Frequently Asked Questions about Smallbore rifle shooting
If you are new to shooting or just want to know a little more about certain topics here are some FAQs that you might find useful
What is Smallbore Rifle Shooting?
How do I start shooting as a sport?
What is the law for Small Bore rifle shooting?
How do I get a Firearms Certificate, and do I need one?
Transporting rifles & ammunition (within the UK)
Transporting rifles & ammunition (into and out-of the UK)
What is the National Smallbore Rifle Association?
What is Small Bore Rifle Shooting?
Target shooting with small-bore rifles and pistols and air rifles and air pistols is part of one of the largest participant sports in the country. It is open to all, irrespective of age, gender or ability and has a proven track record of improving an individual's concentration and motivation.
Although target shooting was one of the original founding sports for the modern Olympic Games started in 1896, its popularity amongst civilians only really took off in 1900 as a consequence of the Boer War. The Boers' superior marksmanship lead to increasing concern at the capability of the Army to defend the population against invasion. The call went out for the populace to learn to shoot to defend their country and in due course civilian small-bore shooting clubs were formed from which the sport grew.
Shooting is accessible at over 600 clubs around the country that have a variety of indoor and outdoor ranges. Small-bore rifle shooting is mostly carried out over distances of between 15-25 yards (usually on indoor ranges), 50 yards or meters and 100 yards, both of these longer ranges are shot outdoors. Air gun shooting is at 6 yards and 10 meters The clubs provide all the equipment required to learn to shoot, together with all necessary coaching. All you need to bring is yourself and enthusiasm.
This is one of the few sports where male and female and the able and those with disabilities compete equally against one another. Age is no bar to competition. You can start as soon as you are physically strong enough to hold a firearm safely (with supervision) and you can continue well beyond retirement age. Once you are proficient there are many competitions around the country open to you so you are not restricted to just one venue.
The governing body of the sport is the National Small-bore Rifle Association and you can either use the club finder on this website or the one on the NSRA website for anyone wishing to take up this challenging and enjoyable sport.
How do I start shooting as a sport?
Find a local club - contact them about having a starter session and take it from there. Use our extensive list of local clubs to find one near you. (click here for more info)
Most clubs will be able to provide a rifle and other shooting kit for people who want to try shooting for the first time - or even come back to shooting after some time away from the sport. Clubs often have qualified coaches who can take you through the basics of getting into the right position, how to aim correctly and will have you firing live rounds, safely, in no time at all.
What is the law for Small Bore rifle shooting?
The use and ownership of firearms in the UK is governed by national law under the Firearms Act 1968 (and it's various amendments). When starting out with shooting it is important be be aware of the law regarding the use of firearms, no matter what stage you are at you will need to be aware of what you can and cannot do with weapons in the UK.
If you just want to try shooting to see if you like it as a sport then your first port of call should be one of your local clubs. They should be able to provide you with a good overview of the law around using a rifle. At most clubs you will be covered by their insurance if you are trying the sport out, however you must check with the club that you are covered before you use a rifle or ammunition.
Full copy of the UK firearms act can be found here: Firearms Act 1968
How do I get a Firearms Certificate (FAC) and do I need one?
The first question to ask yourself is 'do I really need an FAC?'. If you are starting out at shooting you may not need to rush out and buy a rifle straight away, your local club probably has a number of rifles which are available for use by club members and 'first timers' which you can use without possessing your own FAC. This provides an easy way for you to try out the sport without the need to go through the FAC process.
If, however, you wish to own your own rifle and buy ammunition, you must (by law) have applied for and been granted a Firearms Certificate (FAC) by the police firearms department in your local area.
Applying for an FAC is a process controlled by the police force in your local area. There are a number of criteria that need to be met before HM government will legally allow you to possess a firearm. The full Firearms Act is a quite a lot to take in and so a brief outline of the basic requirements is given below.
The best advice to any new FAC applicant is to ask existing club members for advice, and speak to the police firearms department in your area before filling out the application form. The information provided here is an overview designed to give people a basic idea of what to do if they want to apply for an FAC and is not a comprehensive guide to successfully applying for an FAC.
1) Demonstrate requirement for an FAC - you need to show that you have a reasonable reason to own and use a rifle. Being a member of a registered rifle club is a suitable reason, but this must be proved with a letter of confirmation signed by a registered club secretary - most clubs will also require you to be e member for a set period of time (a few months) before they will provide a letter - this is because they are putting their own reputation on the line by vouching for you
2) Provide references - The Firearms Acts require an applicant for the grant or renewal of a firearm certificate to supply the names and addresses of two people who have agreed to act as referees. There are a lot of conditions around who can and cannot be a referee, details of which can be found on the FAC application form. The referees will be asked to complete a questionnaire about you and return it directly to the police (so that you cannot see what they have written).
2) Storage of your rifle - if you are applying for an FAC the general purpose of it is so that you can purchase your own rifle (more on that further on). The rifle you own needs to be stored somewhere....but where? (Click here for more information about storing your rifle)
A person must be aged 17 years or older to be granted a firearm certificate in their own name
A firearm certificate may be granted to a person aged between 14 and 17 years of age (if they meet the required criteria), but they may not themselves purchase any guns or ammunition.
No person under 14 may be granted a firearm certificate, or use firearms other than on an approved range or shooting gallery, such as at a fairground (where the maximum caliber allowed is .23 inch).
It is an offence under section 21 of the Firearms Act of 1968 as amended, for anyone convicted of a criminal offence, to handle, possess, or shoot a firearm and ammunition (this includes Air Guns). If the sentence was for more than three years the prohibition is for life; if less than three years the prohibition is for 5 years (Note: it is the sentence, not the time served, which is the determining factor).
Storing rifles & ammunition
If you are considering purchasing a rifle you must apply for an FAC. The application for an FAC includes a check of the storage facilities you have by the police - you cannot keep it under your bed!! Some clubs will allow members to store rifles in the club armory - but always ask your club before applying for your FAC and do not expect to get a space, clubs can hold a certain number of rifles and they may not have space to hold yours as well.
If you do wish to keep your rifle in your own home then be prepared to work a little for it. You need a proper gun cabinet/safe, it needs to be fixed (coach bolted) to a solid wall inside your home and not be visible or easily accessible to intruders. You will also need a separate safe for your ammunition and bolt.
The police force granting your FAC will expect a steel cabinet of at least 16 swg bolted to the floor and / or wall and secured with 5 lever lock(s). Connection to an alarm would be a bonus and in some locations may be a requirement. If your premises has shared access, for example if it is in a block of flats, the requirements may be more stringent and you may not be granted an FAC.
It is worth remembering that unless anyone else living at your address has an FAC listing your guns, then that person cannot legally handle them, even in the home.
For storage solution please feel free to use our supplier lists here
Transporting rifles & ammunition (within the UK)
It is up to the owner of the Firearm to know the law. For further information contact your local Police Firearms Licensing Department.
'Firearms Law — Guidance to the Police 2002' is a useful Home Office publication
Transporting rifles & ammunition (into and out-of the UK)
If you want to move firearms around Europe, there is a European Union Directive (Council Directive 91/477/EEC of 18 June 1991) on the control of the acquisition and possession of weapons. It announced a pass, intended to facilitate the free movement of hunters and marksmen in the Community.
According to this directive: A European firearms pass is issued by the authorities of a Member State to any person lawfully entering into possession of and using a firearm. The pass must always be in the possession of the person using the firearm or firearms listed on it. The arrangements for the acquisition and possession of ammunition shall be the same as those for the possession of the firearms for which it is intended.
As well as obtaining a pass for yourself you could utilise the services of a firearms courier service instead. Details of some couriers can be found at the bottom of the page of the following link here >>
What kit do I need?
The list of kit used by professional smallbore rifle shooters can be quite extensive, not to mention expensive. But don't worry about this when you are starting out as most clubs will be able to lend you kit to help get you started. Then over time you can build up your own equipment. If you are unsure then think of it this way, if you were taking up cycling as a sport would you go out and buy an olympic standard bicycle or would you get a cheap one first to try it out?
But in case you are wondering, here is a list of the items you will use when shooting and a brief reason as to why:
- Rifle - helpful to hit the target
- Ammunition - Without this the rifle is only there to look good...
- Jacket - supports you whilst holding the rifle
- Sling - provides support and connects you to the rifle
- Glove - for your left hand, providing grip for holding the rifle and makes your hand more comfortable
- Mat - provides grip to your elbows and stops you getting cold on the ground (...well sort of)
- Scope - so that you can see where your shots are going once you have fired them
- Ear Defenders - Rifles go BANG...it is important to get a pair of regulation standard ear defenders
- Cleaning kit - a rifle is a piece of precision engineering, it requires care and attention to keep it performing in top condition
- Rifle case - to cary and protect your rifle during transport and storage
- Large bulldog clips - these are used for shooting outdoors - they hold the targets up....
It is possible to pick up all of these items (including a rifle) for less than £500 if you buy second hand - which is not bad if you consider brand new rifles will cost in excess of £1500 - £5000 each. But don't rush out and buy the first thing you find, spend time trying out different things, most clubs will have a range of different rifle types that you can try and speaking to club members will give you a better understanding of what kit will be right for you.
How do I enter competitions?
There are many types of competitions open to rifle shooters, open, closed, league, club, county, national, international and more. Matches also take place in different places, each with a different set of criteria to enter.
Some competitions require you to be a member of the NSRA, others need membership of a club, if you are unsure of the entry regulation you should contact the event organiser for more information.
Here are some of the types of competition you can enter;
- Postal - you shoot at your targets and post them off to be scored by someone independent
- Shoulder to shoulder - teams get together to shoot next to each other, scores worked out at the time
- Indoor - usually warm and dry (but not always...)
- Outdoor - preferably in the summer on a nice day (but again, not always, or often)
If you are starting out with shooting then you should first join a club. Each club has teams that shoot in local, regional and national leagues with abilities at all levels - just like football there are sunday pub teams right through to top premiership teams, the difference being shooters get paid less and fewer people come to watch....ok, so maybe there are a few more differences than that but you get the general idea.
Once you have joined a club you should be able to shoot for one of their teams when there is space available at your level of ability. The club will take care of all the entry for events etc.
If you are wanting to shoot in any national matches then you will need to be a member of the NSRA. For more information on the NSRA please click here
Open competitions are, as they say, open to all regardless of ability. You can enter the class that suits you (usually based on the average of your last 10 cards/scores) so you will compete against people of a similar level to you which means everybody has a chance of winning something.
Entry to open competitions is usually done via post with application forms being available from club secretaries of the host club. Some competitions are listed on the events pages of this website - however we recommend you join a club first.
Do I need insurance?
This is a complicated question and depends on many things. We (this website) cannot provide a clear answer to this question without putting you at risk of breaking the law or not being insured. The best place to start is to visit the NSRA website and to speak with someone at a club near to you.
Do I need to join a club?
If you want to shoot smallbore rifle in the UK, own a rifle or compete in any event you really do need to become a member of a club.
If you are trying out the sport for a couple of times to see if you like it then you can go to a club and usually pay a small fee (it's usually a nominal fee around £3) to shoot for an evening. If you attend the club a number of times (as set down by the club, there are no standard rules for the number of times you must attend) you will usually be encouraged to join.
Membership fees vary across the country and between clubs. Each offers different things for your money, from simple use of the range through to full competition entry, targets paid and some very nice warm clubrooms. It might be worth checking out a few clubs in your area to find one that is right for you - although from experience we can say that most, if not all clubs are welcoming and provide good value for money.
What is the National Smallbore Rifle Association (NSRA)?
The NSRA is the governing body for Smallbore shooting in the UK. Rather than re-writing all their information you can find out everything you need to know at their website here >>