How big does a garden need to be for airgun shooting?

How big a garden do I need for shooting with an airgun?

My 12-year-old son is desperate to get into air rifle shooting but I have absolutely no experience of the sport. I understand that he can shoot an airgun in our garden under my supervision. Our garden is moderately-sized — is there any minimum requirement for the plot size required for airgun shooting?

A: Apart from in Scotland, where it now looks as though police officers will need to visit households to carry out an inspection to judge suitability for plinking, to comply with what appears to be an unworkable new airgun licensing regime, your son can shoot an air rifle in the garden under close adult supervision. One vitally important thing to ensure is that there is no way that any pellets could stray beyond your boundary, because you’ll be breaking the law if one does — a stone wall or large paving slab will make for a sound backstop.

A range upwards of 20m should make for interesting shooting, but I’d also suggest enrolling your son at a local airgun club. This will bring even more variety to his shooting, and enable you both to tap into a wealth of information and guidance from fellow members, thus accelerating his development and making the experience even more rewarding and enjoyable. MM