Questions:
Can I try shooting without joining the Club?
What is the minimum age to join?
How much will it cost to join?
How do I get a pistol licence?
What are the participation requirements for maintaining a pistol license?
What shooting events are held at the club?
What action matches are offered?
What firearms can be used at the range?
Can I try shooting without joining the Club?
Only If you have a genuine interest in the sport and have a reasonable intention of joining our club, you can have a limited experience of the sport. However, you will need to book a date and time for this trial, the time will normally be on a Saturday between 10am and 12 midday. You will be required to complete a P650 declaration and providing the declaration is acceptable, you will then be allowed to shoot under extreme supervision of the club’s Captain, Vice Captain or nominated person.
FOR INQUIRIES/BOOKINGS phone the Club Captain:
Ph: 0461 535 106
membership.enquiries.nbpc@gmail.com
BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO SHOOT BY JUST TURNING UP AT THE RANGE
Currently the fee for this is $100 you must wear covered in footwear and supplied P.P.E (Personal Protective Equipment) ear and eye protection and a hi-viz vest.
The shooting experience will last approximately an hour and include:
1. Full safety briefing
2. Practical safety with a pistol
3. Target shooting under one to one supervision
4. Finally an optional general discussion covering all aspects of pistol shooting and if required, how to join Nelson Bay Pistol Club.
What is the minimum age to join?
Junior membership is available for those from 12 years of age and up, with appropriate parental consent.
How much will it cost to join?
The annual cost for an adult member is currently $330 however as a new member there is an additional $100 joining fee. So the total to join is $430.
Fees for a Junior Member are $110 pa plus joining fee of $75.
All fees are calculated from October 1st to September 30th and if you join during the year the fees will pro rata by calendar.
Further details are available on request.
How do I get a pistol licence?
All persons wishing to obtain a firearms licence in NSW must have a genuine reason to obtain the licence. Being an active member of a Sports/Target pistol club is a genuine reason.
A thorough Police check of the applicant is also carried out to ensure that they are of a suitable character to hold a licence.
Certification of current membership of an approved target shooting club by a club official must be provided. The genuine reason form has provision for this certification by a club official or you may send a copy of your current club membership card with your application.
If you have never held a Category H Sport/Target Shooting firearms licence, you will be issued a Probationary Pistol Licence for one year prior to being issued with your category H licence.
There are restrictions on the acquisition of handguns for Probationary Pistol Licence holders. For the first six months of the Probationary Pistol Licence you may only possess & use a pistol under the supervision of the holder of a Category H Sport/Target Shooting Licence and only on the premises of an approved pistol shooting club – section 16A(2)(a)(i) of the Firearms Act 1996.
If all this sounds confusing don’t worry as an active member of the Nelson Bay Pistol Club we will provide advice to help you though the process.
Further details can be found on the Police Firearms Registry found here.
What are the participation requirements for maintaining a pistol license?
A category H licence holder must be a member of at least one approved pistol club and must, during each compliance period, participate in a minimum number of shooting activities of an approved pistol club.
Note, the person must participate in at least 6 competitive shooting matches as part of the required minimum shooting activities – refer table below:
There are three kinds of pistols for the purpose of minimum participation requirements:
* Air pistols
* Centrefire pistols
* Rimfire pistols
The number of different kinds of pistol a person has during a compliance period is the number of different kinds of pistol registered in their name during the compliance period. For example, if a person has 3 x air pistols, 1 x centrefire pistol and 2 x rimfire pistols registered during the compliance period, the person has 3 kinds of pistol for the purposes of determining their participation requirements.
What shooting events are held at the club?
AUTHORISED EVENTS
1) ISSF
The ”Union Internationale des Federations et Associations Nationales de Tir”, was founded by eight national shooting federations in 1907 in Zurich Switzerland. In 1921 the organisation was renamed the “Union Internationale de Tir (UIT) and then in 1947 the name International Shooting Union was adopted however it was still referred to as the UIT to avoid confusion with the International Skating Union. In 1992 the Union became known as the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) as it is known today. Events are 25m Standard Pistol, 25m Centre Fire/ Sports Pistol.
2) Service Pistol
The 25 yards Service Pistol event for calbres from ·32 to ·38/·357 pistols consists of 65 shots fired at distances varying from 25 to 7 yards with the pistol holstered at the commencement of each series. Shooters must hold a current PA Holster Accreditation to compete or train in this event. PA Service Pistol targets are used for this event and set in a bank of four targets per shoot
3) Black Powder Muzzle loading Pistol
This match was accepted by Pistol Australia as from 1st July 1984, to enable Black Powder enthusiasts to practice, compete and familiarise themselves with popular International Matches presently being shot.
These rules should be read in conjunction,. Pistol Australia General Regulations and General Technical Rules for Pistol Shooting and Special Technical Rules for the Pistol Australia 25 m and 50 m Black Powder Matches. These rules as such have no relevance to MLAIC matches and should not be compared to such rules
4) ISSF Three Postion Air Rifle
The men’s event is a 120 shot event, which comprises 40 shots in each of the prone, kneeling and standing positions.
The women’s event is a 60 shot one, comprising only 20 shots in each of the 3 positions. The men’s rifle may weigh up to 8 kg’s, the women’s only 6 kg. In Australia men and women shoot both events.
5) ISSF/IPC 10m Air Pistol
60 Competition shots (men and junior men 1 hour 30 minutes). 40 competition shots (women and junior women)
6) ISSF 25m Standard Pistol
4 Series 5 shots in 150 seconds. 4 Series 5 shots in 20 seconds. 4 Series 5 shots in 10 seconds
7. ISSF/IPC Sport/CF Pistol
Precision 6 Series 5 shots each series in 5 minutes
Rapid Fire 6 Series 5 shots each shot on 3 seconds per target facing.
The Club also runs an Annual Handicap Competition.
This competition allows shooters of varying standards to compete against each other by providing every competitor with a handicap for each of the shoots. This handicap helps even out the scores between competitors so as to provide a more even playing field.
Each week the first five places are allocated points and a weekly winner is announced. At the end of the competition the final three winners will be announced at the club AGM.
Below is a link to a video overview of the ISSF matches from Pistol Shooting Queensland that explains the type of matches shot at our club:
The Olympic Sport of Target Pistol Shooting
What Action Matches are offered?
IPSC (International Practical Pistol Confederation)
Is an action pistol match.
When a shooter has qualified through an IPSC orientation and shooting course, a wide variety of matches can be set up, each providing different challenges and inviting the competitor to solve those challenges in the best way.
In many types of traditional handgun shooting it is the practice to limit the loading of a pistol to a specific number of rounds in the magazine. In IPSC shooting, a pistol should always be loaded to its maximum capacity even though the course of fire may require less number of shots.
IPSC has the motto, D V C, that is to say, Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas, or accuracy, power and speed, and these three are indivisible in the concept of IPSC shooting. However, the ratio of accuracy, power and speed is up to the competitor. Since speed, accuracy, and power are of equal importance, a scoring system had to be devised that would take all of these factors into consideration.
9. Single Action (Cowboy/Western Action)
Single Action Shooting (SAS) is sometimes referred to as concept shooting competition. Having evolved more then 25 years ago in the USA, SAS has grown into one of, if not the, fastest growing shooting competition in the world today.
Participants from all walks of life, male and female, young and old, are attracted to the discipline and they all have one thing in common – they all have an interest in the pioneering days of the ‘Old West’. This common interest manifests itself not only in the mastering of skills associated with the use of antique firearms or reproductions of these firearms, but in keen competition underpinned with a sportsmanship sometimes lost in today’s sporting activities.
Generally, as interpretive living historians, or re-enactors, competitors aim to preserve the ‘spirit of the game’ by fully participating in what the competition asks. They endeavor to dress the part, use the appropriate competition tools and respect the traditions of the ‘Old West’. Some 100 to 150 years later, ‘the spirit of the game’ is more commonly referred to as sportsmanship.
What firearms can be used at the range?
The club has approval for:
1) Air Pistol of a calibre up to .177
2) Rimfire Pistol of a calibre up to .22
3) Centrefire Pistol of a calibre up to .38 / 9mm
4) Blackpowder M/L Pistol
5) Air Rifle of a calibre up to .177
6) Rimfire Rifle of a calibre up to .22
Note: .45 Calibre pistols, Pistol Calibre Rifles and Shotguns can only be used at the club when participating in or practicing the Single Action Match. Shotguns may only be used on Range 1.