Christchurch Newbie

Hey to everyone, I just obtained my FAL before Christmas and recently bought a 10/22. Went to the NZDA range yesterday and sighted it in properly. Was good to get some advice from the guys down there as I hadn't had much experience (the odd day/night out with buddies on their farms). I am keen to find some places around Canterbury/North Canty to practice and shoot some bunnies before I move to a larger caliber and try my luck with some larger game. I also don't mind a bit of driving (from what I've heard central Otago seems to be a pretty sweet weekend for bunnies if you do some door knocking). Any advice on locations/contacts? or fellas who are looking at teaching/giving some advice would be more than appreciated. Cheers in advance.

James.

Welcome to the forum James, I'm sure you'll get plenty of help.

There seems to be a shit ton of members from chch now

Welcome to the forum

Welcome.

Welcome James!

Gidday James. I was at the NZDA range on sat as well doing RO duty on the 50m. I don't want to depress you but most properties within an hours drive of Chch have regular teams of shooters already. Still no harm in trying mind. Have you considered joining the NZDA and going on one of their organised hunts? The organised a rabbit trip in jan and good numbers were shot.

Welcome

I'm in the Chch NZDA too, and it's taken me 3years to get a couple of properties to shoot on locally. Unfortunately numbers are low for bunnies, I'd say that I don't get many more than half a dozen a week and lower on the odd dairy farm. I'd look north of the city if you can.. some door knocking amberley and northwards. Put an advert in all the CRT stores too.

Joining the NZDA has opened doors for me, even on to properties where numbers are low, because I've told them I'm a member and along with membership comes fire and liability insurance. That certainly helps.

Going on trips with the club esp over winter gets you onto those south canterbury/central otago properties, and their contacts for return visits. You get out what you put in.

Welcome.

I was living in Christchurch last year and was looking for a place too shoot.
Unfortunately it seems rabbit number near chch are pretty low.
But if you want a place to just set some targets and have a blast you can go out to Lake Lyndon, there's a popular shooting area there.
I camped there one night and saw one bunny, but that was it.

I spent 10 months in Chch and did a lot of driving around Canterbury. I reckon I saw more bunnies on my drive home through the North Island, than the whole time I was down south.
That's not counting the ones that live at the Chch airport lol.

If I were you I'd try make friends with other hunters/shooters, and they will take you out.

I would be careful of Lake Lyndon. I know lots of people go there to blast hillsides but so do lots of fishermen, trampers and bird watcher types particularly on the weekend. On top of that you can't use your .2 on DOC land. If you want to shoot targets, go to the range.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MassiveAttack

I would be careful of Lake Lyndon. I know lots of people go there to blast hillsides but so do lots of fishermen, trampers and bird watcher types particularly on the weekend. On top of that you can't use your .2 on DOC land. If you want to shoot targets, go to the range.

---

+1

You need a special permit from DOC to shoot there with the .22lr

Cheers everyone for the replies, I was well prepared for all of the comments about finding a bit difficult to find places around chch, all good through. I will be along to the next NZDA meeting to have a chat and hopefully join so I can get more involved. From what I've heard about shooting with the .22 on DOC land its not worth the risk unless you have the small game permit. and from what I have researched they're not the easiest to obtain, not to mention the small window of time you have to shoot in the evenings.

When I went out there shooting, there were a lot of people shooting 22s, hopefully they'd get caught before you did!
But really, it seemed like it wasn't exactly within the law, but a lot of people do it, and do so safely, that it doesn't seem to get stopped.
Probably not really worth the risk thought.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Beetroot

When I went out there shooting, there were a lot of people shooting 22s, hopefully they'd get caught before you did!
But really, it seemed like it wasn't exactly within the law, but a lot of people do it, and do so safely, that it doesn't seem to get stopped.
Probably not really worth the risk thought.

---

I would give it less than 12 months before someone complains and there is a crackdown. The likely outcome is they will change the boundary of that DOC hunting block so blokes can't go up there an shoot targets claiming they are "hunting".

I'm from Christchurch and agree the best places for you to go are likely north ie Amberly etc.. I'm lucky as I get to shoot on my partners family farm which is very close to chch but Rabbit numbers are very low not to mention they are spooky..

Haven't been to Lyndon shooting before but have had a small game permit for Coleridge and didn't end up using it, again there weren't many rabbits and agree with the comment above that there are a lot of other people around those areas...

NZDA sounds like a good idea

Might be worth a drive to Cromwell/Clyde/Alexandra for you if you can find a weekend off. I'd imagine a lot of the vineyards and orchards wouldn't be keen to have someone new to them on their properties but I've had success with livestock farms and real estate companies with large lifestyle block listings. It could even be worth going for a farmstay if they let you shoot bunnies on the property.

If anyone is thinking of going to the North Canterbury NZDA meeting this month it's on sunday not the normal monday. Club range session 1 to 4, then bbq and informal meeting. If are keen to join then just turn up.

welcome good to see a young fella trying to do things the right way
give us a yell when you graduate to the mysteries of shot gunning
you have so much to look forward to and most of its pretty handy to you even in chch

Welcome! There are bugger all rabbits around - it's amazing. 10x more hares and bugger all of them too!