Monday, April 28, 2008

Registered for the 2008 BC ISSF Pistol Championships

I'll be attending the 2008 BC ISSF Pistol Championships at the end of May. I'm waiting to see if my PAL (Possession and Acquisition Licence) gets sent to me in time so I can compete in the 50M Pistol and Standard Pistol events, both events are shot using .22 calibre pistols. Over the next few weeks I'll be making updates about my training for this competition as well as for Nationals in July.

Registration forms for the 2008 BC ISSF Pistol Championships are online now at the BC Target Sports Association website. The event will be held in North Vancouver at Pacific Shooters.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Completed - Canadian Restricted Firearms Safety Course

What a busy week! I picked up my new Canadian Passport last Tuesday and just completed my Non-Restricted and Restricted Firearms Safety Courses this week.

Getting my passport I thought might be a long process, but it was in my hands in less than 2 weeks and I waited no more than 20 minutes at the passport office. I remember hearing stories from 2007 of people waiting for hours and then waiting for weeks. There doesn't seem to be much of a wait if you complete all the paperwork online before you go to the office to drop it off... in fact I think I was even given a different ticket number because everything was filled in electronically and printed from online.

Non-Restricted and Restricted Firearms Course Material
non-restricted and restricted course books,
plus exam results and PAL paperwork

A special thanks to Albert Wood who is a certified instructor / examiner of firearm safety in British Columbia. His courses are enjoyable and filled with lots of great stories to keep the class engaged. You're also able to get your hands on disabled firearms to see how they work, everything from rifles, shotguns, to 9mm handguns. I'll post up dates for the next round of courses he'll be putting on. If you're interested in taking the course and are near Vancouver please let me know and I can forward your information.

Now that I have completed and passed the safety courses I must submit all my paperwork in to the police to get my PAL (Possession and Acquisition Licence). I'm hoping that all of this can happen before May 30 as that is when the BC Handgun Championships are and I'd like to shoot Olympic 50M Pistol there in preparation for Nationals. All this paperwork to compete in an IOC supported sport! :)

Apart from working a lot and getting all this paperwork in order I've been down to training only 1 night a week, I'll be ramping that up in May and June as the 2008 Canadian Nationals are July 12 - 20 and take place in Calgary, Alberta.