About Us
Mission Statement
It is Orion Firearms Training's aim to promote the safe, fun use of firearms within the UK. To make firearms users safer and more responsible in their use of firearms. To improve marksmanship whether in sport or professional vocations with professional coaching, the use of reactive steel targets and a fantastic setting to bring a new dimension to UK target shooting.
John O’Brien, Director
Former Co-Director of WMS Firearms Training.
John's background, qualifications in RMQ 1-5 and his keen eye for detail ensure the safe and efficient running of the range facility. He is an NRA range conducting officer, holds a DSC1, and is also a keen stalker.
John has been actively involved with SCEG to finalise details of setting an industry standard for Maritime Firearms Training Providers, which has been presented to the home office, for all reputable training providers to adhere to.
Neil Beeby, Instructor
Neil Beeby was given his first air rifle at the age of 13. He soon joined a small-bore pistol club and had the good fortune to be coached by Olympic bronze medallist Alan Bray. He soon branched out into rifle and shotgun shooting too, continuing in shooting sports through university where he won college colours. Discovering practical rifle shooting was a revelation and he went on to win nearly every regional PR Championship at one time or another, culminating in the National League Championship in 2008. He was also in the winning Methuen civilian service rifle team that same year.
By this time Neil had become involved in nearly every branch of the shooting sports, winning the Soldier of Fortune three-gun event and several S.R.A practical shotgun matches. He had also become a keen classic and veteran service rifle shooter, winning numerous mad-minutes, rapids, snaps, aggregates, running deer and longer range prone matches. Off the range he also became involved in deer stalking and vermin control and is now involved in deer management in North Wales.
Tim Davies, Instructor
Testimonials
We have been featured in the latest edition of the Shooting Sports magazine. To take a look please click here.
Sent 25/05/2021
Very good place, very organised and brilliant range. Tony
Sent 29/11/2018
Great first time experience, will be back again. Jake
Sent 29/11/2018
Wonderful experience even through the rain! Very knowledgeable and felt safe at all times. Will definitely be recommending to family and friends! India
Sent 25/11/2018
Brilliant day, great training with a lot of interesting knowledge. Definitely want to come again. Jon
Sent 25/10/2018
Very enjoyable day, I will be coming back in the near future with some club members. Stephen
Sent 14/10/2018
Absolutely fantastic day. Great tuition and introduction to long range rifle shooting, will be back!! Mark
Sent 11/10/2018
Great into into rifle history and safety. It was an amazing experience and I learnt huge amounts! Chris
Sent 23/08/2018
Great day and really enjoyed myself. Definitely an experience to be had. Felt safe and well informed. D
Sent 23/08/2018
Very relaxed and friendly environment to learn in. Very accessible to newcomers, great advice regarding anything shooting related. Stephen
Sent 23/08/2018
I have never shot anything before, I was made to feel relaxed and not inadequate at all. Would love to come again and will definitely be recommending to others! Lauren
Sent 20/08/2018
I have had the very best day - learnt loads and felt confident and very safe. My tutor was THE BEST (John) and I will so look forward to coming back for more tuition. Thank you. Cate
Sent 20/08/2018
Really good coaching and able to keep it fun and enjoyable. Highly recommended. Harrison
Sent 17/08/2018
10/10, great day, lots of fun. William
Sent 12/08/2018
Very informative and enjoyable, will come again. Robert
Sent 12/08/2018
Really enjoyed the day and appreciate how it was adapted to our ability rather than continuing with the standard day. Jonathan
Sent 28/07/2018
Thoroughly enjoyable day. My second visit. Being able to shoot from 100 - 900 yards from one point makes for a great shooting experience. Tim and Neil were very professional, offering advice when needed. Dominic
Sent 26/07/2018
Great fun and a big tick off my bucket list. Really well organised, Thank you. Daniel
Sent 02/07/2018
Brilliant couple of days. Been shooting since 1992 and without a doubt the best 2 days shooting ever. Hopefully be back soon! Thanks for your help and encouragement. A
Sent 02/07/2018
What a fantastic 2 days! With safety being the primary focus. I learnt so much from John; from improving positioning, environment awareness, target acquisition and adjustment. I would highly reccommend the course (Standard Range Day) if you want to improve your shooting capability beyond the standard range. Thank you!! James
Sent 02/07/2018
Excellent targets, good company, good location and excellent coaching. Will come again, cannot find a negative! Many thanks for the benefit of your shooting skills/knowledge. Richard
Sent 28/06/2018
Brilliant day out, learnt a lot after only having fired .22 on a 50m range previously. Looking forward to planning a trip back. Phillip
Sent 11/06/2018
Enjoyable and John is a credit to the sport. David
Sent 11/06/2018
Excellent day out. Much appreciated the guidance and tips. As a non shooter it was priceless! Ian
Sent 25/05/2018
Thanks for yet another great day out at Orion. Everybody from our club greatly enjoyed our visit - a significant bonus being decent weather on the day! we look forward to making another visit in the future. Mike
Sent 26/04/2018
Patient, helpful and interesting! Steven
Sent 26/04/2018
Second time coming and still just as fun, John is a great laugh! Thomas
Sent 22/02/2018
Excellent tuition and variety of targets. Engaging and rewarding day providing a solid refle experience. Philip
Sent 22/02/2018
Fantastic day! Great coaching and great company to shoot with - Thank you. Alex
Sent 24/11/2017
Due to being a recent FAC holder I decided to book a one to one with Orion Firearms Training. My experience started a week or two prior to my day as I had a good chat with Jon (my instructor for the day)- who asked me a lot of relevant questions (most I hadn't thought of!) and suggested that we take out a selection of rifles so I could make an informed choice. On the actual day Jon started with a full and interesting Firearms Safety Awareness lecture followed by a fantastic session out on the range involving the use of .243, .308 and 30-06 calibres from 50m to 800m- Jon's style of instruction was excellent and instilled confidence into a relative 'newbie' like me, so much so that I have already spoken with Jon with a view to visiting again in the near future. Fully recommended. Andy
Sent 31/10/2017
Great coaching, made new firers feel relaxed and gave confidence. A great day. Thank you. Alan
Sent 19/10/2017
Great day with excellent training. Never fired a gun before but hit a target 800m by the end of the day. James
Sent 19/10/17
Absolutely brilliant, it was everything I imagined and better. Shooting out to 800m was awesome. Thanks for a great day. Cameron
Sent 23/09/17
As always an excellent day. Many thanks. JF
Sent 22/09/17
Absolutely great day out. Shooting 1000yds plus. The weather held up for the whole day. All round great day. Jacob
Sent 15/09/17
Cracking day. Good to shoot a load of rounds downrange. E.
Sent 14/09/17
Fantastic, great day. Attentive and enthusiastic instruction. Will definitely return. Mike
Sent 25/08/17
A great day of training and plenty of rounds fired down the range, would recommend to anyone. IB
Sent 24/08/17
Great day with great coaching. I would love to come back. Emma
Sent 04/08/17
Once again an excellent day. Superb instruction from Tim as always. Neil
Sent 26/07/17
Have come back 5 times now. Excellent each time, whatever the weather. And I'm learning. JP
Sent 13/07/17
Great variety of targets at all ranges, all set in beautiful scenery and with the wonderfully changeable Welsh weather!! Many thanks for the experience! FJ
Sent 13/07/17
Was great to be able to come out here and focus on scope adjustments and to also have fun! Highly recommended. RC
Sent 22/06/17
Excellent and encouraging instruction from Jon and Tim. Saw what we did wrong, corrected and helped us achieve our goals of the 800yd target. Friendly and welcoming environment, definiately come again! Dave
Sent 19/06/17
Learned loads- Thank you. Was given much useful advice to assist my shooting in a practical way. Never shot at range before, so to dial in at 1100m and hit first time was awesome. We'll be back!! Simon
Sent 10/06/17
Second time at Orion; once again excellent service and brilliant tuition. Very good setup, fun and safe. Tim was very knowledgeable and helpful. Anthony
Sent 09/06/17
First time here, definately not the last, we will be back. Neil is a great instructor. Carl
Sent 09/06/17
Great day. Good shooting. Good company. Don't need anything else. EW.
Sent 31/05/17
Very good instruction from Tim and Jon. The day was fun throughout and kept the emphasis on safety at all times. Lucas
Very well structured event. Moving up from .22 to 5.56 to 7.68 to 0.338 worked really well. Safety brief very comprehensive. Tim and Jon have run a full, successful and highly enjoyable day. Thanks very much! David
Sent 18/05/17
Sorted out a lot of problems (27 years of!) Thank you. Simon
Sent 12/05/17
Excellent day. Really enjoyed the rapid fire exercises and the 800 yd shooting. David
Educational as well as great fun; something that you don't get to do on your average day!! Julie
Sent 05/05/17
Once again a wonderful day, run very professionally by Tim. Looking forward to our next visit. N.P.
Welcoming, encouraging, informative, knowledgeable with great ranges. Marvellous. Liam
Fantastic day! Learnt loads from the instructor input, and consolidated input from previous visits. Great learning day, and superb fun. Many thanks. Jon
Well organised, exceptionally polite, courteous and knowledgeable. Everyone leaves feeling like a million dollars. D.M.
Sent 19/04/17
Really enjoyed the day. Jon knows his stuff! Will definately bring my boys. Acky
Good day with training. Tim was very knowledgeable. Michael
Excellent site- great guys; really knowledgeable and helpful. Eddy
Even better than last year. Longer distances. No rain. John
Sent 10/04/17
An excellent, informative day;very professionally presented. Thanks, Tim. N.P.
Awesome facilities. Awesome instruction. Great day and exceeded expectations. Liam
Sent 03/04/17
Great day, lots of help on hand when needed. Aaron
Varied targets gave good experience. Good advice given. Will leave a better shooter for it. Anthony
Excellent day- am looking forward to my next visit. Keith
Fantastic environment, plenty of time to engageand understand how to approach shot. Fraser
Great day, now have a good understanding of what we need to learn. John
Sent 31/03/17
Always great. Steve
Sent 23/03/17
Great day, good tuition. Was very pleasing to hear the steel twang. Karl
Good range of guns and distance. Had a great day. Thank you. Penny
Awesome day's shooting. Darryn
Excellent safety. Instruction top notch. Thoroughly enjoyed Jon and Tim's company. Cary
Really good day. Excellent instructors. Made my birthday. A.F.
Excellent, learned more in one day than a year at my club. Martyn
Sent 22/02/17
A fantastic day with a fantastic instructor; I've been rifle shooting for 25 years and never fully realised the capability of my rifle. Highly recommended, we'll be back! Matt
What a fantastic day. Could not believe I could shoot 550m after such a short time. Thank you Jon, much appreciated. Martin
Shooting out to 600yds hitting 5" plates gives great confidence for deer stalking at 'normal' ranges and for clearing up any 'mistakes'. Brian
Sent 07/02/17
Great day, great staff and very informative. Will definitely recommend to everyone. Connor
Will recommend and definitely be back. Learnt so much, Jon is the font of all knowledge shooting related and the day was a lot of fun- thanks. Carl
Sent 29/01/17
I loved the .338! Tim is an amazing instructor! Awesome fun great day! Thank you so much. Francesca
Was a really great day. Tim was a very patient, knowledgeable instructor. It was a custom tailored day, and he then adapted it once he had worked out our strengths and weaknesses. A great day, we all had fun. John
The day was easy to organise. Tim was friendly but firm due to obvious safety requirements. Brilliant day. Really enjoyed the new knowledge and just hitting the target! Gary
Tim was an excellent and professional instructor. He adapted our day perfectly to suit all participants ability, experience and conditions (ie the rain). Happily recommend the experience and would come back myself. Peter
Very well run, good instruction and good fun. .338 is an awesome weapon. Christopher
Sent 08/12/16
A brilliant day as always! The weather as I predicted became wonderful. Tim, you're tops. John
Sent 20/11/16
I absolutely enjoyed today's shooting, hope to come again. Tim was fantastic, a really helpful instructor. Joe
Sent 11/11/16
This is an excellent Range with a good variety of targets. Had a tremendous time, thanks! Mike
Sent 04/11/16
Hitting a plate at 1 mile is very satisfying. J.
Sent 04/11/16
Superb day as always with friendly advice and help to shooters at all levels. Dave
Sent 20/10/16
Very well organised day and the instructors were brilliant and patient, even when mistakes were made.Highly recommend this day to others. John
Sent 20/10/16
Brilliant day with top class tuition from Tim. My second time at Orion and as "General McArthur"said, "I shall return." Jim
Sent 06/10/16
A remarkable day! We both learned a huge amount, Jon's tuition was remarkable and enabled both of us to hit targets that we would not have dreamt of before. JS
Sent 06/10/16
A day to remember; lots of fun. It was an interesting day as well, I learned lots of shooting principles, and secrets. Majid
Sent 05/10/16
Another great day's shooting as usual. Carl
Sent 20/09/16
Loved every moment. Very friendly and encouraging. Owain
Sent 18/09/2016
Well run and organised as usual. Many thanks for a great day. Nick
Sent 09/09/2016
This was a fantastic day. Tim was a great coach/instructor. Very safe operation and professionally done. I cannot recommend it more highly. Will definitely return. Many thanks. Nigel
Sent 31/08/2016
Professional, informative, helpful, good fun, engaging. John was a good communicator and made it seem simple. Would come again. Henry
Sent 28/08/2016
What a magical day! Really enjoyed it and learned so much. Fantastic! Robbie
Sent 28/07/2016
Excellent instruction. Great to arrive having never shot before, and leave having hit a target at 800yards. Awesome day!! Would recommend and will come again. Andy
Sent 25/07/2016
Great day out, doing something different. Great explanations and help throughout the day, (even for idiots!). Coral
Sent 01/07/2016
A great day's shooting, 100yds to 1000yds. Safe, fun and expert advice on hand if needed. Many thanks to all and looking forward to seeing you soon. Kevin
Sent 06/06/2016
Honestly it was one of the best days out I have had, and you would not believe what I have done in the past. M.P.
Sent 23/05 2016
Thanks for a great day. I would thoroughly recommend the one to one. I haven't shot for years and Jon was very thorough. He was also very informative with his suggestions on guns and scopes. G.J.
Sent 13/07/2015
Many thanks for arranging the toilet facilities for the ladies (much appreciated). It turned out to be an excellent day and the weather was fairly kind, the wind not so and challenging at times. Very positive feedback from all (4 x Hunters & 4 x Target shooters) and all will be returning in the future.
A big "Thank you" to Neil for providing guidance and looking after us all day.
B.W
Sent 13/07/2015
I thought I would drop you a line to say what a cracking day the 11 of us had last Friday and how well Tim looked after us.
Richard
Sent 08/05/2015
Seven of us travelled from Ireland to test both our rifles abilities and our own abilities, and what a test. Welsh weather forecasts are just as accurate as Irish forecasts, meaning totally useless. However, in spite of winds from 25-35 mph, we all managed hits out to 800-900 yards. This was due to excellent calls from Jon and Neil on spotting our hits and misses. We can't say enough about the targets and general setup at Orion Firearms Training, targets were varied and plentiful, and challenged our skills to the limit, from large circular steel targets to small pepper poppers (6") and life-size Roe deer, fox, rabbit and crow targets at distances from 100yds out to 1600yds, there was more than enough for us to test our skills.
Jon and Neil, along with Mandy and Becky in the office, go the extra mile to ensure visitors have a great day's shooting.
Liam Good
Sent: 26th July 2014
As promised an update on my trip to the Eastern Cape, South Africa:
1st day started at dawn with me trying out the rifle I was going to be using and for Allan our PH to check out if I could shoot straight. So with 3 PHs, Allan’s tracker and my wife all looking on, (so no pressure there), I got to shoot the 300 Win Mag off of the tripod they use, when on the 2nd shot I got within 5cm at 100m they decided 200m seemed to be a better test, got the next 2 well in the 15cm circle and must have passed muster as the next thing we were loaded up and off to go hunting.
Before my day with you I would have gladly given up at hitting 15cm on the 100m target so thanks for that.
The next 5 days were brilliant and some of the most exciting things I have done; crawling through the Acacia trees after a trophy Impala and ending up shooting off of the PHs back while he knelt down was very different, climbing up and down steep rocky valleys amongst the spectacular scenery following Warthog (ended up shooting one 150m away down a 45 deg slope so your session was very useful), sitting in the middle of a bush watching a dozen male Bleesbuck we had stalked, at times only a couple of metres away.
Just a quick note to thank you again for a spectacular day on Monday, I really enjoyed your company and your thorough patient instruction style which made picking up new techniques and facts seem simple thus proving you can teach an old dog new tricks (I just need to remember to hold the bolt handle). I have come away with far more knowledge from 1 day than I thought possible and you have given me the confidence in my abilities to enjoy my trip to SA without worrying about making a hash of it. The shooting from sticks was a revelation as I really had no idea about the correct way to do it. You were also right on muscle memory as I still ache 3 days later, I think it was better exercise than a couple of hours in the gym and definitely more fun.
The fire, reload, keep looking through the scope and being ready for a follow up shot routine certainly took on a much greater importance after I looked up the Lion footage on YouTube. I came away from Monday with a good idea of what to do if the wheels do come off at any point and I have to rely on doing the right thing, something that hadn’t occurred to me before you said and then drilled it in.
I remain amazed that I can now shoot out to 400M with reasonable accuracy especially as it was all with my rifle which before the day I was convinced needed replacing as not fit for purpose. The 800m shots at the end with the .338 were certainly a high point, it really only sunk in how far that actually is on the way home (I still work in miles) and that I actually hit the target. I also appreciated that you fed in a lot of supporting information like for example how to search with binoculars using grids, the effects of angles on distances and drumming in safety (how to deal with a possible duff cartridge was really good), it also emphasised that it is really not all about pulling the trigger.
I will be telling my friends all about your setup to and I will definitely be back for some more as it was the best day out I have had for a long time, plus I still want to have a go with your pig.
Clive
Sent: 04th July 2014
Hi Jon and the team
I must just send you a great big thank you for the fantastic two days in June of 2014 we spent on your range it was a very enjoyable way to spend some hard earned cash and can't wait for the December date we have already booked to come again.
If anybody is reading this looking for some positive feedback about the range then I organised a group of 9 shooters for 1 day some of us being professional pest controllers for a fun social and a I had a second day for three of us for a bit of a data collecting day on the varied array of shooting positions that give a wide range of different shot distances, varied selection of target shapes and different angles of shot placements. Everybody thought it was good value for money and left a better shot for the experience.
Jon and Neil were great all day and gave excellent precise help on the spotting scope for those that needed it which made the whole experience for every one more enjoyable especially when on the second day we were pinging the metre plate at 1100 yds with Le Enfields and only the iron sights they came with.
The only advice I can give if you do book up to go is don't skimp on your ammo. I personally over the two days using two 308 rifles and a Le Enfield shot over 400 rounds.
Many thanks again to Jon and the team
Rob Eckton Pestforce Oxfordshire Ltd
Tim D, 06th February 2014,
Once again our firearms training and range day was excellent. Your skills in imparting your hard earned knowledge left us in no doubt we were in good hands and your instruction continues to help us gain those vital skill sets needed to be a competent and skilful shooters. This is my third visit in 12 months, still as good as the first and certainly not my last, I will be back.
Paul S, 03rd February 2014,
Just a quick line to say how much I enjoyed my day with Jon.... Impressive site and good tuition ....I learnt a lot. Please include me on your @ list for any future offers or courses.... Jon did mention a regular Friday type range day you may be starting?? i I would be interested in this.. So please let me know.
JS, 01st February 2014,
Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the day on Saturday in spite of the dreadful weather. Please pass on my thanks to Neil who looked after us so well and who was a great help to us on the day.
AB, 17th January 2014,
Mandy, Jon said you may be able to send the list of forthcoming coaching input days? Do pass on my appreciation to Jon although the weather wasn't overly kind, we had a great day, and the range is really looking fantastic, I wish you all the very best for the future.
JB, 03rd January 2014,
Just a note of appreciation for the fantastic day you gave David and I. Thank-you especially for your persistence in dealing with an 'old codger' like me! If you find yourself down our neck of the woods do call to see us. Once again, Many thanks, JB
SW, 08th December 2013,
I attended a Sniper Challenge Day, and I found Jon's approach has really spurred me on to take up rifle shooting! Thank-you for a brilliant day, send my regards (and thanks) to Jon.
DM, 01st December 2013,
Mandy, Please will you pass on my thanks to Jon, he's a mountain of knowledge, provided me with some great tips and really excelled in giving me an elite rifle day! I will be back, please add me to the mailing list.