A very over whelmed noob...

matt491

matt491

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Hey everyone.
I'm very new to this and have been interested in getting my PAL and my RPAL and joining a gun club for years. Decided this summer I was going to do it.

I've been reading and searching on this site for almost an hour and I'm very, very confused as to where to go and what to do!

I'm in Scarborough, ON (toronto). Where can I do my PAL and RPAL test here? Is there one course that gets you both or do I have to do them seperately?

I've read in a couple threads about getting out in the community and meeting people. Going to the range with them and they might let you shoot a bit to try it (under strict supervision). What is my closest local handgun club?

What's the best way to go about getting into the sport.

Any advice is MUCH appreciated! Thank you

Matt
 
hey matt and welcome,

You have to do a non restricted course and then a restricted course.

I did both courses back to back and took 3 weekends to do. I did mine in waterloo but there are some courses closer to you. im sure someone else will comment on where is better.

Here is a link to most of the clubs in ontario

w ww.nfa.ca/component/option,com_bookmarks/Itemid,99999999/mode,0/catid,19/navstart,0/search,*/

or just search for ontario gun clubs.

When I did my courses, the club advised me to do my non restricted and then my restricted course and then submit paperwork, as they said it worked out faster. Im unsure if that is true, but my license took about 6 months to get back after i had applied. in the end i had to call the CFO and find out what was going on, in the end they just approved it and sent it in the mail.

Best of luck!
Douglas
 
Thank you for the information! Is there a website or a thread on here that shows where and when they run courses? I would like to do mine ASAP considering it takes so long apparently to get licensed.
 
Other members have had alot better luck then me.

For example here is one place.

w ww.canadianfirearmscourses.com/CourseSchedule/Courseschedule.htm

you can search for non-restricted courses in your area through google.

Best of luck
Douglas
 
matt491 said:
Hey everyone.
I'm very new to this and have been interested in getting my PAL and my RPAL and joining a gun club for years. Decided this summer I was going to do it.

I've been reading and searching on this site for almost an hour and I'm very, very confused as to where to go and what to do!

I'm in Scarborough, ON (toronto). Where can I do my PAL and RPAL test here? Is there one course that gets you both or do I have to do them seperately?

I've read in a couple threads about getting out in the community and meeting people. Going to the range with them and they might let you shoot a bit to try it (under strict supervision). What is my closest local handgun club?

What's the best way to go about getting into the sport.

Any advice is MUCH appreciated! Thank you

Matt
Click to expand...

Easy there big fella. :D

Look here to find an instructor: http://www.fseso.org/416.htm

I have heard good things about Walter Bent and Fred Bell. I know they ran the courses out of Scarborough, but the place where they did them got torn down, so I'm not sure where they do them now.

If you don't mind a bit of a drive, I did mine at york Region Firearms (yrfirearms.com). EXCELLENT group of people. They run the course in the Major Mackenzie and Yonge ST area of Richmond Hill.

There is also guns.to, who use a hotel in the Jane and wilson area.

Typically, the PAL and RPAL courses are done on the same weekend. The Saturday you go through the theory portion of the Pal course, and get to handle the long guns to prepare for the practical exam. Then on the Sunday morning, you will do the PAL written and practical exams. After that, you start the RPAL theory, handle the guns, then do the RPAL written and practical exams.

You can also try CGN site sponsor Target Sports Centre. They are in Gormley Ont. on Stalwart Industrial drive in Warden and Stouffville Rd area. They do the PAL and RPAL courses, and they also have a firearms familiarization program where you can go and they will let you shoot several different firearms under the supervision of one of their employees. No firearms licence necessary to participate in that! you pay for the ammo you use.
 
soulchaser said:
Easy there big fella. :D

Look here to find an instructor: http://www.fseso.org/416.htm

I have heard good things about Walter Bent and Fred Bell. I know they ran the courses out of Scarborough, but the place where they did them got torn down, so I'm not sure where they do them now.

If you don't mind a bit of a drive, I did mine at york Region Firearms (yrfirearms.com). EXCELLENT group of people. They run the course in the Major Mackenzie and Yonge ST area of Richmond Hill.

There is also guns.to, who use a hotel in the Jane and wilson area.

Typically, the PAL and RPAL courses are done on the same weekend. The Saturday you go through the theory portion of the Pal course, and get to handle the long guns to prepare for the practical exam. Then on the Sunday morning, you will do the PAL written and practical exams. After that, you start the RPAL theory, handle the guns, then do the RPAL written and practical exams.

You can also try CGN site sponsor Target Sports Centre. They are in Gormley Ont. on Stalwart Industrial drive in Warden and Stouffville Rd area. They do the PAL and RPAL courses, and they also have a firearms familiarization program where you can go and they will let you shoot several different firearms under the supervision of one of their employees. No firearms licence necessary to participate in that! you pay for the ammo you use.
Click to expand...

Thank you SO much for the info. I just sent an email to Target Sports Centre. Hopefully I hear back from them soon.
Anything less than a 45-60 minute drive is fine for me! Yonge and Major Mack isn't that far.
I'm hoping target sports centre can help because I'm specifically interested in handgun (I'm not a hunter, so I wont be doing rifles i don't think) target shooting and they have a club there as well.
 
matt491 said:
Thank you SO much for the info. I just sent an email to Target Sports Centre. Hopefully I hear back from them soon.
Anything less than a 45-60 minute drive is fine for me! Yonge and Major Mack isn't that far.
I'm hoping target sports centre can help because I'm specifically interested in handgun (I'm not a hunter, so I wont be doing rifles i don't think) target shooting and they have a club there as well.
Click to expand...

No problem Matt.

Trust me, you may not be interested in long guns right now, but once you fire off a few rounds from a 12 gauge, you'll be hooked!
 
best place to start is your local gun store, they are very helpful at finding the closest instructors, clubs and ranges in your area.
 
eigenvector said:
Look at his location. No gun stores in this sorry town.
Click to expand...

there are no gun stores in scarborough, but you have lebaron, target sports, and bass pro vaughan all within a 35 minute driving radius.

Target sports runs a pal/rpal course monthly. Call them to find out the schedule. I did mine there loved the atmosphere and the instructors and then joined the club.
 
Matt, I was in your shoes 2 months ago.

http://www.guns.to/

Firearms Academy of Canada. I took the PAL and RPAL courses there over a weekend. Very good experience. Recommended. I also do recommend a trip to Target Sports for some shooting, which you can do even before you get your PAL, since they will supervise you.
 
yellowsv said:
there are no gun stores in scarborough, but you have lebaron, target sports, and bass pro vaughan all within a 35 minute driving radius.

Target sports runs a pal/rpal course monthly. Call them to find out the schedule. I did mine there loved the atmosphere and the instructors and then joined the club.
Click to expand...

I took my PAL/RPAL courses at Target Sports back in April.

At the time, they were during courses once every two weeks.

Matt, just buy the books first and read it twice. RPAL written test is VERY similar to the PAL test. I seriously over studied. I would have passed courses not even reading the books and just listened to the instructor instead. Get the ACTS AND PROVE burned into your head and you should do fine for the practical too.
 
Thanks for all the replies, everyone. I'm heading up to target sports this weekend to do some shooting and speak to people.
Also signing up for my PAL/RPAL course for the beginning of June with a friend there.
 
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