Pistol club celebrating 20 years
THE Kaitangata Pistol Club will mark its 20th anniversary with a bang.
Visitors will have a chance to discover more about pistol-shooting during an open day on Sunday.
Members of the club will have an open doors demonstration for the general public, including action, target, and cowboy range shooting.
An internationally recognised sport originating in the United States, cowboy shooting offered additional appeal for those interested in the historical aspects of firearms, club secretary Ruth Barnett said.
‘‘There’s a lot of attention paid to authentic firearms and dress of the period, with competition categories to match. We’ve got all forms of pistol shooting here at the club but, for me, cowboy just adds an extra element of enjoyment to the sport.’’
Although called a pistol club, that designation also included other types of firearm, she said.
‘‘I’ve got a pair of pinktrimmed Uberti replica pistols, a pumpaction shotgun, and a leveraction shotgun. Some disciplines involve changing your firearm as you move through a range, so you can gain skills in different styles of shooting.’’
With new clubrooms built in 2016, and in full ownership of its land, thanks to the generosity of local farmer Neil Vickers, Kaitangata Pistol Club was in rude good health as it entered its 21st year, Mrs Barnett said.
‘‘We hosted the South Island champs last year, and will be again next March, so it’s a good time to get into the sport locally.
‘‘We hope to see a few new faces up here for birthday cake and a looksee on Sunday.’’