Who to join?

[spud]

and ive replied ill phone you later on the week about this but i cant do out till next season

[rox]

NRA in USA totally different

Exactly. There is no equivalent in the UK. There are several organisations which would like to fill the void, but they are a long way from reaching the USA position as a political force, and they each have their biases and focuses. As a competitive target shooter the NRA is the body best suited to my needs. I can't see anything that the BASC has to offer me, but that doesn't give me a reason to complain about the BASC. The NRA has tried to broaden its appeal, but it cannot be all things to all men, and if it doesn't meet someone's needs then they should look for a more suitable body. Ultimately, there is no totally discipline-independent national body in this country, and any body that intends to represent all shooters needs to be discipline-independent and yet be attractive enough (and cheap enough) to attract the mass membership necessary to gain significant political clout.

[dodgyrog]

That takes me back to divorcing the NRA from Bisley. Away from the influence of shooters there.

[Robin128]

"...I can't see anything that the BASC has to offer me"

"Membership Benefits
Our services to members include:
Firearms
BASC has the UK's only full-time firearms team, offering help and advice on all firearms matters and protecting the lawful right to use sporting firearms.

Insurance
Members automatically receive up to £10 million legal liability cover, £10 million employer's liability insurance and £10 million product liability cover when engaged in BASC - recognised activities (recreational activities only).

Shooting & Conservation
Shooting & Conservation magazine is sent to all members eight times a year. It is the UK’s largest circulating shooting magazine packed with useful tips and information as well as the latest news on all of BASC’s campaigns to protect your shooting rights.

Gamekeeping and game shooting
BASC is the only field sports body with a dedicated gamekeeping team, offering comprehensive advice on all aspects of game shooting including game, habitat and shoot management to help you develop your shoot.

Stalking
BASC is taking the lead role in setting standards and providing training for professional and amateur stalkers. We can also provide access to stalking for our members via three stalking schemes in partnership with Forest Enterprise and North West Water.

Training
BASC promotes the highest standards of safety for shooting and related activities. We have a larger number of training courses and events around the UK to help you to develop new skills or hone existing ones

Conservation
We robustly defend our belief that the shooting community plays a major role in conservation. BASC works to safeguard shooting opportunities and develop best practice in wildlife conservation and land management. We can also help you secure your shooting through guidance on leases and shooting agreements and give help on finding funding to develop your shoot

Gundogs
BASC has a dedicated gundog team who are on hand to give you help and advise on buying and training gundogs. We also run gundog scurries and tests around the UK

Wildfowling
The BASC wildfowling team help our coastal wildfowling clubs secure their shooting, and they also operate the BASC wildfowling permit scheme that helps others gain experience of wildfowling though day or week permits issues by some of our clubs

Pigeon shooting
The BASC woodpigeon team are on hand to help members on all aspects of pigeon shooting. We run a woodpigeon training day that covers aspects of hide building and decoying. We are constantly working to try and uncover shooting opportunities for members

Research
Authoritative research underpins BASC's role as the champion of sporting shooting, improves advice offered to members and ensures the wise use of quarry species.

Public affairs
We have forged cross-party links to ensure the voice of responsible shooting is heard. Our media team is improving public attitudes to shooting - and can help you bite back after negative publicity

https://www.basc.org.uk/en/join/membership-benefits.cfm

In addition...look at all the valuable work, meetings papers etc produced re Cumbria.

[dodgyrog]

"...I can't see anything that the BASC has to offer me"

"Membership Benefits
Our services to members include:
Firearms
BASC has the UK's only full-time firearms team, offering help and advice on all firearms matters and protecting the lawful right to use sporting firearms.

Insurance
Members automatically receive up to £10 million legal liability cover, £10 million employer's liability insurance and £10 million product liability cover when engaged in BASC - recognised activities (recreational activities only).

Shooting & Conservation
Shooting & Conservation magazine is sent to all members eight times a year. It is the UK’s largest circulating shooting magazine packed with useful tips and information as well as the latest news on all of BASC’s campaigns to protect your shooting rights.

Gamekeeping and game shooting
BASC is the only field sports body with a dedicated gamekeeping team, offering comprehensive advice on all aspects of game shooting including game, habitat and shoot management to help you develop your shoot.

Stalking
BASC is taking the lead role in setting standards and providing training for professional and amateur stalkers. We can also provide access to stalking for our members via three stalking schemes in partnership with Forest Enterprise and North West Water.

Training
BASC promotes the highest standards of safety for shooting and related activities. We have a larger number of training courses and events around the UK to help you to develop new skills or hone existing ones

Conservation
We robustly defend our belief that the shooting community plays a major role in conservation. BASC works to safeguard shooting opportunities and develop best practice in wildlife conservation and land management. We can also help you secure your shooting through guidance on leases and shooting agreements and give help on finding funding to develop your shoot

Gundogs
BASC has a dedicated gundog team who are on hand to give you help and advise on buying and training gundogs. We also run gundog scurries and tests around the UK

Wildfowling
The BASC wildfowling team help our coastal wildfowling clubs secure their shooting, and they also operate the BASC wildfowling permit scheme that helps others gain experience of wildfowling though day or week permits issues by some of our clubs

Pigeon shooting
The BASC woodpigeon team are on hand to help members on all aspects of pigeon shooting. We run a woodpigeon training day that covers aspects of hide building and decoying. We are constantly working to try and uncover shooting opportunities for members

Research
Authoritative research underpins BASC's role as the champion of sporting shooting, improves advice offered to members and ensures the wise use of quarry species.

Public affairs
We have forged cross-party links to ensure the voice of responsible shooting is heard. Our media team is improving public attitudes to shooting - and can help you bite back after negative publicity

https://www.basc.org.uk/en/join/membership-benefits.cfm

In addition...look at all the valuable work, meetings papers etc produced re Cumbria.

As i said - they have never let me down. A class act. BUT - don't get too big for your boots, PLEASE.

[rox]

"...I can't see anything that the BASC has to offer me"

"Membership Benefits

Our services to members include:

...<lots of field sports and hunting related stuff>

Exactly as I said; it has its own focus and bias, and offers very little of interest, relevance or use to the competitive rifle shooter. Horses for courses.

[dromia]

Oh dear here we go again. I find questions like these most painful as it just illustrates what a failure all our shooting organisations are in representing shooting and gun ownership in the UK.

The plethora of specific and vested interest organisations is evidence in itself of their failure. Their inability to come together to truly represent gun owners means to me that none of them are really worth the money.

This is a recent change of view for me in that I always believed it was better to in the tent than outside but after many years of NRA membership this will be my last as I am actually getting less for my money now than I used to. I have said my piece often and with sincerety but at the end of the day the NRA is a Surrey shooting club and seems to be incapable of change, I have heard promise after promise of how things would get better but if you don't shoot at Bisley then the NRA is of no benefit or relevance to you.

BASC well I used to be a member but had an issue with them, the resolution of which did not cover them in glory. This was quiet a few years ago now but "slight me once shame on you, slight me twice shame on me". Also I'm not entirely comfortable with their approach to conservation, land management and husbandry it seem a bit narrow reflecting the thoughts of the bigger concerns rather than more flexible solutions for the little guy. But that could still be my bias in reading their stuff, to me, and this description will mean different things to different people but I know what I mean by it, BASC is too green wellie for my taste.

So I have no worthwhile organisations to represent my target or sporting shooting interests, I've let my MLAGB lapse this year for the same reasons as the NRA although I will still shoot with the Durham Branch.

So the only "national" organisation I am still a member of is the the HBSA. Small and imperfectly formed it still represents my historic interest well especially at a national level. In 1996/97 when BASC and the NRA were throwing pistol shooting to the wolves to save their own back yards the HBSA was the lead in salvaging the only pistol shooting we have left. BP and section 7.3 to the shame of the other national organisations.

Insurance is often touted as a benefit and it is an important element but I don't think you need BASC or NRA size fees to get good cover.

So if you have one specific shooting interest I'm sure there will be an organisation out there to meet your needs. However if you are a lover of fine firearms, handloading, collecting and shooting in all its many faceted richness then you are represented by no one. :(

[barney57]

Well I have not voted as yet,,,,Can I ask why just those two organisations???

I have been a member of BASC, I have been a Member of the NGO and I am a member of the Countryside Alliance,,,,,I join these organisations mainly for the Insurance Cover which in all three organisations is practically the same,,,,the only difference is the PRICE of Membership,,,Why pay £66.00 when I can get the same cover and advice for £28.00???

The other thing is the Countryside Alliance for instance,,,,you can pay your membership monthly,, better and easier for some,,,,I see now recently that the BASC is starting to do the same,,which again will make it easier form many to remain with the BASC,,PERSONALY WHILST I LIKE THE BASC I do have to question the membership fee £66.00 in comparison to other organisations,,,and lets face it most people join an organisation simply for the insurance cover firstly...

[Blackstuff]

Up until Cumbria i too questioned the £66 membership fee for BASC and i was mainly with them for the insurance, however since Cumbria the membership fee hasn't bothered me at all. :) I'm sure other organisations were working in the background but the only people i saw standing up in public and fighting our corner was BASC.

BASC does have some 'blood on its hands' from Dunblane but nowhere near as much as the NRA (Dunblane and Hungerford) and for that reason alone i'd never be a NRA member.

[Robin128]

Well said Blackstuff!

:)