Lying down and focusing on breathing: shooting is a relaxing break from uni stresses

Inside KCL's Rifle and Pistol Club. Photo: Dulcie Lee / Roar! News

I’VE been shooting with KCLRPC for over a year now, and I would definitely rank my time there as one of my highlights from my time so far at King’s.

Prior to joining I’d only had any notable experience with shotguns, which I enjoy immensely, so I jumped at the chance to join the club.

The quality of the instruction we receive of a really good standard, especially for the fact that the instructors are volunteers from within the university who take time out of their studies to run and instruct the club.

Lying down and clearing your mind to really focus on controlling your breathing, keeping your body still and eye keen is a lot harder challenge than it sounds.

The kind of rifle shooting we do within the club is a fantastic challenge, the breadth of skills and techniques required to learn and master will surprise some people I think, and means that with every session there is always something to work on and improve.

I really find taking half an hour out of your uni work to focus on something like this to be very relaxing, and the feeling (as in any sport) of excelling yourself and shooting a good session is extremely rewarding.

Being instructed on a one-to-one basis, which, while not particularly social with other members, allows one to build a nice rapport with the instructor which is an obvious benefit which I’ve really enjoyed.

The availability and opportunity in the uk to fire firearms is not always the most common, and so to have a club which allows anyone with no experience to join and shoot in a safe, instructed, and friendly environment something to value.