Air Rifles at The Cotswold Range

Last Sunday Aaron and I popped along to the Cotswold Range to try air rifling. It was a spur of the moment decision while looking up activities to do in the Cotswold Water Park area. Our original idea was SUP boarding but the rain put a literal dampering on our plans. 😉

The Cotswold Range is situated in the Cotswold Water Park between Swindon and Cirencester, and offers three different shooting activities: archery, air rifles and crossbow! Participants can choose one or two hour sessions and you have the option to mix two of the three choices. Or you can have two hours of your chosen activity if that’s what you’d prefer.

The sessions are ideal for beginners or those with limited experience as their instructors are on hand to offer you tuition and guidance throughout the session. All their air rifling instructors are NRSA qualified so you’re in safe hands. You’re also well welcomed with a cup of tea which is a nice touch. We were definitely well looked after. 😊

As it was a fairly wet day, we were a bit worried we’d get soaked as the sessions are held outside! Thankfully all their shooting ranges are undercover making it the ideal rainy day activity. Although the weather did brighten up while we were there the instructors will also replace your targets for you if you don’t want to get wet. lol.

Our session started off with an eye dominance check, followed by being shown how to hold and load the rifle safely. We had a range of fun shooting activities to have a go at and I managed to hit a bullseye on my first shot! 💪

There was a bit of banter between the three of us… Like Jez (our instructor) belittling me for finishing each section too fast! 😅 It made it great fun and he explained everything in great detail so we got the best out of our session.

At the end of our target shooting we tackled their “Pistol Maze” challenge (a take on the TV show the Crystal Maze), where we needed to shoot each dial in turn to release the crystal. We were given 10 rounds each but if we released the crystal in 8 we would make the wall of fame.

I’m very happy to say we made every shot first time and landed ourselves a spot on the wall of fame. 🏅

I’d highly recommend giving air rifles a try at the Cotswold Range if you’re visiting the area. They also cater for larger groups and corporate events! Here’s hoping I can convince the rest of our social committee at work to plan an event there. 😉

We enjoyed the experience so much that we’re already booked in for a double session of archery and crossbow shooting in a couple of weeks. Where I’ll be channelling my inner Katniss.

Have you ever tried Air rifles? Or even archery or crossbows? Let me know in the comments. 🎯