The next firearms enthusiast to feature in “Who am I?” is Brett. We would like to thank Brett for taking the time to participate in our article. We are also beginning to see one common theme emerge from the diverse range of people we have spoken to so far and that is a desire to be able to own and shoot pistols alongside their other firearms.
Tell us about yourself?
My name is Brett Woollacott, I’m a 28-year-old parts advisor for a premium car dealership in Cornwall. I grew up for the first part of my life in Kent, before my parents decided to make the move to Cornwall in 1996. I have worked in the motor industry for most of my working life, apart from a brief stint as an air conditioning engineer.
I am due to be married to my beautiful partner in 7 weeks, and we have a 2 and a half-year-old Springer Collie cross.
Brett and his Springer/Collie Cross.
How did you get into shooting?
I was originally introduced to shooting at the age of 7 by my uncle who was a firearms dealer and advisor to the chief of Kent police. After moving to Cornwall I didn’t really have anywhere to shoot so my trusty air rifle sat in the cupboard collecting dust until just after I met my partner, some 6 years ago. Her dad, Gerald, was a keen shotgun enthusiast and also owned an air rifle for rabbit control. After spending a few evenings out on the rabbits with him, I quickly became hooked. In August 2011 I applied for both my shotgun certificate and firearms certificate, which took until December to arrive…. I have been hooked ever since.
What type of shooting do you currently participate in?
I am lucky enough to have had the opportunity to be able to try most forms of shooting. To date, I have participated in full-bore target rifle shooting, air rifle target shooting, air rifle pest control, driven game shooting, clay pigeon shooting, and pigeon/crow shooting.
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Do you see yourselves taking up any other form of shooting in the future?
I am hoping to be able to concentrate more on getting into exhibition shooting with my shotgun later this year and also stalking deer with a friend.
How important is shooting to you?
To me, shooting is an important aspect of my life. I find it a very social sport, where apart from the gentle ribbing occasionally, everyone is supportive of each other and will freely provide knowledge and advice to any new shooter. It doesn’t cost the earth to get into, and for the occasional shooter, it isn’t particularly expensive to keep up. It’s one of the only sports I have participated in that no matter what age you are, you can be good at it with practice. I feel I have made many good friends after taking up shooting and I honestly feel that I belong to a very unique community of people.
What has been the best shooting experience for you so far?
Although I have had many good shooting experiences so far, none seem to stand out above the others as I generally enjoy every aspect of it every time I go. I am, however, due to go to Florida on my honeymoon and will be visiting a gun club as part of my stay (thank you, Emma!). I have a feeling that being able to use a handgun for the first time will probably be a standout moment….
On the range
What other hobbies/interests do you have?
In all fairness, I don’t have many other hobbies as shooting is extremely addictive and takes up a lot of my time. I suppose I could say that I have an interest in DIY as I’m currently finishing off my house. One other thing that sparks my interest is cars, but they quickly become far too expensive.
Rifle, Check, Rounds, Check, Mug of Char, Check
What changes to firearms law would you like to see in the future?
If I’m being brutally honest, I think that the firearms laws here are, on the whole, very well thought out but not always very well enforced, and there seems to be very little consistency when jumping from force to force. Maybe a case of better enforcement would be a welcome change?
And, of course, the opportunity to have target shooting with pistols made legal again would be great. I would even go as far as saying that I would happily join a club and leave my pistols there if that what it would take… but unfortunately, I can’t see any chance of that ever happening.
As part of the Unity campaign, we have an active petition to HM Government on the return of .22 pistols to Section 1, please sign the petition and support your fellow shooting enthusiasts.
