HIDDEN away off the beaten track, camouflaged by trees and hidden by farmland lies Blackburn Outdoor Airgun Club.

It is one of the town’s secret sporting hideaways but with a membership of 300, it is certainly not a case of out of sight, out of mind.

The club has members aged from eight to 80-years-old who turn up all days and all weathers to test their shooting skills against metal, paper and chalk targets.

And eight times a year the club holds fun shoots competitions - four pistol and four rifle - where hitting the target is the aim of the game.

The latest of which was the club’s annual charity shoot which, this year, was held to support the Theo Power Neuroblastoma Trust with members raising £500 between them.

There were three different competitions on the day, a duck shoot, an antique shoot - using rifles dating from 1905 and 1908 - and a Hunter Field Target (HFT) event where competitors walk a course, shooting at targets from different angles (lying, kneeling, standing) and at different distances.

The duck shoot, where competitors aim at man-made targets ranging from 20m to 60m distances, was won by John Curtis while the antique shoot title went to Gary Whalley.

And ir proved to be a family affair for the Whalley as the HFT competition, held on a much smaller course than those used in national competitions, was won by Gary's son Gareth following a tense shoot-out.

“It was another great event and I would like thank all those members who took part and help raise funds for a very worthy cause,” said committee man and events coordinator Alan Carroll. “The sun shone on the day but the breeze made shooting conditions quite difficult for the competitors.”

Carroll said the club is based on fun rather than competition but admitted members do enjoy the competitive nature of the fun shoots.

“There is no pressure to take part in the competitions,” added Carroll who thanked Framar of King Street Blackburn for supplying the targets. “The aim is for this to be a place where members can enjoy an informal but safe place to come to.”

“But they do enjoy taking part in these fun shoots we hold eight times a year.” Carroll, who has been a member of the club since 2002,

And he says that once people have been bitten by the shooting bug then there is no turning back.

“It has been known that people have turned out on Christmas Day,” he added. “I’d like to point out that wasn’t me...I was there on Boxing Day! We are open all year round, from dawn to dusk and I suppose we run a little bit like a fishing club,

“The last one out makes sure everything is locked up and secure.”

Blackburn Outdoor Airgun Club was formed in 1984 with just a handful of members and moved to its current site in 2006

Carroll said the sport is often misrepresented but it is simply a case of people being misinformed.

He added: “The sport does get a lot of bad press and there are a lot of misconceptions with some people thinking that if you own an air pistol then you are up to no good.

“But that is not the case. In the right environment, it is a fun and safe sport to take part in and it is very popular. Currently we have had to cap our membership at 300 for insurance purposes.

“Thankfully, not everyone turns up at the same time. If that was the case, we would have some serious parking issues!”

n For more information about the club, log on to airgunshooter.co.uk