Training available at APC
Auckland Pistol Club prides itself on providing a comprehensive training regime that is designed to give every new member the necessary skills and experience to fully participate in the sport of pistol shooting.
There is no entry bar, apart from a good attitude and a commitment to complete the training cycle.
Particular emphasis is placed on junior members and children as young as 12 years are welcome.
Apart from the requirements for the Pistol New Zealand Junior Proficiency Badge, no differentiation is made and junior members receive exactly the same training as other new members. As long as they demonstrate the necessary level of safety and skill, junior members will participate alongside adults, and in many cases will outperform them.
Training is a mandatory component of becoming a member of Auckland Pistol Club and regardless of your experience with handling firearms, every new member should expect to progress through a structured, but self-paced, series of tiers, and at the competition of the six months probationary period, be actively involved in competing at club matches.
To this end, as a new member you will be responsible for registering for training sessions yourself, as this will allow you manage your own training around any other commitments that you have.
APC has several intakes for training each year. You can be guaranteed there is a training cycle starting soon, or that has already started that you can become a part of.
Once the committee has approved your probationary membership application, the Training Officer will arrange an Induction Session. The purpose of this session is to familiarise you with the various ranges and facilities at the Brookby Range, the sign in procedure, the club rules and regulations, the safety zones etc. Essentially, the aim is that you should feel confident that you belong to the club and have an understanding of how the ranges operate so you can start to participate in other activities.
Once you have attended an Induction Session you may register for subsequent training sessions at your own pace.
There are distinct tiers to the training cycle which take you from Basic where the focus is on developing safe habits and controlling the placement of each shot, through to Intermediate which teaches techniques for action and practical shooting such as movement, reloading, different positions, the use of props etc, and on to regular club matches where the new member will actively compete against some of the best shooters in New Zealand.
At the end of your training you should be ready to transition to attending the regular Sunday club matches in your chosen disciplines. To continue your development in this regard the training officer will introduce you to the section directors of the different disciplines we shoot at APC. The section director will be able to mentor you through your initial Sunday club matches until you are regularly and confidently attending these events.
The section director will be able to provide you with insight into how matches operate and learning match etiquette, by not only shooting a match in a controlled environment, but by also performing each of the match roles; stage design, Range Officer, scoring and resetting the range.
The speed at which you progress through each of the tiers is solely dependent on how quickly you can assimilate the knowledge and skills at each tier.
As well as shooting, the new member will also complete the Pistol New Zealand Safety and Range Officer written test to qualify a Club Range Officer, and an oral test to confirm their knowledge of the club’s rules and regulations. Getting to the club match is not the end of your training as this will continue on a less formal basis as you observe and talk to the many experienced club members. You will also attend the Holster Training course and assessment soon after obtaining a B endorsement for your firearms licence.
All in all, it is a comprehensive training package which produces a skilled, knowledgeable, but above all, safe shooter.
To get there, Auckland Pistol Club calls on the services of an entire team of trainers and conducts over 100 training sessions each year. There is no excuse for not taking advantage of this opportunity and becoming the best shooter that you can.