You can obtain a licence for a rifle such as .22 smallbore cartridge rifle but you will only be licenced for specific purposes.
For target shooting you would be licenced to shoot at Home Office approved ranges only. For that you would need to join a rifle club and have been a member and shot regularly for 6 months before being granted your own licence.
The checks you undergo will be extensive police records check, a check with your GP and with 2 referees. The police actually ring your referees and question them closely.
To find out about rifle clubs see
http://nsra.co.uk
You can obtain a licence for hunting purposes and for that you would need to ensure that you have the owners permission to shoot on land suitable for the calibre of rifle.
Alternatively you could buy an air rifle which does not require a licence as long as it's power is below 12 ft/lbs.
Law changes last year mean that air rifles that are purchased have to be collected from a licenced firearms dealer. If you are over 14 years of age you may use an air rifle unsupervised with the land owners permission say in a back garden.