Do Other Shooters Look Down At Airgun Owners???

[njaw]

Years ago I visited a full bore shooting range (before the ban etc).
I had never shot a 'real' firearm before but was pretty good at air rifle field target.
I chose a real M16 and shot it down the range one bullet after the other resulting in a very tight group.
The chap next to me was using his own M16 on a black and deck workmate with straps and gizmos all aiding his accuracy.
He looked at my target and said "blimey. Nice shooting!"
I said "cheers. It's my first time. I usually shoot an air rifle"
He didn't say a word. ;-)

[Charlts]

if anything this thread has shown me that some airgunners are prejudiced against powder burners

Quite an accurate summary, some have chips on both shoulders!

[Randy Bohannon]

Some have the whole potato on both shoulders.

[artschool]

Some have the whole potato on both shoulders.

that reminds me of the time I was an indentured servant, on the estate of a wealthy aristocrat.

one afternoon, when I had managed to wriggle free from being crushed under his boot heel, I was out target shooting with my air rifle.

I accidentally walked into the midst of a shooting party, having to shield my eyes from the shiny engraving on their Holland & Hollands or Purdeys, I knew I was in trouble.

They all scoffed at me and the head toff said he would be claiming prima nocta with my bride to be if I couldn't best him in a shooting contest.

The upper class idiot fetched his mauser and made his manservant walk 100 paces into the field with a potato on his head.

I lifted my trusty springer and with a practiced motion I gave it all the hold over I could muster and dropped my .22 pellet into the midst of that tuber.

the conceited fool lifted his piece of german engineering and promptly shot the poor chap dead.

having being bested in front of all of his privately educated oxbridge chums was too much for him to handle, and he dropped to the ground clutching his chest.

the duchess, having witness the entire demonstration of air rifle superiority, became my betrothed and we lived happily ever after.

the end.

[Randy Bohannon]

that reminds me of the time I was an indentured servant, on the estate of a wealthy aristocrat.

one afternoon, when I had managed to wriggle free from being crushed under his boot heel, I was out target shooting with my air rifle.

I accidentally walked into the midst of a shooting party, having to shield my eyes from the shiny engraving on their Holland & Hollands or Purdeys, I knew I was in trouble.

They all scoffed at me and the head toff said he would be claiming prima nocta with my bride to be if I couldn't best him in a shooting contest.

The upper class idiot fetched his mauser and made his manservant walk 100 paces into the field with a potato on his head.

I lifted my trusty springer and with a practiced motion I gave it all the hold over I could muster and dropped my .22 pellet into the midst of that tuber.

the conceited fool lifted his piece of german engineering and promptly shot the poor chap dead.

having being bested in front of all of his privately educated oxbridge chums was too much for him to handle, and he dropped to the ground clutching his chest.

the duchess, having witness the entire demonstration of air rifle superiority, became my betrothed and we lived happily ever after.

the end.

I had by mistake attended a demonstration by some trade unionist types, HFT shooters I later learned they called themselves, and realising that they were in a typically lynching frame of mind decided to stay and attempt to puzzle out the mysteries at the hearts of their rudimentary souls.

"You there, build me a platform, I can't see any proles from here" I commanded the nearest group of indolent humanity as was dulce et decorum by all the rights of God, Man and the Queen.

These passive-agressive ruffians of course looked to their de facto shop steward with "down tools?" written in gleams in their inveterate eyes but he bent his head and his back to the task and soon I had an appropriate platform for shooting the only form of shooting worth shooting.

Mine.

I set about demonstrating a tour de force in the art of shooting past 45 yards, which is simple really given the correct equipment of sufficient cost and loudness.

All was going swimmingly until a undercover airgunner, one could tell because he sporting a Blaser rifle which is the very gayest of centrefires, turned up and asked to shoot in that lilting camp lisp they all seem to have.

The tables had turned on me, the shame of association eroded the very platform I was stood on, I began to sink into the mud both literally and metaphorically as the awed reverence in the eyes of the airgunners began to dissolve into iron laughter.

Thusly shamed I packed up and went home, vowing to hold this against all airgunners forever more...

Not the end...

[Cheesy Pickering]

Hello guys,

I've had airguns since I was a young lad and I would say I have around 25 years of experience with the sport, on and off admittedly, but during this time I feel I have built up a reasonable knowledge of the sport of airgun shooting.

I am in no way an expert but I have owned and handled lots of different air rifles over the years and over the past five years or so I have really tried to improve my knowledge and shooting ability (a big thanks goes out to the BBS members for helping me with this!)

Last weekend I was invited to go shooting with a shotgun owner over a large piece of land, obviously I jumped at the chance and was really looking forward to it but it ended up one of the worst days of shooting I can remember!

My companion was constantly telling me what to do, what I was doing wrong and basically treated me like an idiot.

I'm the kind of guy who keeps his mouth shut in these situations and lets the other person dig a hole for themselves while I pay close attention to their comments but in the end I was pretty pissed off as I'm sure you can imagine.

Anyway we parted ways at the end of the shoot and I decided that I will stick to hunting by myself which I have always done and enjoy much more. Then to my surprise a few days later I received an email from my weekend companion with 'tips' on how I can become a better shooter...now this email was the most patronising thing I have read in my life! I really couldn't believe it as this guy doesn't know me and we have never gone shooting together and he didn't witness me shooting as there was f-all to shoot on his permission. What was most annoying was that half of these 'tips' were complete rubbish

Personally I have respect for the entire shooting community and all the various disciplines but it got me thinking, are airgun owners treated as the 'poor cousins' in the shooting community?

I think a lot of people from a non-shooting background think of air rifles as the old rusty rifle found in grandad's shed or the cheap rifle they used to shoot tins cans with as a kid which I suppose is understandable but is there respect shown to the airgun community from shooters of other disciplines?

Of course there will always be exceptions to the rule and lots of people on here own shotguns, rifles and air rifles but is the attitude shown to me by my weekend shooting partner the 'norm' or is he just a knob?

I know all of the above doesn't really matter and I will continue to love airgun shooting and learning as much as I can about the sport but it has been bugging me the past few days (I know it shouldn't) so I wanted to get it off my chest...sorry for the 'rant' but thanks for reading and I'd really be interested to hear your thoughts on the subject.

All the best,

Chris

There's lots of knobs in shooting.

I found this out in 2006 when I first got my FAC.

Many RFD's are condescending knobs. I've found a couple that are not knobs BTW!

I joined a rifle club for a while but the knobbishness of many members put me right off!

My favourite type of shooting is on my own hiding up in a ditch away from everybody.

[Charlts]

My favourite type of shooting is on my own hiding up in a ditch away from everybody.

Definitely the best kind of shooting going, or with a trusted mate and a flask!

[Murphy]

Quite an accurate summary, some have chips on both shoulders!

I thought it was leather?!

[RichardH]

Some have the whole potato on both shoulders.

Some have the whole hectare.....

Yippee Ki Yay CO2 boy

[Randy Bohannon]

Some have the whole hectare.....

Yippee Ki Yay CO2 boy

Hectare?

metric?!

remoaner!

[clarky]

There's lots of knobs in shooting.

I found this out in 2006 when I first got my FAC.

Many RFD's are condescending knobs. I've found a couple that are not knobs BTW!

I joined a rifle club for a while but the knobbishness of many members put me right off!

My favourite type of shooting is on my own hiding up in a ditch away from everybody.

Amen to that.

[PhatMan]

Hello to All,

I am a Range Conducting Officer for a full-bore shooting Club.

Last year, I cashed in my FAC as my spine is crumbling and cannot shoot prone anymore, so I have got back (heavily) into air-rifle shooting again

Only one member of our Club has any interest at all in air-rifle/pistol shooting, and the rest none at all.

I recently took one of my 10m target rifles along to a shoot, to try and get some enthusiasm going for an air-rifle/pistol section, and bugger me, no interest at all - absolutely zero - only two or three chappies actually came and looked at the air-rifle, and they were not impressed as it wasn't a 'real' rifle

Have fun & a good Sunday

Best regards

Russ

[NickG]

Hello to All,

I am a Range Conducting Officer for a full-bore shooting Club.

Last year, I cashed in my FAC as my spine is crumbling and cannot shoot prone anymore, so I have got back (heavily) into air-rifle shooting again

Only one member of our Club has any interest at all in air-rifle/pistol shooting, and the rest none at all.

I recently took one of my 10m target rifles along to a shoot, to try and get some enthusiasm going for an air-rifle/pistol section, and bugger me, no interest at all - absolutely zero - only two or three chappies actually came and looked at the air-rifle, and they were not impressed as it wasn't a 'real' rifle

Have fun & a good Sunday

Best regards

Russ

Luddites

[chris u'5]

Well I had a few days off work last week and headed to my favourite permission (by myself!!) and I had a fantastic couple of days, it really reminded me why I love shooting air rifles.

The weather was fantastic, the shooting was great and the scenery was stunning. I also spent half a day hitting targets while working on my breathing technique which was time very well spent as by the end of the session I could really see the improvement in my shooting.

Thanks again for all the comments, I really enjoyed reading them.

[ChrisC]

Well I had a few days off work last week and headed to my favourite permission (by myself!!) and I had a fantastic couple of days, it really reminded me why I love shooting air rifles.

The weather was fantastic, the shooting was great and the scenery was stunning. I also spent half a day hitting targets while working on my breathing technique which was time very well spent as by the end of the session I could really see the improvement in my shooting.

Thanks again for all the comments, I really enjoyed reading them.

I had a similar day last week Chris. 3 Hours mooching around the woods looking for the Branchers. Got 12 altogether plus 2 unlucky, nosey Squirrels and a pigeon. It wasn't the hunting side of it that i enjoyed but the sense of tranquility about being in there, on my own after a full day at work. It's amazing what you think about whilst crouching in a holly bush waiting for the birds to land. In that 3 hours i saw a young Badger, deer (but couldn't tell whether Roe or Fallow due to the thickness of the bushes), Pheasant, Guinea fowl, barn owl, woodpecker, rook, jackdaw plus a shedload of finches and tits......and i suspect a Woodcock.