Welcome to the London Telecom Shooting Club. This aide-memoir has been written by a Member of the Club who was, until recently, a Probationary like yourself.

It is given to all potential members of the Club to let you know who we are, what we are and what we do.    We are a Home Office registered shooting club based in a Home Office approved shooting range which is located in Shoreditch High Street, London E1.    We have full National Rifle Association (N.R.A.) insurance to cover against any accidents that may occur, but in our thirty five year history we have never had a gunshot related accident.  Firearm safety is our chief concern and without exception is treated as the priority every single time we shoot. Club safety is reviewed on a monthly basis at the Clubs Committee meetings. 

Shoreditch Range

The Shoreditch Range is our home base and it is from here that we run the Club.

It consists of the shooting range itself, a club room and a connecting corridor with locker space for Members.    The range is 25 metres in length and has three shooting bays with an electronic safety system on the entrance door. This ensures Members safety by automatically locking the range door whilst shooting is in progress and displaying red lights in both the club room and corridor to alert everyone that there is live firing on the range.    The club room is where Members can hang out either waiting to shoot or to just sit around just having a cup of tea and a chat.

Bisley N.R.A. Shooting Centre

On the last Thursday of every month we have a club day at the National Shooting Centre in Bisley; which is owned by the N.R.A.  Bisley offers the Club a greater variety of ranges with distances from 25 metres out to 1200 metres and all Club Members are advised of the dates of our shoots at Bisley and the ranges to be used that day.   This information is sent out early each year.

Firearms

To new members the Club offers training in the safe use of a variety of firearms which it holds for Members to use.  The Club will provide the necessary ammunition for the safe use of these firearms.     Here is a list of the firearms available for Members use:

.357 Under lever Rifle

The .357 Under lever Rifle is best known as the rifle of the American West and will be instantly recognisable to anyone who has ever watched a western.   The Club has three of these rifles; two Rossi (Brazilian) and a Winchester (American), all of which are .357 calibre so one box of ammo can be used in all three.    When firing these rifles you will use the open sights built onto them. Probationary members will always be accompanied by a senior club member who will not only coach you in the safe use of these firearms but will also coach you in how to fire them accurately.

These rifles are challenging to shoot accurately, and are also great fun to shoot. Members who have been shooting for thirty or forty years still enjoy not only firing these rifles but also enjoy taking part in the various club competitions that we run using them.  

10/22 Ruger

This is a .22 semi-automatic rifle with a Telescopic Scope and a ten shot magazine. The majority of Members shoot both the under lever rifles and the Ruger as part of their normal shooting.   The .22 calibre is commonly known as small bore shooting and the use of the telescopic site on this rifle is a nice contrast to shooting using the open sights on the under lever rifles.  

.22 Target Rifle

The Club offers the use of  B.S.A.  .22 target rifles and this is in complete contrast to shooting the Under lever Rifles and scoped Ruger.

Target rifle shooting is shot in the prone position (lying down) and uses only peep-hole iron sites but the degree of accuracy achieved is phenomenal.     Our best shooters can accurately place a round into a bull measuring 1/4 inch nine times out of ten at 25 yards.     The same principal is used when shooting at Bisley at any distance out to 1000 yards and therefore .22 target shooting at the range is great training for shooting the longer distances.

7.62/.308 Target Rifle

The Club owns 2 full-bore rifles, a Sportco  and a  Grunig and Elmiger, ( both 7.62 calibre) which are only used at Bisley.  These can accurately shoot out to 1200 yards and this allows probationary members to enjoy and practice long range shooting.

Established Club Members have a variety of other firearms that can be safely used at either the Shoreditch Range or at Bisley and if you catch them in the right mood they might let you have a go, so don’t be shy at making the tea as you never know what you might get out of it !

Club Members also shoot Black Powder (BP) Pistol. This is a large calibre revolver that requires each individual chamber to be loaded separately with powder, wad and ball and is then fired in the normal way that a pistol is fired.     The Club does not have a BP Pistol for probationary members to use but you will probably get to fire a  couple of rounds on your induction (and if you don’t, make sure you keep reminding the Committee Members of this), and you never know what extensive use of the kettle in the club room might get you.  

All of our members who own their own firearms hold a Firearms Certificate (F.A.C.) issued by the Police. The Club Secretary, who is our Police Liaison Officer, will give help and advice to Members on either first time applications or renewals of a F.A.C. 

Safety

As I have already mentioned Gun safety is our chief priority at the Club and disregard for the safe use of firearms will get you expelled from the Club, there are no grey areas or negotiation in this matter.   

If you do not use firearms safely, then you will not use firearms at our Club.

This is for the protection of our members (including you), and for the protection of our Club.  This is the one thing that it is the responsibility of all Club Members to be extremely vigilant about.  Should a first week probationary member see the Club Chairman using a firearm in an un-safe manner, (this will be about the same day they forecast a snowstorm in Hell), then we will expect them to not only bring it to his attention but also to bring it to the attention of other senior Club Members for review at the Clubs Committee Meetings.    Our safety record is exemplary and we intend it to stay that way and any suggestions or recommendations that will improve our level of safety at the Club will always be welcome.

 Probationary Membership

 Following your induction and payment of a joining fee, you will become a level one probationary member and you will always be accompanied by a senior club or committee member when you shoot (you just can’t buy the coaching these guys can give you).   You will be given a shooting record and each time you finish shooting they will fill it in and make comments about your safe handling of the firearm.   Your day to day gun safety will be their responsibility during your probationary period within the limits of common sense.   You have to shoot a minimum of ten times during your first six months and have to be able to show at least ten entries on your shooting record within this time.     At a given time within that six month period depending on your attendance, aptitude and safe attitude towards Firearm handling you will be elevated to level two probationary member upon Committee approval.   This will allow you to shoot with any Full Member of the Club accompanying you on to the range and you will be expected to follow their instructions and advice and have them fill in your shooting record when you have finished.   After a minimum of six months regular attendance the Club Committee will review your shooting record and if acceptable will invite you to sit a written safety test which you must pass.   After passing your safety test you will be offered Full Membership of the Club and will be allowed to shoot on your own on the range.

Shooting Days

The Club is open every Monday and Thursday at 17:30 - 19:00 and every second Saturday from 9:30 - 13:00, but its always wise to check first as the Club is closed on the last Thursday of the month when the Bisley shoot is on and there is the odd occasion when one of the Committee Members/key holders can’t make it down to the range on a given day but these situations are very rare.

Club Events

As I have already mentioned there is the shoot at Bisley on the last Thursday of every month, in early December we have  the Christmas Shoot,  this is fun day (but a safe day!!!)  and there are various not  too serious competitions run (prizes!!!)  with a mobile kitchen set up for lunch.   The Members who attend bring a huge variety of guns with them ranging from flintlocks from the 1700`s right up to just bought modern firearms and if you go you will probably get to shoot most of them at one point or another (this is where all that  tea making bears fruit) .   You can also book to stay overnight at Bisley with a Club Christmas dinner in the evening (jacket and tie, no less) followed by the singing of hymns and some peaceful reflection of the year.  In other words its the mother of all pi** ups and its only right and proper to make a complete idiot of yourself.

Lastly, I’d just like to say that we’d be delighted to see you come and put some ammo down the range and have a good time. We’ve got everything you need and you can come down as you are and shoot.   You can contact us on: