Target Sports

SHOOTING HOLIDAYS: CANADA CALLING

Created on 14th May 2009

ANDREW WHARTON kicks-off his new shooting holiday series with a guide to Canada

GOLFERS DO it, anglers do it, and now it is easier than ever for target shooters to take their pastime abroad. This is the first in a series of shooting holiday guides, which will bring you the delights and the charms, and the ranges and resting places of world shooting. Briefings on legal and safety aspects will also be considered. This series should whet your appetite whether you are a club captain or just a keen individual. We kick off with Canada.

Why Canada?

Canada is the second largest country in the world, and has tremendous variations of climate, scenery and population. Its 33 million residents live in an area spanning six time zones, stretching from the Atlantic, to the Pacific, to the Arctic oceans. If you want to get away, get some space and do some shooting, then this is the place to be. When you are not on a rifle range you can be exploring the Great Lakes, Niagara Falls, or the CN Tower in Toronto. Canada is also home to 13 UNESCO beautiful World Heritage sites including Nahanni National Park Reserve in the Northwest Territories and the historic district of Old-Québec, site of the only walled city north of Mexico. If that's not enough, why not make your way to quaintly named towns like Come by Chance in Newfoundland, or Rivière-Trois-Pistoles (Three Pistols River) in Quebec.

Snapshot of shooting

There are many shooters in Canada, most of whom are hunters, with a small proportion (2,000) actively involved in the shooting national body, the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association (DCRA), founded in 1868. Because of the size of the country, the DCRA splits on provincial lines, making 10 different rifle associations. However, every August the main national meeting takes place in Connaught, Ottawa. This is the equivalent of the Imperial Meeting in the UK, and is often visited by one of our teams, as well as the British Cadet team the Athelings. The equivalent to the Queen's Prize is the Governor General's, for which there are parallel TR and F Class awards. F Class is fully integrated into the DCRA prize meeting and there are prizes in all events, as well as a number of separate trophies. Entries are usually much lower than the Imperial, with around 300 competitors (including cadets) taking part. Last year Canada hosted the World Long Range Championships where Somerset's David Luckman won top individual honours, and Great Britain won the most coveted prize in full-bore team shooting: the Palma trophy.

Most years, the meeting runs for nine days (Friday to Saturday), with four ranges a day being fired. The Grand Aggregate has a maximum of 830 points, which is 125 points more than the Grand at Bisley. Ammunition is supplied by the competitor and may be hand-loaded or bought commercially. In the TR class, .308 and .223 ammunition is allowed, with maximum prescribed bullet weights. In F Class, ammunition must meet certain ballistic restrictions, which are specified in DCRA rules.

Ranges

All the provincial ranges have their charms, but Connaught is the focus. Located on the Ottawa River, which is the border between Ontario and Quebec, it has three wide open ranges (300m, 600yd and 900m). It is an active military establishment, but sadly in recent years most of the older buildings have been torn down, making it feel quite soulless. There is one club based on the range, plus the DCRA headquarters. Depending on military requirements in a given year, accommodation and meals are generally available at Connaught, at very reasonable prices. There are many hotels, motels and restaurants close to the range.

The prevailing wind is north-west, and the weather tends to come down the Ottawa River Valley and is then channelled by the Gatineau Hills across the river, meaning there are quite often variable and fish-tailing winds - fairly strong if there are storms in the area. There is often a lot of mirage as well. Being such an exposed piece of land, many see it as fairer for the competitors than ranges like Stickledown, because it matters less where you are on the firing point.

Legal and safety

Similar to the UK, there is the political split of opinion on firearms and shooting. In urban areas, a rising number of crimes using firearms have led many policy makers to clamp down on private ownership, thinking this will solve the problem - sound familiar? But the current government is relatively supportive of shooting sports and hunting, and is focussing on more stringent penalties for criminal misuse of firearms. It is also trying to tackle the social issues that lead to gang warfare and drug issues.

Assuming you have a firearm certificate in the UK, you have to apply for a temporary licence to bring your guns over to Canada. The rules on holding firearms in Canada are less stringent than the UK, but guns must be in a condition and place where they are not easily stolen or used. If staying in a hotel, they can be kept in your room or in the boot of the car, but it is advisable to keep the bolt separate and put a trigger lock in place.

First steps

To shoot in Canada the first step is to contact the DCRA through its website www.dcra.ca or email office@dcra.ca.

Consider visiting in August, to ensure you can take part in the biggest event, the DCRA Prize Meeting.

If you want to visit a certain part of Canada, the DCRA will tell you about that provincial association and how to go about shooting there. (For example, if you are taking a holiday in the Rocky Mountains you could do some shooting in Alberta and British Columbia.)

The forms for applying for a temporary licence can be downloaded from the DCRA website. The DCRA will also advise you on import and export permits for your firearms.

Thanks to Jim Thompson, adjutant of the Canadian Rifle team to Bisley 2008, for his help with this article.