Gun Reviews >
Find a Dealer >
Find a Club >
Competitions >
videos >
Reader Survey >The 10 organisations every airgunner should know
- Last updated: 07/09/2026
From the insurers and the lobbyists to the rule makers and the licence issuers, 10 organisations shape every shot an airgunner takes. Who they are, what they do, and which ones are worth joining.
Airgunning is a broad church. Hunters and pest controllers, back garden plinkers, club shooters, hunter field target and field target competitors, 10m target shots with Olympic ambitions. Behind every discipline sits an organisation writing the rules, running the competitions, lobbying the politicians or issuing the licences that keep us shooting.
Most airgunners come across these bodies one at a time, usually when they need something: insurance for a new permission, a club to shoot at, or the conditions of a general licence. Here they are in one place, with what each one actually does for you.
What it is: the largest shooting organisation in the UK, looking after the interests of more than 150,000 members across every discipline.
Why it matters to airgunners: BASC offers a dedicated airgun membership for those who shoot airguns only, including FAC-rated guns, which brings first resort liability insurance when shooting airguns plus free access to its specialist advice teams covering firearms law, licensing, ammunition and general licences. Add its lobbying weight at Westminster and in the devolved parliaments and BASC is the closest thing airgun shooting has to a full-service representative body. If you hunt or control pests with an air rifle and carry no insurance, this is the first call to make.
Best for: hunters and pest controllers who need insurance, advice and a political voice. basc.org.uk
What it is: the umbrella body that brings together the major shooting associations in Britain, BASC, the Countryside Alliance, the CPSA, the Gun Trade Association, the NRA, the NSRA and others, to agree consensus positions on political and legislative issues.
Why it matters to airgunners: its stated object is to promote and safeguard the lawful possession and use of firearms and air weapons for sporting and recreational purposes. It grew out of the Long Room Committee, formed in the late 1960s when the government proposed new firearms controls, and it was closely involved in the recent reform of the law on sound moderators. You will never join the BSSC as an individual, but when firearms legislation is being drafted, this is the room where the collective voice of shooting gets heard.
Best for: everyone, indirectly. It defends the legal framework we all shoot under. bssc.org.uk
What it is: the national governing body for small-bore rifle and pistol, air rifle and pistol, and match crossbow target shooting, based at the Lord Roberts Centre at Bisley in Surrey.
Why it matters to airgunners: if you have ever shot a 10m air rifle or air pistol card in a club league, the chances are it was run under NSRA rules and scored on NSRA targets. The association supports a nationwide network of affiliated clubs, runs postal leagues and open competitions all year round, and trains the coaches who bring newcomers and juniors into the sport. Its club finder is one of the most useful tools for anyone wondering where to shoot near home.
Best for: indoor target shooters, club members, juniors and anyone looking for a club. nsra.co.uk
What it is: the governing body for fullbore and gallery rifle shooting, based at its historic home at Bisley Camp.
Why it matters to airgunners: Bisley is the spiritual home of British shooting, hosting airgun clubs, events and major shows within its grounds, and the NRA sits alongside BASC and the NSRA on the British Shooting Sports Council, adding its weight to the defence of all shooting sports. Many airgunners graduate to rimfire and fullbore disciplines in time, and when they do, the NRA ranges, competitions and training courses are where that journey usually leads.
Best for: airgunners eyeing a move into rimfire and fullbore shooting. nra.org.uk
What it is: the national governing body for the ISSF shooting disciplines in the UK, the Olympic and Paralympic events, including 10m air rifle and 10m air pistol.
Why it matters to airgunners: British Shooting is not a membership organisation. It acts as the single point of contact for UK Sport, Sport England, the British Olympic Association and the international federation, administering the high performance squads and talent pathways that turn promising club juniors into international athletes. Any young shot with dreams of an Olympic final will, sooner or later, come into contact with its talent programmes, and every Team GB medal is priceless publicity for airgun shooting as a legitimate, disciplined sport.
Best for: ambitious juniors and their parents. britishshooting.org.uk
What it is: the world governing body for Olympic shooting sport, setting the rules for 10m air rifle and 10m air pistol and running the World Cups and World Championships through which Olympic places are won.
Why it matters to airgunners: its influence reaches every airgun target shooter on the planet, because ISSF specifications shape the match rifles, pistols and pellets the manufacturers build. Its precision culture, half-millimetre ten rings, electronic scoring and finals shot under lights, is the sharp end of what an airgun can do, and the trickle-down in equipment and technique benefits everyone.
Best for: serious 10m target shooters, and anyone who follows the gear closely. issf-sports.org
What it is: the international governing body for field target, the sport Britain gave the world, in which knock-down steel targets are engaged at ranges out to 50m.
Why it matters to airgunners: the WFTF specifies and regulates the World Championship and other major field target events, with more than 40 member federations spread across six continents and separate classes for pre-charged and spring-powered rifles. For a sport that began with a handful of British clubs, a world championship rotating between member nations is a remarkable achievement, and British shooters remain among its most successful competitors.
Best for: field target shooters with international ambitions. world-field-target-federation.org
What it is: the governing body of field target shooting in England, Scotland and Wales, and a founding member of the WFTF alongside the United States and Norway in the early 1990s.
Why it matters to airgunners: the BFTA runs the national calendar, the Grand Prix series, the British Championships, the Inter-Regionals, the Masters and the Showdown, and maintains a grading system that ranks every registered shooter from AA down to C on a rolling average of their last 20 scores, so newcomers compete against shots of similar ability rather than seasoned champions. If field target appeals, the route in is a BFTA-affiliated regional club.
Best for: anyone wanting to try competitive outdoor target shooting at the highest technical level. thebfta.net
What it is: the body behind hunter field target, the younger and deliberately more accessible sibling of field target, formed in 2002 to create a national platform for HFT shooters.
Why it matters to airgunners: the UKAHFT rules, sub-12 ft/lb rifles, chronograph checks at events, unaltered scope settings and a minimum age of nine, have become the accepted standard for clubs across the country. The national series runs over nine rounds, culminating in The Gathering, an invitation shoot for the top performers of the year. Because HFT is shot from a peg with no rangefinding through the scope, it rewards exactly the skills a hunter uses in the field, which is why so many shooters who hunt midweek compete in HFT on Sundays.
Best for: hunters who fancy a competition that mirrors real-world shooting. ukahft.org
What it is: the government department that sets wildlife policy in England under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, the framework behind the general licences that permit the control of species such as woodpigeon, feral pigeon and corvids.
Why it matters to airgunners: the general licences cover control for specific purposes, preventing serious damage, protecting public health and safety, and conserving wild birds. From 1 January 2026 those licences, GL40, GL41 and GL42, are issued by Natural England, the arm’s-length body of Defra, and run for 12 months at a time. You do not apply for a general licence, but you must comply with its conditions every time you use it, so reading the current versions on gov.uk is not optional homework. It is the legal basis of your pest control.
Best for: every pest controller in England, no exceptions.
Ten organisations, one sport. Between them they insure us, govern us, coach us, represent us and license us. Knowing who does what is part of being a responsible airgunner, and joining the ones that fit your shooting is the best way to keep it thriving.
There is no legal requirement to carry insurance, but liability cover is strongly advised for anyone shooting live quarry or controlling pests, particularly on someone else’s land. The BASC airgun membership covers those who shoot airguns only, FAC-rated guns included, and brings first resort liability insurance when shooting airguns along with access to its firearms law, licensing and ammunition advice teams.
Field target is governed in Britain by the BFTA and internationally by the WFTF, and is shot at knock-down steel targets at ranges out to 50m, with separate classes for pre-charged and spring-powered rifles. Hunter field target, run by UKAHFT, is the more accessible sibling: sub-12 ft/lb rifles, chronograph checks at events, scope settings left alone through the course, and shots taken from a peg with no rangefinding through the scope.
UKAHFT sets a minimum age of nine, which along with the sub-12 ft/lb power limit, the chronograph checks and the unaltered scope settings rule has become the accepted standard for HFT clubs across the country.
No. General licences GL40, GL41 and GL42 are not applied for, but you must comply with the conditions of the relevant licence every time you rely on one. They cover control for specific purposes, namely preventing serious damage, protecting public health and safety, and conserving wild birds, and since 1 January 2026 they have been issued by Natural England and run for 12 months at a time.
The NSRA supports a nationwide network of affiliated clubs and runs a club finder, which is the quickest route to somewhere to shoot near home. For competitive field target, entry is through a BFTA-affiliated regional club; for hunter field target, look for a club running to UKAHFT rules.
Airgunners unite to defend the future of their sport
FAC certificates and medical disclosure
BSA XT-SL review: the first tactical air rifle from Birmingham
