Information on Airgun shooting: Differences between 10m and Field Target shooting
Please do not send in an enquiry about airgun shooting to a club which does not have those facilities (see the table on the ‘Clubs’ page) as it will just waste everyone’s time.
There are basically two kinds of target air rifle and pistol shooting. Both use only .177 guns:
Firstly, there is the Olympic-style shooting with air rifles or air pistols at fixed paper targets at 10 metres in the standing position on an indoor range.
Secondly, there’s Field Target shooting (FT) which has a derivative called Hunter Field Target (HFT). FT and HFT are shot outdoors at metallic knock-down targets which are set at various distances depending on the competition. Positions such as kneeling and sitting are also used as well as standing.
Only three clubs in Edinburgh and Lothian provides the specialised facilities for 10m airgun shooting (Balerno & Currie, Watsonians and the membership-restricted Edinburgh University) and as far as this writer knows, there is only one FT club also – Juniper Green Air Rifle Club. See the website the British Field Target Association for further information on FT and HFT shooting.
FT/HFT shooting can be more ‘fun’ than the indoor 10m shooting discipline, especially to youngsters. However, if target shooting at 10m indoors is your aim or aspiration with rifle or pistol, or you just want to try it out, feel free to contact Balerno & Currie (but do read the Note relating to this club below the table on the ‘Clubs’ page).
Readers will no doubt be aware that in Scotland, after 31st December 2016, it is an offence to possess an air weapon without holding an Air Weapons Certificate. An application form can be downloaded from here.
Clubs that operate with airguns have to be registered as such with the police and members, probationary members and guests who do not own their own airgun may use airguns belonging to these clubs on the club’s range without requiring a Certificate of their own.
The Scottish Government provides information on airguns in this link.