How to get started in F-Class Shooting in New South Wales

1. GO TO A RIFLE RANGE
If you're starting target shooting for the first time, or you haven't been to a shoot at a rifle range, then that is probably the best place to start. You'll need to contact a rifle club near where you live, and arrange to be at their rifle range when there is a shoot on (usually Saturday).

The New South Wales Rifle Association (NSWRA) has a Clubs Page on their website which gives the names of all affiliated rifle clubs in the State. However, many of these ranges do not have regular F-Class shooters, with the traditional open sight and sling "Target Rifle" category being the most common. So here is a list of ranges where there is a known F-Class presence :

Range Club E-mail Website Telephone
Anzac, Malabar Rail & Tram Click Here Click Here 0421 444 962
Hilltop Southern Highlands Click Here   (02) 4871 3739
Anzac, Malabar Sydney Click Here Click Here 0414 959 639
Hornsby 18th Battalion Memorial Click Here Click Here 0438 364 967
Nowra Nowra Click Here Click Here (02) 4446 0269
Anzac, Malabar Bankstown Chatswood Rifle Club Click Here Click Here (02) 9417 2022
Hornsby Roseville Rifle Club Click Here Click Here 0412 793 229
         
If your "F-Class friendly" club is not included or you can supply some of the details missing from above, please E-mail the webmaster.

When you get to the range, pay careful attention to all instructions. Strict safety rules are observed, and anyone breaking these rules will immediately be made fully aware of it. Before being able to shoot (regardless of whether you have a Firearms Licence), you will be required to complete a temporary (3 month) membership application . The club will have forms and be able to assist with this. This application must be completed and sent to the NSW Police Firearms Registry and their approval given before you may commence shooting. Once the temporary membership is approved then a fee of $20 is payable to the NSWRA via the club to cover insurance. If you go ahead and join the club, this fee will be subtracted from your full membership fee.

The Temporary Membership will allow you to commence shooting, either with your own rifle and ammunition (if you are licensed and the rifle is suitable), or with a club rifle (most clubs have rifles available to loan to new shooters), or failing that some existing members may let you use theirs for a few shots. Ammunition for club rifles will cost approximately $20 for the day. Note that for unlicensed shooters with temporary membership, the only place you can handle a rifle or ammunition is on the shooting mound under the supervision of an appointed club member.

2. ARRANGE TO COMPLETE THE SAFETY AWARENESS COURSE
You must satisfactorily complete the NSW Firearm Safety & Training Council Limited Safety Awareness scheme to obtain a new Firearm Licence. If you already have a Firearm Licence for Category B Firearms, then skip this section and go to 3. JOIN A CLUB... below. Most rifle clubs have a safety awareness officer who can conduct the Safety Awareness test. Participants are given a blue booklet to study, shown a safety awareness video and then undertake a written test or oral test if required. The prescribed fee is $77 ($20 to the club and $57 to the NSW Firearm Safety & Training Council Limited), which is used to promote shooting at club, State, Australian and International levels.

If you pass, you will get a certificate, which must be submitted with your application form when applying for a Firearm Licence (see below).

3. JOIN A CLUB AT THE RANGE WHERE YOU INTEND TO SHOOT
Speak to the secretary of the club, and he/she will supply the appropriate forms, and give you details on costs. There are two components to the annual fees. The club component will vary from club to club and is usually around $20 per annum, plus a few dollars per attendance at shoots. The second component of the annual fees is a fixed amount which goes to the governing bodies i.e. the NSWRA/NRAA. The list below shows the 2005/6 NSWRA/NRAA component of the annual fees for F-Class shooters, including reduced rates for junior, first year and pensioner members.

After your application is paid for and processed, the secretary will provide you with a NSWRA membership card. If you need to apply for a Firearm Licence, a copy of this card will need to be submitted with your application.

4. APPLY FOR A FIREARM LICENCE
Once you have completed the Safety Awareness course, and joined a club, you can apply for the required Category B Firearms Licence. To obtain your Individual Firearms Licence application form you must telephone the Firearms Registry on 1300 362 562 and register your application for a Firearms Licence. Explain that you will be doing target shooting with a centrefire rifle. The Registry will then send you a personalized application.

Use the checklist sent by Firearms Registry to make sure all your paperwork is completed. You will need to obtain a "genuine reasons" letter from the club secretary to send with the application. Photocopy all documents and keep a copy before sending to Firearms Registry. There is a 28 day cooling off period before a licence can be issued, and it can take up to three months to issue. When you receive the documents, there will be a request for you to attend an RTA office within a specified time. There you will pay the licence fee ($200 for 5 years or $100 for 2 years), have your photo taken, and be issued with your Licence.

5. GET YOUR OWN EQUIPMENT
Now comes the good part - acquiring your rifle, scope and other equipment. Remember that any purchase or sale of a firearm (and more specifically, the action) must be arranged through a Licensed Firearms Dealer. The Firearm registration process will involve forms and paperwork, but dealers usually make this easy by having the forms on hand, and they will assist with filling them out, and sending them off.

There are many important decisions to make - its easy to choose the wrong calibre, or wrong type of scope, so if you are not already experienced with scopes and high-powered rifles, then try to get as much information as you can from experienced F-Class shooters. Beware that there are many "experts" on almost any subject in shooting, and often a similar number with conflicting advice! Get several opinions whenever you can, and often the middle course is the best way to go when you're starting out. Don't place too much reliance on dealer's advice unless you know them well - target shooting is a specialised area, and some dealers wrongly assume that what's good enough for hunting rifles is near enough for target rifles.

One of the best sources of information when starting out is shooting forums on the web. There is an Equipment & Technical Forum on this website, but don't confine yourself to this. Our Links page lists some excellent US forums, including benchrest, where many of the top shooters from the US and around the world discuss rifles, scopes, reloading etc. Again you will get conflicting opinions, but if you read widely, you'll learn enough to make sound decisons about your equipment, and techniques.

So that is the basics of what you need to do to get started in F-Class in New South Wales. The stricter firearms laws and regulations introduced over the last decade means that getting a licence is not as straightforward as it once was, but once you get shooting F-Class, it all becomes worthwhile! So come to a range for a "try out" soon. F-Class is keen to get new members!