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Top of the class
BASC member Jim Old took the Game Shooter Certificate 1 course and not only improved his knowledge base, but also learned a new affordable way to enjoy game shooting.
It’s a truth universally acknowledged that formal driven game shooting is expensive. But my entry into the world of field sports coincided with the arrival of avian flu, plus other inflationary pressures, which bolstered the cost of producing a day’s sport to stretch the pockets even further.Â
With at least some of these cost increases inevitably passed on to the shotgun-clutching end user, I mulled it over as I drove to Southdown Shooting Club in West Sussex for the start of my two-day BASC Game Shooter Certificate course. I knew that part of the idea behind it was to give novices venturing into driven shooting a working knowledge of how shoots operate. But if the cost of a dream driven day was already beyond my means, what could I reasonably hope to get out of it?Â
Never too old to learn
My Game Shooter Certificate course was delivered by BASC trainer, Richard Fussell.Â
The first day was classroom-based and Richard took us through safety on the peg, firearms law, etiquette, cartridge choices, gundogs and quarry recognition. He illustrated many of his points with well-chosen anecdotes; some hilarious, others cautionary and one that was downright hair-raising.
There were five of us sitting the course and I was surprised to find that, of the five, only myself and one other had no driven shooting experience. Two of the ‘students,’ it turned out, had plenty.Â
When I asked them why they were there, one said that he simply wanted the Game Shooter Certificate and to be able to say he’d completed the course. The other pointed out sagely that we’re never too old, or too experienced, to learn.
The Game Shooter Certificate
We listened carefully to Richard’s information-packed teaching, not least because we knew that at the end of day one, we’d have to pass a 50-question assessment to prove we’d been paying attention.Â
Despite my reservations about cost, I learned a great deal. For example, you shouldn’t necessarily pick up and bin your empty cartridges immediately at the end of a drive. Put them in pile on your peg because someone may want to count them.Â
Another one that stuck with me was being aware of the bag limit and shooting accordingly to avoid an eye-watering extra cost at the end of the day.
It’s clear that financial considerations were very much on my mind as I absorbed the course content, and I remember being relieved that my wife wasn’t there to hear how much it could all cost. But then Richard introduced the topic of walked-up shooting – less formal, easier to come by and, crucially, considerably cheaper. Perhaps here was a way in for me, after all.Â
Opening new doors
Day one complete and written assessment passed, I went home and typed up notes. We returned the next day with our shotguns for two field-based assessments – range estimation and gun safety.Â
This second element is BASC’s Safe Shot qualification. Richard wanted to see that I could unslip, load and fire my Beretta without being a danger to those around me. This part of the course is there to reassure shoot captains and gamekeepers that those with the Game Shooter Certificate 1 qualification can handle a shotgun safely.
I can certainly recommend the course for those pondering their first foray into driven shooting. Even Guns with some experience will find it enlightening.Â
Since attending the course, I have attended a few walked-up days which, I’m happy to say, haven’t broken the bank or triggered divorce proceedings. But a formal driven day remains for me a bucket-list ambition, when my ship finally comes in.
The Game Shooter Certificate 1 - what is it for and who is it aimed at?
The Game Shooter Certificate 1 (GSC1) is designed for people who have recently taken up game shooting, are seeking further guidance, or who want to test their existing skills and experience. The course follows the principles and standards set out in the Code of Good Shooting Practice and aims to provide a wider understanding of game shooting to help improve success in the field.
Why is the course needed?
It is increasingly difficult for newcomers and young people to gain enough experience of driven game shooting.Â
The course provides a balance between theory and practical experience. This is to reassure shooting providers that new participants can conduct themselves legally, safely and with respect for their quarry. It also supports the sector’s ambition to self-regulate, rather than be subject to mandatory testing.
The course is delivered by experienced and knowledgeable game shooters who are either BASC officers or experienced BASC shotgun coaches. The following areas are covered:
- introduction to game shooting
- safety in the field, gun handling and storage
- firearms law and shotgun shooting
- wildlife and environmental law
- quarry identification and behaviour
- etiquette specific to game shooting
- behaviour before the day, on the day and at the end of the day
- cartridges
- taking the shot
- the role of gundogs
The Game Shooter Certificate 1 course costs £195 for BASC members and £275 for non-members.Â
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