Join the Taupo Pistol Club to enjoy a satisfying sport, learn firearms safety and skills as well as participate in a variety of shooting disciplines.

You may attend the club shoots as many as 3 times before you make up your mind to join. This will give you an opportunity to try your hand at shooting a variety of club guns and to see if this is a sport that appeals to you. During this time we will supervise and train you in handling and shooting pistols. You will meet other members and get to talk to them about their interest.

When you join you will undergo a probationary period of at least 6 months involving a minimum of 12 attendances at club shoots. During this time you will need to obtain your standard firearms license (if you haven’t already got it). You will be given complete training in handling and shooting pistols safely. Also you will experience some of the different shooting disciplines such as straight target shooting over timed periods, action shooting using different scenarios and cowboy action shooting which involves dressing up in period costume and using guns designed prior to 1896. Another discipline involves using handguns to shoot metal silhouettes over longer distances requiring concentration, accuracy and perhaps some expertise in loading specialized ammunition.

During the probationary period you will sit a short examination to test your safety knowledge of your new sport.

After the probation period you will be able to apply to the NZ Police to get your “B” endorsement for your firearms license. This allows you to buy and keep your own handguns as long as you remain a member of the pistol club and attend a minimum of 12 times a year.

Joining the pistol club means you will be affiliated with some 2500 other enthusiasts in New Zealand and you will have opportunities to learn lots of new skills in a variety of disciplines. The sport is one that you can enjoy casually at a local level or take it as far as you have the will to go…right up to international shooting standards. In fact it is probably the only sport that people of any age can participate in at top international level. There are many shooting events that take place all around New Zealand each year and you will meet a great bunch of people.

Taupo Pistol Club meets at 7:30pm on Wednesday and 10am on Sunday at the NZDA range on Mountain Road (turn left about 4km up the Napier Road).

Download membership application form (Right click on this link and choose "Save target as... " then save it to your desktop, print it out, fill it out and bring it with your money along to the club.)