Looking for a Rifle Range in Auckland - NZDA Riverhead Forest
Hey Team
Just a heads up to anyone who is looking to find a rifle range in Auckland. I wanted to post this so hopefully this helps someone new looking for safe, legal access to a range in our fair city - which isn't the easiest. This is a "users" description below (so do your own research), but hope it helps!
https://www.deerstalkers.co.nz/range
The Auckland NZDA has a 25m, 100m and 200m range out on Forestry Road in Riverhead Forest. They've put a lot of work into this range and it shows. You do need to join NZDA. I did this at the start of the year and it's been a great investment. They have regular monthly club meetings, special interest topic nights (like "finding sign", reloading, skinning etc), hunting trips if that's your thing, and there are also heaps of discounts for members of travel, clothing etc. I've saved heaps on Swazi gear already. It's well worth the $250+ investment. For me, I wanted access to a local range, as there just aren't many options in these parts if you are a city slicker. They also advocate for us hunters, and they had David Seymour and our new Prime Minister on separate evenings - interesting NZDA supports policy not party which I thought was a great approach!
At the range run separate morning and afternoon sessions on weekends. These are free for NZDA Auckland members. They have separate specialty days (club comps, military arms, rim fire, I think I saw a musket one the other day) too which is pretty cool if you want to get connected. Normally meet at the gate at 8.45am or 12.45pm for the respective sessions. You book on their easy to use App and you turn up. You are "locked in" for 4 hours. Everyone drives in together (about 5 minutes drive in through forestry roads) and drives out together. But, to be honest, by the time you've mucked around with different ranges, the 4 hours is necessary! They normally run a 25m and 100m day, or a 200m day. There are the three separate ranges, but the 100m and 200m use the same range end, so that's why they only open one or the other. The day starts with a safety briefing from Range Officers, then there are 15 minute shooting sessions followed by 5 minutes checking the targets etc. It's super safe (lots of emphasis on this) and the Range Officers are just so helpful, humorous and good fun. It's easy to move between the 25 and 100 or 200m (depending on the day for which is open) ranges. You set up on a station once there with an allocated target, so there's no waiting, and they even have "lefties" benches (the gingers of the rifle world). Bring your own targets and stapler. They have the backboards all set up.
I spent yesterday afternoon mucking around with my two rifles and had a "blast" excuse the pun. You get to meet a lot of cool, knowledgeable people. And what better a way to spend a Sunday afternoon than firing the rifle.
Hot barrels it was.
