Thread: Rifle range in Hastings in trouble ?

I stopped in at Ashburtons rifle range couple of weeks ago.Gates locks,way in the distance 400yds?was a big high,wide concrete wall.May be 8mtrs wide and 6 mtrs high,my guessing could be out.3 big bullsizes painted on it.River bed bank n willows in the back ground.Set up looked impressive.

Originally Posted by Trout

I stopped in at Ashburtons rifle range couple of weeks ago.Gates locks,way in the distance 400yds?was a big high,wide concrete wall.May be 8mtrs wide and 6 mtrs high,my guessing could be out.3 big bullsizes painted on it.River bed bank n willows in the back ground.Set up looked impressive.

Exept that mountain bike track goes behind the butts I believe.
Council have tried to shut it down but I think in the fine print when it was gifted by the army? They can only close it if they provide the same thing else where in country.
That proved troublesome I think, they were looking at somewhere down Hakatere but then all the NIMBY's stymied it so its still in center of town as it were.
i remember as a schoolboy biking thru Ashburton going from home to range with my .22 slung across my back. Would not try it now!!

Originally Posted by Trout

I stopped in at Ashburtons rifle range couple of weeks ago.Gates locks,way in the distance 400yds?was a big high,wide concrete wall.May be 8mtrs wide and 6 mtrs high,my guessing could be out.3 big bullsizes painted on it.River bed bank n willows in the back ground.Set up looked impressive.

The Ashburton Rifle Range has firing positions out to 700 yards as well as a 50 metre outdoor smallbore range.
Several clubs use the range which is managed by a Range Users Association.

The wall is a lot bigger than it looks from the gate.

Originally Posted by mikee

Exept that mountain bike track goes behind the butts I believe.
Council have tried to shut it down but I think in the fine print when it was gifted by the army? They can only close it if they provide the same thing else where in country.
That proved troublesome I think, they were looking at somewhere down Hakatere but then all the NIMBY's stymied it so its still in center of town as it were.
i remember as a schoolboy biking thru Ashburton going from home to range with my .22 slung across my back. Would not try it now!!

You're wrong on most of your claims @mikee - the range is on DoC land leased & managed by the Range Users Association.

The backstop had to be rebuilt after the local and regional councils allowed a cycle/walking track to be built alongside and behind the target area.
Those responsible for the cycle/walking track did not contribute to the cost of the rebuild of the range which they caused.

Considerable expense (over $150,000) was spent on the new concrete "Great Wall of Ashburton" backstop.
It is a baffled "no danger" range that has been certified under the old NRANZ and new regulations.

Electronic Targets are used with sand filled plastic drums catching the projectiles.

The baffles make for an unusual noise profile as a noise is made as the projectile passes over each baffle.

As far as I know the Ashburton Range is the only range near the center of town in New Zealand.

FWIW I shoot regularly at the Ashburton Range and am a club member of the Ashburton District Rifle Club.

Originally Posted by Cyclops

The Ashburton Rifle Range has firing positions out to 700 yards as well as a 50 metre outdoor smallbore range.
Several clubs use the range which is managed by a Range Users Association.

The wall is a lot bigger than it looks from the gate.



You're wrong on most of your claims @mikee - the range is on DoC land leased & managed by the Range Users Association.

The backstop had to be rebuilt after the local and regional councils allowed a cycle/walking track to be built alongside and behind the target area.
Those responsible for the cycle/walking track did not contribute to the cost of the rebuild of the range which they caused.

Considerable expense (over $150,000) was spent on the new concrete "Great Wall of Ashburton" backstop.
It is a baffled "no danger" range that has been certified under the old NRANZ and new regulations.

Electronic Targets are used with sand filled plastic drums catching the projectiles.

The baffles make for an unusual noise profile as a noise is made as the projectile passes over each baffle.

As far as I know the Ashburton Range is the only range near the center of town in New Zealand.

FWIW I shoot regularly at the Ashburton Range and am a club member of the Ashburton District Rifle Club.

I stand corrected... mind you it was 24 years ago when I lived there. I do remember there being an investigation into moving the range to Hakatere in the 90s.
I was not aware the mountain bike track was the cause of the range rebuild either.
When I used it Mid 80s-thru late 90s the targets at the butts were definitely not electronic.