, I wasn't in any rush (pfft who am I trying to kid) to buy my first rifle but came across a gentleman selling a .22lr CZ 452 silhouette second hand through our club. It had only had 600 rounds put through it & the price included a scope... So inevitably I snapped his hand off & purchased my first rifle. Had it checked out by several members & they all said it was like new. Problem now is I want the others
So that's me. Hoping to pick your brains & learn as much as I can with as much contribution as I can offer with my own limited knowledge.
All the best, Steve
Edit: To add... I'm a BASC & UKPSA member.
