Qualifications

Range Conducting Officer Qualifications

When a shooting activity is taking place there must be a Range Conducting Officer present. 
Holders of a Range Conducting Officer qualification may not instruct Scouts in target shooting techniques unless an Instructor qualification is also held.

Range Shooting

National Small-bore Rifle Association (NSRA) 
scouts-and-the-nsra
(All qualifications valid for only 5 years from date of issue unless renewed) 

-    Youth Proficiency Scheme (YPS) Tutor - Air Rifle
-    Youth Proficiency Scheme (YPS) Tutor - Air Pistol
-    Range Conducting Officer
-    Club Instructor
-    Club Coach
-    County Coach
-    Regional Coach
-    Coach Educator

National Rifle Association (NRA)
-    Range Conducting Officer
-    Range Safety Officer
-    Club Instructor

Clay Pigeon Shooting Association (CPSA)
-    Safety Officer

British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC)
-    Air Rifle Instructor
-    Safety Officer

The Muzzle Loaders Association of Great Britain
-    Approved Instructor

Her Majesty’s (H.M.) Armed Forces and the Cadet Forces
(Sea Cadet Corps - SCC, Army Cadet Force Association - ACF, Combined Cadet Force Association - CCF and Air Training Corps - ATC):
(Qualification only valid whilst serving in the Armed Forces/Cadet Forces)
-    Range Conducting Officer

Police Forces
(Qualification only valid whilst serving in the Police Forces)
-    Range Conducting Officer

Clay shooting

-    Under CPSA standards and controls

Crossbow shooting
(over 1.4kg draw weight) 

• NSRA YPS Tutor - Sport Crossbow

Use of Qualifications

The running of activities must be within the boundaries of the qualification(s) the Range Officer holds. For example, those who only hold the YPS Tutor Air Rifle qualification cannot run Air Pistol activities.

Many of the listed qualifications relate to the use of firearms that are more powerful than airguns. The holders of these qualifications will be very knowledgeable in general range safety, but some may be less familiar with the range design principles necessary to overcome the specific hazard of short range airgun shooting and the bounce-back from the stop butt.

The set-up of airgun ranges must be done following the range layout guidance provided by The Scouts or other regulatory bodies.

The use of Range Assistants or Safety Supervisors

Qualified Range Conducting Officers may be assisted in the running of a range by others who do not necessarily need to hold formal qualifications. This is encouraged as a means of developing people in taking responsibility for the activity and its administration. These people must operate under within their demonstrated competence as determined by the qualified person taking responsibility for the range.

Range Assistants do things not involving the direct supervision of the shooters on the range; such as marshalling people, counting pellets, changing targets and scoring.

Safety Supervisors need a higher degree of competence than the shooters. They can be used to provide closer supervision of shooters while on the range, with it being understood that they operate at all times under the overall supervision of the Range Conducting Officer. They can help the shooter interpret the Range Conducting Officer's instructions into actions such as loading, aiming, firing and making visibly safe. They can provide the close supervision that may be needed to ensure a beginner keeps the airgun pointing down the range.

The degree of supervision needed will be influenced by many factors, most notably the competence of the shooters concerned, and is at the absolute discretion of the qualified Range Conducting Officer.