Newbie!

st3vo

Hi,

I have been looking to get into this sport for a number of years.
Always had an interest in it.

I wouldn't be into the whole animal hunting thing although the whole forest hunting thing looks really good but just couldn't hurt an animal.

ANYWAY

I would prefare just shoot targets.

Obviously i need to get my license etc.
How do i go about this.

Also i presume i dont buy a gun until i have my license etc
(obviously i wont be sold one until then)
How do i practice/train for my license etc??

As you can see im a complete beginner and have 101 questions.

Any help on this would be greatly apreciated.

Thanks!

jaycee

Roughly what part of the country are you living ...? (County will do )

If you let us know , there may be a club nearby you can visit and have a chat with some of the other shooters. An hour spent somewhere like that would be time well spent.

st3vo

Im in drogheda mate.

www.tcd.ie/clubs/rifle - only open to current / graduate students of TCD but there a links to other target shooting clubs in that region

www.targetshootingireland.org - website of the Irish target shooting association

Hope this helps!

Kramer

st3vo wrote:

Obviously i need to get my license etc.
How do i go about this.

Also i presume i dont buy a gun until i have my license etc
(obviously i wont be sold one until then)
How do i practice/train for my license etc??

To apply for a licence, you need a serial number from a firearm. Each firearm is licenced.

So you'll need to buy your weapon first, paying a deposit to your chosen firearms dealer. Then apply to your local Garda firearms officer. He'll interview you, do some background checks & forward your app to his superintendent.

Some weeks later, if approved, you'll get your firearms certificate which will allow your dealer to give you your firearm.

You must have a valid reason for having a firearm, target shooting in your case. You'll need to be a member of a target shooting club so........

As regards training etc., there aren't any requirements in place at present :eek: .

Echo the advice already given, visit a club to see what's available & have a chat with members there for advice.

That's a start for you anyway .

rrpc

Some clubs have equipment for new members to use until they have decided that they want to take up the sport seriously and buy their own gear. We have about three target rifles, jackets, gloves and slings for this purpose, other clubs may have something similar.

demonloop

rrpc mentioned a lot of the gear for target shooting and a lot of it is expensive to buy new but have a good hunt on ebay.co.uk - there's lots of good second hand stuff to be had.

A good fitting jacket, a good sling and a good glove are the bare essentials but most clubs might have a few to lend out till you find your feet.

de_shadow

Quote "I wouldn't be into the whole animal hunting thing although the whole forest hunting thing looks really good but just couldn't hurt an animal."

I kind of remember somebody telling me of an airrifle discipline that take part in forrested areas using .22 airrifles and animal shaped targets, supposed to be very demanding becaues of the wind adjustments and such, may be right up your street im sure some one will come along with the exact name of it might be "Hunter Target" or something

Sparks

Field Target Air Rifle.
There's no body for it down here that I know of (though there are lads shooting it), but there is one up north called NIFTA and they have a decent website to explain the sport. Also take a read of the Target Sports magazine, they have a Field Target column.

Umiq88

sillouettes

st3vo

Thanks for all the help lads!

Really apreciate it.
I was emailing the guy from Shoot.ie and he said he would have a chat with me after 2 today.

Does it not sound really funny that you have to actually go pick a fire arm and leave a deposit before i go for the application

sidneyreilly

Go and visit a club and chat to some lads, try a couple of firearms THEN go and oick one!

And yes it's normal to place a deposit and get your serial number.

st3vo

Is it ok for me to visit a club etc and fire a gun without a lisence.
Sorry for all the stupid questions but i am new.

Is there any clubs near enough to me. DOnt mind travelling but not major travel. Also I was just thinking about it last night.
Rodent hunting and Fesent (spelling) hunting i would be up for.

Does open different things for me?

st3vo

I was just talking to Brian Duffy from Duffy's Fishing/shoot.ie

Really nice guy!

Took me through different options etc.

From my understanding i would be looking at a sporter of some sort. For clay pigeon and some game hunting etc.

So Im going to try and contact some gun club in my area and have a chat with them. Try pick out a gun leave a deposite and visit the local garda station.

Looking forward to getting started!

Sparks

st3vo wrote:

Is it ok for me to visit a club etc and fire a gun without a lisence.

Yes, there's provision in the law for this.

Sorry for all the stupid questions

No such thing. Now, trying to start shooting without asking questions, that would be stupid.

Is there any clubs near enough to me.

From Drogheda? Hmmm.
Fingal Rifle Club would be about the closest I think, but so's Courtlough and for a total newbie, Courtlough is probably the better option, they're more set up for newbies.

Rodent hunting and Fesent (spelling) hunting i would be up for.

Two different things, those. You hunt pheasants with a shotgun; rodents are too small really to be hunting with firearms (no, rabbits are not members of the family Rodentia ). Stick to mousetraps for them lads

Vegeta

Sparks wrote:

Two different things, those. You hunt pheasants with a shotgun; rodents are too small really to be hunting with firearms (no, rabbits are not members of the family Rodentia ). Stick to mousetraps for them lads

Rats are great sport with air rifles!!!

st3vo

lol!! i can just imagine trying to take a shot at a rat with a shotgun!!

Sparks

Vegeta wrote:

Rats are great sport with air rifles!!!

Not according to the DoJ's background notes

These weapons are dangerous and can only be used for target practice purposes; they can never be used to shoot small animals

Rovi

st3vo wrote:

lol!! i can just imagine trying to take a shot at a rat with a shotgun!!

Many's the rat that has met his demise at the business end of a load of No. 6 from a double barrelled 12 gauge.

sidneyreilly

Courtlough would be ideal given location and facillities if it's shotgun your interested in.

st3vo

Whats the garda interview like?

What kind of background are done etc?

How long does it take for all this to start happening

Sparks

Er, interview? Never heard of it.
Walk in, ask for an application form, fill it out. The garda will ask a few questions in the meantime. All fairly basic stuff, the only reason it sounds intimidating is that most people who apply for firearms licences wouldn't normally be talking to a Garda officially.

The form, by the way, looks like this:



For more details, see here.

st3vo

Ah i thought there was an interview!

Jeez dont get me wrong but it seems very easy to get a gun.

There is a background check though yes?

Rovi

st3vo wrote:

Whats the garda interview like?

What kind of background are done etc?

How long does it take for all this to start happening

There's no 'interview' in the formal sense.
You'll have a bit of a chat with the Firearms Officer (or whatever other Garda helps with the application form) as you do the form, either at the station counter or inside the office if the public part is busy/full of skangers.

Don't turn up in a shiny tracksuit raving on about 'busting a cap' in someone's ass and you'll be grand.

The background check is just a look to see if you're 'known to the Gardai' (in the bad sense) and are generally a decent ordinary citizen.
Some people have unfortunately found that having neighbours with 'previous' has been a hindrance to them getting a Firearm Certificate. With a bit of luck you won't fall into that category.

How long it takes is something of a moveable feast. Anything from a few weeks to many months or even years.
If you'd like to tell us what Garda District you're in, someone here might be able to give you a more definite timeline.

st3vo

lol! pop a cap! WORD!...sorry

The Drogheda Garda station would be my local.
Ive never been Known to the Gardai (in the bad sence) and
never done anything out of the ordinary to bring attention to myself.

YEARS?!?!!?

Rovi

st3vo wrote:

lol! pop a cap! WORD!...sorry

The Drogheda Garda station would be my local.
Ive never been Known to the Gardai (in the bad sence) and
never done anything out of the ordinary to bring attention to myself.

YEARS?!?!!?

The cases taking years are pretty rare, but they do exist.
If you haven't heard a response after six or eight weeks, it'd be time to do some enquiring.

Drogheda is well away from me, so I can't be of any help there.
There's bound to be someone here doing their licencing through that station though, with a bit of luck they'll chime in with their experiences there.

st3vo

Thanks for the info Rovi!!

ANyone here apply in Drogheda Garda Station?

st3vo

I was just reading another thread on the site.

Do i need to get a monitered alarm for my house if there will be fire arms in it?

I will be getting a safe.... thats just comon sense

kowloon

Go up to the gun gallery (its in drogheda, cant remember street name)
He knows quite a few local clubs that might suit you.
Have a look at what he has in stock.

Wait till next month to apply, i think thats when the 3 year license comes in and you will get a reply in under 3 months (or a refusal) under the new rules.

I have a 4 shotgun cabinet if youre interested,

maglite

ie there an 3 fold increase in cost for the 3 year €114~

i hope not the main justification for fee is admin and the admin will reduve with the 3 year one it should only go up a small bit
or even decrease :):):D:D:D:D:D

Rovi

kowloon wrote:

Wait till next month to apply, i think thats when the 3 year license comes in and you will get a reply in under 3 months (or a refusal) under the new rules.

The legislation being enacted next month is to do with sentencing for firearms offences.
All the other stuff still in abeyance (reloading, training licences, the three year licence system, etc) will be enacted 'in the new year,' whatever that means.

st3vo:
There's no requirement for a monitered alarm. The Gardai like to see a monitered alarm if someone has or is applying for multiple firearms, but there's no hard and fast rule on it. Another of the things that vary from district to district.
There isn't even a requirement to have a gun safe (at the moment), but I'd consider it to be basic common sense to have one.
A safe should be more than adequate for a first application for a single gun.

kowloon

Dang! i thought the November changes brought in the 3 year, my mistake.

st3vo

Im heading up to the Gun Gallery now to have a look see.

I'll let y'all know how i get on.

st3vo

ok just back from the gun gallery.

Nice Guy.

I may have some problems though.
It would appear i need permission to shoot on some-ones land before i
apply for a license. As the Gardai will not give me a license if i have no where to shoot it. Makes sence.

2nd, i could join a club. This is the expensive option.
It will cost me 200 upwards to join and will be charged every time i visit the club. This means if i am refused a license for some reason i have lost all that cash.
I would kinda prefare to join a club because having thought about it for weeks on end now and actuall holding both the shotgun and the riffle. I was always edging towards the riffle anyway. It seems to be a more ,,,,technical for the want of a better word. I could be wrong.

The guy in the gun shop was explaining to me that a riffle is not a proper game gun as the bullet travels further etc.

Although i do like the idea of being outdoors in forests/fields and, hunting, if you will.

Does anyone know how mush it costs for a membership to the clay pigeon shooting club beside the airport??

Any farmers around the drogheda are here that would be will to give permission??

Jesus my head hurts!

st3vo

Actually one more question....(for this hour)

Why cant i de both!??! ie. Shotgun and Riffle

Does my license (the one i havent got yet) allow me to do all kinds of shooting. Riffle, Shotgun and Pistol??

Thanks again

You

'fraid not ST3vo.
The Irish system's abit on the dense side, it's sort of the firearm thats licenced rather than you......
If you want a rifle, shotgun and pistol, I'm afraid that's 3 seperate licences, and of course 3 licence fee's. In an ideal situation, like a motor vehicle licence, the person would be licenced and the catorgories selected, however that's not us:mad:

st3vo

Hmm thats a bit crap!

I may pay for the shotgun and riffle license though.
Around 300 a yaer isn't it.

I think i need to sort out my first license first though...

Rovi

st3vo wrote:

I may pay for the shotgun and riffle license though.
Around 300 a yaer isn't it.

Nope.

Currently, a shotgun licence is €25 for the first one and €6 each for additional ones.
Rifle and pistol licences are €38 each, no matter how many you have.
This may change whenever the three year licence system comes into force.

Basically, there are only two purposes for which a Firearm Certificate will be granted in this jurisdiction: Hunting and Target Shooting.

To apply on the basis of Hunting, you will need to have either your own land on which to hunt or permission from land owner(s) to hunt upon their lands.
The number of landowners/area of land required is variable from district to district, be guided by the Firearms Officer in your local Garda Station on this one.
Membership of a Gun Club under the auspices of the National Association of Regional Game Councils (NARGC) will automatically gain you access and permission to land, and insurance.
In addition, if you wish to hunt deer, you will need permission/access to land on which deer exist and a Deer Hunting Licence from the National Parks & Wildlife Service.

To apply on the basis of Target Shooting, you will need to be a member of a Club that caters for the type of shooting in which you wish to participate: Air Rifle/Pistol, Smallbore/Fullbore Rifle, Smallbore/Fullbore Pistol, Shotgun.

st3vo

Thanks Rovi,, again!

Gonna head doen to the garda station on monday i hope and see what they say about land permission etc

rrpc

st3vo

You seem to be taking too much in in too short a time. You should slow down a bit and start checking out the sport end first before you go charging in to your local Garda Station looking for a licence. In my view, that's the very last thing that you do.

If you want to go shotgun shooting, look up the nearest gun club and see if you can go along to a shoot; either game or clay pigeon. If it's taget shooting you want, either with sporting or target rifle, then have a look at a couple of clubs in your area or at least in the Dublin area.

Don't be afraid to call in to a club and ask questions. Better to have your questions answered first before you go into a Garda Station looking like you know nothing. You've got some good starting points here, but there is nothing like the real experience of being present watching others do it, or taking part yourself to give you an idea of what you want.

Most clubs will allow prospective members "have a go" before they sign up, so you won't be down a membership or joining fee when you make a decision. I have seen a number of 'Newbie's' come on here, think they have all the information and rush out to buy something only to find out a couple of months later that it's not what they want at all.

Take your time, enjoy the experience and then make a decision.

st3vo

Thanks rrpc.

Thats exactly what im gonna do.
Gotta find some clubs.

I found one in balbriggan im try get in and have a look