Thread: Auckland Shooting Range Shooting

For those of you who have not been to a rifle range, and wonder about the usual shooting procedure when you arrive. We will assume that the flags are out and the targets are up.

At each distance the shooting mound is divided by the number of targets and each space has room for 2 shooters to get down with their rifles and associated gear. There is usually a blackboard for each target for shooters to squad themselves on.

The first and second shooter on the board get ready to shoot when the range is declared open, and the first shooter has up to 5 minutes to prepare before their time starts, and then about ¼ of an hour to fire their 2 sighters and 10 counting shots. The second shooter is ready to start as soon as they are told that the target is available by their scorer. First shooter clears their gear from the mound and the third gets down, ready to shoot. Shooting is more or less continuous until all on the board have finished. The shooter who has just finished takes over check scoring at the blackboard so that the relieved chalkie can score for the starting shooter.

It is a system developed generations ago to make maximum use of a limited number of targets. In practice, 8 is the usual maximum on a target and a range generally takes about 2 hours to get through. Then the range will close and everyone will move to the next distance.

On club days as opposed to championship days, only one or maybe two ranges will be shot on the day. You may choose to shoot as often as you like until you have had enough, or run out of ammunition.
After clearing away the gear at the end of the day most clubs socialize over a beverage of choice, sometimes a BBQ, and the post-mortem is held.
The targets used by NRANZ clubs are the International ICFRA targets. These targets at all ranges are 2 minutes of angle (approx.) across the Bull, 1 minute of angle across the V ring, and ½ minute of angle across the X ring.

As Beetroot has stated you may not shoot steel gongs at these ranges, due to their range certifying rules which generally prohibit any steel downrange at all, through concern about ricochet. Solve that problem and most clubs might consider putting steel targets downrange for members use.

Stevodog’s wish to use a range during weekdays and in privacy, is never going to be an option with club ranges as most are sited on private property and the clubs are there at the sufferance of the landowner. Most ranges are on working farms and the range activities take second place to farm business. Keeping a friendly working arrangement with your farmer is not going to include casuals turning up to shoot any day and any time of the week.

By Shy, I take you to mean that you don’t wish to experiment in front of others, and want to make your cock-ups in private. If this is your worry, move on, as shooters are the most self-absorbed people on the planet. They only want to think/talk about their own scores. No-one will notice your pain. The only time you will be noticed is if you do something dangerous.

Apart from championship days, rifle clubs are very relaxed about the order of shooting, how much you want to shoot, how little you want to shoot. Organized is not how I would describe a normal club day. The published program may exist but the members who attend, adapt or completely change it to suit themselves on the day. The only thing they never relax about is safety and all firearms must be shown to be clear and remain that way except when permitted to be on the shooting mound. Even then, the action may only be closed when the rifle is in the shoulder and pointed at the target.

Thanks for that description JWB, sounds good.

+1! Good info, I'm going out to akarana on sunday for a shoot... also been wrangled into giving them a working bee hand on Saturday somehow hah

Originally Posted by JWB

To shoot in Auckland is not hard! You have three clubs with ranges out to 1000 yards in close proximity as stated early in the thread by Dogmatix and Dermaster. They are ClevedonClevedon Rifle Club - Home, Akarana-Cityhttps://www.sporty.co.nz/akaranacity/ and Franklinhttps://www.franklinrifleclub.co.nz/.
All of these clubs are wanting to meet you and make you feel welcome. They all cater for visitors and are a wealth of knowledge about wind, weather, and getting the most out of your firearm.
These clubs all use electronic targets so collecting data about your shoot is as easy as connecting to the target server and saving your shoots for later reference.
If any of you really want to shoot, instead of staying home dreaming your dreams, then contact one or all three of these clubs. The contact numbers are on their webpages. Some use facebook as well.
There is no need to bemoan the lack of rifle ranges in Auckland and try to re-invent the wheel, when you have three on your doorstep

Out of interest do these clubs only shoot target rifles? It's a shame because if they do it must be a small portion of the shooting community.

Originally Posted by 300CALMAN

Out of interest do these clubs only shoot target rifles? It's a shame because if they do it must be a small portion of the shooting community.

These clubs will welcome you with just about any type of rifle. NRANZ holds competitions for Target rifles chambered in .308 and .223 shot with open sights, Target rifles in the same calibres but with telescopic sights shot off a bipod and rear bag, Any other rifle under 8mm in calibre with any sights shot off a front rest and rear bag, as well as a hunter class for factory hunting rifles as sold as package deals by sports retailers, with a max power scope of 10x shot over a day-pack or hunting bipod.
As you can see, most stuff is catered for except the .338 mag and .50 cal. monsters.
Clevedon range is also the home range of the Auckland Service Rifle Association with the variety of firearms that they use.
There are keen groups of black powder shooters, vintage rifle enthusiasts and .303 rifle fans who also use these ranges.