The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

It's our heritage, one that many do not share and would like to take away.

I started shooting with cadets at school, discovered I was pretty good at it, and then did it for Tuesday games (sooo much better than rugby on a freezing winter afternoon!). Shot smallbore in the Birmingham schools league and placed 3rd on averages over the season. Was consistently the best shot in the school so I stayed with it throughout.

In between, I discovered my dad's old BSA cadet while clearing out the loft. Once he got bored with me shooting bits of chalk at stuff I shouldn't have been, he bought me a couple of air rifles over the years and then we did smallbore to get the first .22 (technically I still have the second one, because the first was faulty, but either way my teenage rifle is downstairs!). Big layoff with only occasional shooting through Uni and the years after, but got some land to shoot on in Reading and got back into it and then progressed to fullbore.

I started off with a 22-250 without moderator, so many expletives on first firing that one! That got the other half into shooting - 4 shots with 'the cannon' at a tin can about 100 yards out, and she was hooked too. Mainly because I was showing off and trying to hit the end of the can to make it fly up, and I missed. I never lived that one down!

Since moving to the Midlands I haven't got anywhere close to slay vermin, so I stick to target work now...

'er Maj ! She gave us a shilling and instructed us to "confound our enemies, frustrate their knavish tricks..."

Seemed a great deal...

Still does.

My dad.

Started me off as a child with a BSA Meteor airgun,then his Browning pump action .22lr (would love one for old times sake!) then his 12g SxS when i could handle the recoil.

This was a time where guns didnt have to be locked away and all his used to go in my parents (unlocked) wardrobe with ammo ontop.We never touched them even though we could have because when you use something legitemately with blessing it takes away the fascination kids often have with guns.

I still miss him.

My Mum. She was a good shot and had an old air rifle and I do remember she would manage to hit matches and I always missed.
I joined the Sea Cadets and was introduced to .22 rimfire at 25 yards and that was it, I was hooked.
Joined the Royal Navy and used FN SLR and 9mm Sterlings as well as 9mm Brownings so got hooked even more.
I went to a local pistol club in 1982 and got my first FAC and the rest is history. Would not like to think how much I have spent on shooting over the years, but it was well worth it.

Always loved guns - not in a slightly weird, loner type of a way, but an appreciation of the engineering and, to be honest, I'm still a schoolboy at heart and who doesn't like something that goes bang?

Started with air guns, cadets at 13 shooting .22 Enfield No 4's, joined a small bore club and then gave up soon after due to lack of interest from parents and other friends. Didn't give it much thought after that, vaguely aware of the S/A CF ban in 87 (I was 15 at the time) and when handguns were banned in 97, I just kind of assumed that the door was closed forever.

Started again on clays in '02, collected deacts for a few years and then, after seeing a few adverts for firearms that were still legal, thought it's worth getting back into it. Finally found a club in Jan '11, did my 6 months probation and got FAC in September last year.

I'll be skint but happy by Christmas!

Finding myself living in an isolated house on 600acres of rabbit infested Essex arable in the early 70's...............my landlord, a local farmer, gave me permission, "but please don't shoot the hares or pheasant's as we have a syndicate also shooting here"......................in his dreams. I didn't go near a butcher for nearly two years, and my game pie was legend.

Always had an interest in firearms and military history,
So found my local club at 13, started with .22 prone target rifle, got fed up so converted to sporting rifle and also competed in phoenix.

At 16 I got my FAC/SGC having also done some clays, had my first lot of rifles, My No.4 and a Sabbatti .22 (got rid of it rather quicky) Then applied for some grant money the school had for sports and got £500 to pay towards a BRNO 452 with scope.

Also at 16 I joined a fullbore club down on Severnside and the rest is history (with some pistol shooting abroad slotted in)

As a teenager working in London spending hours at the Imperial War Museum looking at the rifles (in particular) in the glass cases. It fascinated me, and still does, the variety of designs from different countries to achieve the same end result. On day whilst there I spoke to a member of staff who was cleaning one of the exhibits and I asked her if any of the rifles ever got used now. She told me that some from the reserve collection were taken out occassionaly and shot. I asked her how I could get to own similar rifles and she got me details of the NRA. They put me in touch with a local club.......the rest is history.

.303 No 4 and .22 Mk 8 in the Air Cadets then SLR. Sterling and Browning HP in the TA and then bought myself a Colt 1911 Series 70 and down hill from there really.