Rifle club starts new year with a bang

Air rifle shooting as a sport is gaining popularity in South Africa and the bug seems to have bitten specifically on local turf.

Local air gun club The Nomads hosted its first club shootout for the year on 25 January with a large turnout of air rifle enthusiasts armed with their big-boy guns.

The event was open to all air gun and field target clubs as well as newcomers to the sport.

The club hosted two air rifle disciplines on the day namely Field Target (FT) and Hunter Field Target (HFT).

According to club founder Adrian Smuts, club shoots generally are enjoyed by those who want to have fun shooting and get to know like-minded people.

“It also provides very necessary practice for serious shots in a competitive environment, but without the added pressures of a league shoot,” he says.

The event kicked off after a safety briefing and shooters took to the lanes not only armed with air rifles, but cold water, sunscreen and hats.

Family members, be it husband and wife or father and son, challenged each other during the day in good humour and fun.

Some participants used the event to practise their standing and kneeling shots, also referred to as positional shots while others tried their hands on HFT for the first time.

The Nomads share the shooting grounds with an archery club on the R28 next to Cedar Lodge, with loads of space where ranges can be set up. They also invite those interested in the sport to join in the fun of their next organised air rifle shooting event on 15 February.

For more information about the sport and Nomads Airgun Club, contact Adrian on smutsav@gmail.com or Zelna on zelnavt@lawcircle.co.za.