Thread: New to hunting/shooting

1. Dont wait for your NZDA membership to come through. Try and go on their activities as soon as you've paid the subs. Go to range days and club trips even if you haven't done the HUNTS course yet.

2. Try and build up your NZ bushcraft skills if you're not experienced already. See if theres a tramping club you can join or a mountain safety council course you can go on. Do a first aid course. 3/4 of hunting skills are being competent out in the Bush on your own.

3. Firearms safety is something you dont want to learn too much by experience. Some real basic knowledge of risk management and quality improvement principles will enable you to build up safe practice by careful observation, talking with other shooters and critical self evaluation . Look for " a hunters tale" online.

4. Its good to practice marksmanship skills with a 22. Not everyone can afford a RF/CF matched pair at first but even a cheaper norinco will help you build up performance. Dry firing with snap caps is also very good. Before hunting its ideal to test your CF at a few different distance like 10 25 100 200m which needs a range then you're good to go.