Clubs around the Newbury (Berkshire) area

[Tithras]

Hi,
I am new to shooting, just attended the 5 day NRA course at Bisley, and now have my shooter competence card. While I am a member of the NRA I was perhaps looking for a more friendly local club which shoots at Bisley but is based close ish, and has a social side around the area rather than at Bisley (If such a thing exists of course)?

Regards,
Paul

[Steve E]

Contact the membership dept and they will put you in contact with some of the many clubs that shoot at Bisley that may full fill your requirement. Whether any club has a social aspect away from the ranges is probably doubtfull. If you want a social aspect join one of the clubs at Bisley that has a clubhouse.

[Ian]

Mine. You will be welcome any time.

http://www.thamesvalleygunclub.org/

[Dark Skies]

http://www.wantagetargetshootingclub.org.uk/

Not too much of a hike from Newbury to Wantage if you go via J14 (Hungerford) A338 route (24 minutes' drive).

Very friendly and a lot of the guys meet up to shoot at Bisley.

[Tithras]

Thanks guys, just trying to get a feel for how the shooting scene works and what sort of activities go on :) It was hard to judge based on the 5 day NRA course, outside of any club will most likely take you as you have done the course!

P

[shugie]

Neither of the clubs I shoot with seem to have any social activities away from the range. I'd guess that's partly due to neither of them having a club house. Or possibly everyone having run out of chatter after a day at the range, given that you can be there all day, shoot half a dozen details and spend the rest of the time nattering.

[Tithras]

Yeh am getting that kind of vibe, the social side seems to be at lunchtime or evening drinks at Bisley :)

P

[Steve E]

Join one of the Bisley based clubs that either has its own clubhouse or is affiliated to a club with its own clubhouse and you may find that the social side is bigger than the shooting side. But like all things the more effort you put it, the more you will get out of it.
Personally I could not imagine shooting without being a member of a Bisley based club. The shooting side is as big as the social side.

[shugie]

How does the affiliate arrangement work, perhaps something I need to look into for one club I'm with?

[Steve E]

How does the affiliate arrangement work, perhaps something I need to look into for one club I'm with?

Approach the club you want to affiliate with, pay the requisite affiliation fee(after talking to secretary/committee) and then take advantage of what that club has to offer. You may even be able to rent locker space to store firearms and ammunition to save from lugging them up and down the motorway, have use of somewhere nice and warm to have lunch, a few beverages, somewhere to clean rifles at the range instead of doing it at home, take advantage of any courses that the Club has to offer and most importantly socialise with shooters who may be National/Inter-National shots and gain much needed information on techniques etc.
Join/affiliate to a Bisley club if you shoot at Bisley. It makes sense.