Camouflage and the shooting sports

[Dangermouse]

Camouflage and the shooting sports has for a long time been an emotive subject. If I may take you back to my first taste.

Back in the 90's I was playing a lot of paint-ball when the terrible events at Dunblane took place and all shooting sports came under suspicion once again. The Government was also trying to ban the paint-ball guns and we as a sport had to get a bit creative, paid a lot of money to legal types and we fought our corner. In the end we one, guns became markers, game sights that had "war zone" type names changed and mostly we stopped wearing camouflage gear and started wearing brighter team colours - at that time not unlike some of the motto cross gear.

So when I started shooting full bore and I was told no camouflage at Bisley, I just accepted it.
I also accept that hunters do need to wear it, although I do wonder at full ghillie suits for hunting rabbits.

Then last weekend when I was at the Newark show I noticed dozens of people walking around in full matching camouflage gear, mostly to do with the air soft scene. It irked me a bit and I could not work out why this discipline needed to dress up like special forces to enjoy their sport. I have to put my hand up and say that as a rule I really do not understand the whole air soft game and find it all a bit immature.

I know it should be a case of each to their own, but after investing so much for so long, I can not help thinking that a lot of damage could be done by the image of one discipline.

Should I get over myself, do I have a point, or has society moved on and perhaps after being at war for so long camouflage is once again seen (no pun intended) as acceptable?

DM

[John MH]

Sorry but its utter PC bolloxes to try to dictate what people may wear whilst partaking in their perfectly legal hobby.

[phaedra1106]

I had to have a little laugh when you said "full ghillie suits"

I have a caravan near Hamsterley forrest in sunny County Durham, one of the other owners sons (in his mid 30's) comes up and dresses in the full kit, face mask, scent spray the works then goes off for several hours playing Ace Bunny Sniper. It's extremely difficult to keep a straight face when he returns and shows off his kills, usualy 3 or 4 bunnies that you'd be hard pressed to get enough meat to make a sausage roll off, these are just some of the hundreds he shoots every time he's out (apparently). It's become a standing joke and he's now known as Mister BullSh!tter :shakeshout:

As for camo ... I do have a very nice set I brought back from the US, even in the depths of winter here it's a bit too warm in it!, I do the odd day at the range in it or at clay pigeon if it's cold enough, maybe I should wear it when I'm shopping and see what happens :G

[froggy]

Salut,

To wear an old army surplus jacket because it is cheap and robust either for forest walking , target shooting or hunting is about the limit in my eyes. I dont think there is any need what-so-ever to wear camo gears to go hunting. Unless you are so starving you absolutly need that game-bag to survive, no perceived abvantages, if there are indeed any, wearing camo can out-weight how stupid it looks.

Blending on the terrain is all about attitude not camo clothing. The best light infantry I ever came across that was also the hardest to spot in the field were the Canadians and they were not issued with any camo gears.

[DaveT]

Sorry but its utter PC bolloxes to try to dictate what people may wear whilst partaking in their perfectly legal hobby.

BIG +1 on that for me too! I wear camo (Realtree) whilst stalking deer because I think it helps (I also ensure that I actually stalk stealthily rather than simply pace around) and sometimes I will wear the same warm jacket to the range.

For Gods sake its a jacket & not a hostile statement of ill intent.

I wouldn't wear a Gillie suit to a range because that would just be silly and for no other reason than that.

DaveT

[Blackstuff]

I didn't realise paintball had gone through that kind of 'trial by fire', and it does explain some of the resentment i've witnessed from paintballers towards airsofters, you learn something new everyday! However, after the trial airsofters went through with the VCR Act, i would've hoped they too had also 'paid their dues' so to speak.

After the pistol ban i became disillusioned with firearms and got into airsofting quite a bit, probably up until about 2004 when i started back up with firearms again. I did go paintballing a fair few times during that period but it just didn't 'do it' for me the way airsoft did. I hated the guns (that looked like a blind plumber had cobbled them together :55: :lol: ), the ammo cost was massive compared to airsoft and it was generally a much older crowd.

Back to the OP - I don't know if you've actually been airsofting DM but it's a completely different beast to paintball, games normally last far longer and are played in much bigger arenas. Although there are the occasional 'speed ball' type game, similar to paintball, where everyone just piles into a small area to shoot the crap out of each other, the vast majority are long, protracted, scenario based games, where you need to be able to conceal yourself, so wearing brightly coloured motorcross style gear would get your shot within the first 5 minutes - not much fun if the game lasts for 1-2 hours

However, i don't see why they would need to wear it during the Newark show :? unless they are actual serving soldiers, and there are A LOT of them going airsofting. The site i used to go to in Annan is ran by a serving army lad and a fair few of the people playing were also in the forces. There is, like almost all shooting related activities a small 'Walter Mitty' element which could explain it, but to be fair most of the people that i've met that think airsoft is 'real training' :lol: have been 10-15 year olds, i've met far more worrying people with FAC/SGC's :-P

[Individual]

Sorry but its utter PC bolloxes to try to dictate what people may wear whilst partaking in their perfectly legal hobby.

What certainly is utter bollox is to claim "I only wear mil surplus 'cos its cheap"
whilst de-bagging a £5k AW with a £2k S&B scope from a £500 'tacticool sniper' AIM drag bag.

So next time I'm dressed as the Taliban on Century - I expect your full support :lol:

[Tower75]

When I first started shooting, I was told that "no cammo for civvies at all!!" we shoot on MoD land and apparently it's a big no, no.

But saying that, we have people that turn up in camo hunting jackets and trousers, as well as guys turn up in army cammos with webbing and pouches. They look like they've just come back from "The Troubles"

People seem to turn a blind eye to it. Personally, I don't see a problem. If you want to wear camo, do it, if not, then don't. I guess there's this image of a civvie in camo that frightens the Hell outta the powers that be.

[Dougan]

I quite like 'realtree' cammo, and personally don't think it has a 'military' look. I wear it mainly for carp fishing - I find it advantagous for stalking carp in the margins, and also for getting close to other wildlife while I'm there. Another major advantage is insects bother you less than if you're waring block colours; including green.

It's proven that any type of disruptive patern will make you less visible (that's why armys use it...), but for deer hunting it doesn't necessarily have to be all green - most deer (possibly all...maybe someone can confirm this?) are colour blind, and in the US some hunters use a disruptive patern with bright orange in it, so they don't shoot each other!

As for waring it at the range - if it's a grotty day, then I might wear my reeltree coat and cap - it's good kit (gortex), and I'm not buying another set in a different colour just because some people have a 'cammo issue'....

[froggy]

It's proven that any type of disruptive patern will make you less visible

well ... sort of , as it will only be as good as the environment , ie : the base colour of the cloth needs to blend with the base color of the terrain. A "desert" camo in central Europe would be counter-productif, a good autom camo wil be crap in spring and the other way round .

The French army anacronyme FOMBEC stands for
Forme / shape,
Ombre / shadow or for exemple standing on top of a ridge,
Mouvement / mouvement,
Bruit / noise,
Eclat/ refection (to light),
Couleur / colour.
It becomes evident that colour is only one very small part of what you need to do to blend efficiently in the field.
I have no anti-camo adgenda even if I am not over-keen on it but what I am trying to say is that a bloke with a simple green jacket and a pair of jeans but a good attitude will blend better than a clue-less chap with the top of the range kit.

Now as far as wearing them to a gun show would be like rocking up to the boat show kitted in a full neoprene wetsuit ...