Thread: Auckland Shooting Range Shooting

No, the centre is a separate project.

I originally approached the guys at Onewhero looking to hold competition and courses there - quickly realised they needed a lot of help getting it going, so came onboard as the 'operations manager' - after a time I started to get uncomfortable with how things were progressing, and stepped away from the project.

I still feel there is a need for such a range, so kept looking for land. I had another property lined up but was recently notified by the real estate agent that the owner had made a deal elsewhere and not notifed them.

However, still looking as there really is still a need for a property run field shooting range.

Yep, I'd like to shoot gongs or targets out to 400m when I have time off during the week...these kind of organised shoots font suit everyone...I'm a shy animal

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