L144 A1 Small Bore .22 Target Rifle

Cadets across the Region have the opportunity to participate in the sport of rifle shooting. When the ATC was originally formed, it was a recruiting organisation for the Royal Air Force, as such it made good sense for marksmanship to be on the training syllabus. While this is no longer the case, shooting remains one of the most popular cadet activities. Training is an integral part of the system and each cadet is fully trained in whichever rifle they will be using. Supervising staff are similarly trained to deal with any eventualities and to ensure that the range is run safely and efficiently.

Cadets are able to take part in Shooting activities as soon as they join the organisation. Cadets are initially trained on either Air Rifles, the No.8 Small Bore Rifle or the L144A1 Cadet Small Bore Target Rifle. The cadets will undergo a period of training on the specific rifle after which they will be assessed to ensure they are competent and safe to fire the rifle. Once cadets are trained in the safe handling of the rifle they can then be taught marksmanship principles, to improve their performance and confidence.

If a cadet shows particular competency and is a good marksman, they may be considered for training on small bore competition rifles. These are highly accurate rifles and is only used in competitions and for marksmanship training.

Once a cadet reaches the age of 14 they are eligible to train on the L98A2 Cadet Service Rifle. Before a cadet can begin training, they will need to have shown competency with either Air Rifles, the No. 8 Rifle or the L144A1 Cadet Target Rifle. The L98 differs from previous rifles in that the ammunition is held within a magazine and is automatically reloaded after each shot, rather than requiring manual intervention.

If a cadet shows particular competency on the L98A2 and is a good marksman, they may be considered for training on the L81A2 Cadet Target Rifle. This is a highly accurate rifle and is only used in marksman competitions.