Air rifle club ?.

[Hesston4860s]

Hi there.
Anyone out there have an air rifle club set up as part of there business or know someone that has ?.
What’s involved with obviously insurance and licensing etc, it’s only an idea atm and probably won’t be a runner but I’d like some more info if anyone knows owt.
I’d be looking specially at target shooting ie- HFT and FT, possibly a small plinking and zeroing range as well.

Thanks

 

[wilber]

Cant offer any advice regarding your exact questions, but i would suggest going to an air rifle range and scoping it out (pardon the pun). Whatever you do as a diversification you need to have some sort of interest in it.

 

[Pilgrimmick]

Excellent advice from @wilber visit a few and look behind the scenes. Parking, toilets, litter etc. The shooting and targets should be simple, the admin is the killer.

 

[Andy26]

Hi there.
Anyone out there have an air rifle club set up as part of there business or know someone that has ?.
What’s involved with obviously insurance and licensing etc, it’s only an idea atm and probably won’t be a runner but I’d like some more info if anyone knows owt.
I’d be looking specially at target shooting ie- HFT and FT, possibly a small plinking and zeroing range as well.

Thanks

Did you make any progress with this?

 

[ollie989898]

I'd be worried about the place littered with lead and CO2 bottles etc.

I would insist on a club type system, no non-members allowed and insist on an up-front membership fee. Set it up right it and will be largely self policing.

Parking and litter would be my concerns.

Done right it could be a good earner. In a building would be ideal as it gives them a place to do it when the weather is foul and a concrete backdrop means you could sweep up the spent lead. A set of good lights and the place could be generating cash 24/7.

Once membership swells you could just setup an online booking service and website.

Trusted club members could be subbed out to farming acquaintances for vermin control.

Insist all members have public liability insurance through BASC.

 

[Flatlander]

I'd be worried about the place littered with lead and CO2 bottles etc.

I would insist on a club type system, no non-members allowed and insist on an up-front membership fee. Set it up right it and will be largely self policing.

Parking and litter would be my concerns.

Done right it could be a good earner. In a building would be ideal as it gives them a place to do it when the weather is foul and a concrete backdrop means you could sweep up the spent lead. A set of good lights and the place could be generating cash 24/7.

Once membership swells you could just setup an online booking service and website.

Trusted club members could be subbed out to farming acquaintances for vermin control.

Insist all members have public liability insurance through BASC.

Vermin control would be like winning the lottery for some members. Good side business pimping out the sharp shooters. Lol

 

[ollie989898]

Vermin control would be like winning the lottery for some members. Good side business pimping out the sharp shooters. Lol

As we know from this forum, there are a lot of air gunners out there looking for somewhere to shoot and very few landowners willing to let strangers on the place.

In time you could have a good shotgun/ clay shooting club as well. I would insist on steel shot, fibre wads and biodegradable clays and all cartridges to be picked up afterwards. Again, with a club type system (and there is nothing to stop you selling ammo and clays as well) it would be pretty much self policing and take up very little land.

 

[Flatlander]

As we know from this forum, there are a lot of air gunners out there looking for somewhere to shoot and very few landowners willing to let strangers on the place.

In time you could have a good shotgun/ clay shooting club as well. I would insist on steel shot, fibre wads and biodegradable clays and all cartridges to be picked up afterwards. Again, with a club type system (and there is nothing to stop you selling ammo and clays as well) it would be pretty much self policing and take up very little land.

Couldn’t agree more. Set up right it could be a great income from a small area. Would it need local authority permission. I’ve been gone so long now that everything has changed. The air gun side would be pretty quiet.

 

[HDAV]

As we know from this forum, there are a lot of air gunners out there looking for somewhere to shoot and very few landowners willing to let strangers on the place.

In time you could have a good shotgun/ clay shooting club as well. I would insist on steel shot, fibre wads and biodegradable clays and all cartridges to be picked up afterwards. Again, with a club type system (and there is nothing to stop you selling ammo and clays as well) it would be pretty much self policing and take up very little land.

Air (none fac) just needs landowners permission very little else can be quite lucrative if you can attract the right sort of shooter but the lack of licencing can attract some you may prefer not to but should be manageable also happy with more limited facilities but would certainly factor in toilets hire,

the the well heeled clay shooter (even the none competitive type) will expect good facilities so requires investment parking good toilets refreshments etc that may mean planning.

insisting on fibre shells and steel shot significantly limits your potential market the clays are you or the ground operator to provide and bio cost more and suffer more breakages in traps that’s down time, unhappy punters and hassle……

clays requires a lot more paperwork (section 11/6) for the sales of cartridges and loan of guns, this requires police approvals insurance H&S etc and the biggest issue is noise.

small bore rifle clubs may be an option if you have suitable land and are prepared to jump some through some hoops but let the club do the managing just charge them a fee.

 

[ollie989898]

Air (none fac) just needs landowners permission very little else can be quite lucrative if you can attract the right sort of shooter but the lack of licencing can attract some you may prefer not to but should be manageable also happy with more limited facilities but would certainly factor in toilets hire,

the the well heeled clay shooter (even the none competitive type) will expect good facilities so requires investment parking good toilets refreshments etc that may mean planning.

insisting on fibre shells and steel shot significantly limits your potential market the clays are you or the ground operator to provide and bio cost more and suffer more breakages in traps that’s down time, unhappy punters and hassle……

clays requires a lot more paperwork (section 11/6) for the sales of cartridges and loan of guns, this requires police approvals insurance H&S etc and the biggest issue is noise.

small bore rifle clubs may be an option if you have suitable land and are prepared to jump some through some hoops but let the club do the managing just charge them a fee.

I wouldn't want anyone shooting up a lot of lead on my land, and biodegradable wadding and clays are a must.

 

[ianm641]

i have tried on many occasions to attempt to find a practise ground for hft shooting (just me) so i can practise in peace despite money offers and skill sharing (hgv mechanic) i think people always thought i was after somewhere to shoot vermin and go rabbit hunting. i use a spring air rifle old school i know but very satisfying so i do hope more landowners open up non commercial areas for practise areas.