Chinnor Rifle & Pistol Club Cross of St George on the English flag

Air Pistol, Air Rifle, .22cal RF Rifle, Gallery Rifle and
Muzzle-Loading Black Powder Pistol Target Shooting

100 Years of Safe Enjoyable Shooting
 Club Charter Granted 7 May 1907
               


Please phone or email Patrick Twomey - see details below.   

       Phone Patrick Twomey (evenings please) on 01844-351347        

BACKGROUND AND FACTS
Click here for our Shooting and Special Events Calendar
(including monthly shooting schedule)

Shooting in one form or another is the chosen sport of five million Britons! 

Welcome to the homepage of the website for the Chinnor Rifle and Pistol Club (Chinnor, Oxfordshire, UK). At 100 years old, we are one of the oldest shooting clubs in Britain and yet have some of the most up-to-date and comprehensive facilities in the country, with an official charter dated 7th May 1907. We are affiliated with a number of national shooting organisations such as the NRA, NSRA, MLAGB and others (see web links to them at the bottom of this page).

To contact us for more details about our facilities and activities, please ring:
Patrick Twomey, Club Secretary Tel: 01844-351347 (evenings)
or  Email patrickt@thephc.co.uk

Subject to a successful membership application following completion of a probationary period, we have and welcome members of all ages and abilities - men, women, boys and girls - both novices and experts. Current club members range from about 12 years to past retirement. Friendly coaching by experienced experts is freely offered to novices or anyone who asks.

100 Olympic Medals in 100 Years
It is well to remind club members as well as people interested in (or against) shooting as a hobby or sport, that in 100 years of the Olympic Games, British shooters have bagged a total of 100 medals! British shooters won four medals at the Olympic Games in 2000 in Trap and Modern Pentathlon. In other words, we're bl**dy good at it! 

FACILITIES - among the finest in southern England

Chinnor Rifle & Pistol Club has some of the finest shooting facilities in the south of England, thanks to the diligence and hard work of our committee and members. The disciplines we shoot are: air pistol, air rifle, .22calibre RF (rim fire) prone target rifle, sporting rifle, gallery rifle and black powder muzzle-loading firearms. Our facilities comprise a year-round, heated, indoor, 25-yard range, certified by the Home Office and inspected by the British Army and Thames Valley Police. Our range is certified to shoot firearms up to .45 calibre and also has automated turning targets as well as static targets. Maximum allowable Muzzle Velocity and Muzzle Energy ratings for our range are stated below.

During good weather in the summer season we also have access to 50 metre and 100 yard outdoor ranges in the Wendover, Bucks. area.

The emphasis is on friendly fun in a safe environment. While we do enter teams of club members in internal and external competitions, you can shoot purely for enjoyment if you wish.

To join the Chinnor Rifle & Pistol Club, you do not need to own your own firearm. The club has a small collection of club-owned firearms in good working condition that can be used on the club premises by club members and visitors.

Live ammunition can be bought at reasonable prices from the club (but cannot be removed from the premises unless you have the appropriate Firearms Certificate [FAC] issued by the police). Air pellet ammunition (.177calibre only) for air pistols and air rifles can also be purchased from the club.

NOTE: Club Committee Meetings
Committee meetings are held in the clubhouse from 8pm on the first Monday of the month. If you would like to pose a question or volunteer some suggestion/s (or would like to help in any way), please email them in advance to the Club's Hon Sec Patrick Twomey (address above). All members are welcome to attend a committee meeting; if so, please contact Patrick Twomey (email and telephone above).

Contrary to some misconceptions, shooting is not a 'violent' sport; certainly no more violent that any other form of target shooting, such as archery or darts, though more dramatic and, in some cases, louder. Firearm target shooting does require a steadiness and calmness possessed by few initially, but which can be acquired by most, for the utmost in self control and precision marksmanship. With a little practise and perseverance, a score of at least 85 out of a maximum possible 100 can be achieved by most shooters with a .22cal rifle from a prone position relatively quickly. The unsupported (no slings) gallery rifle or sporting rifle standing shooting position and 'turning targets' arguably takes more whole-body steadiness and self-control. However, each shooting discipline has its own special steadiness and co-ordination requirements. Tracking targets, like the 'running boar' or 'running deer' (moving targets) for rifle shooters or clay pigeon shooting for example, need rapid and controlled hand-eye co-ordination skill. Those latter target types are available at the UK's National Shooting Centre at Bisley (see links below).

VISITORS and SAFETY - safety is paramount

All first-time visitors are given a comprehensive interactive introduction on the safe handling of any gun they would like to shoot. First-time visitors can not shoot. ALL shooters - novice AND experienced - are overseen while on the firing range by a trained Range Conducting Officer, who is responsible for the safe conduct of the shooters.

Interested potential members may attend for up to three shooting visits (paying only a nominal visitor and range-usage fee) before deciding to join. Several visits are advised. All visitors are required to sign a declaration that they are not prohibited persons as specified in Section 21 of the Firearms Act 1968 * (see below) as amended.  

MEMBERSHIP - all ages and abilities

Full adult membership costs less than the equivalent price of a pint of beer per week. Highly reduced rates are available for those under 18 years old. Family membership and OAP (60+) rates are also available.

AWARDS - many internal and external competitions

Marksmanship is an accepted 'skill' for students aiming to achieve the Bronze, Silver or Gold level of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Shooting skill is also an optional achievement for Army Cadets. We have had a number of young people shooting at the club for these reasons. The club also awards many internal championship cups and shields annually to participating members. Any club member can also enter county and even National postal competitions. 

AFFILIATIONS - national and local

The club has affiliations with the National Rifle Association (NRA), the National Small-bore Rifle Association (NSRA), the Muzzle Loading Association of Great Britain (MLAGB) and the Oxford Rifle Association (ORA) (please refer to the Internet hyperlinks below to contact those organisations).

Most disciplines at the CRPC can be shot at least once weekly, except 'black powder' which is shot on the first Saturday of every month and 'turning targets' which is shot on the second and fourth Mondays of every month.

Usual club targets are concentric rings printed on heavy paper, though some other targets may be used occasionally at the discretion of a CRPC club committee member.

Our club operates 'no smoking' and 'no mobile phones' policies while in the club house. 

Please 'Bookmark' this web page or put it in your 'Favourites' so you can revisit us.

CLUB NEWS & SPECIAL EVENTS

2010 Membership Renewal Due Now
 Membership renewals will be due from 1st March, 2010; you can renew your membership for 2010 before then; it will help the club if you renew promptly. When you do renew your membership, be sure to obtain the 2010 self-adhesive sticker for your Photo ID Badge that confirms current 2010 membership. These will become available from the new year. You may also purchase an annual range fee pass, which may be more convenient for some, to avoid having to pay the range fee week by week. 

Maintenance Saturdays
Please note that the monthly maintenance day has changed (from this year's AGM) to the second Saturday of every month (except August). Refer to the 'Club Refurbishment' item below. IMPORTANT NOTE: It is a condition of membership that each member volunteers just one half day per year to maintain our club in good condition.

New Firearms Enquiry Officer for Thame area
Thames Valley Police have appointed a new Firearms Enquiry Officer for Thame and its surrounding area, finally filling the post left vacant by the retirement some time ago of Dave Warwick. The new Thame-based FEO is Reg Golby, who can be reached at the Thame Police Station on 01844-264928 or 07813-942711 or email at reg.golby@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

Sunday Sessions Return for Prone Target Rifle
Due to club member demand, the range will be open for shooting .22cal prone targets ONLY, on the first and third Sundays of the month. The club will open at 10.30am and shooting will go on until about 12noon. Note that the last admission is 11am - this is to avoid people rolling up at 11.30 wanting to shoot for an hour or more.

CRPC Centenary Lapel Pins and Embroidered Patches
In honour of our 100th year, the committee has authorised the design of a new club logo (see homepage banner above). It has also purchased a supply of enamelled lapel pins (two fastening types available, both 1.25inches or 32mm diameter) and embroidered patches measuring 3 inches or 72mm in diameter. Get one each for your shooting jacket, sweatshirt, sport coat, T-shirt and shooting accessories bag. All are at affordable prices. Also please see Patrick Twomey if you would like to order a sweatshirt (see item below).

CRPC Sweatshirts
Our Hon Sec is also organising an order of sweatshirts with printed club emblem. Various sizes and colour are available. Cost is about £8-£9.

Ensure You Have a Club Photo ID Badge
Due to our success at attracting new members, it is imperative that the Desk Officer and Range Officer each evening can quickly and accurately differentiate between visiting guests and fully paid-up shooting members (some of whom do not attend regularly). Please ensure that you have and wear your Photo ID Membership Badge membership sticker displaying the current year. This applies to ALL members while on the club premises. If you do not yet have a Photo ID badge, please ensure that you give the Desk Officer a passport-sized photo of yourself the next time you come to the Club. Members are required to wear their membership badge at all times whilst in the clubhouse and range.

Club Refurbishment and Maintenance
 Hopefully, you will have noticed a brand new high-security front door has been installed in November by a few club member volunteers. A limited number of (typically the same) members volunteer regularly on the second Saturday each month for general clean up and specific repair tasks on the clubhouse, indoors and out. Many thanks to you all. More 'new faces' would be VERY welcome. Coffee/tea, laughs and sometimes doughnuts provided! Leg-pulling is optional, but usually rife! 
NOTE: Club rules stipulate that each adult member is obliged to volunteer for at least one 'maintenance day' per year - it's not a lot to ask. Please sign up for a day of your choice on the club notice board.

Rifle Section - Summer and Winter League Competitions
Postal competitions in The Oxford (ORA) and City of London .22RF prone target rifle and sporting rifle competitions are also shot. Refer to the bulletin board or relevant section captain (i.e. Rifle Captain) for details. Please remember to get a few targets 'ahead' if you're taking time off for a holiday break.

Pistol Section - for fun and for Summer and Winter League Comps
Seasonal postal competitions have also begun. Please remember to get a few targets 'ahead' if you're taking time off for a holiday away.

Black Powder Section - Once-monthly Saturday Morning Only
Members wishing to shoot a muzzle-loading handgun on the first Saturday of each month (from 9.30am for a 10am start) should pre-register their desire to participate. Due to the increasing popularity of this discipline, pre-registration is essential on the signature sheet on the club notice board. Visitors please note: The club has no muzzle-loading firearms; you must have your own to shoot, although you are welcome to apply in advance to attend to watch in the first instance. If you remain interested, we can help you locate a source of a black powder firearm, provided you have the provision to obtain one on your Firearms Certificate. Contact Club Secretary Patrick Twomey on 01844-351347.

 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Maintenance parties are held on the 2nd Saturday monthly, 9am-noon.
Please be prepared to help - this is your club. Please help keep it in tip-top shape.

Award Winners
2008 Club Competition Winners (to follow)
2007 Club Competition Winners
2006 Club Competition Winners
2005 Club Competition Winners
2004 Club Competition Winners
2003 Club Competition winners

Special Events Photos
Open Day photos - June 2004.
Chinnor Fun Day - June 2004.
Thame Festival Parade - June 2004.
Centenary Events - May 2007.

 

 
Target shooting is good for...
A stress buster
Peaceful calm attitude
Developing a steady hand
Training a sharp eye
Confidence
Sense of real achievement
Pleasure in improvement
Sense of responsibility - teamwork in competitions
Camaraderie and friendship
Air Pistol and Air Rifle Shooting
 Popular with all shooters, but particularly so with youngsters and ladies, air pistol shooting is attractive because the pistols are lightweight and easy to hold, use cheap .177 calibre lead pellet ammunition, are very quiet to shoot (no ear defenders necessary) and require no other special equipment (i.e. shooting jacket, glove, ear defenders, sling, as per prone target rifle shooting). Note: the Club does have a limited supply of such ancillary equipment for committed prone rifle shooters for use while on Club premises.  

(Example right: Morini .177cal air pistol)

 Morini CM16 air pistol
.22cal RF Rifle Shooting
This section can be considered as having two parts: prone .22cal RF (Rim Fire) Target Rifle and .22cal LWSR (Light Weight Sporting Rifle). Prone .22cal target rifles are relatively long and heavy and are shot from a prone (lying down), kneeling or standing position. LWSRs are shot mostly from a standing position. 

.22cal Target Rifle
 For the keen marksman (meaning men and women, boys and girls), the .22calibre RF target rifle is arguably the most demanding of several highly skilled shooting disciplines. While 3-position shooting (prone, kneeling , standing) can be done at CRPC, most target rifle shooters at our club choose to shoot mainly from a prone position (lying down). This discipline also requires the use of a shooting jacket with leather sling for extra stability (club jackets/slings are available). Target rifles are long and quite heavy, but even more slightly built and younger individuals can shoot very successfully from a proper supported prone position.

(Example right: A modern Walther .22 target rifle [blue stock])

.22cal LWSR
The Light Weight Sporting Rifle is a .22cal RF rifle shot from a standing position. LWSRs are smaller, shorter and lighter 'carbine' type rifles shot usually from a standing position and some are semi-automatic (self-loading) rifles. These are shot in three main competition categories - Precision, Rapid Fire and Standard - or just for fun. Sporting rifles, gallery rifles and air rifles are the main firearms used for 'turning targets', arguably one of the more fun club shooting activities. 

(Example right: A Ruger 10-22 sporting rifle with scope [black synthetic stock] )

  

 

 

A modern Walther .22cal live round prone target rifle

 

 

 

Ruger 10-22 .22cal sporting rifle with scope and synthetic stock
Gallery Rifle Shooting
 Gallery rifles are usually shot standing and are often of the under-lever 'cowboy' type and are of the general type typically used formerly in a 'shooting gallery' at a fair, for example. They may also be semi-automatic (self-loading and cocking). CRPC provides a weekly gallery rifle session in which gallery rifles of the following calibres can be shot:  .22 single-shot bolt-action, .22 under-lever, .22 semi-auto (e.g. Ruger 10/22) and .357./38 or .44). These are often under-lever rifles, using a either a multi-round ammo clip or incorporating a multi-round integral magazine, requiring each round to be manually loaded by using the under-lever cocking action - or they may be semi-automatic, meaning that part of the energy of the round just fired will eject the spent casing, load a new round and cock the firing mechanism - making the gun ready to shoot again each time the trigger is pulled. Gallery rifles are also good for shooting turning targets or rapid fire competitions.

Turning Targets - To qualify for shooting Turning Targets, you must shoot three separate targets each with a minimum score of just 65 (out of 100) - from a standing position and unsupported - using either an air rifle, lightweight sporting rifle or gallery rifle. Then you can join the fun of shooting Turning Targets. Qualifying club members shoot Turning Targets twice-monthly see the News item above right 'Turning Targets Nights'). Turning targets are visible to the shooter for about 3 seconds and then turn 'away' [side-on, non-visible] for about 7 seconds, though this timing can be adjusted.

Note: Full Bore Rifles
 Full bore centre-fire rifles are not to be confused with gallery rifles which shoot centre-fire pistol-calibre ammunition (for example, .357, .38, .44 or .45) of a lower MV (muzzle velocity) and lower ME (muzzle energy). See 'CRPC Range Spec below, for our range limits.) Although technically any calibre measuring greater than .22 is 'full bore' (i.e. not 'small bore'), gallery rifles are a larger calibre but must shoot the reduced propellant loads in order to keep MV and ME below those for which the CRPC range is certified. 'Factory loads' of full bore rifle ammo can not be used on the CRPC indoor range.
CRPC is not certified for full bore rifle shooting. (See CRPC Range Spec below.) 
HOWEVER, the club does have a small number of generic (non-named) full-bore memberships of the NRA, which entitle a full CRPC club member to shoot their own full bore rifle at the NRA and NSC outdoor ranges at Bisley Camp (Surrey) - see hyperlinks below for these facilities. NRA members can hire rifles to shoot at Bisley.

(Example above right: Modern copy of a 1881-style Marlin .357 under-lever gallery rifle.)

 Modern copy of a 1881-style Marlin under-lever sport rifle
Black Powder Muzzle Loader Shooting
 CRPC's range is one of the few in southern England that offers this shooting discipline year round. The club's range includes extractor fans for clearing the smoke from black powder firearm shooting. On the first Saturday of each month, muzzle-loading pistols or revolvers can be shot at Chinnor. Typically these are modern copies of old-style weapons, ranging from pirate-style flintlock pistols to 1800s or 1900s-style cartridge ammo revolvers. These would have been originally of the flint-lock, percussion cap (cap and ball), or revolver type firearms. If you have an interest in historical weapons and don't mind the noise and smoke, then black powder shooting is for you! Club members must have their own muzzle loading firearm and provision for one on their FAC. In order to purchase and take possession of black powder an explosives certificate is required from the police authority, and a certificate to transport 'shooters' powders is needed from the H&SE.
Note: CRPC has no black powder firearms for club member use; you must have your own.)

(Example right: Modern copy of an 1800s-style US Cavalry revolver.)

 Modern copy of an 1800s-style US Cavalry revolver
If you are also interested in clay pigeon shooting with a shotgun, we can direct you to a good local organisation that offers a range of outdoor facilities in the nearby countryside, including trial 'have-a-go' days, formalised training and competitions.

To see - and experience - if target shooting is for you, ring the Chinnor Rifle & Pistol Club secretary now -
Patrick Twomey on 01844-351347 (evenings only please) or click here to email Patrick.

CRPC Range Spec for experienced shooters
Maximum allowable calibre         .455 inch [11.55mm]
Maximum muzzle velocity (MV)   1,700 fps (ft/sec) [520mps]
Maximum muzzle energy (ME)     475 ft/lbs

Some useful links:

NRA - National Rifle Association

NSC - National Shooting Centre

NSRA - National Small-bore Rifle Association

MLAGB - Muzzle Loading Association of Great Britain

LERA - The Lee Enfield Rifle Association

HBSA - Historical Breechloading Smallarms Association

ORA - Oxfordshire Rifle Association

CPSA - Clay Pigeon Shooting Association

UK Practical Shooting Association

International Shooting Sport Federation

GB Target Shooting Federation

British Olympic Association - Team GB - Shooting (Beijing and beyond) - Pistol

British Olympic Association - Team GB - Shooting (Beijing and beyond) - Rifle

Thames Valley Police - Firearms Licensing

Thames Valley Police web page for firearms FAQs

Firearms Law and Young People

Met Police web site for Firearms Licensing Enquiries

Met Police web page for Firearms FAQs

Met Police web page for clubs and target shooting

* Section 21 of the Firearms Act (extract on 'prohibited persons')

A person who has been sentenced to preventive detention or to imprisonment or to corrective training for a term of three years or more; or who has been sentenced to be
detained in a young offenders' institution in Scotland, shall not, at any time, have a firearm or ammunition in his possession.

This means for life and includes all firearms, even air weapons.

A person who has been sentenced to borstal training, to corrective training for less than three years, or to imprisonment for a term of three months or more, but less than three years; or who has been sentenced to be detained for such a term in a detention centre or in a young offenders' institution in Scotland, shall not at any time before the expiration of a period of five years, from the date of his release, have a firearm or ammunition in his possession.

It is also an offence for a person to sell or transfer a firearm or ammunition to, or repair, test or prove a firearm or ammunition for, a person whom he knows or has reasonable grounds for believing to be prohibited from having a firearm or ammunition in his possession.

Web Hosting Service

Note:
Although these web pages were made with FrontPage, we plan to build an advanced website with a new WYSIWYG website builder called 'Sitellite' Content Management Software from
Simian Systems www.simian.ca

This website's host can be found by clicking on the 'Web Hosting Service' hyperlink above.

Any other bodies wishing to become a sponsor of or advertiser on targetshooters.org, please contact Club Secretary Mr Pat Twomey on 01844 - 351 347 (evenings).