Question for TCD rifle club members....

Magnusd

Joining the TCD rifle club this year + just wondering if you can use your own rifle in college the rifle range?

IRLConor

Magnusd wrote: »

Joining the TCD rifle club this year + just wondering if you can use your own rifle in college the rifle range?

In general no.

If you're well known to the club and a member in good standing and the committee says yes, then yes.

It wasn't me!

To be honest, if there isn't a rifle down there you like, you need to re-evaluate your taste in firearms.

And you can use your own rifle in matches as well (I do).

Magnusd

It wasn't me! wrote: »

To be honest, if there isn't a rifle down there you like, you need to re-evaluate your taste in firearms.

And you can use your own rifle in matches as well (I do).

entering 4th year of college + I have never been in there!

What are the .22LR rifles like ? So how does it work as a member...you jut book a time and go in and help yourself to the rifles + targets ? Is it staffed full time ?

It wasn't me!

Magnusd wrote: »

entering 4th year of college + I have never been in there!

What are the .22LR rifles like ? So how does it work as a member...you jut book a time and go in and help yourself to the rifles + targets ? Is it staffed full time ?

They're mostly target rifles, Anschutz match 54's, 1903's, 1907's and the like, but there are some nice sporters too, the most used one being an exceptionally nice Anschutz 1710.

There's a sign-up sheet in front arch for each week. You book your details, which run from six until ten each evening, show up, are fitted out for jackets and sling and the like, and shoot cards. There's plenty of quality coaching on hand and there are plenty of opportunities to compete throughout the year, in air and target rifle.

IRLConor

Magnusd wrote: »

entering 4th year of college + I have never been in there!

:eek:

Magnusd wrote: »

What are the .22LR rifles like ?

There's a selection of Anschütz target rifles (various vintages, in both wood and aluminium stocks), a Walther KK200 and some Anschütz rifles which would be similar to your CZ452 (I think they're 1710s).

Magnusd wrote: »

So how does it work as a member...you jut book a time and go in and help yourself to the rifles + targets ?

During term time the range is open Mon-Fri 6-10pm. Usually it's .22 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, air rifle on Wednesdays and Fridays with Monday being used for an extra air rifle night or for either air or .22 squad training. The nights are broken up into 30 min details. Just sign up on the booking sheet on the noticeboard in Front Arch.

Out of term time you have to persuade a range officer to open up the range for you. There are many ways of persuading them but the most effective are driving them and their kit to matches or buying them pints.

When you turn up for your detail (please come early) an RO will take it from there and supply you with a rifle, ammunition and any other kit you need. They'll supervise your shooting and provide whatever coaching they can. All you pay for is your ammunition.

Magnusd wrote: »

Is it staffed full time ?

Staffed? The club is run by students for students. There are a few former students like myself who help out but by and large the club is run by undergraduates.

Magnusd

That sounds great- looking forward to using the Anschütz rifles

Also a bit of coaching would be fantastic........

Many thanks for the advice guys- hope to see you down there!

IRLConor

Magnusd wrote: »

That sounds great- looking forward to using the Anschütz rifles

They're pretty nice. Some of the target rifles are over 30 years old (maybe over 40, not sure) but they can still outshoot most people.

We have a bunch of Feinwerkbau air rifles too. It's worth having a crack with them. Not my cup of tea, but definitely worth trying. If you show any aptitude for it be prepared to be roped into the novice team for the Intervarsity.

Magnusd wrote: »

Also a bit of coaching would be fantastic........

The coaching you get on a regular night can vary quite a bit since the range officers have different levels of experience and you can sometimes get someone coaching prone rifle when they're predominantly an air rifle shooter (or vice-versa). It should be good enough to get you shooting in the low 90s ex 100 in prone rifle though.

Shoot plenty of cards for the internal competitions and ask plenty of questions and you'll get the best out of the club.

Magnusd wrote: »

Many thanks for the advice guys- hope to see you down there!

Work permitting, I'll spend some of the first day of freshers week on the stand in front square. Drop by and say hi (this offer extends to everyone here BTW). If I don't see you then, I'm sure I'll see you some night down the range.

Dr_Teeth

Any chance of the club supporting pistols? I'm only a 10 minute walk away from the campus and would love to be able to bring my S&W .22 over for a few shots in the evenings.

Not going to happen. Sorry

Sparks

The club literally cannot do .22 pistol Dr_T; there aren't any firing points at the right height that could take the punishment. On top of that, there are safety issues - training folks for rifle is a lot easier than for pistol from the safety point of view because pistols are far more rapidly pointable in the wrong direction. It's a lot easier to literally sit on a newbie with a rifle to stop them doing something silly than it is with a pistol.

On top of that, the TCD club is badly constrained by college insurance in terms of who it's allowed to sign up as a member. If you're not a member of the college's sports body DUCAC (and only students or alumni can join DUCAC), then DURC isn't allowed to accept you as a member

One of these days, TCD will twig to the fact that UCD can get in tens of thousands of euro for capital spending because they don't have that stupid rule, and then thing can change, but until then, their hands are tied.

Sparks

IRLConor wrote: »

Shoot plenty of cards for the internal competitions and ask plenty of questions and you'll get the best out of the club.

Amen to that advice - the more you put in, they more you get out of the club really.

Dr_Teeth

I'm an alumnus there's no problem there, I was a member of DURC back in 1996 iirc.. I remember the ceiling being pretty low, but is there no chance of modifying the range and training in ROs on how to instruct new people in pistol shooting?

I bet you'd have a lot of interested people, and the pistol instruction could be left until after they were proficient and safe with the rifles.

Sparks

'96? We were shooting there at the same time so.

Instructing newbies in pistol shooting, especially cartridge pistols, is a thought that makes parts of me want to run away and hide. Yes, there would be massive interest. That'd be a problem - you'd get a lot of 17-year-old Halo players (or Call of Duty 4 or whatever is today's counterstrike, I'm too old to keep track) showing up and we have sufficient problems with convincing them than an Anschutz 19xx series action can't be racked like a prop from Enemy at the Gates as it is. Trying to get them to shoot pistols safely... well, in theory it could certainly be done, but in practise you'd have to invest a lot in kit and manpower, and I wouldn't go past air pistols even then. And I mean investing a lot in both kit and manpower - the very minimum would be ballistic goggles and plexiglass shooting stalls all round and one RO per firing point... basicly it'd take the resources of the entire club to get started.

Given how much that would kick the rifle side of the club in the pants, it's just not worth it.

Magnusd

I'll sign up with the first years on freshers week then so

Whats the story with UCD rifle club? do they accept non UCD student members?

That could be handy as i live next door during the college year..... or would that be treason ???

No college club can accept non college members.

Rathdrum might help.

rrpc

Deleted User wrote: »

No college club can accept non college members.

Rathdrum might help.

He's a Trinity student Zara, surely he's allowed join DURC?

Sparks

Actually, UCD Boat Club can accept non-UCD members. It's how they got Sports Capital Grant funding a few years ago. So it *can* be done if the college is willing. Unfortunately, for all the talk of seeking new sources of funding, TCD is not willing

k_d

i know DCU clubs also accept external members and charge them a bit more, Clubs can make alot of money on external numbers but sometime the number of them as to be restricted!

Sorry, I thought I was clear in my post.

No College Rifle club can accept non college members.