FT shooting rifle choice, opinions needed.

[Bellycrawler]

Thanks Bozzer. She bench rests her 22lr & sub 12ftb S410 .22 at the moment & hasn't shot from the scooter yet. I've found 4 local clubs but it would seem only one is suitable for a mobility scooter, that we will sort out on the first available day when we go for a look around them & size up what the course is like before we attempt any shooting. Common sense says take my Ultra & her S410 so she has the choice of a lightweight & a rifle she is used to shooting for our first shooting visit & go from there. To throw a spanner in the works it will be a October through to March season for us If we go more than once as we do other things April through to September hence rapid pondering of the brain frying type to "aim in the right direction" for cost effective rifle choice plus the possible sub 12ftb sell up or keep next year decision. If .177 is the choice for us I'd rather get one now rather than later so we can make the most of it through our season but don't want to get one now in case of it's something we don't do more than a couple of times. We may keep all of our sub 12's, we may only keep a .177 / .22 for targets & the Ultra for ratting or just the Ultra or sell up all sub 12's completely. Choices & decisions of epic brain frying dilemma that can so very easily go wrong either way.

[Bellycrawler]

Just to add if decided a .177 would be a cheap lightweight s/h rifle if that decision was made so if sold on it would be for roughly what we paid for it.

[bozzer]

Sensible to buy s/h so you don't lose it you sell on.

I've done mainly winter shooting around HFT and FT courses. Sometimes the weather can be quite pleasant, even in the darkest days of winter ... sometimes it can be cold and wet. I've seen clubs that turn from dry as a bone in the summer to mud baths in the winter. I'm not sure how your friend will manage in a scooter.

Anyway ... it's great that you are both going to pop along and check it out.

I wouldn't bomb your mind at the moment with what decisions you and your mate may be making in two weeks or two months or six months. Get that first step out of the way and go to the club that you think can accommodate your friend. That's one decision made and sorted. The next decisions can be dealt with as they come along.

All the very best of luck and let us know how you get on please.

Enjoy.

[Rich]

Good advice about scope before rifle. For fifteen years, or nearly, I went to every league shoot down here in the south west and only ever witnessed one clearance, and that was on a 30 shot course. The rifle was a slightly modified AA S400, a Classic but with the export length cylinder fitted.

[rockdrill]

I'm going to have a go at FT shooting with a friend, she is disabled & normally bench rests, she now has a rimfire & is thinking of selling her sub 12ftb .22 S410 Classic.
There is no intention of doing FT seriously more like have a go for a few months while I decide whether to sell up my .22 collection or keep them for a bit longer.

Given your explanations of what you wish to do, I would say find a suitable club, take the kit you have and have a go. Yes, .22 with lower mag scopes will have shortfalls for serious FT shooting, but for what you seem to be looking for I wouldn't let it get in the way of a bit of fun. If the bug does bite then you can take stock of how you may wish to proceed.

You don't want to talk about pellets at the moment so let's just stick with you are going to use whatever calibre pellet through that same calibre rifles that you have ( 0.22 ). FT shooters will be fainting at that sentence but you and your friend just want to give it a go.

I think there are a lot of FT shooters who forget that the sport originally started as a means for anyone with any air rifle to enjoy a form of target shooting in a safe and fun outdoor environment, a far cry from the high-tech seriously competitive element that dominates the sport now.

Good advice about scope before rifle. For fifteen years, or nearly, I went to every league shoot down here in the south west and only ever witnessed one clearance, and that was on a 30 shot course. The rifle was a slightly modified AA S400, a Classic but with the export length cylinder fitted.

Yes, I seem to recall that shoot.

[Rich]

Yes, I seem to recall that shoot.

I thought you might....

[bozzer]

I think there are a lot of FT shooters who forget that the sport originally started as a means for anyone with any air rifle to enjoy a form of target shooting in a safe and fun outdoor environment, a far cry from the high-tech seriously competitive element that dominates the sport now.

Way beyond this thread ... but I've laughed at that situation so many times.

I've posted about it many times too and always get a face full of red ants.

Always tickles me ... A sport set up so that anyone can come and have a go. Let's make the shooting positions quite easy to give most a chance of a score. Hmm ... Let's get some better kit to get an advantage. Hmm ... Let's make the targets harder to stop the people with better kit clearing the course. Hmm ... Let's get some better kit to make the harder targets easier.

How many FT shooters does it take to change a lightbulb?

[Bellycrawler]

Dare I ask if there's a dress code ??? Pretty sure our days shooting will consist of banter (taking the pi$$ out of each other) when we miss as that's normaly what we do. No way do I want to end up with all the kit & worry myself stupid about missing, pellet weights etc & desperately needing admiring glances at my over polished rifle (after spending an obscene amount of money) i want to bounce around the course with a wide grin because we're out enjoying the day. A bit like a kid with a first gun even though it's a rusty springer with a bent barrel

[rockdrill]

How many FT shooters does it take to change a lightbulb?

If it has to be changed in a kneeling position they will require a 2000 word A4 document with photographs of the approved position to use.

Also the power of the light bulb will have to be checked before use to ensure it complies with regulations.