Learn pistol shooting

Monsclara

Hi, I would like to join a shooting club where I could learn pistol shooting and/or rifle target shooting, preferably Dublin south, Wicklow. I'm a complete novice so don't want to join somewhere very competitive.
Thanks

Cass

Check out the NASRPC's website. As the NGB for pistol shooting they would be the best bet for info on clubs, ranges, disciplines, etc.

As to competitive levels. Every club will have their newcomers aswell as their top shots. It's up to you how much you compete, how often, and at what level. Remember its a sport, and nothing is "mandatory".

Monsclara

Thanks Erzidax. Something just occurred to me about the shooting clubs. Are they firearms clubs or air rifle/pistol clubs? I am looking for the "air" variety. Will check the website link later as rushing to work.

SVI40

Hi,

You could try http://www.eastcoastshootingclub.com/. They have an air rifle section, as well as rifle, handgun and shotgun.

SVI40

Sparks

Rathdrum also have an airgun section: http://www.rathdrumrpc.org/

Monsclara

Thanks Sparks. Will check it out too.

Monsclara

Thanks SVI40. No doubt I'll be back with lots more queries! I would have no idea where to start to buy an air pistol.

clivej

Monsclara wrote: »

Thanks SVI40. No doubt I'll be back with lots more queries! I would have no idea where to start to buy an air pistol.

Forget the air pistol and go for a 22lr handgun straight off. BUT you'll still need to be a member of a range that does pistol shooting.

rowa

clivej wrote: »

Forget the air pistol and go for a 22lr handgun straight off. BUT you'll still need to be a member of a range that does pistol shooting.

I don't know about that clivej, an air pistol is a great training tool and teaches you all you need to know before buying a rimfire, the pellets are very cheap and the noise is very low. Trouble is the ptb treat a puny 6ft/lb air gun the same as a .22lr.

clivej

rowa wrote: »

I don't know about that clivej, an air pistol is a great training tool and teaches you all you need to know before buying a rimfire, the pellets are very cheap and the noise is very low. Trouble is the ptb treat a puny 6ft/lb air gun the same as a .22lr.

I know what your saying and hear ya.

Its just that the NASRPC run so many competitions for the both the 22lr Pistols and rifles that its more easy to get into the competitiveness side of shooting.

Sure I'm only just a year at it and can't wait for the next comps. to come. One down already and a third place medal got.

rowa

If air arms up to a certain power (6ft/lbs for pistol , 12ft/lbs for rifle) were available to have off ticket ,but with an authorisation from the local super once you already held a firearms cert and were a target club member, it would be a very sensible way to control things. Going through the rig-marole for a cert for an airgun is hardly neccessary considering the power they have.

psf32

rowa wrote: »

If air arms up to a certain power (6ft/lbs for pistol , 12ft/lbs for rifle) were available to have off ticket ,but with an authorisation from the local super once you already held a firearms cert and were a target club member, it would be a very sensible way to control things. Going through the rig-marole for a cert for an airgun is hardly neccessary considering the power they have.

Target shooting is not about power it's about how accurate you can be and the best way to start and the base of all target pistol shooting is air pistol. I would allways start with air pistol because what ever rim fire discipline you chose in the long run all you are really doing is a prescion shot followed by another one.

Some of the best rapid fire and SP shootings in the world are also world class air pistol shooters.

Sparks

clivej wrote: »

Its just that the NASRPC run so many competitions for the both the 22lr Pistols and rifles that its more easy to get into the competitiveness side of shooting.

To be honest clive, that's just not a worry. There's more than enough matches run in UCD for the air pistol lads, not to mention postal matches and club matches. Every other weekend was the average rate over the last few months. And starting off with a .22lr pistol is probably not as good as starting off with a cheap air pistol, because you're trying to learn things that the recoil will mask. Whereas if you learn the basics on air, transitioning to smallbore is easy (I've done it myself for matches in the past; for slow-fire, it's precisely the same as air, you really only encounter difficulties in rapid-fire events and to be honest, you've nearly adapted in the space of an hour with those).

Hell, it's not till you get to fullbore pistols that you start having to change your technique all that much to cope with the recoil.

Monsclara

Hi all

Thanks for all the helpful comments. I think as a pure beginner, i would feel more comfortable using an air pistol. The firearm feels like a real grown-up version and I'm not sure if I'm going to be good enough to get to competition level.
I had a play with a friend's air pistol in the UK last weekend and got interested in the challenge of hitting the target - but I guess this is a beginner's experience and perhaps if I get into it, I'll be interested in other aspects.

Now, my next challenge is where to lay my hands on an air pistol that's not going to break the bank (which is pretty simple these days!) Any suggestions on where and what sort of price I could expect to pay? Maybe that's a length of a piece of string question, but I am budget restricted.

Thanks

Sparks

Monsclara wrote: »

Now, my next challenge is where to lay my hands on an air pistol that's not going to break the bank (which is pretty simple these days!) Any suggestions on where and what sort of price I could expect to pay?

I'm biased, because this is the one I shoot, but I'd recommend the Baikal IZH-46M:



Mine was about €250 by the time it got to my door. I spent another €50 on a case for keeping everything in one place and that was that (I already had a gun safe). I've been using it since 2006 or so though nowhere near as much as my rifle. It occasionally lets a bit fall out but it's an unsecured connecting bar and that just slots back in. Thing's tough as nails and very accurate (I think the highest score ever shot with one in international competition was 572 or thereabouts, which is still competitive even today, it'd have made the finals every day in Intershoot this year). I'm well impressed with it as a beginners pistol.

Monsclara

Hi Sparks
Did you buy this pistol in Ireland?

Sparks

No, from pilkguns.com in the US. But any firearms dealer would be able to sort out ordering one for you (it's a lot easier as they're not seen as firearms by the US). I think there's a Baikal dealer in Ireland, but I've never been able to find them.

rowa

I think york guns in the uk are the agents in england , they have them in stock .....for £460 !

http://www.yorkguns.co.uk/baikal_airguns.php

psf32

rowa wrote: »

I think york guns in the uk are the agents in england , they have them in stock .....for £460 !

http://www.yorkguns.co.uk/baikal_airguns.php

For that sort of money I would go for a pcp pistol you can get a new air arms one for that and I have lots of customers that have them and like them a lot

tac foley

You might like to think about the only AP that actually looks like and handles exactly like a .22 target pistol - the FAS 604. They come up from time to time. I bought mine as a group buy - at the same time as I bought the .22 and the .32.

As it is just like the real deal to see and to hold and shoot - almost the same weight, same sight radius and picture, same trigger feel and so on - it was a real doddle to transit between them and train in my backyard with it most every day. I still do. I have both left and right-hand Morini grips, as I'm fully ambidextrous and use it to teach disabled people to shoot.

Needless to say, as I live in England most of the time, the AP is all I have left. It is a VERY fine piece, though, and is stupendously accurate with a real shooter holding it.

tac

Sparks

That's daft money. They go for the $500 mark in the US (€350). I'd shop around, and take a peek at the second-hand sites.

rowa

Loads of air pistols over on frankonia's website, a lot of the cheaper ones are made by rohm, so i don't know if they'd be much cop.

http://www.frankonia.de/waffen/kurzwaffen/luftpistolen/categorylist.html

.243

Sparks wrote: »

I think there's a Baikal dealer in Ireland, but I've never been able to find them.

up till recently gowen and bradshaw were the importers,but as of late it seems that has moved now to ardee sports

Mr.Flibble

Monsclara wrote: »

Hi all

Thanks for all the helpful comments. I think as a pure beginner, i would feel more comfortable using an air pistol. The firearm feels like a real grown-up version and I'm not sure if I'm going to be good enough to get to competition level.
I had a play with a friend's air pistol in the UK last weekend and got interested in the challenge of hitting the target - but I guess this is a beginner's experience and perhaps if I get into it, I'll be interested in other aspects.

Now, my next challenge is where to lay my hands on an air pistol that's not going to break the bank (which is pretty simple these days!) Any suggestions on where and what sort of price I could expect to pay? Maybe that's a length of a piece of string question, but I am budget restricted.

Thanks

I'd recommend going to a few clubs and/or open shoots and looking at as many different models as you can - maybe handle them if permitted - before committing to the aggro of licensing and shelling out your hard-earned.

Monsclara

Mr.Flibble wrote: »

I'd recommend going to a few clubs and/or open shoots and looking at as many different models as you can - maybe handle them if permitted - before committing to the aggro of licensing and shelling out your hard-earned.

Yes, i 've come to that conclusion too as I don't know enough about this stuff to make a sensible decision - but will keep you all posted.

rowa

There are plenty of clubs in north wickla, hilltop , rathdrum , east coast.

http://www.eastcoastshootingclub.com/

Monsclara

rowa wrote: »

There are plenty of clubs in north wickla, hilltop , rathdrum , east coast.

http://www.eastcoastshootingclub.com/

Talked to ECSC and heading there in the morning. Tried to contact Rathdrum but could only find an email template which I sent a couple of days ago and I haven't heard anything back. Couldn't find a no. on their website. But looking forward to going to ECSC.

syconerd

try brc shooting club in tallaght cant get much more south dublin than that contact the secertary there called alan cass at 0851994108 this is offical club number mods
thanx john,

ordinary star

clivej wrote: »

Forget the air pistol and go for a 22lr handgun straight off. BUT you'll still need to be a member of a range that does pistol shooting.

I'd like to point out that Air Pistol is a good and competitive sport in its own right...!

Monsclara

Done a fair bit of homework and think it's going to be an air pistol. Would like to handle a few different ones before committing to buying and getting licence. Any suggestions about clubs? Wondering about TCD as I'm an alumni

It wasn't me!

I'm afraid DURC (in TCD) is rifle only. We don't have or shoot air pistol.