Gun for my husband?

Lancypants

My husband wants a gun but has never really been shooting before??? Can you tell me what is involved for him to get a licence etc... For christmas i wanted to get him some sort of shooting lessons or something. I was on courtloughs website what is the rifle shooting and would it be like lessons in hunting?

Sparks

I think we have a poster from Courtlough, so I'll let him answer that part, but as to getting the licence, while the procedure is not overly complicated, and the sport of target shooting is very safe - it is still a firearm you're talking about. The best idea wouldn't be to get a firearm, but to get him membership in a local target shooting club so he could see if he really liked the sport and could use their club firearms while learning. In fact, it's a much better idea to get him vouchers to try the sport in Courtlough or East Coast or Hilltop or some such club (folks, that was your cue to make your case for your club to get her business ).

Rovi

Phew!
For a moment there, when I saw the thread title, I thought this was going to be a 'what calibre for husbands?' thread.

OP-
I'll concur with Sparks on this one. Getting a gun in this country is a bigger deal than merely picking out something and paying money, I'm afraid.

I hope hubby knows how truly blesséd he is to have you looking for this for him, and don't forget to have a go yourself.

Oh, and you could throw the Midland Club (near Tullamore) into the mix too.

Umiq88

Courtlough or hilltop would prob be the places to go let him get a few lessons and see what type of shooting he wants to get into. Courtlough also have a gun shop afaik so you could get him the few lessons and then he could pick out the gun.

Guns arent exactly the thing you just buy they have a specific use so he'll have to find out what disciple he wants to get into and then choose the right gun after that so maybe you could get vouchers with courtlough and then he could do the rest himself.

vlmaxis

Courtlough, although a great facility, is mainly a shotgun range, if you get him to contact the Leinster Rifle and Pistol club, they have use of hilltops range and he can try rifle, pistol and shotgun, they can also bring him to a range to try some fullbore rifle shooting then he will have an idea what he wants to do, you can contact the chairman of LRPC Mr Rod Wilson on 0863945874, I'm sure he will help you out.;)

Umiq88

^^

only problem with centrefire shooting is its hard to get a licence first time round. Shotgun or Rimfire is the way to go imo and courtlough seems to have the best facility for this.

I think we're soon going to have another CZ 452 owner here if everything goes to plan

Sparks

Well, it's not the *only* problem with starting off with centrefire psitta - there's the noise and the recoil and the scope-eye and the cost, all of which wouldn't make for the best introduction for a newbie. Air or smallbore still strike me as the best introduction for rifle or pistol.

vlmaxis

The lads at LRPC are fantastic at starting someone off on the right track, they even have a Junior agenda to help grow the sport, if this guy goes to them, they will assess him and they will advise him as best they can, Great club.

sidneyreilly

Sparks, I think the reference was to "try" fullbore. Whilst I agree it's important to start small it does no harm for someone to fire a few shots out off the big stuff for contrast, after the .22 it tends to bring a bit of a smile to the odd face:D

Sparks

Well the rule is to try everything once Sidney, so go ahead - it's just that I remember trying it once because I got a good dose of scope eye and fullbore eardrum

Rovi

Sparks wrote:

...it's just that I remember trying it once because I got a good dose of scope eye and fullbore eardrum

Tsk... beginners, eh? :rolleyes:

Hezz700

Sparks wrote:

Well the rule is to try everything once Sidney, so go ahead - it's just that I remember trying it once because I got a good dose of scope eye and fullbore eardrum

Was it chambered for 450/500 nitro express or what???:D

mallards

Hi Lancypants, I've been to Courtlough a few times and found it very good. By all means get your husband some vouchers. He can try the shotguns and rifle range. All the shooting are at targets, paper and clay pigeons (like shooting flying disks!). It would not really be like a lesson in hunting apart from how to load a gun and trying to hit the target! Tell the people there that you are new to shooting and would like to give it a go and Im sure they will be happy to help. Also they do have a shop there selling guns, clothes shooting stuff. So if he see's something he fancies the staff will be able to help and tell him how to go about getting his first gun. P.s As Rovi says you should go and try it for the craic yourself. Best of luck!

E@gle.

The best thing you can do if ya want hunting experience is to go out with someone that is hunting sp you can learn from them

Sparks

Hezz700 wrote:

Was it chambered for 450/500 nitro express or what???:D

Nope, .270. Just insufficient instruction and insufficient ear protection. A good lesson to learn early on...

Hezz700

Sparks wrote:

Nope, .270. Just insufficient instruction and insufficient ear protection. A good lesson to learn early on...

Aye, .270 can be a right barky little Fecker, depending on the lead dispenser being used.;)

Vegeta

Hezz700 wrote:

Aye, .270 can be a right barky little Fecker, depending on the lead dispenser being used.;)

brother has a .270 and although he is used to the recoil, i am not.

I have also got scope eye from it. have to love the .223 what a lovely round, still requires decent ear protection at the range though

vlmaxis

Anyone who has ever got Scope eye has never had proper instruction on eye relief and gun handling, God help anyone who tries this with a 30,06, 300 win mag or worse, a Barrett light 50, so have someone there to guide you trough the safe handling, that's what the LRPC boys do well.

Vegeta

vlmaxis wrote:

Anyone who has ever got Scope eye has never had proper instruction on eye relief and gun handling, God help anyone who tries this with a 30,06, 300 win mag or worse, a Barrett light 50, so have someone there to guide you trough the safe handling, that's what the LRPC boys do well.

well personally i went from shooting a .22 air rifle to a .223 and never got scope eye (obviously). So I was a little surprised to say the least when it happened with the .270

Hezz700

The worst recoil i,ve had was the old .303, but that was always open sights so no real problem. but it certainly used to leave its mark on the shoulder.