The Game Shooter Certificate

[Old farrier]

27 minutes ago, Conor O'Gorman said:

The practical session is undertaken by a BASC shotgun coach with suitable game shooting experience. It involves the fundamentals of the BASC safe shot award, ensuring that candidates can demonstrate safe use of a shotgun. As well as the opportunity to practice shooting clay targets guided by the coach. All equipment will be supplied by BASC, candidates are also welcome to bring their own gun.

BASC training courses help to promote and protect shooting and related activities by establishing and maintaining high standards through training, education and best practice. For a full list of what is available click the weblink below.

https://basc.org.uk/training-courses/

Also, have a look at our events page:

https://events.basc.org.uk/

 

Hardly a game shooter certification 

if you don’t shoot game 

I’ll wager there won’t be 8 people in a line with random targets coming over or along the line 

not to mention the extra adrenaline levels created on a real day by the birds the tension/excitementof a large flush  beaters picker ups and random dogs 

i just can’t see the benefit 

 

 

[Conor O'Gorman]

30 minutes ago, Old farrier said:

Hardly a game shooter certification 

if you don’t shoot game 

I’ll wager there won’t be 8 people in a line with random targets coming over or along the line 

not to mention the extra adrenaline levels created on a real day by the birds the tension/excitementof a large flush  beaters picker ups and random dogs 

i just can’t see the benefit 

 

 

That's fine if you don't see the benefit and there will be others that do see the benefit and many more that don't have a view either way. The only negative feedback I have seen on social media about the article/course is on this forum.

 

[Old farrier]

7 minutes ago, Conor O'Gorman said:

That's fine if you don't see the benefit and there will be others that do see the benefit and many more that don't have a view either way. The only negative feedback I have seen on social media about the article/course is on this forum.

 

Possibly because some people on here actually shoot game 

 

[enfieldspares]

41 minutes ago, Old farrier said:

Possibly because some people on here actually shoot game 

 

Exactly.

Indeed there is little need to actually shoot any clay pigeons at all. Launch some, yes, to show whose the bird should be if it a line of standing guns on a driven day and when it would, or wouldn't be safe shot behind the line. But no need at all to actually shoot at the thing. Are you teaching safety and etiquette or are you teaching how to shoot clays? It is NOT the same.

I did the old BASC Shotgun Proficiency Course back in a long time ago. This was taught at adult learning as a series of two hour classroom sessions and a practical session at Kibworth Shooting Ground with gun (but no shooting) on gun handling crossing obstacles, range estimation of 30, 30, 50 yards, and questions if an xxx bird flew there going that way would that be an acceptable shot and if so would it be a safe shot...explain. IT DID NOT COST £150!

Edited Thursday at 13:54 by enfieldspares

[udderlyoffroad]

Per the BASC website;

“ The course costs £150 per person, which includes the online theory aspect and optional practical session”

Why on earth is the theory aspect not available at no cost online for BASC members? I understand there will have been costs incurred developing the course with an external training provider, but this is exactly the kind of membership perk BASC should offer, IMO.

I am surprised at all the people on here slating a course they have no intention of taking.

35 minutes ago, enfieldspares said:

IT DID NOT COST £150!

This seems a spurious point to shout about unless you tell us in what year & how much the course did cost, then run the latter through an inflation calculator.

[jall25]

1 hour ago, Conor O'Gorman said:

That's fine if you don't see the benefit and there will be others that do see the benefit and many more that don't have a view either way. The only negative feedback I have seen on social media about the article/course is on this forum.

 

 

Im on a few forums and sadly there is so little engagement anyway 

[enfieldspares]

37 minutes ago, udderlyoffroad said:

This seems a spurious point to shout about unless you tell us in what year & how much the course did cost, then run the latter through an inflation calculator.

I think it was possibly free. Which adjusted for inflation is. Nix, nada, zilch, zero. The GWCT "Accredited Game Shot Course" is also free.

https://www.gwct.org.uk/blogs/news/2022/march/earn-your-gwct-accredited-game-shot-certificate-now-free/

I just did it. Passed with 96% correct. The one I got wrong was what species benefit from hedgerow management.

Edited Thursday at 14:55 by enfieldspares

[Rim Fire]

1 hour ago, udderlyoffroad said:

I am surprised at all the people on here slating a course they have no intention of taking.

Its not about paying to take the course its about when BASC introduces these type of courses then they become the law same doctors reports and DSC1 course before you can apply for a Deer calibre  here in Gwent the first thing they say is take the DSC1 

[8 shot]

10 hours ago, Rim Fire said:

  it has now become with some forces you wont get a deer calibre rifle without doing the DSC1 first

As far a i know DSC1 is not law and police forces shouldn't use it as described above. As I've said many times before it's this that has stopped many many good stalkers from controlling many more deer and has lead to police forces having to give certificates to some very incompetent shooters.

[Rim Fire]

14 minutes ago, 8 shot said:

As far a i know DSC1 is not law and police forces shouldn't use it as described above. As I've said many times before it's this that has stopped many many good stalkers from controlling many more deer and has lead to police forces having to give certificates to some very incompetent shooters.

i couldn't agree more and who brought in the DSC1 certificate 

[steve_b_wales]

39 minutes ago, Rim Fire said:

i couldn't agree more and who brought in the DSC1 certificate 

[wymberley]

12 hours ago, Pushandpull said:

I think you will find that DSC1 developed from the old NSCC, which was introduced principally by BDS. BASC ran a simpler proficiency award at one time for shotgun novices. I took and passed it (direct entry) as we were looking at offering it to new members of a wildfowling club but didn't proceed.

Talk about a blast from the past! Initially we were called Honorary Regional Education Development Officers, later shortened to HEOs and we ran the award scheme - PAS - at county level. I don't think we'll ever again see the like as we and our team of lecturers - 'Technical Officers' -  although trained were unpaid volunteers but did get expenses - my team never claimed any and I only did so for trips to t'Mill when required. This arrangement was mirrored in the earlier Sporting Shotgun Shooting Coach set up where our training/accommodation was paid for by BASC and in return although expenses were paid (fully and promptly, I would add) we weren't and attended the clinics as, when and where we were required.

It would pay for anyone having a PAS Certificate to hang on to it - FACE said this pretty much matched the requirements for many of the European countries where assessment was required before authority to hunt was granted - it might come in handy before long the way things are going. At £150 for the current BASC offering, I hate to think what the 10 week course plus the two assessments - theory and practical -  would cost now as I can't see it being currently staffed by unpaid volunteers at local level.

[Conor O'Gorman]

16 minutes ago, wymberley said:

Talk about a blast from the past! Initially we were called Honorary Regional Education Development Officers, later shortened to HEOs and we ran the award scheme - PAS - at county level. I don't think we'll ever again see the like as we and our team of lecturers - 'Technical Officers' -  although trained were unpaid volunteers but did get expenses - my team never claimed any and I only did so for trips to t'Mill when required. This arrangement was mirrored in the earlier Sporting Shotgun Shooting Coach set up where our training/accommodation was paid for by BASC and in return although expenses were paid (fully and promptly, I would add) we weren't and attended the clinics as, when and where we were required.

It would pay for anyone having a PAS Certificate to hang on to it - FACE said this pretty much matched the requirements for many of the European countries where assessment was required before authority to hunt was granted - it might come in handy before long the way things are going. At £150 for the current BASC offering, I hate to think what the 10 week course plus the two assessments - theory and practical -  would cost now as I can't see it being currently staffed by unpaid volunteers at local level.

Thank you @Pushandpull and @wymberleyfor some historical context on this that is still relevant to this day.

[udderlyoffroad]

4 hours ago, Rim Fire said:

Its not about paying to take the course its about when BASC introduces these type of courses then they become the law

By that logic BASC could never introduce any training courses ever, lest “they become law”. Surely you don’t believe that, it’s utter nonsense.

Also I appreciate you are probably paraphrasing for the sake of brevity, but for the avoidance of doubt, that is emphatically *not*  how law is created.

Gwent police deciding to require a DSC1 before they’ll grant an FAC for deer calibres is not *law*, it’s not regulation, it’s what they perceive to be due diligence. It is discretion they are allowed. As such, it’s open to legal challenge.

6 hours ago, enfieldspares said:

I think it was possibly free.

Or it could’ve been £30 in 1993, which is £78.10 now.

6 hours ago, enfieldspares said:

The GWCT "Accredited Game Shot Course" is also free.

https://www.gwct.org.uk/blogs/news/2022/march/earn-your-gwct-accredited-game-shot-certificate-now-free/

Now that is interesting. @Conor O'Gorman, do you know how the GWCT course differs from the theory element of the BASC course?

 

Edited Thursday at 20:50 by udderlyoffroad

[Conor O'Gorman]

14 hours ago, udderlyoffroad said:

By that logic BASC could never introduce any training courses ever, lest “they become law”. Surely you don’t believe that, it’s utter nonsense.

Also I appreciate you are probably paraphrasing for the sake of brevity, but for the avoidance of doubt, that is emphatically *not*  how law is created.

Gwent police deciding to require a DSC1 before they’ll grant an FAC for deer calibres is not *law*, it’s not regulation, it’s what they perceive to be due diligence. It is discretion they are allowed. As such, it’s open to legal challenge.

Or it could’ve been £30 in 1993, which is £78.10 now.

Now that is interesting. @Conor O'Gorman, do you know how the GWCT course differs from the theory element of the BASC course?

 

The GWCT course is 25 multi-choice questions covering information in the GWCT The Knowledge Book and the Code of Good Shooting Practice. You can complete the questions without those resources or with them - your choice. Takes 5-10 mins to complete the questionnaire.

The new online part of the Game Shooter Certificate course is various videos and content in modules that you watch and read through and then answer questions on, module by module. Takes around 2 hours to complete. The online course material covers:

• Safety – best practices for responsible shooting.
• Firearms law and shotgun shooting – understanding legal requirements and techniques.
• Before, on and after the shoot day – preparing for a successful experience.
• Etiquette – the unwritten rules of the field.
• Cartridges – choosing the right ammunition.
• Taking the shot – improving accuracy and effectiveness.
• Gundogs – their role in game shooting.
• Quarry and the law – responsible and legal hunting practices.

Once you’ve completed and passed the online course, you have the option to attend a one-day practical session to apply your learning in a real-world setting.

The practical session is undertaken by a BASC shotgun coach with suitable game shooting experience. It involves the fundamentals of the BASC safe shot award, ensuring that candidates can demonstrate safe use of a shotgun. As well as the opportunity to practice shooting clay targets guided by the coach. All equipment will be supplied by BASC, candidates are also welcome to bring their own gun.

 

[Bobba]

Very much like something dreamt up by a European Commission staff member who, with nothing better to do, wishes to justify their existence. 

[udderlyoffroad]

2 hours ago, Conor O'Gorman said:

The GWCT course is 25 multi-choice questions covering information in the GWCT The Knowledge Book and the Code of Good Shooting Practice. You can complete the questions without those resources or with them - your choice. Takes 5-10 mins to complete the questionnaire.

The new online part of the Game Shooter Certificate course is various videos and content in modules that you watch and read through and then answer questions on, module by module. Takes around 2 hours to complete. The online course material covers:

• ...

Thank you for the detailed response Conor, I understand now that the 2 appear to be different beasts.

Nevertheless; I can't help but escape the feeling that the online element of the BASC course should be made available to all BASC members for use as part of the membership fee.  A rising tide and all that.

7 minutes ago, Bobba said:

Very much like something dreamt up by a European Commission staff member who, with nothing better to do, wishes to justify their existence. 

Fortunately, we've left the EU so we're only subject to the whims of their equivalents in Westminster, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Stormont.... 😂

[Conor O'Gorman]

4 minutes ago, udderlyoffroad said:

Thank you for the detailed response Conor, I understand now that the 2 appear to be different beasts.

Nevertheless; I can't help but escape the feeling that the online element of the BASC course should be made available to all BASC members for use as part of the membership fee.  A rising tide and all that.

Fortunately, we've left the EU so we're only subject to the whims of their equivalents in Westminster, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Stormont.... 😂

Thanks I have been passing this feedback to the training team - so we shall see how it evolves based on interest etc.

[HantsRob]

4 hours ago, Conor O'Gorman said:

• Etiquette – the unwritten rules of the field

I mean..... you wrote them down......

Is that criminal? Will someone burn at the pyre?

eek!

[enfieldspares]

On 28/02/2025 at 16:16, HantsRob said:

I mean..... you wrote them down......

Is that criminal? Will someone burn at the pyre?

eek!

 Recent talk of President Zelensky and his attire reminded me of this. I used to be in a (with a very formal dress code all bespoke tweed non of your off the peg John Norris catalogue gear) syndicate where one bloke would turn up in flat cap, blue all in one overalls and Wellington boots. Tut, tut, tut. OTOH he did own the thousand acre farm we were shooting on, had just been doing that morning's milking (he was a working dairy farmer on that part of the estate he kept "in hand") and used one or other of the Powell 12/20 pair of guns he'd inherited from his father. On some days would of the other guns (who owned the land that bordered this shoot and also a working dairy farmer) would turn up similarly costumed depending on his milking rota. So all these "etiquette" rules are fine in theory but not always 100% in practice.

Edited yesterday at 12:25 by enfieldspares

[wymberley]

On 28/02/2025 at 14:15, Bobba said:

Very much like something dreamt up by a European Commission staff member who, with nothing better to do, wishes to justify their existence. 

 

On 26/02/2025 at 19:35, Smudger687 said:

The shooting community is facing:

• Rising prices of a day's shooting which prices out the average shooter
• More expensive application and renewal costs
• Rising prices of clays and cartridges
• Decreasing land availability and access for shooters
• Proposed legislation that would make owning shotguns as restrictive as owning rifles
• A lead shot ban, compounded by the useless UK manufacturers not making steel cartridges that meet shooter expectations

 

As if @Smudger687points aren't bad enough, anyone thinking that @Bobba is right and that we are safe from any further legislation relating to 'education' - for the want of a better term -  because we walked away from Europe, sooner or later is going to find out just how wrong that opinion is. Just to pre-empt the incoming, I'll just add, Devil's Advocate.

[McSpredder]

4 hours ago, enfieldspares said:

I used to be in a (with a very formal dress code all bespoke tweed non of your off the peg John Norris catalogue gear) syndicate where one bloke would turn up in flat cap, blue all in one overalls and Wellington boots.

Flat cap and overalls might be the ideal clothing for our"image".   It lets the non-shooting observer see us as ordinary working people, neither toffs (bespoke tweeds, etc) nor terrorists (camouflage jackets).

 

[Gordon R]

McSpredder - a very fair point.

[Konor]

I think perceived image is one of our major obstacles even more so than the much publicised lead shot issue. I’ve talked to vegans in my workplace whose main gripe is factory farming, they are supportive of shooting for the table in that the quarry has lived free range prior to death. Despite the vegetarian life style they have chosen they have no concerns about my wild meat consumption. If this was seen as the norm instead of the excessive bags and entitled image of driven game shooting we’d have fewer antis.

[London Best]

2 hours ago, Konor said:

I think perceived image is one of our major obstacles even more so than the much publicised lead shot issue. I’ve talked to vegans in my workplace whose main gripe is factory farming, they are supportive of shooting for the table in that the quarry has lived free range prior to death. Despite the vegetarian life style they have chosen they have no concerns about my wild meat consumption. If this was seen as the norm instead of the excessive bags and entitled image of driven game shooting we’d have fewer antis.

I’m sorry, but I don’t agree. 
The antis do not think we should be shooting anything at all. Even one bird is too much in their minds.