Is there room for CO2 in target/competition pistol shooting

[Ian]

I dont think you realise that these are austere times and if the economic situation doesnt improved soon then we will need to go back to basics. CO2 may be too modern at the end of the day and it might be time to start using springers again. Not those extravigant recoiless ones either, a Webley Mk1, Senior or even Tempest will do fine.

[Gregory]

Mmmm, now whos taking the p**s?

[Old Fart]

I don't mind moving on, but let the individual decide what to shoot. Shooting springer's would be a good idea, but in a class of their own.

The cost today puts a lot of people off and I cannot see shooting getting any favours off the Government, look at the Olympics fiasco.

How many world class shooters does Britain have?

And what type of facilities do other countries have compared to us, you can only get out what you put in and the infrastructure in the U.K. just does not encourage people to shoot.

My local club is run by a committee stuck in the dark ages, which is why I shoot a lot more clays than pellets.

By the way Allegros were crap.

[Hemmers]

Blimey, people got very agitated over this.

Yes, CO2 will shoot very well. A good CO2 gun will outshoot many shooters.
However. Apart from counting shots, its difficult to estimate when you are running out, and whilst the CO2 caplets are fine, the infrastructure to support bulk cylinders is poor at best. Plus the obvious issues with changes in temperature/pressure.

My club has a dive tank in the corner of the range. So does the Lord Roberts Centre. An old club of mine was next to a dive club and could get at-cost refills.
It simply bears no comparison compared to bulk CO2.
If you want to shoot CO2, you're essentially on your own. Some people do shoot CO2, as evidenced by the empty capsules in the range bin. However, for 60 shot matches, they may not go the length in the same manner as a bulk cylinder will. A 12g capsule should get you 80 shots, but mileage will vary from gun to gun.

If a member of my club asked for advice on whether to get a CO2 or PCP target gun, I'd tell them PCP without a second's hesitation. Why? Well, they can fill it up in the club, there are lots of other people with them (i.e. support, advice, trying guns before they buy), they are well supported from grass-roots all the way up to Olympic level.

[Gregory]

I don't mind moving on, but let the individual decide what to shoot. Shooting springer's would be a good idea, but in a class of their own.

The cost today puts a lot of people off and I cannot see shooting getting any favours off the Government, look at the Olympics fiasco.

How many world class shooters does Britain have?

And what type of facilities do other countries have compared to us, you can only get out what you put in and the infrastructure in the U.K. just does not encourage people to shoot.

My local club is run by a committee stuck in the dark ages, which is why I shoot a lot more clays than pellets.

By the way Allegros were crap.

Without changing topic, the biggest issue facing shooting is not what you use, or what the government think of us, but the average age of our shooters and our committees. Clubs are dying out because quite literally the members are dying off!

To encourage youngsters we need to get them caught up in the same spirit that continental youngsters have. Fresh new pcp rifles and pistols from walther ahg, fwb etc steyr etc are appealing to the young and help them respect the weapon and the skill needed to use them.

To many clubs are just meeting places for grumpy old gits and this obsession with old weapons (that were current when the users were competitive 15 - 20 years ago) are no inducement to kids of the Ipad age.

Hemmers has identified the technical weaknesses but the issue really is one of the state of mind.

As for infastructure, your right we dont have much in the way of first class facilities and this needs changing but for the lords sake; if were still using Co2 pistols what right have we to object to facilities? New Millenium, New Century, New Thinking.

[Old Fart]

What you say is very true about clubs today and the age of the members, at the small range near where I live I would put the average age of the members is well over 50.

But you find this in most types of shooting, last Sunday I went to a clay shoot in Scotland for the first time.

Apart from two lads with their Dad the average age was over 50...again.

I live in a village surrounded by countryside in the last twenty years or so I have never seen lads walking around with air rifles like I used to, today the armed police would more than likely turn out.

Guns are bad news today, my wife works at a school, they discourage kids from "shooting" each other when playing games.

Have you tried to involve young adults in shooting, it's very difficult and quite expensive, most club's want subs' up front even before they start, that's if you can find young people who want to shoot, they mostly want to play computer games.

Re; Co2 I posted to see what the reply would be and yes PCP is the way forward but it does not matter what you shoot with because if you have no members then you have no clubs to encourage the youth of today to join in a sport for all.

I have a friend who is a World Champion shooting a muzzle loading rifle, when he shoots abroad, the whole town joins in...can you ever see that happening in England?

[Gregory]

I cannot, never could except for perhaps a few years at the turn of the 19th / 20th century when small bore started to take off

We will always be a minority sport, but that doesnt mean we cant be a healthy minority. At the moment we face a real crisis, over the next 10 - 15 years club secretarys, committee members and league scorers / oganising officer are going to start retiring / dropping.

That means there are precious few youngsters entering the sport at the bottom and precious few experienced ex shooters / managers at the top of the sport.

Some clubs are thriving but they are few and far between. I think its shape up or ship out for shooting sports right now.

[Old Fart]

Gregory,

We were thrown a lifeline recently named NATTS, but what happened, the various organisations could not agree on a policy.

They all like to be in their own ivory towers wielding a little bit of power here and there, but are they bothered about "The Bigger Picture", I think not.

You know I am glad that I was born in 1949 because at least I had the chance and I grasped it with both hands to shoot all sorts of different firearms. What chance has anyone got in the next fifty years.

Sorry not to mention Co2