Glenshooter

Considering the grief that he has to put up with, I think that David BASC, (whom I have not met and don't know), has been very mild mannered. And as a BASC member, who is frankly fed up with all the sniping at BASC, often from ill informed or people with an axe to grind or an old grudge, I think he is quite right to respond assertively like he had done in this thread. All IMHO of course.

I was a member of both the CA and BASC. I was enormously impressed by the whole team at BASC when I had a potentially serious issue with my firearms licensing, through no fault/stupidity of my own I should add. And when you are getting a hard time, it's a very lonely place to be. BASC stepped in, the Regional Director seemed to be well respected by firearms licensing. Because the negative attitude and perceived aggression that I was experiencing changed almost immediately. The BASC HQ team were also involved and another regional director, who was able to offer advice was also helping. The whole BASC team could not have been 1) more helpful 2) better informed and knowledgeable 3) well 'connected' 4) approachable. This contrasted completely to the chap on the CA stand at the CLA game fair a few years ago who nearly had a fit when I mentioned in conversation that my main shooting was fox shooting. It's a joke that they have any interest in shooting other than getting potential BASC members to subsidise their fox hunting activities, IMHO and experience. CA have one person, in post a few months to support shooting, and this is no criticism of him personally. And BASC have how many? NGO have how many? Believe me, when you need advice and you're up against it, you want the best, and the best need a strong team. And in my opinion AND experience, this is the BASC.

But they surely don't have anything close to the resources that BASC have. How many full time (or equivalent) people do they have?

Would have been somewhat more candid if you had declared that on your previous post, IMHO. And good to see you on the forum. The CA is somewhat lacking in involvement in many things shooting.

Utter nonsense, IMHO. David BASC has been one of the most patient people on here considering what he has had to put up with. And, I don't see too many other organisations bothering to post here? Maybe they just can't be bothered coming onto shooting forums.

Yep David, well done for being so frank. I have been approached in a similar way to re-join CA a while ago but since I got a very poor attitude from someone on the CA stand at a gamefair because I was a fox shooter, I didn't join again. And when have you ever seen a gun on a CA stand? And I was on the London March and do think they do a good job lobbying for the return of fox hunting. But shooting, no.

I saw an advertised post recently for a BASC senior job and it was less than half of what that job would be paid in industry, IMHO. (And I have some experience of job band levels in industry.)

This is the first time I have heard that they offer legal and techical backup. What do they offer in general ie what sort of team, expertise do they have and how complicated was your 'issue' that they helped with?

Well, what is true, IMHO, is that if BASC go to government with a proposal or to fight a proposal and they have 200,000 members, their comments and proposals will carry significantly more weight than if they have a membership of 100,000. Surely this is true?

Some truth here indeed. But what is great about what BASC do is that they lobby, interact with, encourage, inform politicians about the benefits of shooting by using professional means. And this includes educated and informed staff, a media centre that allows BASC and hence shooters to take on the anti shooters at their own game - remembering that 'what's her face' in the ban guns movement is married to a labour MP or ex MP. Our enemies are well connected, articulate and cunning. We need to be as well equipped. I despair when I hear people moaning about the BASC's media centre, although a lot less people do so now following Cumbria when the BASC were recognised as the best organisation to take on the media onslought. And didn't they do a great job. Mike Eveleigh stands out in my mind as being excellent. As so he should, having been in the police for over 30 years so he understands the 'police' perspective. And I am professionally involved in media and communications as a bit of background to my opinion. And I don't know who else had got even close to the resources as the BASC. And that is in addition to all the other member benefits as well, insurance and a help desk who can help and advise with almost any shooting question or problem.

You sound very negative especially when it seems that BASC got you a good result.

Well I tested BASC, or at least my firearms licensing authority did. And they were great. Nothing was too much trouble and the relationships they seemed to have with the firearms people was worth its weight in gold. So its BASC for me.

Indeed. And, IIRC, BASC actually mention the cost of the insurance somewhere on their website to be completely transparant. But you get much more than just insurance with BASC membership. And I regard their advice / help desk as another form of 'insurance'.

Rather than behaving in an immature manner and engaging in personal insults, perhaps you'd like to answer the point. What 'nice mark up' does BASC add? As my understanding is that insurance is part of the 'benefits' of being a member, in common with many other shooting organisation, and your statement is therefore nonsensical.

Fixed/completed it for you. The mark up is surely not relevant in any case since they don't sell just insurance?

The beauty with BASC insurance is that you get 'double' insurance. Both the insurance you're asking about and the insurance that comes from the biggest shooting organisation with an excellent back up service if anything goes wrong eg if the police have an 'issue' with you.

That's like considering using a microwave to dry a cat, IMHO. If you want something to "give 100% grip in wet conditions" then they're great. They do not claim to be warm nor waterproof, AFAIK, but to give 100% grip, in the same way that a microwave does not claim to dry cats. They do exactly 'what it says on the tin'.

Managed to get out of the office at lunchtime today. Picked up copies of Shooting Times and Sporting Gun. Managed to read all there seemed to be of interest in Shooting Times in a few mins so it went back on the shelf, but bought Sporting Gun. What an excellent mag. I'm taking out a subscription to it tomorrow.

Yep, they increase grip in wet conditions and, TBH, do what it says on the tin.

I no longer buy Shooting Times for similar reasons. I get 4 or 5 mags on subscription but never again the Shooting Times. Unbelievably unreasonable BASC bashing sometimes, IMHO. Didn't some of their ex-editorial staff or columnists get jobs with another countryside organisation?

Tikka T3 lite is excellent. Well worth the money.

And we wonder why dogs bite people.

Surprised at your experience since most people rate Deben's customer service. I have seen many posts saying how good they are and this is the first that I have seen expressing a different experience. Hope you get it sorted.

Excellent advice and I agree with it. I have a Sidewinder 30 on my FAC air rifle and it's an excellent scope for the money. (And, FWIW, my two powder burner's both have Zeiss scopes so I know what a decent scope is! )

I don't think that sending a person a rifle without the full money is any more dumb that sending someone, whom you don't know, the full payment for a rifle in the first place, IMHO. The insurance/tracking is a different matter. I hope the rifle turns up.