Thread: Ruahine Hunter's Biathlon May 2014

Originally Posted by Gillie

Mucko, If this event goes similar to past events i am sure Neckshot will be abck on here advertiseing more spots availible.

In terms of space required it depends on what type of shoot you want. There are a few basic requirements we look for with a property:

• Site access and parking.
• Terrain suitability for the type of field shoot.
• Individual shoot location suitability (ground form and stability, particularly if the shooter is required to move with a loaded rifle).
• Spectator and range officer positioning.
• Safe backstops for targets.
• Farm stock and facilities location.
• Farm access ways with shoot locations and target locations.
• Target placement and shooting directions compared to farm boundaries.
• Onsite communications - particularly the effectiveness of emergency communications.

For a hunters field target shoot you want uneven shoot positions with safe target placement out to about 350m. With a biathlon you want a safe track with multiple shoot positions such that the track is always safe while people are shooting. The farm we use here we use the race and eaitehr side of the race but always away from it. You could make a more difficult course by making the course run up a ridge with targets placed the the gulleys either side of the ridge. There are two major organisational problems associated with a biathlon event - finding a property to host it and finding people willing to help run it on the day.

A long range shoot obviousl same principles apply but distances are bigger. A 22LR field target shoot same principles but with much shorter distances. I prefer to have some trees or scrub to break up the terrain but as long as it is a little uneven we can make most locations work. All the targets fit in the back of my vehicle. Generally we set a course on a Saturday and run it on the Sunday. After it is finished on the Sunday we pack up the targets and i drive them home.

Thanks @Gillie We have 400ha rolling to steep with some large basins. 350m shots would be easy with plenty of safe back stops. heaps of parking and safe walking with large pockets of native bush about and some dead flat places. we could even shoot safely up hill and down hill.