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Tag: Howick

Regular target at HSSRC

Auckland smallbore interclub

Geoff 2 Comments

Smallbore shooting is both enjoyable and competitive, and never more so than during the interclub season. Hosted in turn by the various Auckland sporting clubs, it’s pretty much for bragging rights and continues through the winter and spring months.

The format

Each interclub shoot is completed on the target of the host club. This means every year you get shoot a few different targets from your usual, including groupings, application targets, snap shoots, silhouettes and all shot in various positions.

The nights are hosted at either the Howick or Waitakere ranges, and there is a Saturday shoot in Riverhead at the Auckland NZDA. Some years the North Auckland NZDA puts on a fun shoot as well.

All of the shoots held at Waitakere are shot in every position except standing, as the mounds don’t have much headroom. The Howick rifle range features shoots in all four positions (standing, sitting, kneeling, standing), as does the NZDA shoot. The Auckland NZDA shoot is the only one shot at 50 metres, while the others are at 25.

The 50 metre shoot (which happened to be today) is 40 rounds, ten each in the four positions mentioned above, with 2 minutes of sighters to start. Without the snaps and silhouettes to explain and call, it’s a pretty easy shoot, but the extra distance adds some challenge – especially for the standing. All of the shoots are between 40 and 50 rounds, so one box of ammo will be fine.

What’s on the line?

Each club puts together a team of five shooters (or tries to), and a team of juniors as well. The top four scores counting on the night. There is recognition for the top team, top junior team, top gun and top gun junior.

As mentioned above, it’s pretty much bragging rights. If we’re honest, Waitakere has some of the best shooters out there, so they take out the top spot almost exclusively, but it’s still a very competitive atmosphere and there’s certainly a lot of jostling for the other spots on any given night.

Usually there are pins or boxes of ammo as prizes, and at the end of the year there are trophies to dole out as well.

At the end of the day, it’s a great way to meet more of the shooting community, try different targets and shoot at a couple different ranges. If you’d like to find out more about the competition or smallbore in general, go along to a regular shoot at your local club and ask a committee member or the captain, or simply leave a comment below.

Regular target at HSSRC

Where to shoot in NZ: HSSRC

Geoff 5 Comments

If you’re new to shooting – perhaps you’ve never seen a rifle up close – learning more about the sport can be daunting. The best way to go about it is to find a local club where you can develop your knowledge and trial different equipment before buying your own. You can also get a feel for different shooting disciplines and even competition, to see what most piques your interest.

A great place to get started is the shooting range in Howick. If you’re in East Auckland it’s a convenient place to shoot, and it’s fully indoors which is great in winter. There are quite  a few different clubs operating out of this range, including a couple sporting smallbore clubs, a target shooting club, air rifles and a pistol shooting club as well.

My favourite organisation at this range (and I’ve tried almost all of the options on offer), is the Howick Smallbore Sporting Rifle Club (HSSRC). It’s an extremely friendly environment and has a wealth of experienced shooters willing to lend a hand. The range is great and the club equipment is very good – the shooting fees are cheap too. You can hire a rifle, pay your range fee and pay for your ammo for less than a movie ticket – not a bad way to spend a Friday evening. You’ll also be fully supervised (if you’re unlicensed) throughout the shoot with full instruction – easy as!

Moving on in the club, you can participate as a range officer or assistant range officer, or help new shooters as well. You can also participate in the inter-club tournament and the club fun shoots and end-of-year prize shoot. There are plenty of opportunities to get involved, which you’ll find out as you go along. You’ll also find most shooters here engage in a couple different disciplines, and can not only help you with your shooting technique, but can also point you towards other clubs and competitions you might enjoy.

If you’re looking for a good place to learn, or you’re new to the area and already a competent shooter, this could be the place for you.

The club shoots on Friday evenings from around 7 pm onwards, and has plenty of gear available. You can also purchase ammo at very reasonable rates. Once you become a member (which doesn’t cost much at all), your weekly shoots and ammo will be even cheaper. If you’d like more info, leave a question in the comments below, or head on over to the HSSRC facebook page.