About Us

We are a team of ordinary people who are passionate about the outdoor pursuits and strive to inspire, educate and facilitate people to the joys of the great outdoors.

Driven by our love for the sport and passion to help others, we realised how lucky we were to have mates and old blokes who have been shooting for decades around us who were happy to show us the ropes and answer our questions. We realised not everyone has that network.

We want everyone to have the oportunity to enjoy and grow in our spots. So we decided to introduce people to shooting sports and help them grow in their outdoor pursuits.

We are a group of ordinary people that just want to help others learn the joys of outdoor pursuits.

We are fully insured, have our working with children checks, certified range officers, qualified in field butchery and licenced professional contract vertibrate pest controlers.

We are husbands, fathers and mates who love helping people learn about the great outdoors.

Mitch, Founder of Learning 2 Shoot

Mitchell has been shooting paper targets for 20 years. He was recently inspired by Steve Rinella at the Meateater to focus on hunting animals for meat. Previously viewing shooting of animals as barbaric, Mitch was intrigued and inspired by the Meateater’s approach to ethically harvesting meat. This sent him on a journey to discover what hunting, harvesting cooking and enjoying wild meat would mean. Although he was extremely nervous when going out for his first shoot - believing he would not be able to take an animals life – he would come learn all his fears were baseless and instead experience a peace when harvesting that he describes as “identifying with your deepest self”. Something deep inside you that speaks to your actions being “the right way”. He calls it a primal resonance.

“Through all this experiences I know that you never really learn everything and the your journey is ever evolving as you learn to shoot”. – Mitchell Ottaway

FAQ's

Can you learn to Shoot in Australia?

The short answer is yes, you can learn to shoot in Australia. The process to getting a firearms licence is simple in most states, since we are based in New South Wales, we will focus on the requirements in this state.

You need to fulfil the below requirements:

- Be a resident of NSW

- Be at least 18 years of age

- Be a fit and proper person to have access to firearms

- Have successfully completed a firearms training and safety course applicable to the type of firearm licence you are applying for

- Be able to provide evidence to justify your genuine reason for possessing or using a firearm

The Genuine reasons are:

- Sport/Target Shooting

- Recreational Hunting/Vermin control

- Primary production

- Vertebrate pest animal control

- Business or employment

- Rural occupation

- Animal Welfare

- Firearms collector

Please click on the link below find your nearest recommended safety training course.

Do you need a gun licence to go to a shooting range in NSW?

You need a firearms licence to go shooting in New South Wales, but there are conditions under where you can try shooting at approved venues. You do this by completing a P650 form and shooting under the supervision of a trained instructor. If you live in NSW then you will have a Try Shooting venue near you, but be warned shooting is great fun and once you try it you will want to get your firearms licence. Contact us if you would like to try shooting.

Can you shoot a gun without a licence in Australia?

You need a firearms licence to go shooting in New South Wales, but there are conditions under where you can try shooting at approved venues. You do this by completing a P650 form and shooting under the supervision of a trained instructor. If you live in NSW then you will have a Try Shooting vehicle near you, but be warned shooting is fun and you will want to get your licence once you have experience it. Contact us if you would like to try shooting.

Can I own a gun in NSW?

Once you have a firearms licence and have organised your safe storage of a firearm, as set out by the police commissioner, you can own a gun in NSW. It is a simple process of completing a safety course and send the successful completion certificate to the police along with your application and genuine reason. I was first introduced to guns by a friend of mine who was a passionate hunter and sporting shooter. I made the decision I wanted to own and shoot firearms and about 6 months later I had my licence in my hand.

Can I store guns in my home? Safe storage of guns:

The minimum requirements for safe storage are listed on the Police website under safe storage requirements, and there are many things you can do over and above the minimum requirements to secure your firearms. Firstly, as general rule, do not let people know where you store your firearms – although it should not be embarrassing that you are a registered gun owner – where you store your firearms in your home should not be common knowledge. Aside from the legislation you can also use trigger locks, store you ammunition in a separate safe (approved by the commissionier of police) and store your bolts and firing pins in a separate safe apart from your firearms. Back to base alarm systems and security cameras are also good deterrents. Potential thieves do not need to even know what is in your premises but when they see cameras and alarm systems, it will often deter them from even selecting your home as a target.

Can I store guns in my home? Safe storage of guns:

What kind of Gun should I get as a beginner?

So many people come into a firearms shop with a pre-concieved idea of what gun they need to get straight away based on what they read online, what their mates said, or what they heard some American say on a firearms podcast. The question of what beginner gun you should get recieves the same answer from me every time. The 22 long rifle. For the actual numbers of which calibres are most registered we will look to NSW only, although the trends are similar all over Australia. At number one outright is the 22LR rifle, and it is no surprise as it is one of the most economical and versatile rifles in the world, and the ammunition is cheap as a result. It is the number one small varmint cartridge in Australia, taking thousands of Rabbits, Hares and foxes every year. I also recommend this rifle to every beginner for two reasons. Firstly when you start shooting you will want to, and need to, do a lot of practice to get better at the fundamentals of shooting. With 22 ammunition costing between $7-$20 for 50 rounds it is way cheaper than the alternatives. Secondly the low recoil, a 22 barely kicks so as you practice you will not have to worry about the kick of the rifle or the possibility of developing a twitch due to recoil. To round them out the versatility. You can buy ammunition that is doing 700 feet per second or 1850 feet per second and loads between 21 grains and 60 grains in bullet weight. This can cover off any target species from mice to Foxes. If you want to shoot rats or birds you can get a rat shot for it that has lots of little pellets. Once you have progressed in your shooting abilities then you look to go to the next calibre up, and depending on the kick, the cost and the purpose you select one you are happy with. If you are in NSW and would like to know more about choosing your first rifle consider doing the calibre walkthough course available through Learning to shoot.

What did our team have as our first guns? I’m glad you asked.

Brad: My first gun was a 22-250.

Andrew:

Luke: Tikka 243 was my first gun, I went straight for a 243 because I wanted to hunt and this calibre was a good allrounder.

John: 20 Gauge shot gun was my first gun. My dad had this old shotgun that he put the wrong ammunition in and it blew up! I took it down to the gun shop and it turned out to be an antique that we got so much money for that we could get a new 20 gauge shot gun, an ammo belt and 2 boxes of shells with change left over! This gun was what I used to start shooting. The first gun I bought for myself was a .22 Stirling.

Mitch: My first gun was a Ruger M77 paddle stock 22 Magnum, I bought it because it was the first gun I ever picked up and a friend (who wanted to sell it) recommended it to me.

What is the most fun gun to shoot?

To answer this question you need to ask people who shoot guns - because like everything it is different depending on who you are. We did a whole podcast on this and explored our favourite guns to shoot and why. Below are some exerts from the podcast, if you wish to see the whole podcast then click on the link below!

Brad: I love my pump action 7600 because I just love how loud it is and I can shoot stuff off hand with no scope without even looking in the general direction and the bullet hits the target. BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!!! hahahahahahahahaha

Andrew: Without a doubt my custom made 22-250 is my favourite rifle to shoot. It is a super smooth Browning A-bolt action with a timney trigger, a TSE Stainless sporter barrel and a snow camo stock. The cartridge shoots so flat and hits hard, everything I hit with it goes down. I know people think it’s a small cartridge but like Roy Weatherby says : “velocity plays the most important part in killing power” or as Andrew says, “speed kills”. I also only paid $700 for it when it hadn’t even shot a round yet so I basically stole it – and I remember that bargain every time I pull the trigger.

Luke: Its hard not to love my Tikka T3 in 243. It is the rifle I grab 99% of the time when I am going out for any animal. Like a lot of the other guys it is the rifle I have shot the most and I am used to the action and rifle so much that it is just second nature to me when shooting it. Lots of great memories with that rifle.

John: I like to shoot them all, but probably my Ruger 222 & Sako 30-06 because I know the guns so well and they are a second nature firearm to me. If I had to pick one I would pick the 222 as its so easy to shoot and carry and it fits really well to me.

Mitch: I love to shoot my old BRNO 22 rifle when using subsonic rounds. Firstly, like John I know the gun very well – I have shot a lot of Rabbits & foxes with it and for a long time it was the most frequently used gun in the safe. I went through a lot of newer 22 rifles before I bought this old 1967 BRNO and its accuracy is amazing. It has a really easy action, and I also love that a 100 meter shot on a rabbit is a challenge with it. I guess there is also a lot of nostalgia around it as it was my go to rifle for so long.

What is the most common gun to own?

The most common gun to own in Australia by calibre is the 22 long rifle. It is the number one cartridge in Australia, taking thousands of Rabbits, Hares and foxes every year and punching holes in paper and pinging steel more than any other cartridge. I recommend this rifle to every beginner for two reasons. Firstly when you start shooting you will want to, and need to, do a lot of practice to get better at the fundamentals of shooting. With 22 ammunition costing between $7-$20 for 50 rounds it is way cheaper than the alternatives. Secondly the low recoil, a 22 barely kicks so as you practice you will not have to worry about the kick of the rifle or the possibility of developing a twitch due to recoil. To round the reasons to own one is the versatility. You can buy ammunition that is doing 700 feet per second or 1850 feet per second and loads between 21 grains and 60 grains in bullet weight. This can be used for a variety of target shooting and dispatch any target species from mice to Foxes. If you want to shoot rats or birds you can get a rat shot for it that has lots of little pellets, like a mini shot gun. Once you have progressed in your shooting abilities then you look to go to the next calibre up, and depending on your preferences, the cost and the purpose you select one you are happy with. At Learning to shoot we are always happy for you to reach out and talk to us about your first rifle purchase. If you are in NSW and would like to know more about choosing your first rifle consider doing the calibre walkthough course available though Learning to shoot.

What animals can you legally hunt in NSW?

You can legally hunt any non-native animal in Australia, also commonly know as pest species. This includes but is not limited to Rabbits, foxes, also when domesticated non-native animals such as Dogs or Cats are turned loose in the Australian bush they become feral animal – Domesticated cats and dogs turned loose in the Australian wild are responsible for more deaths of livestock and extinction of small native mammals than any other cause. For a comprehensive list of animals you can hunt go to the below link https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/biosecurity/vertebrate-pests/pest-animals-in-nsw. Hunting feral species in Australia can be a greatly rewarding experience, but figuring out sign, finding the animals, shooting accurately when the opportunity arises and then dealing with the carcass for the first time can be a lot to process! Many times the budding hunters do not achieve success in hunting for years, not even getting to the animal processing stage – and sadly they give up. There are many organisations that help you learn the process without charging the earth. If you would like to learn how to hunt or harvest your own meat please reach out to us at Learning to shoot and we will put you in touch with a qualified guide.

Finding places to go Shooting in NSW.

The question of “where can you legally hunt in NSW?” is one of the reasons most people give up in their pursuits to hunt and harvest their own meat. You see time and time again people selling firearms because they have “no where to go and shoot”. Although it is trifficult (tricky and difficult) to find and secure a property to shoot on there are ways to get out and about without breaking the proverbial piggy bank. If you have Rural land owners near you then you are one of the lucky ones, some of my best properties have been people I have knocked on the door and asked if I can swap some hard work and sweat in exchange for land access. One particular farmer was known for telling everyone who tried to get access to shoot on his property to “go away please” I managed to secure permission on. People were shocked that I was able to get on the property. I worked with him for over a year, hearding sheep, mending gates, and shooting only pests, I even got an excavator to help him dig a grave for a horse. I had very limited access to shoot, and then one day he told me I could have the “run of the place”.

Another important note is to start small. DO not just go for the massive acre property with enviable species like Goats and Deer. On one occasion I received a call from one of my smaller farmers that operated a small cattle herd on 22 acres. I had worked on that small plot for years doing rabbit and fox shooting when requested. They asked if they could introduce me to a friend of theirs who runs some cattle and sheep on a much larger parcel of land – they had trouble with deer. With this referral I got access to the largest land holding in the area that had herds of deer running around. It took me 2 years to get the numbers under control and we got a lot of meat out of it in the process.

In NSW there are also access to animals in State Forests that can be accessed through the Department of Primary Industries and organisations such as the SSAA Farmer Assist help to connect shooters with land holders that need help with their animal management.

I always encourage people to look at shooting as a secondary goal with a property, offer to help the farmer with two people jobs or give them an extra hand during harvest. It may take longer until you get your dream property to shoot on but once you have secured it through hard work it is unlikely you will loose it.