OzFclass

Just got off the plane from Bali and I see that WARA has been given notice that they will not be able to use the Swanbourne rifle range beyond 13th December of this year. I believe it's a direction of the defence department but don't know for sure yet. If anyone has an intention to ever get to shoot at Swanbourne at a queens event then this year is your final chance. It's a beautiful range and can be fairly challenging as well.

Hopefully the new pinjar complex is ready for the start of 2015.

Terrible news to hear we have lost another range in this country!!!

Brad, apart from Pinjar (which is up around joondulup if I am correct?) what other ranges are around Perth?

Jason

Im not sure if pinjar construction has started or not. Yes its up north and inland from Joondalup. It will need alot of garden work and ground keeping to get looking good from what I hear. It gets very hot out there and often the sea breeze takes a while to get there. Mirage could be a big problem depending how they set it all up. I dont know anything about it really- I have seen documents but havent seen the facility or site yet.

Darling Range and Yarloop I feel may see a bigger influx of shooters to come. We may see a little, though we are just over 2 hrs south. There are probably more smaller ranges in the hills east and to the north and south but there wont be anything like swanbourne ever again. The range is fantastic and its great having a nice cold beer and watching the sun go down. I will have to try and re organise the rest of the years family plans to make the queens in september.

I must say that they have been saying this for the last few years but, it hasn't happened yet. However It will be a sad day when the last shot if fired on that range. I will do my best to be there when that happens. I will probably find myself going to Pinjar but if that's not reedy then Coolilup will get my range fees as that's an awesome range to shoot on and has some great people, even though its a three hour one way trip for me.

Yep, Saturday 13 December 2014 will be that last civilian shoot at Swanbourne ending over a century of history. The Army has called an end to it. The last Queens at Swanbourne will be last week of September - if you haven't been here before then this is the ideal time to visit.

This leaves the MDRA in a pickle, while I haven't heard it from the horses mouth yet, Pinjar will not be open in 2015 by all accounts.

That leaves Perth (in terms of NRAA ranges) with the Chidlow range (Mundaring RC shooting on Saturday's and Chidlow RC shooting on Sundays) and the Pickering Brook range (Darling Range RC shooting Sunday and Armadale Byford shooting on Saturdays). Both of these are in the hills an hour from the Perth coast, and I don't know how they could handle the 100 odd shooters that Swanbourne see's each week.

Outside of that we will have to go to country areas (Yarloop, Beverley, Coolilup) or leave the NRAA for another discipline...

I also think that we may see an end to a lot of the clubs there. Our club has been around since 1912 and I hope we can stay together as a club.

Sam you are more than welcome to come down here for a shot anytime. Are you coming for the Easter DRA prize shoot?

Thanks Brad, much appreciated.

Easter is family duties i'm afraid, but good luck with it.

Sam

That settles it,, I'm defiantly coming back over again this year then!! The army did the same thing with pontville down here,, had the perfect range 1000 yards 30 targets only 20 mins from Hobart now it just sits there with a bunch of illegal immigrants living on it!!!

Be good to catch up mate if you do!