British Airgun Championships

[another_dom]

All,

As some of you are clearly aware, the NSRA have had some serious issues recently. I do believe they are now on the road to recovery as it were!

The Association do host a number of junior shooting clubs at the Lord Roberts Centre, aimed at attracting them to the sport in a safe environment. They work alongside the NRA to organise open days at Bisley, where you can try any (UK legal) shooting discipline you care to. There is also a great deal of tie in with British Shooting (the rebranded GBTSF) to support the national sides, including development squads. They also support the national coaching scheme and run workshops dealing with psychology, electronic training aids (SCATT, Noptel) etc.

The NSRA also run a huge number of competitions, both postal and at Open Championships, covering small bore, air rifle and pistol and cross bow. It is incorrect to say the association is predominantly small bore - indeed the bulk of the facilities are geared towards towards 10m Olympic air events. You do not have to be a member to use the facilities, and can hire a lane by the hour, half day or day. Similarly, you do not have to be a member to enter most of the competitions.

Now for the slightly contentious bit! The NSRA is not a charity and has a huge annual turnover. I would encourage everyone involved in target shooting to join, if only for the comprehensive insurance cover, the 'right' to enter the competitions, and to bring my membership costs down a bit! It might also reduce the Association's dependence on swimming lessons, radio control cars, indoor bowls, dancing, roller hockey and weddings (I jest not) to stay afloat. Joining the relevant associations also ensures we have a political voice. I should add that I am not connected to the NSRA, other than being an annual member!

Biggles, you are absolutely right to say the accessibility of this information leaves a lot to be desired.

Finally, good luck to all competing this weekend!

Dom.

[another_dom]

Bullbarrel,

A bit of a technical error in your description of the olypmic air rifle discipline - a 10m air rifle bull is actually 0.5 +/1 0.1mm diameter (inward gauging), even so scores of 400 are made at the highest levels of the sport and there is discussion into reducing the size of the targets again. This will probably result in removing the 10 'spot' altogether!

All a bit precise for me - I'm sticking to small bore where you get a nice big 10.4mm diameter 10 ring. Unfortunately it's outdoors at 50 metres!

Dom.

[mowerman]

I was rather dissapointed to see that the 2008 Phoenix shoot, for which I'm on the mailing list, seems to have dropped the HFT comp run by BFTO. Anyone know why?
Biggles

Hi Mike, The HFT comp during the Phoenix was dropped by the NSRA because of the lack of support, we were expecting/hoping for 100+ shooters but only got little more than 30! (I think it clashed with something else that day).
Oh well there's always next year.
Cheers, Paul. (BFTO member)

[Powderfinger]

BUT, in terms of promoting the sport to 'outsiders' (including many of the BBS community), I'd strongly encourage the Association to add to the web site the sort of thing that most of us have on ours, quite often on our home pages. i.e. a "welcome to the sport" section, describing what it's all about, the different disciplines and classes and the equipment, etc. AND how people with an interest can become involved. Ever increasingly so, we need all the new people we can in our sports.

As, with their staff shortages, I imagine they have little time to trawl the BBS (), I'll find a way of expressing this opinion directly to the NSRA web meister.

ATB

Biggles

Excellent ideas and well put. NSRA has been hampered for decades by some fuddy-duddy ideas. I hope as time goes by, we can give more enouragement to get new members in and some fresh ideas.

[P30man]

Good luck to all the competitors.

I will be on the 10m range as staff, come and say hello, i wear my BBS name badge with pride

[levidog]

See you tomorrow

[RobF]

i'll be there...jeans and trainers...and an anny 2002...say hello.

[biggles]

Hi Mike, The HFT comp during the Phoenix was dropped by the NSRA because of the lack of support, we were expecting/hoping for 100+ shooters but only got little more than 30! (I think it clashed with something else that day).
Oh well there's always next year.
Cheers, Paul. (BFTO member)

Thanks for that Paul.

Have just checked diaries and I do see that it clashes with the UKAHFT at Tawd Vale. Shame all the same, as I would not have expected there to be a mass exodus from the South East to Tawd.

I hope they do run it as part of Phoenix next year. If they confirm the date well in advance (I don't recall it moving around much from that last weekend in May) the Sussex clubs (5 of us now ) will certainly promote it to our members - as we did this year - and do our best to avoid a clash when setting the dates for the Sussex Interclub HFT.

atb

Biggles