It has been 10 months since I joined the Barry Shooting Centre club. Needless to say, it has been a journey.
Finding the Tunnel
All this happened one Sunday, walking past The Tunnel on Barry Island. My curiosity with the open gate caught my eye, and I ventured down to the entrance. I was unsure what I would find behind the blast-proof doors. A lot of laughter was coming out at me while at the door, with the occasional BANG!
Peter Mac, the Club Secretary, greeted me and gave me a run-down of how it all worked. “Where do I sign up?!” I asked. There are a few things in life that just feel exhilarating when you inhale the right kind of fumes. Race fuel is one. Gunpowder is the other! The legal kind, that is.
Learning the Basics
From that moment, improving my proficiency, vocabulary, and knowledge base was a small ramp-up from various sources at the club and beyond. I love a new challenge, and this was one I wanted to master. I usually don’t like too many rules, but given that these make sense, it wasn’t something I minded. It is all about safety and doing things properly, all while having fun.
One may not realise the challenge involved, since every minute movement in holding a rifle makes a big difference to the point of impact. Getting a grouping no bigger than a pound coin at 200m is very satisfying with my .308.
The Induction Process
Reaching that point wasn’t easy. It began with induction training, since the club rifles had no affiliation or licence, so I was starting from the ground up here in the UK. The induction training was presented by Martyn Wade, whose knowledge of ammunition, rifles, and history shines through in the practical aspects of what you’re about to embark on. It was interesting to get that background, but it was also practical in helping me understand the choices I’d have to make on calibres and goals within the club.
For me, it was a restart with firearms. I had started at Seaford College as a cadet with a WWII rifle, building shooting proficiency with a .22LR. The American mindset that more ammo beats accuracy gave way to the goal of hitting the bullseye with one shot. The club rifles were a great start for getting my basic gear together, and I attended every open day of the week from the moment I joined. Shooting anything from .22LR to .223 and .308 Win gave me the spread of calibres I felt I’d be interested in.
Progressing Through the Calibres
The 25m mark with the .22LR quickly got me into a routine, and I progressed to the 50m mark. Repetition and technique get you there.
The .223 rapidly became my favourite. I got reliably better at the 50m mark and started hitting the target consistently at 100m. The more I progressed, the more I understood how I wanted to shoot with equipment I could rely on. I had my eye on a .308 since my goal was to shoot for distance. That meant one thing: getting my FAC. I didn’t wait long before my attendance card was filled with enough credits to apply.
Getting My FAC
Getting your FAC depends on the jurisdiction of your local police force, and the one covering our area is South Wales Police. I got to know the Firearms Department fairly well during the process, and if your application is in order, you’ll typically see your licence within 12 weeks.
Once received, it feels like Christmas, since that’s when you go shopping for your rifle. I don’t know any new club member who waited more than a couple of days before adding a rifle to their licence! I was lucky enough to think of asking for a variation from .22LR to .300 Win Mag during my interview with the FAC officer at my home. I might as well go for distance, since I knew the .22LR wouldn’t challenge me enough.
The Club Community
Visiting the club often gives you the chance to meet the various members who attend on different days. All are joyful fun-gun-nuts, as I call them, knowledgeable and passionate about the sport. The same goes for the staff. Meeting the RCOs and other staff members gives you the full picture of the club and how it operates.
Even with my somewhat impatient, extroverted character, they have worked with me every step of the way, helping me improve, obtain my rifles, and progress in the sport. The best part is that the club is a treasure as a resource for this sport, a hidden one in a tunnel. That is why this write-up exists: to share it with anyone who might be interested in the sport and wants to have a blast.
Why It’s Worth It
Like everything else in life, if you apply yourself, you gain proficiency and achieve results. Achieving in the right environment is key. The tunnel gives you a consistent environment to practise every week, so your focus is sharper than it would be outdoors, without rain, sun, wind, or elevation changes to contend with. I may not frame my 200m grouping, but the thought that I did it, and the challenge of repeating it, is what drives me to keep at it. I’m sure the club crowd will give me some heckling for this, but hey, it’s my story. I’m sure I can persuade a few of them to write theirs too!
Thanks for listening.