The Road to Belgium – Part Two: Kit and Preparation

With our Belgium trip on 3 weeks away it’s time to start thinking about kit and preparation. Now kit fall’s into two categories, the first is documentation and the second is practical. Documentation.

Travelling to Europe is easy. However, there are a few things that you can do to make life that little bit easier. Firstly and perhaps the most obvious, don’t forget your passport. The second is a EHIC card (European Health Insurance Card) they are 100% free and can be ordered from the post office at https://www.postoffice.co.uk/health-insurance-card. Next is some breakdown insurance if you are driving. Getting towed back from Europe is not cheap without it. Finally, a letter of invitation from the event and a letter from either the manufacturer of your rifle or a letter from a RFD stating that your gun is sub 12ftlb. If you have an Air Arms just contact the factory and they will happily sort you out a letter. The letters of invitation can be downloaded from http://www.h-ft-benelux.eu/

Also, with Brexit just around the corner, you may need a Greencard from your car insurance company.

I also like to use Google translate and write a few lines explaining who I am and what I am doing in multiple languages. I put where I am staying and where I am travelling from and where I am going too. This is so, If I am stopped by the French or Belgian police and they don’t speak English, I can just show them the letter.

Kit.

Shooting in Belgium is no different from shooting in the UK, with one exception removable silencers are illegal. To get round this, use some Loctite to fix your silencer to the barrel, this will make it (Under the eyes of the law) part of the rifle and legal. Also, limit the amount of ammunition you carry to what you need and keep it separate from the gun. Personally, I keep the rifle in the boot and the ammo in a locked box in the glove box.

The other kit you will need is all car based. Make sure you have headlight deflectors, first aid kit, GB sticker, alcohol test kit, warning triangle and a high viz jacket (Which must be kept in the cabin of the car). All of this can be bought in a kit from Halfords and is relatively cheap.

Preparation.

Again, there are no major differences between shooting International rules and UKAHFT, the only difference is, Windicators are not allowed. One thing however, if memory serves, due to the undulating ground at Grupont, there were quite a few up the peg shots, so a bit of practice on these would be a good idea. The targets are all painted and good quality and the people setting them are experienced and knowledgeable.

So, there you have it, good luck and I hope to see you all in a few weeks time.