Frequently Asked Questions
Can anyone apply for a firearm certificate?
Permission to possess or to purchase or acquire a firearm will be granted to an individual who is assessed by the licensing authority, the police, as not posing a threat to public safety and having good reason to own the firearm. Organisations such as target shooting clubs, museums and firearms dealers must also apply for licences if they wish to possess or use firearms. Persons who are sentenced to a term of imprisonment of three years or more cannot possess a firearm or ammunition (including antique firearms) at any time.
Can I visit the Club first before joining?
Anyone interested in joining should email the Club Secretary at – sdrc.secretary@outlook.com, who will send them some information on the process of joining and then arrange a visit so that you can have a look around and ask any questions to make sure our Club is right for you.
Does the club cater for competition shooting?
We run a selection of internal competitions for members, access to postal leagues and sometimes members shoot in competitions around the country.
I do not have a Firearms Certificate, can I join?
The answer is yes, you are able to join the club although you will have to serve a minimum of 6 months’ probationary membership with at least 9 shooting visits and complete our range safety course before gaining full membership, all subject to Committee and Police approval.
I have no gun, what can I shoot?
The club has a number of guns for members to use at no charge.
Is the sport expensive?
Like all Sports, this depends entirely on what you want to do and what type of shooting you are interested in. You can shoot Air Rifles that cost anything from less than £100 to several thousand pounds. Pellets for these cost on average around £15 for 500. If you like .22 shooting – which is both challenging and extremely popular, you can purchase guns from less than £100 to again over £3000. Ammunition for these can be purchased for around £5 for 50. If you want to get into Full Bore shooting, guns can be purchased from £100 or so and the limit is practically endless. For full bore shooting most of our members reload their own ammunition. This has the advantage of using a round that matches you gun, but also can dramtatically reduce costs. For example a factory loaded .308 bullet can cost around £1.80 each, where a reloaded one may cost as little as 30 pence.
You get what you pay for of course, and like Golf, where a cheap set of clubs can be bought for £100 a more advanced set would be several hundred.
In summary Target Shooting can be enjoyed with a small or large budget, and you can build your equipment over time as your skills develop and you decide which disciplines you would like to focus on.
What about training?
All new Members of the Club go through a Probationary Period of 6 months. During this time they will receive training, instruction and coaching on the art of Target Shooting. There is no additional charge for this training or for the coaches time, and at any time after you qualify to become a Full Member there is always help for you to achieve your desired results.
What type of club is Southport and District Rifle Club?
The club is Home Office approved and run by members, for members. We have a 20 Yard Range all the way up to 1000 Yards and can accommodate a wide variety of different firearms and disciplines.
What type of shooting do you do?
We cover all of the gallery rifle disciplines, black powder pistol and target rifle.
