Greetings
First
Can someone give an indication of how many good regularly used long range - ranges there are in SA ?
Where they are and what they look like ?
I would like to see what their setup look likes
Then
Does anyone have suggestions - or plans for how to build a rifle range - for long range ?
I know what the normal formal Bisley ranges eg De Brug look like as well as a place like Matroosbergstasie
What about a joint Bisley ( paper targets ) plus steel plate range
Obviously one needs the correct size and type of terrain to make this possible - clear to 1,000m
( or longer )
What about the setup for shooters - / shooting ramp - how and what should it look like / covered with roof and sides - protection from weather and so on to make the shooting pleasurable and easily managed
Then also some sort of clubhouse - chill-out place
As a long range shooter what would be the type of range as well as the ancillary facilities that you would consider , would request , to make for an ideal setup ?
Any examples ( local or International ) that you would suggest as being worth looking at
I will be following this, I was told its a real big deal building a range, only one inspector and you have to fly him to you and accommodate and transport etc
I do not want to try recall figures, but I do recall balking at the amount and then just being floored by the specs required.
I set out a 1300m range at Hippo Creek to the southwest of Vanderbijlpark. I think the shooting is a flat platform and there are small backstops at distances from 600 to 1300m. Behind the line of backstops is a substantial hill. This is an existing shooting range with rifle and shotgun ranges.
Start by going to Google and typing in "SABS standards for Shooting Ranges"
You will find a formal document that lays out all the requirements. After going through that you start negotiating. Some requirements are more flexible than others. Very much a case - by - case basis.
Remember that the SABS comes in to play once the shooting range is used for training or commercial use. I know of many private shooting ranges that have not been vetted or approved.
The 700m range at Rooikraal has been delayed in opening for a year or more due to buggery with official-dom and that's at an established facility with an existing 300m track.
The farm I frequent at Kirkwood has a range of 500 m, no papers or such needed. The range I shoot at in PE PERPC has a 200 m range, any further and the back stop had to be raised by 30 m :o
They eventually built a range that ran at 90 degree across old range direction with what appears to be no modifications to area, simply because of the lay of the land. The land looks like the tradition drawing of a bird flying towards you, upward curve downward curve upward curve downward curve, it is very slight, but the land curves downwards as you go down range for about a km and then curves up again after that, forming a natural backstop. I have not shot there yet.
Thanks for the replies
This is for a private range on private land in the middle of the Karoo - where distance is "infinite"
So ...
Disregard the regulations
I am rather asking the technical and comfort details
What are the requirements to make the range comfortable and a pleasure to use ?
As well as suitable for proper / serious practice.
Construct comfortable benches so that you have stable points to shoot from. Having gongs at all the distances. Target frames are best provided by the shooter himself. If shooting area is roofed then rather use materials that dampen noise but supply shade. A portable braai or built one will be handy. Rubbish bins are a necessity.
Make sure that distances are true.
Traditional bisley ranges have a sunken butts area with jeffries frames. Shots are marked and scored after every shot. Also flags every 50m with shooting mounds for prone shooting every 100m starting at 300m to 900m, skipping 400m mound.
With modern electronic targets you could get away with not having a butts area, but that would make it inconvenient to stop the shoot just to rectify a problem with one target.
Not sure how you want to do gongs in tandem with bisley shooting. Would be a real shame if Pietie with his Howa misses a gong and destroy a $250 electronic target.
Quote from: janfred on Apr 22, 2023, 07:30 AMTraditional bisley ranges have a sunken butts area with jeffries frames. Shots are marked and scored after every shot. Also flags every 50m with shooting mounds for prone shooting every 100m starting at 300m to 900m, skipping 400m mound.
With modern electronic targets you could get away with not having a butts area, but that would make it inconvenient to stop the shoot just to rectify a problem with one target.
Not sure how you want to do gongs in tandem with bisley shooting. Would be a real shame if Pietie with his Howa misses a gong and destroy a $250 electronic target.
Thanks
Nothing wrong with "Pietie"or a HOWA
Same general area but completely separated target areas eg. one left / one right
A Quad will quickly see to servicing targets
Everything still in the pre-planning stages
For Bisley shooting at paper targets it will be very expensive because you have to have the butts area with frames. See attached photo. IMG-20230423-WA0005.jpg
For the earth-moving and concrete pouring alone you need deep pockets. Markers don't want to work for free.
Electronic targets are in the region of R120k. Still considerably cheaper than the traditional butts. Accuracy degrades markedly when the targets move in the wind so sturdy frames is a must.
Definitely need ablution facilities for the fairer sex. Shaded parking. The ability for shooters to drive close to the shooting positions.
Thanks appreciate the feedback
Reminds me of the - Groot Krokodil se sirkus
Never got any pay for that - and had to do everything double time
Hearing the crack of the bullet and the hole appearing on the target never got old for me
There are old neglected ranges where these frame hoists are busy rusting away
I have seen the electronic targeting in action.
When I mentioned "Bisley" I was referring to the idea rather than the full package
I did say private - ie only used by a few people so the full package not initially necessary.
I would not bother with benches and such like for an informal LR setup.
Find a suitable place to shoot from, as undisturbed as possible. Only clear out rocks and thorns that can irritate the shooter and bushes that block the line of sight.
Place some gongs out where they can be seen and where there is a natural back stop.
Make sure you can observe the range for safety and any farm animals straying into the danger area.
On a shooting day, you could put up a gazebo or 2 to keep the sun off the shooters.
Quote from: 223 on May 01, 2023, 06:09 PMI would not bother with benches and such like for an informal LR setup.
Find a suitable place to shoot from, as undisturbed as possible. Only clear out rocks and thorns that can irritate the shooter and bushes that block the line of sight.
Place some gongs out where they can be seen and where there is a natural back stop.
Make sure you can observe the range for safety and any farm animals straying into the danger area.
On a shooting day, you could put up a gazebo or 2 to keep the sun off the shooters.
Thanks
I think somewhere between this and the photos posted earlier might be the "sweet-spot"
Lots of ideas to ponder over
I have access to a 1200m private range.
The shooting point has a ramped up area for shooting prone. The owner originally brought a mattress to shoot from.
The range starts at 500m, with a bullet trap every 100m further built from truck tyres and filled with sand. Targets are stapled onto a piece of conveyor belt on a sturdy wooden frame in front of each trap.
The targets are not in line, but set next to each other when viewed from the shooting point.
It is sometimes nice to have wind breaks around the shooting area, as there is nothing more annoying than your body/rifle/ bench being blown around on a windy karoo day.
With that said, they need to be transparent. I once saw a setup on a farm where they built a tin shack around the shooting bench. It was so noisy that only the shooter could stand it, the rest of us stood outside, and then because you could not see what the shooter was doing, the risk of walking around the front and getting shot by accident was high. That was an epic shooting range idea fail, if you ask me.
I have since seen quite a couple of setups and now have a much better idea
The old style of sunken butts and lifting frames appear to be a thing of the past - except for the army and F-Class.
Electronic target marking has changed everything
Observation teaches - Experience confirms