East Gippsland SSAA range at Buchan?

[bladeracer]

Gamerancher pointed out to me that there are fourteen SSAA ranges in Victoria.
Closest for me seems to be Buchan 2.5 hours away.
They're open 1000-1600 two days per month (every fourth Sunday and every third Wednesday), except during December.
They only shoot to 500 meters (which I can do at home) but do allow all legal calibres so I can at least shoot 8x57mm there. My closest range is Rosedale, they have 1000 yards with an 8mm limit.
No mention at SSAA about what sort of shooting they do and they have no website, but I'll email them and endeavour to get out for a shoot so I can see for myself what happens at SSAA ranges.

Anybody else been shooting at this Buchan range at all?
If I'm going to make a five-hour trip I'm going to want to put a lot of ammo down range.

[p3seven]

I have shot at Buchan when l was visiting the area last year. Good mob, friendly people. The firing line was being built up when l was there. They are refurbishing a range abandoned by another club.

The problem l have as l travel is getting in touch with local SSAA Branches to find out when and where they shoot. A lot of the info available on either the web or in the magazine is out of date. Messages go unanswed. The liasion between State and local branches needs severe reorginisation and standardisation of the branch info that is published on the web.

[bladeracer]

Nice P3seven
Tim Brooking has gotten back to me already.
They have almost completed the development so they haven't been shooting competitions yet.
They plan to start those next year and are still deciding which competitions they'll be shooting depending on what local shooters want.
They should also have their website up in a few weeks.
It sounds good so far and with Buchan Caves just up the road I think we can spend a good family day out there.
I'll endeavour to update this as I learn more.

[bladeracer]

Twice now, despite the best planning, I've found it impossible to fit five-hours of driving into a Sunday to go and shoot a few dozen rounds at my nearest SSAA range.
I had organised with Tim Brooking to shoot the Farmer Assist target today. Shot lots of practice targets this week with .22LR, .204 and 7mm-08, loaded up a heap of ammo for them, cleaned the rifles, and got my range gear all sorted ready to leave this morning.
And then life stepped in and the hours ticked by until there weren't enough remaining in the day.
I'm sure there are plenty of members that are even further away from their nearest facilities, but having rejoined SSAA I'm definitely not feeling the love
Oh well, maybe next time!

[south]

That sucks mate.

I might as well give up my license if I had to go 5 hours, would just never get there.

[bladeracer]

That sucks mate.

I might as well give up my license if I had to go 5 hours, would just never get there.

Not having access to range facilities really doesn't bother me, other than IPSC handguns, I haven't shot at a range since I was a kid shooting small-bore and air-rifle competition. Shooting IPSC in Perth I lived five-minutes from the range so I was up there shooting any time I felt like it.

Here I have a pistol club (not IPSC though) and a small-bore rifle club ten minutes away, a clay target club fifteen minutes away, a 1000-yard F-Class rifle range thirty minutes away, and an IPSC pistol club an hour away if I ever get a hankering to compete again, but none are SSAA. I'm sure there are more non-SSAA clubs around me that I haven't discovered yet, but for the Farmer Assist Program I have to shoot it at a SSAA range to be signed off by a SSAA official. I went through 2500 rounds last financial year on farms, but I need to put five holes into an 80mm circle at 100 meters (50m for rimfire) at a SSAA range before I can put my name on the Farmer Assist register

East Gippsland SSAA only shoot twice a month except December, so with only four shoots left this year I need to get it done. I'll also email them to see if it's possible to shoot it locally since I live in a SSAA wilderness.

If I can organise somewhere to leave my car I want to try to get down there on a Monday and spend a couple days in the bush before the Wednesday shoot on October 19th. Then I might go back into the bush before driving home again.

[bladeracer]

Oh, I forgot, they now have some info on a webpage.
http://www.egbssaa.com.au/

[bladeracer]

From EGB SSAA today.
"Good afternoon East Gippsland members of SSAA Vic. V19
Just a final reminder that our official opening is on this Sunday. Gates open at 11AM.
Family, friends and other interested members of the public welcome.
Come and view the new and improved facilities of one of Victoria's few 500 metre ranges open to all legal calibers.
Live cannon fire to herald the occasion and other demonstrations and displays of firearms from the past.
Have a try of black powder firearms and load and fire a cannon.
BBQ sausage sizzle sponsored by Jeff Bourman MP (gold coin donation) from 1PM
Range being opened by Jeff Bourman MP
Tim Bull MP Member for East Gippsland and Jack Wegman CEO SSAA Victoria will be in attendance.

There is a monster raffle. $2 a ticket or 3 tickets for $5
Prizes include:
Burris Telescopic 3-9 x 40 telescopic site valued at $450 Donated by NOIA
Leopold Binoculars valued at $400 donated by Berreta
Backpack valued at $110 donated by NOIA
Four Winchester knives donated by Winchester valued at $40 each
Firearms cleaning kit donated by H&S Firearms valued at $60
In house gift vouchers donated by
Footbridge Camping and Disposals Lakes Entrance.
Bairnsdale Camping and Outdoors
H&S Firearms Sale
Bairnsdale Firearms
Lucky gate prize of instant grill donated by Bairnsdale Aussie Disposals
Raffle drawn on the day and winners must be present to collect.

The weather forecast is good and it will be a great day. Hope to see you there
Check our new web site http://www.egbssaa.com.au for details of the range.

It is the Buchan Rifle range.
For those that don't know it is on the Bruthen-Buchan road. Aprox 18 kms in after you turn left off the Bruthen-Nowa Nowa road, when heading to Nowa Nowa from Bruthen. On the right, a red flag will be up to show the entrance. The best way to describe it is to head to the Buchan Caves. There is good signage and roads all the way from Bairnsdale.
There is a map on our website
http://www.egbssaa.com.au

Tim
President
EGB SSAA Victoria"