PAL,RPAL pratical exam
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They have to cover the main types of actions (bolt, semi, lever, pump, break and revolvers and pistols). Each type should be shown and explained to you before you get some hands on time with them. The actions used for the practical test is up to the examiner and should only cover one or two actions per person (I did the combined course 9 years ago, it was a lever rifle and a pistol for my practical). Don't worry about it, everythings covered in the course, but ALWAYS KEEP THE GUN POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION, even if the guns are deactivated pointing a gun at another student or instructor can get you kick out quick. There are probably some instructors or examiners on the forum who can give more up to date and/or detailed information. Good luck.
Overview of the practical tests:
thats all i can remember, and thats most of the practical..
maintain the muzzle direction within the safe area.
dont point the firearm at any human, or outside the safe zone.
Take your time, and voice out every single action that you do so that he knows what you're doing:
ie:
"I am assuming the firearm is loaded."
"I am controling the muzzle direction"
"I am keeping my trigger finger outside the trigger guard"
"i'm acting a proving it safe"
"I am unloading the ammunition by racking the pump action until I can see the follower, and now i am acting and proving it safe"
Every time you put down a firearm, act and prove.
Every time you pick up a firearm, act and prove.
Good luck
- Know how to adopt your shooting positions! (kneeling, standing, one handed pistol, two handed pistol, prone.
- Crossing a fence or a stream
- identifying what kind of ammo the firearm in question takes
- knowing how to operate a lever action, semi auto, pump, bolt, single action revolver, double action revolver, and semi pistol
- load ammo into all firearms
- chamber ammunition from the magazines
- unload all firearms
- decock firearms
- act and prove
- packing a restricted for transport
- storing firearms (non and restricted)
thats all i can remember, and thats most of the practical..
maintain the muzzle direction within the safe area.
dont point the firearm at any human, or outside the safe zone.
Take your time, and voice out every single action that you do so that he knows what you're doing:
ie:
"I am assuming the firearm is loaded."
"I am controling the muzzle direction"
"I am keeping my trigger finger outside the trigger guard"
"i'm acting a proving it safe"
"I am unloading the ammunition by racking the pump action until I can see the follower, and now i am acting and proving it safe"
Every time you put down a firearm, act and prove.
Every time you pick up a firearm, act and prove.
Good luck
Go to Youtube and search for "Evan from Alberta". Click to see all 24 videos. In firearms 101, he covers the different actions of rifles and pistols so you can brush up on the differences. It's a very good set of demonstrations. One thing I found that helped me is I familiarized myself with an old .22 pump action at home for a few hours before the test, because I haven't shot for 25 years, so when I picked up the guns for the test I felt comfortable handling them and didn't do anything by accident because I wasn't used to handling a gun. It worked for me. Hope that helps. Good luck! 
I'm an instructor in training and have helped out with the practical portion in a PAL and RPAL course, so I'll try and give you a couple of tips that haven't been mentioned yet above (which all the stuff above I agree with 100%, so bear it in mind in additoin to what I'll write here).
Are you challenging the tests or taking the full classes followed by the tests?
If you're challenging, I would suggest you go to a store like Wholesale sports and have them show you in particular a semi auto shotgun and how it is loaded/unloaded (that one seems to trip people up fairly often if they've never handled them before) and look at a lever action rifle and learn how the half #### safety on it is set... otherwise the PAL test is pretty easy, especially if you're taking the class since everyone gets a chance to handle each type of firearm on the test. You very likely will see an example of each kind of action and have to show how to handle, load, unload and prove safe each one. ABOVE ALL KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER, unless you are lowering the hammer on a lever action rifle or something like that.
The RPAL one is a bit trickier, but fairly similar. The toughest part for people who haven't shot pistols is keeping the muzzle pointed in the safe direction since pistols are so short. When people have trouble getting the slide to lock in place on the semi autos they quite often end up pointing the muzzle at themselves or the instructor--- don't do that. Understand and be able to explain what happens when you squeeze the trigger on a single action only revolver, double action only revolver, and a single/double action semi-auto pistol as there are questions on the written exam and on the practical about that. I really feel the best way to pass a practical exam is to get out and shoot the different types of pistols, not play with them in class, so if you have the option of doing that take the time to do it.
Learn the different types of bullets and be able to identify them ie: full metal jacket, wadcutter, hollow point, round nose, soft point, etc, that will be on the test for sure. Bear in mind that the caliber ISN'T always stamped on the head of ammo, (like in the case of rimfire cartridges) but it usually is.
If you've spent time around firearms you should pick all this up fairly quickly and do fine. Good luck!
Are you challenging the tests or taking the full classes followed by the tests?
If you're challenging, I would suggest you go to a store like Wholesale sports and have them show you in particular a semi auto shotgun and how it is loaded/unloaded (that one seems to trip people up fairly often if they've never handled them before) and look at a lever action rifle and learn how the half #### safety on it is set... otherwise the PAL test is pretty easy, especially if you're taking the class since everyone gets a chance to handle each type of firearm on the test. You very likely will see an example of each kind of action and have to show how to handle, load, unload and prove safe each one. ABOVE ALL KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER, unless you are lowering the hammer on a lever action rifle or something like that.
The RPAL one is a bit trickier, but fairly similar. The toughest part for people who haven't shot pistols is keeping the muzzle pointed in the safe direction since pistols are so short. When people have trouble getting the slide to lock in place on the semi autos they quite often end up pointing the muzzle at themselves or the instructor--- don't do that. Understand and be able to explain what happens when you squeeze the trigger on a single action only revolver, double action only revolver, and a single/double action semi-auto pistol as there are questions on the written exam and on the practical about that. I really feel the best way to pass a practical exam is to get out and shoot the different types of pistols, not play with them in class, so if you have the option of doing that take the time to do it.
Learn the different types of bullets and be able to identify them ie: full metal jacket, wadcutter, hollow point, round nose, soft point, etc, that will be on the test for sure. Bear in mind that the caliber ISN'T always stamped on the head of ammo, (like in the case of rimfire cartridges) but it usually is.
If you've spent time around firearms you should pick all this up fairly quickly and do fine. Good luck!
Go to Youtube and search for "Evan from Alberta". Click to see all 24 videos. In firearms 101, he covers the different actions of rifles and pistols so you can brush up on the differences. It's a very good set of demonstrations. One thing I found that helped me is I familiarized myself with an old .22 pump action at home for a few hours before the test, because I haven't shot for 25 years, so when I picked up the guns for the test I felt comfortable handling them and didn't do anything by accident because I wasn't used to handling a gun. It worked for me. Hope that helps. Good luck!
search "firearms 101" evan from alberta gives nada.
Thanks for the tips. Most of my experience is around semi-auto shotguns so I should do ok on that part.
I can't seem to get those videos to play... maybe because I'm using Firefox.
Videos can only help so much, you need to go handle some guns in person to figure them out properly.
Since you're in Calgary Bilirubin, take the chance to go to the shooting edge and try out some pistols and rifles, that's where I learned to shoot pistols. The staff there are very helpful and are used to dealing with everyone from people who have lots of experience to those who have never shot anything before. They are renovating next week from Monday to Thursday so if you're going to go, do it before Monday or after Thursday next week.
Videos can only help so much, you need to go handle some guns in person to figure them out properly.
Since you're in Calgary Bilirubin, take the chance to go to the shooting edge and try out some pistols and rifles, that's where I learned to shoot pistols. The staff there are very helpful and are used to dealing with everyone from people who have lots of experience to those who have never shot anything before. They are renovating next week from Monday to Thursday so if you're going to go, do it before Monday or after Thursday next week.
I had a similar problem, I wound up right clicking on the link, opening it Windows Media Player's "open url" option, and away we went.
Thanks also for the tip on the Shooting Edge. I will be heading there in the near future for sure.
Cheers!
Muzzel loaders, flint locks, cannons
I didn't want to start a new thread on this because there is already 18000 threads on PAL/RPAL but I haven't seen anything mentioned yet if there are many questions on the written or anything on the practical tests with regards to Muzzel loaders, flint locks, cannons lol etc. There is alot in the books about them. I have no intention of ever using any. Should be a separate licence/course IMO. Can I purchase a cannon and take it to the range? what type of target would I use?
I didn't want to start a new thread on this because there is already 18000 threads on PAL/RPAL but I haven't seen anything mentioned yet if there are many questions on the written or anything on the practical tests with regards to Muzzel loaders, flint locks, cannons lol etc. There is alot in the books about them. I have no intention of ever using any. Should be a separate licence/course IMO. Can I purchase a cannon and take it to the range? what type of target would I use?
well said dubois, I only remember a couple of questions about smokeless powder and whether it can be used instead of black powder and vice versa, which is a no-brainer! There also was a question about which powder is used in a flash pan and the answer is the finest (HHH I think).
Black powder stuff has to be included just because they are firearms. The technical definition is anything that can launch a projectile more than 1000 fps, so we all have to learn a little about it even if we never plan on having anything to do with it.
Having said that, I think it would be pretty neat to see a cannon shoot something like a really big pumpkin! lol
Someone once told me that in Thailand you can pay $30 to go hunt water buffalo with an RPG (don't know if that's true, but it made me laugh!)
Black powder stuff has to be included just because they are firearms. The technical definition is anything that can launch a projectile more than 1000 fps, so we all have to learn a little about it even if we never plan on having anything to do with it.
Having said that, I think it would be pretty neat to see a cannon shoot something like a really big pumpkin! lol
Someone once told me that in Thailand you can pay $30 to go hunt water buffalo with an RPG (don't know if that's true, but it made me laugh!)
I wrote both the PAL/RPAL test. There was only 1 question
related to it. So, don't worry. The written test is not difficult if you read the course book. The practical test is difficult to pass unless you have handled all the most common rifles and handguns.
I have handled alot of rifles and shotguns, but only a handgun once. I think I can get through it as i am taking the class so there should be lots of opportunity to handle whatever they will be testing on. I know i will ace the written part.
