What can we offer you?

Shooting is more than a mere sport. Target shooting alone has more disciplines than you can shake a stick at and you may become interested in any of them. Then again you may take a shine to clay pigeon shooting, or rough shooting, or deer stalking or big-game shooting. You may become enthralled by the history of firearms or their design. You may become a collector or join a re-enactment society. You may aspire to become an Olympic competitor or you just be happy to enjoy the occasional recreational shoot amongst friends. There is no saying what you might be drawn to, but there will be something for you and, with our very diverse membership, we will provide you with an excellent opportunity to start looking.

Here is a brief outline of our main activities. We run competitions in most of these but it's entirely up to you whether or not you want to shoot competitively. The most important thing is to enjoy yourself.

Air Guns

Air gun shooting, rifle or pistol, can range from plinking in your back garden to shooting in extremely challenging competitions - the Olympics include rapid-fire pistol! We have several dedicated air gun shooters only too happy to help you if you wish and also a special 'air guns only' section shooting on Saturday mornings. We will send you information about this if you contact us for details.

Archery

Archery has a lot in common with shooting and if you are good at one you will have a head start with the other. Both need that same physical and mental relaxation and focus, and both cover a wide variety of styles.

We are not primarily an archery club but we have excellent facilities, several good archers to help you, and a willingness to develop any target sport the members want to do.

Black Powder Pistols

Black powder pistols are loaded from the muzzle : powder is poured in, then a wad, then a lead ball is tamped home, and finally a percussion cap is fitted to provide ignition. Quick it isn't, but great fun it can be if the bug bites you. There are a great many modern replicas of beautiful old pistols available and we have a lot of enthusiastic black powders shooters to help you.

Clay Pigeon

This involves shooting at a fast moving target with a shotgun and is very different from bulls-eye target shooting.

We are perhaps unique in shooting clays indoors and while we cannot offer the different disciplines that a large clay club can, our layout is fast and difficult and many experienced clay shooters have been surprised when they tried it for the first time. That said, it is an excellent place for you to start learning. It helps too, that you do not have to trudge across the fields or stand around in the wind and rain.

We also have occasional clay shoots at Altcar.

Fullbore Rifles

Fullbore rifle here means any rifle using cartridges more powerful than those used by pistol calibre carbines. There are a great many different kinds and what you use will depend on what you want to do: 200 yard shooting, 1000 yard shooting, deer stalking, big game hunting etc.

We can only use fullbore rifles at Altcar.

Long Barreled Pistols

We are still allowed to use pistols with barrels longer than 12" and an overall length more than 24". To traditional pistol shooters they look unusual, but they handle just like conventional pistols, and they're great! .22 versions are available as revolvers and semi-autos, 357 and 44 magnum are available only as revolvers.

Pistol Calibre Carbines

These are short rifles originally developed for cavalry. Most members use 357 and 44 magnum under-levers though other calibres are available. Great fun.

Smallbore Rifles

These are .22 calibre and by far the most commonly used club rifle. They are extremely accurate, cheap to use and available as single shots, bolt actions and semi-automatics. Almost certainly you will do most of your shooting with one of these.