We speak to committee member Peter Loftus about an airgun club that’s been going for 45 years and offers shooting for the visually impaired.
To view the club’s website, just click here.
Tiverton Target Club in Devon was founded in 1975 on land donated by the Amory Family Trust in a building constructed by its members.
It now has a six-lane, 25-metre range used for shooting at 25M, 20 yards and 10M, plus a very comfy clubhouse complete with a pool table. It’s easy to find, as it’s located near the local football stadium.
There are about 40 members of all ages and there is no limit on the age of shooters providing they are safe to handle an air rifle unaided. Children are welcome to shoot at the club with supervision. The club has facilities for vision-impaired shooters.
Shooting is supervised by a range officer and the club offers full training in the safe handling and use of all disciplines shot there. There is always plenty of help and advice around no matter if you already own an airgun or if you are looking to get started.
Peter says the club is more than somewhere to shoot, it’s a social place too, with a very friendly vibe. It’s great fun and a good way to make new friends.
Everyone is treated equally at the club and it’s something that couples or families can do together. And it’s fairly inexpensive, as members can shoot for a whole week for just £4 plus pellets and air if they need it.
Visually impaired shooting
Tiverton Target Club has a modified air rifle setup for visually impaired shooters. This is a standard air rifle, but with a very special scope. The scope is able to detect brightness levels and convert this to an audible tone sent to a pair of headphones.
Special targets with a graduated greyscale have a bright light behind them. The tone changes from low to high as the shooter moves the scope over the target from the dark outer rings to the white bull, allowing the shooter to fire when the tone is at its highest level.
Leave a Reply