New Club probationary membership.

[Hrun]

That sounds a bizarre set up. Are you saying they force you to have a go at every kind of shooting they offer even if you have no interest in that particular discipline? Whats the thinking behind that? How does that work legally with LBP as well?

We do, for all the disciplines there are club guns for.

The reason is simple.. once you are a full member you can use any range, so we have to know you are safe anywhere.

[pbrazendale]

At our club all probationers are limited to .22lr club rifles, you get tuition and after 6 months as long as you have demonstrated you are safe and have competed at least 18 visits, then you are likely to be given membership by the committee.

If you then get your FAC and purchase say a .357 underlever you would have to attend the club and undergo the training element before you can use it, they operate a shooter competency card which covers everything from .22 Semi Auto, through underlever rifles to black powder revolvers and rifles.

It's a good way to do it and makes me comfortable when I'm shooting next to someone who is new.


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[RDC]

Why not allow people a chance to become competent with larger calibres before that 6 months? as long as someone is supervised until the SCC criteria is assessed and signed off, whats the harm in it?

[danbow]

The club I have tried to join won't even tell me when the club nights are so that I can go! They've sent me the application form and when I asked about nights I can attend was fobbed off.
I gave up.

[pbrazendale]

Why not allow people a chance to become competent with larger calibres before that 6 months? as long as someone is supervised until the SCC criteria is assessed and signed off, whats the harm in it?

I agree this would be good but I though there were some legal implications?

For example I would of liked to have had a go of a fellow members .357 LBR but apparently it's a no go? Is this the same for say .357 underlevers and other rifles?



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[Hunter87]

My partner and I are both full members of a club but we are still relatively new to it alto I'm not new to shooting. We were shooting on the 25 meter range in the kneeling supported position as our club doesn't do proper bench rest due to the older members heavily incouraged new members to shoot standing up at all times! anyway we were doing our own thing (in a safe manner) and some old timer started making comments about about how we will never improve our groups unless we practise standing up bearing in mind this is on a live range when we are trying to shoot and we just wanted to be left alone.
He then cornered us in the armoury when we were putting my rifle away and wouldn't stop going on about shooting standing up I politely told him that I wasn't interested in standing and we were both happy to continue as we were which fell on deaf ears my partner even felt she had to make up an excuse that the rifle was to heavy for her to try and get him off our backs but that didn't work, he then started going on and on about taking part in competitions I'm not competitive at all I don't care about winning I just like getting what I want out of the sport and as boring as it is my partner and I are happy to just practise and shot small groups.
He kept going on about winning club medals and the club league table and again I tried was polite and tried to say we weren't interested in reality what I wanted to do was punch I'm in the throat as I was getting seriously p*** off at this point but in the end I just agreed with him and we left. I was considering putting in a complaint but I felt it was better to not rock the boat as he was a long standing member and we were just fresh in so we let it go.

[Alpha1]

I can not shoot for toffee standing. I dont really care what or how people shoot as long as they are safe.

[Kungfugerbil]

I would of liked to have had a go of a fellow members .357 LBR but apparently it's a no go? Is this the same for say .357 underlevers and other rifles?

Yes and No, in that order :)

Long barreled pistols, like Section 1 shotguns, don't benefit from the club exemption so can only be shot by those with that firearm on their ticket. Stupid rule that is a legacy of poor wording in legislation really.

[TattooedGun]

I guess it is a case of the new club really doesn't know who you are or what you are like. I have seen some iffy behaviour at some clubs and on one occasion was told 'that is so-and-so, he's like that, we keep an eye on him'. I didn't go back.
But he could have joined another club and potentially been given full membership and unsupervised time on the range in the mistaken belief that he was a safe and competent shooter.
A minimum period just to see if you are up to the standards most of us expect is not a bad thing.

This.

That sounds a bizarre set up. Are you saying they force you to have a go at every kind of shooting they offer even if you have no interest in that particular discipline? Whats the thinking behind that? How does that work legally with LBP as well?

We do, for all the disciplines there are club guns for.

The reason is simple.. once you are a full member you can use any range, so we have to know you are safe anywhere.

And This.

Nail on the head.

Just to add, as a full-club member you are then in a position where you can supervise new probationers, if you were not competent on all rifles in the armoury, how could you possibly supervise someone on a firearm you yourself are not conversant in.

We have some older members of our club, who are willing to help, but if it doesn't fall in the discipline that they have shot for the past 40 years, they haven't got a clue. Making sure everybody is conversant in all firearms available to members, even if they're not interested in the discipline, can only be a good thing. You may not be interested, but at least you'll be safe.

[Kungfugerbil]

Making sure everybody is conversant in all firearms available to members, even if they're not interested in the discipline, can only be a good thing. You may not be interested, but at least you'll be safe.

I agree with this too. Currently going through probation at a club that operates similar-ish rules. Can't fault it - even as a coach / captain at another club. Making sure everyone has exactly the same baseline and is aware of any local constraints, issues or requirements is a good thing.