Spring Shooting at the WMS Rifle Range

We are open all year, people hunt all year round all around the world and WMS is the place to learn, practice and prepare for your next shooting challenge. January saw temperatures plummet to -18c at WMS and through the ice wind and snow we did not lose a single day booked!

By March it was all change and I was daily applying sun cream and guiding in T shirt order with a light cotton jacket! 2 months of dry weather March through April had us dry, dusty, warm and with light winds for a change. The level of the river Wye (we are the source) dropped to a trickle and tracer was out because of the fire risk.

Thus fooled into thoughts of an early and sustained summer it was a shock in early May to have the wind and rain return for a mixture of blustery weather, heavy showers and much colder temperatures. This caught me out once or twice and reminded me to put the layers, fleece, gloves and Rivers West kit back in the truck. Any day with us is a good day, but only if you have prepared and stay warm and dry.  There’s no such thing as bad weather, merely inappropriate clothing!

As of today, May 26^th, it is again blustery, heavy showers and odd sunny spells. I am on the laptop in the office as John, our adjunct instructor and co conspirator is taking the range day. The growth in the business means I need to pilot the desk more! John is ex military, a trained trainer, 18 years time served with UK special  forces group.  His unique skills base will now enable WMS to engage in some tactical security based projects and to combine bush craft and travel security into our training abilities. Watch the web site for developments.

What sort of shooting have you engaged in over the Spring and how do you want your shooting to develop this year? WMS is going to focus more on truly practical shooting skills, handy kit and rifle shooting as required in the field to “bring home the venison.” The long range theory work will go on because it’s fun and people like it, but “Practice for what you do” is going to be our mantra.

The new 50-300 and 300-600 projects will focus on first round hits and how to make them, fast follow up shots and multi positional shooting with fire and movement. Why?  Because that’s how we hunt, cull, stalk and control varmints and those are the ranges involved! The same portable handy kit can do the former and stretch to the latter if needs must.

Here is a challenge:  Take your GP hunting rifle out of the cabinet, check clear and hold it out at arms length in your  weak  hand. How long can you hold it out there? If its about 30 seconds, it is the right kind of weight for woodland stalking,  general  lowland hunting and pest control with movement. If its about 60 seconds it will make a great mountain, hill or upland stalking rifle and be good to carry all day anywhere.  If it is 5 to 20 seconds, you need to eat more porridge, or its too heavy to be handy, portable and a good friend in the field.

My point? You don’t need heavy barrels, monster scopes and loads of kit to do the job. WMS can demonstrate this on any range day and notably on the 50-300 and 300-600 days we are planning.

Interested? Call us up, check out the web site for details and lets make 2011 fun, informative costs effective and full of shooting, hunting and tall stories around the camp fire.

The summer is coming and we plan to fill it!

Best wishes, Andrew Venables

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