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

OK lets stop this divisive nonsense and keep it germane to the OP.

Some people are trying to do something, to support shooting and trying to effect change.

What ever you think of it it is a damn sight more than the rest of our failed organisations are doing so hats of to them for trying I say.

This a positive surely, whether you agree about its breadth, scope or chance of success, so knocking it is churlish in the extreme.

The more I see of shooters the more I know gun ownership in the UK is doomed.

No doubt we get the organisations we deserve and that says it all.

This isn't the Grumpy old Men forum even if some of you are so the latitude we extend there doesn't transfer to the other forums so behave and if you don't like it walk away.

From now on treat these posts as you would something in the for sale section, if you don't like it move on but don't knock it. If you have genuine questions then ask but the way this has gone is typical Grumpy old Men tackiness and is getting personal so desist.

I'm glad some of you aren't touted as representatives of shooting, they'd ban the rest!

As I stated earlier a social media savvy pro shooting organisation that could unite the far too many niche market representative organisations would be very welcome. However any group that could be shown to have a hidden agenda could do untold damage to firearms ownership.

We are once again growing as a sport. The average age of the NRA is 10 years older than me an that's a concern but at the grass roots in clubs in the shires more and more new members are joining. Most of the clubs near me have waiting lists. My own club is expanding its capacity and it's been seen by the old guard as a high risk move.

We all represent shooting. Perhaps we should be more open that we shoot, invite new members, grow capacity and expand appeal.

Once we are back to pre '97 levels by heck if we banded together we would be powerful.

At the moment all you can do is take singular action. No point in fighting Animal Aid and LACS or the Green Party but claim for our own those on the fence, our children, their friends and invite them to well run shoots and welcoming, safe clubs.

Then next time someone says "Gun owners are all potential murderers" they might say "Hold on I went shooting once and you would be surprised how disciplined and regulated it is"

Let's also back our Commonwealth and Olympic shooters who seem to be the most acceptable face of our many faceted sport.

I am all for getting new people into gun ownership.

However they do need to be aware of the political cesspit that comes with gun ownership, be prepared to stand up for that ownership and be comfortable as being seen as a sociopathic outcast in the eyes of the majority.

That is what separates the men from the boys, women from the girls.

I have now "come out" at least to my friends. Surprising how many even close friends had no idea I was a shooter for the last 30 years.

Onetime at a dinner party I nearly died when I was introduced to everyone as the bloke who shot the main course!

I maintain 'Opsec' now but I'm much more open. My roles in my club, in RO'ing at Bisley and in Pony Club mean any more people know I shoot and engage with me about the sport. It's also generated me over a thousand acres of shooting!

So start your own grass roots revolution my fellow sociopaths!

Better late than never.

Grass roots support however extensive will still never change things without intelligent, visionary, passionate, credible and intelligent leadership.

That is where the real vacuum currently lies for gun ownership at the present time,

I agree with you Dromia. I've railed against the number of organisations we have, their motives beyond insurance sales and lack of public awareness in the past.

There are changes afoot. Some of the "younger and more energetic" members are coming through in the bigger organisations. Watch this space. Change is afoot but I'm convinced that effective change will be driven in this way and not in the guise of FUKDave and the small group of his socially inept chums playing around on Facebook off message.

I hope your are right, I have been a gun owner for over forty years now and all through that time all I have heard that things they are a changing.

The only changes that I have seen have been to detriment of legal gun ownership and this in spite of the "national bodies" getting fat on our backs.

Some grew fat and some grew very scrawny and sensing weakness others sprung up and divided the small pie into mouth sized morsels.

We as shooters are often our own worst enemies. Don't buy the cheapest insurance, buy representation from the most effective body!

Unfortunately all they have to offer is insurance.