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How old do you need to be to go shooting?

How old do you need to be to go shooting?

You must be 15 before you can use a shotgun without being supervised by an adult.


Thursday, 21 June 2007

I am applying for a shotgun certificate but am confused about the age you must be to go shooting by yourself. I'm 15 coming up 16 and have a keen interest in all country sports. I'd like to take up pigeon shooting as we have a pigeon problem on our farm.


Legal
DAVID FROST says: You are not the only person who is confused by age limits for the younger shooter; they can be very complicated. There is no lower age limit for getting a shotgun certificate and plenty of teenagers have one.

You must be 15 before you can use a shotgun without being supervised by an adult (who must be at least 21). At 15 you may be lent or given a shotgun but you are not allowed to buy one until you are 17. Nor are you allowed to buy ammunition until you are 17.

If you have never used a shotgun before I strongly advise you take some lessons at your nearest shooting school. This gives you the opportunity to learn about safety and will improve your standard of shooting so that you don't miss too often.


Got a question? Contact: sportinggun@ipcmedia.com or Sporting Gun, PO Box 157, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 9FU



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