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Thread: Exmouth Shooting Clubs

  1. #1
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    Exmouth Shooting Clubs

    I am repeating this appeal for some help on finding out what has recently happened to the Exmouth Air Pistol and Rifle Club as the previous request for help was lost when the BBS returned to its original format as it was written during the short life of the revised BBS format.

    I started the Exmouth Air Pistol and Rifle club in 1971 and by 1972 I had negotiated the use of the Littleham Village Hall as the permanent home of the club from then - until fairly recently!

    When visiting Exmouth just a few weeks ago I went to visit the church hall as they record all of the users of the hall on the notice board just inside the entrance and it was then that I noticed that the Friday evening slot that has always been used by the Exmouth Air Pistol and Rifle Club for all these years was now vacant!

    Nobody that I was able to speak to during my week in Exmouth had any idea what had happened to the club and could not help me to find out if they had simply moved to a new venue or if they had finally "folded" and given up!

    Most (if not all) of the original members that helped me start the club also moved away from the area (and some are sadly no longer with us) so I do not know anyone that still lives locally that can help me.

    The last appeal for help (a couple of weeks ago) was answered by BBS member who grew up in Exmouth and had previously also shot his air pistol at the club some years ago when he still lived there - but this reply was also lost as the BBS format was changed back so I am hoping that he will respond again - and with some luck - I may be able to find-out what has happened to the club.

    Naturally as the clubs founder member I am hoping it is still alive and healthy - but I fear the worst and I am really sorry that I must have only just missed being able to see the club still active in its traditional home in Littleham Village on the outskirts of Exmouth and just in front of the entrance to Sandy Bay Holiday Park.
    Last edited by zooma; 08-12-2017 at 11:41 AM.
    Rossendale Target Shooting Club. Every Tuesday and Thursday evening 7 - 10pm.

  2. #2
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    Exmouth Smallbore Club.

    In 1971 I joined the Exmouth Small Bore Club and shot .22 rimfire pistol on its indoor range in Phear Park for many years. During my recent visit to Exmouth I visited the old club range and was pleased to see that although it looked very dilapidated it was still in existence.

    There was a lot of building materials stacked-up around the club building and I was told that a new Air Training Corps building was being erected immediately alongside the old club range building.

    Hopefully this will be good news as the ATC may well be able to work with the club and use its facilities and this in turn will help to keep it alive for many more years to come.
    Last edited by zooma; 22-11-2017 at 09:03 PM.
    Rossendale Target Shooting Club. Every Tuesday and Thursday evening 7 - 10pm.

  3. #3
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    Exmouth Pistol Club

    I was a member of the Exmouth Pistol Club for many years from 1972 onwards and unlike the local small bore club we shot full bore centre fire pistols outdoors on the Royal Marines range at Straight Point.

    Access to this range was through the Sandy Bay Holiday Park - only a few yards away from the Littleham Village Hall where the Exmouth Air Pistol and Rifle Club shot every Friday night - and then just a sort drive up to the range entrance.

    Since the change in the firearms regulations some years ago I would guess that this club can no longer have any members - although we did host some black powder shooters from time to time so maybe they are still going and have absorbed some of the centre fire pistol shooters that had to give-up their centre fire pistols?

    I did hear plenty of shooting coming from the range during my visit recently but as it was during the "working day" and some of the fire was from automatic weapons I was fairly certain that this would have been Royal Marine activity so although the range is very much "alive" I suspect that there may not be any current civilian use on the range?

    The only other non-military users of this range during the years that I was there was the police who we understood were from the Exeter Middlemoor Police headquarters and were there to take their firearms training courses.

    I still have my Exmouth Pistol Club membership card and fond memories of shooting various full-bore pistol there on what was an absolutely superb range that was always kept in pristine condition.
    Last edited by zooma; 22-11-2017 at 09:07 PM.
    Rossendale Target Shooting Club. Every Tuesday and Thursday evening 7 - 10pm.

  4. #4
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    When we first started the Exmouth Air Pistol and Rifle Club we initially only shot air pistols and one of our first top shots was a 42 Commando Armourer called Robert Macintosh - known to everyone as Mac.
    Our first trip to the NSRA Championships was to Cardiff and Mac ended the day by representing Ireland and brought a nice international medal back to our mini-bus for us to admire on our way home.
    We went to The NSRA Cardiff finals a few more times after that and also enjoyed home and away shoulder to shoulder matches against our friendly rivals from the Taunton Club.
    We also competed in the 6 yard NSRA and 6 yard NARPA postal leagues and shot successfully in the live finals at RAF Cosford on several occasions and did well in the NSRA 10 meter postal leagues and Eley competitions too.
    We were an active club with a strong membership right up to the time I left, and I hope the Club continued to flourish after my work took me away from the area.
    Last edited by zooma; 11-12-2017 at 05:25 PM.
    Rossendale Target Shooting Club. Every Tuesday and Thursday evening 7 - 10pm.

  5. #5
    RobinC's Avatar
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    Good old days Bob!

    We also shot at RAF Cosford in the NARPA finals in 1970 something, my wife did two classes, the recoilless Rifle with her Original 65, and the recoiling with my Walther LGV (and we still have it!), I shot the pistol with a FWB65 (and still have that as well), we were of course both only 5 years old!

    We visited RAF Cosford this year to see the RAF museum to pass the time waiting for Pippa to do final adjustments on my new bespoke shooting jacket.

    Have Fun and we hope Exmouth has survived.

    Robin
    Walther KK500 Alutec expert special - Barnard .223 "wilde" in a Walther KK500 Alutec stock, mmm...tasty!! - Keppeler 6 mmBR with Walther grip and wood! I may be a Walther-phile?

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by RobinC View Post
    Good old days Bob!

    We also shot at RAF Cosford in the NARPA finals in 1970 something, my wife did two classes, the recoilless Rifle with her Original 65, and the recoiling with my Walther LGV (and we still have it!), I shot the pistol with a FWB65 (and still have that as well), we were of course both only 5 years old!

    We visited RAF Cosford this year to see the RAF museum to pass the time waiting for Pippa to do final adjustments on my new bespoke shooting jacket.

    Have Fun and we hope Exmouth has survived.

    Robin
    We missed seeing you at RAF Cosford in 1970 but I went there in 1971/1972 onwards until the sad demise of NARPA some years later - but I may well have been at the NSRA finals at the Sofia Gardens in Cardiff at the same time as you and Pam during the 70's?

    I have also returned to RAF Cosford in more recent years as I organised some rounds of the TOPSA large scale r/c car racing championships there - but that was also a few years ago now!

    Hopefully "bootlick" will find some local info and be able to advise what happened to the Exmouth Air Pistol and Rifle Club sometime soon - I am still hopeful that they have simply moved elsewhere but the Littleham church hall was such a perfect and well established venue I doubt they would choosen to leave it - so I still fear the worst!
    Last edited by zooma; 11-12-2017 at 05:27 PM.
    Rossendale Target Shooting Club. Every Tuesday and Thursday evening 7 - 10pm.

  7. #7
    RobinC's Avatar
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    Bob

    Our Cosford visit was "1970 something" it would have been probably 1973, and was our only NARPA visit, we only shot ten metres from then on, and yes we would have been at Sophia Gardens for many years after, and just checked our medals, and there are two NSRA gold's, one for Pam in rifle in 1977, and one for me in Pistol for the County Teams in 1975.

    Sadly Bob we have just dated ourselves!
    Walther KK500 Alutec expert special - Barnard .223 "wilde" in a Walther KK500 Alutec stock, mmm...tasty!! - Keppeler 6 mmBR with Walther grip and wood! I may be a Walther-phile?

  8. #8
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    Exmouth Air Pistol and Rifle Club.

    I received a PM today to let me know that the Exmouth Air Pistol and Rifle Club folded due to a lack of members - so that seems to answer some of my questions.

    My wife and I have thought about returning to Exmouth, and we spent a week or so recently looking around the area - revisiting the areas where we used to live and meeting up with some old friends.

    If the old club equipment (target changers etc) are still safe they would be more than helpful to us - and they may just be "getting in the way" if they are stored in somebody's loft or shed - so if anyone knows anything that could help me find out about this I would appreciate it.

    Bob.
    Last edited by zooma; 19-02-2018 at 11:17 AM.
    Rossendale Target Shooting Club. Every Tuesday and Thursday evening 7 - 10pm.

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