Ranges for zeroing - Sydney

[Biscuits]

Moved from London to Sydney and brought quite a few guns with me, which have just arrived. About 5 of them will need re-zeroing.

Actually, I'm quite clueless about ranges in Sydney, although I may join the Military Rifle Association and additionally go to Anzac range on the days when SSSA uses it. But I've never fired a rifle in NSW or anywhere else in Australia at all or been on a live rifle range in AU, ever, so as I say, I'm quite uninformed about where to shoot. I have gone for a look at Anzac, but not when it has been live.

To start off with, is there somewhere I can spend all day at 100 yards/metres, or 200 yards/meters zeroing several rifles? I prefer a 200 yard/metre zero if 200 is available. The 22lr I'd like to zero at 25 or 50 metres/yards. One of the guns is a .300, so also need a range for magnum rifles.

[Billo]

SIlverdale offers what 100 and 200m

Hilltop down the sth highlands whilst it is still open til the end of June offer 50,100,200,300,400,500m

[Biscuits]

Thanks. How do the targets there work? Paper, electronic or something else?

[Billo]

Thanks. How do the targets there work? Paper, electronic or something else?

Paper unfortunately for those 2 ranges, they have painted steel plates at 500m at Hilltop

Electronic targets at Malabar but due to comps and club activity less opportunity

Id suggest visit to Malabar on a sat to see how things work there as you'll be shooting off the grass

[Biscuits]

Ohhh, so if you shoot at Hilltop at anything other than short range, you are going to need a marker?

Can you use any paper target you like? I normally use a shoot-n-see target for zeroing at 200.

I can make our .30 caliber holes in a shoot-n-see at 300, but beyond that it is markers I guess?

[Fester]

Silvedale is easy 7 day access, weekday for easy long stay shooting 1 @ 200yds, 50 also, just pay $1 for all extra targets.

Hilltop don't mind using your own targets and can just sight in at 100m and work out wider one step at a time if you don't know the dopes or use an app.

I just put a single target at 300 for the .223.
For the 6.5, I shoot a group on the big meter plate, do the windage call, working over to the 2 smaller plates.
You can see the hit marks easily and a few clicks will have a hit and miss affair with the small 6" plate.
They do too many target changes so easy to change distances as they like you to only shoot 2 at a time.

It will be one of the biggest govt crimes we see if they shut that facility and it must one of the top ranges in NSW.
They were supposed to tell them what was happening last Tuesday but I don't know if the cone of silence has been lifted.

[Billo]

Hey Fester I understood they were handing back the keys to Hilltop end of the month and with no one putting their hand up to take over the facility its just going to be mothballed.

Will be a crying shame but the 3 day a week temp plate has left the facility hamstrung as it will never turn a profit.

As I understand for every $1 spent by shooters the Govt still need to put in $2.

[Fester]

It was a government-built sporting facility and not likely to turn a profit.
How much money did we spend to build one of the best shooting range facilities in the state?

To me, the way govts work, and possibly why they are so inefficient, is because a previous govt spent the money to build it, it is OK to just give it to NPWS and let nature take it back.

I hear the abos may have put a land claim in for the buffer zone land to help us lose it as well.
Now we are back to the big range complex near Canberra as the closest range with a proper buffer zone behind the target zone.
All we will have is highly restricted and baffled in s**t holes and that's not how I can enjoy an outdoor sport like shooing.
They will be forced to shut down in the woke future.

From what I heard, they can do 4 days, and if true, it would just spread the crowds a bit until more start tuning up.
It is odd that it took so long for Sydney people to discover the great facility but I suspect they may have just abandoned Silverdale for a more pleasant place to shoot when the management team were all changed and went back to the bad old ways of the bench-rest Fudds. They may as well go back to single loading to complete the circle.

I don't even understand the huge losses, it's on govt land, off the grid, just some wages and maintenance.
Are they going to close the SISC at Cecil Park, which must be the most under-utilized range facility I have ever used?
How are all the good rural ranges still operating with just weekend use and volunteers doing RO stuff?
In the multi-cultural Sydney suburban environments, that will get worse as the crowd out and cost of living crisis worsens, I predict the old Aussie volunteering mentality will dry up and then they will have to start paying for all the freebies like SES and bush fire brigades, so in a way ROs are not a big picture thing.

[Bugman]

Moved from London to Sydney and brought quite a few guns with me, which have just arrived. About 5 of them will need re-zeroing.

Actually, I'm quite clueless about ranges in Sydney, although I may join the Military Rifle Association and additionally go to Anzac range on the days when SSSA uses it. But I've never fired a rifle in NSW or anywhere else in Australia at all or been on a live rifle range in AU, ever, so as I say, I'm quite uninformed about where to shoot. I have gone for a look at Anzac, but not when it has been live.

To start off with, is there somewhere I can spend all day at 100 yards/metres, or 200 yards/meters zeroing several rifles? I prefer a 200 yard/metre zero if 200 is available. The 22lr I'd like to zero at 25 or 50 metres/yards. One of the guns is a .300, so also need a range for magnum rifles.

You don't say if you live in the southern, northern or western part of Sydney. The only thing I can is that you can contact clubs like 18th. Battalion Memorial Rifle club as they have various comps ranging from 100. to 300m and anything from .22 to 8mm
for various type of rifles. May be worth a look.

[Billo]

It was a government-built sporting facility and not likely to turn a profit.
How much money did we spend to build one of the best shooting range facilities in the state?

To me, the way govts work, and possibly why they are so inefficient, is because a previous govt spent the money to build it, it is OK to just give it to NPWS and let nature take it back.

I hear the abos may have put a land claim in for the buffer zone land to help us lose it as well.
Now we are back to the big range complex near Canberra as the closest range with a proper buffer zone behind the target zone.
All we will have is highly restricted and baffled in s**t holes and that's not how I can enjoy an outdoor sport like shooing.
They will be forced to shut down in the woke future.

From what I heard, they can do 4 days, and if true, it would just spread the crowds a bit until more start tuning up.
It is odd that it took so long for Sydney people to discover the great facility but I suspect they may have just abandoned Silverdale for a more pleasant place to shoot when the management team were all changed and went back to the bad old ways of the bench-rest Fudds. They may as well go back to single loading to complete the circle.

I don't even understand the huge losses, it's on govt land, off the grid, just some wages and maintenance.
Are they going to close the SISC at Cecil Park, which must be the most under-utilized range facility I have ever used?
How are all the good rural ranges still operating with just weekend use and volunteers doing RO stuff?
In the multi-cultural Sydney suburban environments, that will get worse as the crowd out and cost of living crisis worsens, I predict the old Aussie volunteering mentality will dry up and then they will have to start paying for all the freebies like SES and bush fire brigades, so in a way ROs are not a big picture thing.

Not aware of any land claims, we have a 99yr lease. Apparently some anti domestic violence womens group have lobbied the Minns Govt to stop funding any shooting related sports ??

As things stand the wages for 6-7 workers required to run Hilltop only cost around $500,000. I do know the local council is also complaining about the cost of road maintenance and want the Range to cover this as they are the main user, again buck passing

I've also heard a claim that a Mil spec drone making company also wants use of the range.......

[Jackaroo]

Is Hilltop actually closing down????

[Biscuits]

Are Hilltop definitely closing? Is it steel plates at multiple distances?

If so I'm gonna have to go there before they close.

[Biscuits]

You don't say if you live in the southern, northern or western part of Sydney. The only thing I can is that you can contact clubs like 18th. Battalion Memorial Rifle club as they have various comps ranging from 100. to 300m and anything from .22 to 8mm
for various type of rifles. May be worth a look.

Inner West.
Hornsby or Anzac is probably easiest for me to get to, unless there are other ranges I don't know about.

I rang up SSSA today and the way the targets works for zeroing at Anzac SSSA doesn't sound ideal. Unless I misunderstood, they said it was no access to butts, paper rather than splatterburst targets and somebody sends you a photo of the target so you can see where the impact was.

[Fester]

I avoid this time of year as all the attendance desperates will be packed into the SSAA ranges.

St Scarys was a joke with a queue out the door when I fell for it many years ago.

The staff priority was sell stuff and let the punters wait. I never fell for that again.

There is a 100m range in the hills area somewhere, but never been there and someone may know more.
It was done up a few years back, not sure of the operating hours or costs for casual shooters.
Another indoor range is in Condel Park if memory serves me, but again, never been there and likely to be 50m max.

Does anyone know of these or other ranges that blokes can shoot or sight in at?, not interested in the 5m pistol range the SSAA took over in one of those drive-by areas.

[Billo]

Obviously St Marys has a busy Sat and Sunday morning period, either get there 20 mins before opening 99.40am) or go just after lunch 2pm onwards.

If you know you bullets speed and bc its not too hard to get an accurate setting at 50m which transfers out to 200m I regularly sight in a thermal at 50m ( 1cm-1.6cm high) which I know transfers to a 180m -200m zero depending upon what rifle the thermal is on.

[Fester]

Not that I would bother going to a 50m indoor range to waste centerfire ammo or sit beside muzzle breaks trying to test slugs or rimfire ammo but if you have to go there, for no wind testing, at around 1pm on a weekday they all desert the place like a lunchtime break.

I returned after giving the place away for many years and was pleasantly surprised when one let me use the .22 range.
Next trip was back to normal, when I asked, it replied "yes, all ranges are open" then sent me in with the muzzle blasters.
I didn't bother returning.

[Bugman]

Ah yes. The muzzle break people. I too got put next to a muzzle blaster when using a pistol. The R/O saw the discomfort that I faced with the muzzle blast next door so he moved the muzzle blaster further away. That helped. Yes I know that muzzle breaks are allowed at St. Marys, but me thinks that the question should be asked when that shooter is checking in and that shooter put into a section that accomodates muzzle blasters ( if possible). Just my opinion from years of attendances at St. Marys.

[Biscuits]

Went to St Mary's. Not really my kind of shooting, but I suppose it has a purpose. Long drive on a toll road for me.

Ah yes. The muzzle break people. I too got put next to a muzzle blaster when using a pistol.

Muzzle brake plus indoors would be quite unpleasant if you were nextdoor.

---

Are there any muzzle energy or caliber limits at Anzac?

[Biscuits]

Now been to the SSAA lanes at Anzac.

They have a lot of rules.
Turn up with bolt out (never needed to remove the bolt on any other range I’ve been on).
Need 2 x ROs to clear rifle after you are done.
Need to remove magazine, even on Lee Enfields where you basically never remove the magazine. Even if there is somebody in the next lane with a non-removable magazine.

The most bizarre one was you can’t retorque your scope screws or remove and refit your scope on the firing line. Supposed to do that at home, because reasons.