In the interests of promoting the much loved sport of HFT and Air Rifle shooting in general, Shepreth Airgun Club used the National Shooting Week as the perfect window to host two Open Evenings catered for complete rookies; where time could be spent on one-to-one tuition for the young and old. The evenings were held on the 29 and 30 May starting at 19:00, which gave the events about 2 hours of shooting light for each. To start things off on the right foot, in regards to “targeting” HFT rookies, local Scout and Explorer groups were cordially invited to attend: Waterbeach Scouts and Over (Predator), and Hardwick (Wildcat) Explorers (from the Crafts Hill District), not-surprisingly jumped to the chance. When the event drew closer, it is not hard to imagine the concern that was setting in as the whole country was suffering from heavy rainfall. We all know that HFT can, and IS shot in all weathers, but we did not want these newbie’s first HFT experience to be a wet one! So, on the day as the rain continued to fall, the food was prepped, the targets sprayed, oiled and set, and fingers were crossed. On the first evening all our rookie shooters had arrived by 18:50, and the Sun had managed to break-through the grey, chase the rain away and scare off the wind! Introductions and greetings were exchanged, and the safety briefing kicked off at 19:00 sharp. The group listened intently as Lewis Turner (club member and Explorer leader), donned his woggle and recited the safety rules for handling the guns and explained how the evening was going to progress. There was also a demonstration of shooting stances kindly modelled by the club Secretary, Marc Zwierzanski.

By 19:15 the shooters had been split up into small groups, each with their own personal supervisor, and were heading off to the course. The young shooters were certainly in good hands as each supervisor was graced with many years of shooting experience, both on and off the HFT scene. The course they were shooting had been set with 10 non-animal shaped targets, and the rifles varied from the light and agile Air Arms S200, to the bling of a Daystate MK3, – all in .177 calibre. Obviously left-handed shooters were taken into consideration also; as Mark Andrews, the clubs UKAHFT Team Captain, took charge of these, being a lefty himself :o) As each shooter approached each peg, eagerly watched by the rest of their group, their supervisor advised them on the best position for the shot, and guided them through ranging the target, and judging the wind (not that there was any). This one-on-one tuition, with the rest of the group behind a secondary safety line, certainly helped their concentration, and they were showing their appreciation by paying attention, and demonstrating some superb shooting. Once they were comfortable, the pre-loaded rifle was handed to them, and they were left to take the shot - after eye-relief adjustments and aim-points were double-checked.

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The course was kept as close to the UKAHFT standards as possible, with a forced kneeler and standing shot, to keep it challenging, but reducers were swapped for larger kill zones and parallax adjustment was allowed for a totally clear view of the target. Thanks to a bright Sun, and the gentlest of breezes, the evening was progressing perfectly. Our young shooters were enjoying every minute of their stay. And in these perfect conditions, it was no surprise that some top shots were starting to show. Young Janice was showing excellent form in her shooting discipline and looked quite at home with the S400 she was using, and Lewis had a shooter in his group who knocked down a 40 yard’er with his S200… standing! The second evening went just as smoothly as the first, and again we had another freakily still and clear evening smack bang in the middle of all this bad weather we’ve been having. And not only did we have another lot of Scouts and Explorers to contend with, we also had some adult shooters who were not going to be left out of all the fun. Some of these adults were shooting a .22 Air Arms S410, so there was certainly a good mix on this second day. To say HFT is addictive is an understatement – there were a good few of the attendees talking of purchasing a gun, and jumping onto the HFT wagon, after just a brief introduction to the sport! Each evening ended with some excellent burgers freshly cooked by Sarah Andrews, the clubs Treasurer/Caterer. And while the food was scoffed, and scores were compared, certificates of attendance were handed out to all the shooters, which I am sure have taken pride of place somewhere in their local Scout hut. With extreme luck on their side concerning the weather, and an over-all attendance of about 40 future HFT shooters, I think it is safe to say Shepreth Air Gun Club deserve a big well done. Thanks to all involved: Lewis Turner, Ricky D’Arcy, Rob Dean, Mark Andrews, Darren Bradnick, Marc Zwierzanski, Sarah Andrews, Mick , and Dave Sainty. And not forgetting thanks to all the Scouts and Explorers, and their leaders for being such star pupils, we hope to see you all again!