HOW TO GET STARTED IN AIR-RIFLES IN IRELAND

MJMURPHY

Hi all,

I'm just after starting in this great forum & 1st of all I just want to say hello to everyone on here.

I'm very interested in Air-Rifle Target Shooting, as I have being doin this for some time when I was away in America with work. But now that I have come back home here in to Ireland, I want to start it here again as a hobby.

So I was wondering can anyone give some info/guidance on how to do so??
As I have read all the info in relation to the new licence requirements etc as stated above in red in this forum but I need more info/guidance on how to apply for the licence ie. do I need to join a gun club etc or was is the requirement to prove that you will only be using my air-rifle for Target-Shooting & not hunting etc.

Also where could I buy the Air-Rifle I want (HW100T)???
Has anyone here got 1 of these or would you know where I can get 1??

As I said any info/guidance how ever little you may think it may be would be very much appreciated.

Thank you all very much in advance for your help.


Regards,
MJ

Mr.Flibble

Field Target, or I.S.S.F.?

extremetaz

Story dude,

Have a HW100T in .177 FAC guise (the 18ft.lb model). Tis a crackin' rifle. It's heavy but the shot count from a fill is about 70, and it's whisper quiet. The only thing you hear is the hammer hitting the valve.

There aren't many places with much of a selection of air rifles on view as it were, but I got mine in Aim & Swing, just outside Mountnugent. They've a great range of models and types there, and they've the HW100 in S & T, .177 & .22, FAC or 12ft.lb and last time I was in they had the FSB model there as well - so you really can have any one you want.

As for the licence - I'm in a club myself and shoot 10m Olympic mostly. I got the HW to give some FT stuff a try and I'm having a great time with it, although I've learned more lately that there's a 12ft.lb cap in FT competitions so if I actually want to start competing, I'll have to get something else.

Having said that, it's still ideally suited for me at the moment as I'm nowhere near competition ready and won't be for quite some time yet.

For target shooting you have to have access to a registered shooting range. This usually means being a member of a club so you probably will have to look into that.

The only issue really is that access to decent quality FT ammo is pretty restricted. Most places only stock GAMO, BullDog, Eley, etc... and if you want to get decent results you really need to be using Bisley, RWS, or H&N stuff and it's bloody hard to get your hands on - but that's not gonna change until there's enough demand for it that it makes sense for them to bring it in, so all we can do for now is keep asking for it and hope for the best.

MJMURPHY

Hey Guys,

Sorry about the delay in replying to your posts as my bloody internet has been acting up again!!

Firstly Thank ye very much for your responses.

@Mr.Fibble I am interested in both as I just want to get up and started properly ie. licenses etc so I can buy the HW100T air rifle that I want to get but I know it is very difficult to get started in this sport here in Ireland.
So I would have no problem at all in starting with ISSF 1st as that seems to be more popular here than Field Target & it requires a lot of skill.

Either way I'd be happy as long as can just get started & to be finally able to do some target shooting again.

I Have been surfing the net for Air Rifle Ranges/Clubs here in Ireland but there is very little (Next to none) available for people to get started in this sport as all that I have seen up to now, you have to be nominated by a current member of the club & then have to be 2nd by yet another member to be able to join.

So how can 1 do this if they don't know them to be nominated in the 1st place??

The only club which I have found not to request this was WTSC (Which from what I have read is 1 of the best clubs in the country for developing shooters for ISSF) but I have been on their website & tried to email them on the email stated: (questions@homeofthechampions.org) but it failed???

So would you or anyone else on here know there active email or contact details or any other club(s) which are looking for members for that matter as I will travel anywhere within reason??


@Extremetaz.. Hey, thanks very much for your very in-depth reply.
That's a very niece rifle you have yourself & I am very glad to hear that there is actually a shop here that stocks a decent range of AIR RIFLES!!

I will be sure to drop up there to have a look at some of them. I'll be like a Child in a Candy shop!!! lol...

I just hope I will be actually able to find a club/range that I can join get my licence & then go shopping!!

Man we really do like making thing difficult here in Ireland!!!

Thanks very again guys for all you help & guidance as very much appreciated & will keep ye posted as I go...

Regards,
MJ

Sparks

MJMURPHY wrote: »

tried to email them on the email stated: (questions@homeofthechampions.org) but it failed?

Odd. Sorry about that MJ, check your PMs for a contact phone number.

MJMURPHY

Hi Mark,

Thanks very much for your PM
Reply sent

Sandy22

I'll probably get flamed for saying this, but it might be more practical for you to get some local land permission and apply for your licence off the back of that.

Unfortunately, where you are I think you're rather isolated for non-shotgun target shooting. If you're going to have to travel anyway, you shouldn't rule out NI. I believe they have Field Target shooters (including at least one very good one.) You could try PM-ing Demonloop or Intershoot on here; they might be able to give you a steer.

It would be nice to think you could otherwise set up your own club locally. For air guns only that oughtn't to be too hard, but you'll still face the range approval regime (somewhat of a grey area at present) and the fees (potentially €2,000).

MJMURPHY

Hi Sandy,

Thanks very much for your reply.

I have also thought of this if I don't manage to get into a club. But I would really love to be a member of a well established club to be trained/guided from the people that are involved in the sport here in Ireland. As the more & more that people here do that the more chance that this sport has to grow & develop here like it is in the UK etc.

Yep you are right there, I'm very isolated where I am but I also work in Dublin so I rent a place in Meath while I'm up there, but I don't mind travelling anywhere if I am able to do this! It would be worth it all!

I was looking into asking friends/neighbours for land access as I did this for my shotgun Licence but from what I can find on the net. This would not be sufficient enough proof to justify getting an Air Rifle as you can not use it for Hunting & the law also states that if you want to do Target Shooting you have to do it in an Approved Target Range/Club etc.

So I'm snookered here & even if I put down that I require it for rodent/pest control on the land permission I have been given it would be more than likely refused as it would be probably classified as "Hunting" under the Law!????

Do you know if this would be so or can you use this as a sole reason??
Because I live in the countryside so therefore loads of safe places to do some target shooting on this land for my own private use.

I would just love to get started whatever way I can so I can get back into it & take it from there ie. join a club & take part in shoots etc....

Sandy22

If you've got digs in Meath, I'd say Wilkinstown would be a no-brainer.

AFAIK it's perfectly legal to shoot vermin (but not game) with an air rifle.

On the other hand, strictly speaking, "private" target shooting is illegal.