Advice for young shooter.

egan04921

I'm 16 and just bought my first .22 and i have a .22 air rifle. I want to get more into shooting and hunting as I want to be a gunsmith when I leave school so if any one has any information or tips on how i can get more involved with the sport or become a better shooter please let me know.Thanks.

Witcher

What type of shooting do you do? Hunting or target shooting? If it's hunting try and get into the local gun club if there is one and learn from the older guys. If it's target shooting then you already have range membership so put time into your shooting practice and try and move into the competitions.

For any shooting really the key to learning is more time practicing, both with the gun and without..read about your sport whether it's hunting/target shooting and talk to people already in the know...they've probably done all the reading etc. so just soak up their knowledge:pac:

egan04921

ye im thinking of joining a local gun club in the new year, any tips on what to hunt with a .22 rim fire or .22 airrifle

Witcher

egan04921 wrote: »

ye im thinking of joining a local gun club in the new year, any tips on what to hunt with a .22 rim fire or .22 airrifle

What were you planning to hunt when you got them? Go out and walk the fields that you have permission to shoot on and see what is around, generally the calibres you have will be used for rabbits and other small vermin. Don't be taking shot at birds in trees though:)

egan04921

i was planning on shooting foxes and rabbits with the .22 and i shoot crows with the airrifle at the moment because i dont know if i can shoot all birds all year round

cookimonster

I got my first gun as soon as I was of legal age but had been shooting with the father for many years before that. I can't stress how important it is that you go out with some one who has experience from both a safety and learning point of view. Do some of the competency courses that are on offer as they are good foundations for further courses such as instructing, coaching range management etc and will give you a foot hold into the shooting world.
I don't know your situation weather your in the country or a townie but a piece of advice for you from my own experience, be discrete with your gun and your shooting although you are legaly licensed folks tend to be weary and mistrustfull of young people with guns.
Even when shooting on my own permissions the odd time I came across people who did not know me there was always an air of uncertainty on their behalf as i was a very young looking teenager.
Best of luck with your endeavors.

egan04921

thanks i wouldnt have thought about what other people might think when they see a teenager with a rifle. i live in the country with plenty of fields i just dont know how to ask farmers for permission to shoot on their land as i dont come from a big farming background. and thanks for all the tips cookimonster

cookimonster

Ask among family and friends, even if you only get one or two fields you have a start and once you get somewhere other land owners will be more willing when they know someone else trusts you. A big help is to have insurance, their are many on here who will recommend various insurance groups, I use Countryside Alliance myself, I know it sounds like more money but its worth it and will only work out at 1-2 euros a week over the year.

J.R.

egan04921 wrote: »

i was planning on shooting foxes and rabbits with the .22 and i shoot crows with the airrifle at the moment because i dont know if i can shoot all birds all year round

With the .22 rifle & air rifle you can shoot:

mammals:

grey squirrels

rabbits

rats

fox (if within range & confident of a letal hit out to about 70 - 80 yards)

hare.......has a season....... 26th Sept - 28th Feb........seems to be a grey area whether they can be shot with a rifle or not during that period.....most who shoot them do so with shotguns.......I personally never shoot hares and certainly wouldn't chance it with a rifle.


birds:

all birds are protected - some have an open season - however you can shoot some vermin species if causing damage


What that means is.....you cannot shoot any game species with rifles....even when the season is open. These are pheasant, woodcock, duck, partridge, snipe etc.

Rooks & jackdaws can be shot all year round if causing damage.....you can't just go to a field picking them off if no damage is being caused....they need to be attacking a crop, foodstuff etc.

Greycrows & magpies can be shot the whole year round if causing damage or likely to cause damage.....which they always do.....so safe shoooting these anytime.

Pigeon are classed as two categories, where they can be shot all year round if causing damage....again you can't just go to a field picking them off if no damage is being caused....they need to be attacking a crop, foodstuff etc.
However they also have a season Nov. 1st - Jan. 31st where they can be shot even if no crop is present & they are not causing damage.

Cass

Everything you need to know from seasons, to laws, etc.

Thread here.

egan04921

thanks j.r. for the chart going to help alot, i didnt think ther was so many seasons for birds

egan04921

and thanks Ezridax for the link i may look over the law.