Complete newbie to target shooting - help with where to start

[Meladdo]

I have been shooting a recurve bow for a while and although did not master the art - I was ok and I did get some enjoyment out of it, However I decided to sell up all of my archery gear as I was using it less and less - I have a lower back problem and the whole wheeled cart gig was a bit of a drudge....

A friend took me along to a pistol club while on Holiday down his neck of the woods - can think of the name of it - but I had a go at target shooting with a compressed air pistol and a few rifles.

The pistol shooting has grabbed my attention - But I am at a loss where to start - Now the pistol I was using belonged to the club and it was a little used to say the least But a chap came over and said - this is what you need - you've hands like spades and fingers like sausages after the cheeky bugger feelings subsided and he thrust the gun in my hand - WOW it felt as if made for me - I shot consistently with it too - I though - I like this...

The pistol was a Steyr LP50 and was a multi-shot pistol - but could be single shot if needed - just by not using the small carriage - 5 shot IIRC

Now my question - is this a good start for a pistol and where can one buy such a pistol?

Thanks in advance

[SteveR]

The pistol was a Steyr LP50 and was a multi-shot pistol - but could be single shot if needed - just by not using the small carriage - 5 shot IIRC

Now my question - is this a good start for a pistol and where can one buy such a pistol?

Thanks in advance

Its not easy to answer without knowing what type of Pistol shooting you are wanting to get into.

Are you looking to take up 10 Metre/ 20 Yard Pistol shooting on Paper targets ?

There are a large range of other match pistols to choose from, Steyr LP10 & LP10e, Steyr LP50 & LP50e, Steyr LP2, Morini 162m & 162e, FWB P44... the list goes on.

Bearing in mind that new all these are £1,200 + its not a decision to take lightly, and as is often recommended its worthwhile finding a club nearby to try out the different disciplines.

Normally a club will have a club pistol or two, and most members are usually willing to let you try theirs.

The NSRA club finder is a good place to start for clubs: NSRA Club Finder

Steve.

[hwtyger]

Imo, the LP50 is a VERY expensive pistol to start with!
If yr not sure yr gonna like it, I'd suggest a springer matchpistol, FWB65, Diana etc, or a cheaper CO2 (Tau, FWB, steyr)..
Those are inherently just as accurate but lack some ergo's.
Also its multishot, the LP50. Not ideal for 10m target. My old LP5 barks quite a lot. More than my singleshots. Also, indexing can become a problem with wear.
If steyr suits you so well, search a LP1 would be my suggestion than.
There are several on egun.de, far cheaper than the uk usually.

[jonyb]

great choice in pistol. i have an lp5 and 10 which i shoot competitively.
my personal best scores have been shot with the lp5 in single shot magazine mode.
it's a personal thing i suppose, and i prefer the lp5.
i have had it 10years with no problems at all, the odd service by h.preston helps.
plenty of postal comps and county shoots in lancashire to keep you interested.
there was an lp2 for sale on here recently,good pistol.
also a cheap sam k11.
as i say it's personal preference.
good luck.

[defblade]

I'd start with a second-hand Gamo Compact. They're very cheap for what they are, they fit my shovels/hands just fine, and it'll be a while before you can out-shoot it. Then, you can sell it on for the same as you paid for it.

[Hemmers]

There are a large range of other match pistols to choose from, Steyr LP10 & LP10e, Steyr LP50 & LP50e, Steyr LP2, Morini 162m & 162e, FWB P44... the list goes on.

Bearing in mind that new all these are £1,200 + its not a decision to take lightly, and as is often recommended its worthwhile finding a club nearby to try out the different disciplines.

Slight overestimation. Steyr LP2s can be had for <£1000 from www.edinkillie.com. A while ago they had an offer and they were down to £850 or so. There are many PCP pistols around for <£1200, although they're certainly not going to fall much below £1000 new.

As mentioned, LP50s are an expensive place to start. They were developed in part (AFAIK) to allow UK shooters to practice rapid fire/sport pistol type courses on reduced targets (it's normally shot at 20/25m I think). If you get into straight-up Olympic-style 10m target pistol, an LP50 would not be the best pistol for the job.

Join a club, have a play with as many air pistols as you can lay your hands on. Most clubs will have some club guns, and if you can get some hands on experience with other members guns, then that's all to the benefit.

Also remember that they may have grips fitted that are not your ideal size, so don't judge a gun on how it feels as ssosn as you pick it up! If the balance is way off for you, then fair enough, but if it's just a bit of play in the grip, then check what the grip size is and factor that into your considerations. If oyu find one that's a nice weight but you can barely reach the trigger, don't just write it off - check if it's got an XL grip on and consider that it will probably be a good fit with a Medium or something