.:Target Shooting:.

As I mentioned in my home page, one of my main interests is Target Shooting. This page tells you how I got into it, what I shoot, how good I am, and why despite all of the governments attempts to ban it I have kept shooting.

In order to help others, I have written a quick-reference guide on improving your shooting technique that you can print out and take down the range.

Man shooting a rifle

How did it all start?

I started shooting air pistols at my local club when I was 12 years old, but that only lasted for 6 months due to the clubs financial difficulties. So, the same club let me into their over 18's .22 target pistol club. After about a year there I was introduced by one of the members to a different club in Luton called the Luton Rifle and Pistol Club (L.R.P.C.) which shot all types of handgun and rifle. Although I only started out shooting .22 pistol there I was quickly introduced to shooting full-bore pistol; within a few months I was truly into full-bore pistol although I still shot small-bore. As the L.R.P.C. was far superior to the previous club in terms of range conditions (and also great shooters) I left the previous club.

I then went on to shoot many types of target pistol disciplines but mainly .22 Club Pistol, Police Pistol 1 and Service Pistol B. However I also shot Police Pistol 2 and Skittles (L.R.P.C.'s own version). I shot .22 Club pistol every Friday evening and full-bore pistol disciplines most Thursday evenings and every Saturday afternoon, so you see that I was very committed to it.

Due to the ban of all* pistols and revolvers (of all calibre's) I have been shooting full-bore under-lever rifles (i.e. carbines). As a club we have modified the old pistol disciplines to make it possible to shoot them with the carbines.

* Well when I say all I don't actually mean that. .22 calibre pistols are still legal (JUST), but the restrictions placed on them are so tight that only a handful remain in this country - and they get used very rarely :-(((

The ban on pistols has had a significant impact on my club. We now only shoot twice a week (was 3 times), the number of members has gone down, changes have had to be made to all of our documentation (score sheets, etc.), the targets have had to be altered so that they no longer resemble people (which they didn't really in the first place), administrative changes and amendments had to be introduced, etc.

I have been a member of the range staff on the Police Pistol 2 range at Anno Domini - Pistol '93, '94, '95 and '96 at Bisley, the 1997 Phoenix meeting and the 1998 Shootzunfest. PLEASE NOTE that if you see me there at any time as part of the range crew, I am open to bribes (I am the cheapest to bribe) and have the power to bump your scores up a bit - just ask for me and I will be right over to score your target. I accept all bribes no matter how small and I will not be offended by great sums of money (just joking - I'm not the cheapest to bribe). I have also been part of the range crew for the international events in 1993 and 1994.

I have also passed the United Kingdom Practical Shooting Association's safety course.

How good am I?

Carbine/Rifle:

See my latest scores here (look for Paul Richardson)

Pistol/Revolver (when we were still allowed them in the UK):

Discipline Score Out Of
.22 Club Pistol 90 100
Police Pistol 1 298 300
Service Pistol B 102 120

techboy | copyright | privacy