DaveT Posted October 21, 2019 Report Share Posted October 21, 2019 I see that this range is now closed due to 'safety issues'. The lackof availability of ranges is getting serious if you want any distance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popsbengo Posted October 21, 2019 Report Share Posted October 21, 2019 2 hours ago, DaveT said: I see that this range is now closed due to 'safety issues'. The lackof availability of ranges is getting serious if you want any distance. Is this part off the ongoing Wales & West Midlands DIO issue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rem Imperri Posted October 21, 2019 Report Share Posted October 21, 2019 Gutting if they have. Convenient range for a lot of us, as long as you could use a club to get access. I know there was the issue with larger calibers, but hadn't heard anything specific about Rogiet. If it's danger area related (the public footpath/severn), I wonder if it will effect Severnside as well? Please update if you hear anything and I'll ask around as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveT Posted October 21, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2019 Got original info from Offas Dyke website. States that the mantlet is too low....raising that affects everything else including targets. MOD etc giving no deadline for .upgrades. Its as safe as houses! What is going on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popsbengo Posted October 21, 2019 Report Share Posted October 21, 2019 DIO buggering civilians around isn't new. Kingsbury had the back stop raised and lanes reduced. The 200mil rule was suspended. If the military are on King. B. then Kings. A must conform to their programme of shooting - ie 100yds in many cases! Whittington has completely been removed from civilian use it seems. The barrack ranges were closed following some incidents (army) that prompted further risk assessment. The gallery range has never been available since it was "upgraded". Bottom line is the ranges are military assets and will be run as they see fit, there seems little customer/supplier relationship management with civilian clubs. I feel for those clubs and their members that are totally reliant on the DIO ranges. I don't know what can be done other than lobbying by the NRA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveT Posted October 21, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2019 Slowly but surely getting FUBARed with loss of af Field Firing ranges, calibre restrictions and now spurious safety issues. I have no interest in short range activity and waning interest in paper targetry at single distances all day long....extremely boring! From my perspective my shooting is being gradually suffocated. I am just too far from Diggle, Eskdalmuir etc to be practical / affordable. Is there no end to whats been happening over the last couple of years? As for military ranges being 'their bat and ball' ....who do they think provides the bloody taxes to pay for them?!😤 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popsbengo Posted October 21, 2019 Report Share Posted October 21, 2019 23 minutes ago, DaveT said: Slowly but surely getting FUBARed with loss of af Field Firing ranges, calibre restrictions and now spurious safety issues. I have no interest in short range activity and waning interest in paper targetry at single distances all day long....extremely boring! From my perspective my shooting is being gradually suffocated. I am just too far from Diggle, Eskdalmuir etc to be practical / affordable. Is there no end to whats been happening over the last couple of years? As for military ranges being 'their bat and ball' ....who do they think provides the bloody taxes to pay for them?!😤 It is a bummer for sure but not sure I can buy "spurious safety issues" without actually knowing what the issue is. Isn't Bisley a reasonable distance from you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveT Posted October 21, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2019 By spurious safety issues I was refering to the statement that 'suddenly' the mantlet has been declared as 300cms too low. It has been there for a LONG time without incident as far as I know so why is it suddenly declared unsafe? To my mind the safety aspect is with the shooters competence and I have not witnessed unsafe behaviour. I do use Bisley but the joy of somewhere like Salisbury plain is that you have multiple distances and target variations available to keep the day interesting. When I go to Bisley I have my drops, calculate windage, get on target...then what? Unless the wind is varying significantly there is not much more to keep my interest after a few shots. Just my view. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brillo Posted October 21, 2019 Report Share Posted October 21, 2019 2 hours ago, DaveT said: By spurious safety issues I was refering to the statement that 'suddenly' the mantlet has been declared as 300cms too low. It has been there for a LONG time without incident as far as I know so why is it suddenly declared unsafe? To my mind the safety aspect is with the shooters competence and I have not witnessed unsafe behaviour. I do use Bisley but the joy of somewhere like Salisbury plain is that you have multiple distances and target variations available to keep the day interesting. When I go to Bisley I have my drops, calculate windage, get on target...then what? Unless the wind is varying significantly there is not much more to keep my interest after a few shots. Just my view. Try F Class and compete against the best of the best and that will keep your interest up - guaranteed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveT Posted October 21, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2019 Good idea Brillo! I still want to hear steel ringing though! I can and do go to Roundhouse and Orion but the cost makes it infrequent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VarmLR Posted October 26, 2019 Report Share Posted October 26, 2019 This is terrible news. Rogiet Moor has been one of my favourite 600m ranges for a long time now and to have this happen affects a lot of people at Offas Dyke where this was one of the firm favourites. I get the feeling that the military don't want civilians using their ranges. It won't affect Severn-side as that is a completely different range, and thankfully not in MOD hands. It's a private range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveT Posted October 26, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2019 Severnside is a nice little range and Richard the owner is a good sort....but how much use is 200 yards max? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VarmLR Posted October 26, 2019 Report Share Posted October 26, 2019 It's perfect for load development and some fun shooting Dave. It's nice once in a while just to have fun and forget the obsessive compulsive disorders we all share over reloading! It's also a great opportunity to chew the cud with some really decent people, share experiences and compete for fun in everything from service rifle, to underlever and "tightest group" comps. What's not to like? You could argue, it's every bit as useful for honing skills when shooting for vermin control as if honest, a vast majority of us shoot vermin inside of 300 yards. For those whose sole purpose for shooting is competition at extended ranges, then it still offers useful load development time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveT Posted October 26, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2019 Absolutely agree. All I am saying is that we are getting squeezed out at distance and it is a worrying trend for the future.....especially for larger calibres. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralpharama Posted November 3, 2019 Report Share Posted November 3, 2019 Rogiet is the closest to me and whilst I prefer 1000 yards, 600m is great for .223. I'd be interested to know if the military are still shooting on it? I don't understand how the mantlet being low is unsafe. The bloody range was built in very recent times so presumably calculations were made for safety? Or could this be new legislation from the EU? If the military speced it wrong in the first place, as a tax payer I want to know why. Severnside's OK and I do like Richard, but 100/200 yards isn't that challenging for my long distance rifles. Be nice to go to Warminster later this month for the first time since the start of the year; assuming the military do nick our slot AGAIN! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popsbengo Posted November 3, 2019 Report Share Posted November 3, 2019 52 minutes ago, Ralpharama said: Rogiet is the closest to me and whilst I prefer 1000 yards, 600m is great for .223. I'd be interested to know if the military are still shooting on it? I don't understand how the mantlet being low is unsafe. The bloody range was built in very recent times so presumably calculations were made for safety? Or could this be new legislation from the EU? If the military speced it wrong in the first place, as a tax payer I want to know why. Blaming the EU ? Way to go there with that stretch 😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Private Marker Posted November 4, 2019 Report Share Posted November 4, 2019 The mantlet is too low? Given the army's obsession with uniformity aren't they built the same? I can't say I have been on every one, but I have been on a few and don't remember banging my head on the mantlet on any of them. It does smack of trying to keep the civilians out. I can't help thinking the stand alone ranges like Stoney Castle will be sold off as the cuts bite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popsbengo Posted November 4, 2019 Report Share Posted November 4, 2019 15 minutes ago, Private Marker said: The mantlet is too low? Given the army's obsession with uniformity aren't they built the same? I can't say I have been on every one, but I have been on a few and don't remember banging my head on the mantlet on any of them. It does smack of trying to keep the civilians out. I can't help thinking the stand alone ranges like Stoney Castle will be sold off as the cuts bite. In the small selection of Military ranges I've visited there's not much in the way of uniform construction - possibly due to the long history and the various mods done to accommodate differing target technology. It's not that "they" don't want civilians. There will be competing voices - those who want the income (DIO) and those that just don't want the added complexity of booking around clubs (Military) . Not to mention the returning troops needing access for weapons training. Let's not forget that the access for clubs is very much secondary to the main requirements. What we all desperately need is a "Bisley of the North" (preferably 10mins from my back door😁). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Private Marker Posted November 4, 2019 Report Share Posted November 4, 2019 It's a fair point the MOD ranges are for the army. I assumed that they would take priority. In other words, civilians could only book if the army's not using the range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trigger73 Posted November 5, 2019 Report Share Posted November 5, 2019 As a new member to the world of FAC, my next stop was to join Offas Dyke as that's the nearest long range near to me. My membership form is pretty much filled out and ready to post but after reading some of these posts I'm a tad worried if it's the right Club to join if all of these restrictions are popping up? Do I hold on or do I bite the bullet (oops) and send off the form and hope for the best? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralpharama Posted November 5, 2019 Report Share Posted November 5, 2019 The club is doing its level best. These infernal restrictions apply to any club using the ranges. Hopefully it will get sorted soonish. Apparently the military can’t use Rogiet either so it’s in their interest to overcome this safety issue that hasn’t caused any accidents. Apparently the problem is that the range was initially built for 600yards then extended to 600 metres. I guess we have to wait to see what they decide. In the meantime I’m looking forward to Warminster 😃 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveT Posted November 5, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2019 1 hour ago, Trigger73 said: As a new member to the world of FAC, my next stop was to join Offas Dyke as that's the nearest long range near to me. My membership form is pretty much filled out and ready to post but after reading some of these posts I'm a tad worried if it's the right Club to join if all of these restrictions are popping up? Do I hold on or do I bite the bullet (oops) and send off the form and hope for the best? Join...... the club is a good 'un! Also if and when Salisbury plain comes back you can use that with FCSA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.jpg.0972b4e2bdf0b5a4109eb96f2b1b62ad.jpg)
(200x135).jpg.0fd0a94f065c6cb243fdff1b40e0819a.jpg)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.