Bisley is closed

MauserM03

Well-Known Member
So I'm just back from a 50 mile round trip to Bisley ranges, only to find upon arrival that they are closed because of the snow.

The staff tried to ring those who had booked but didn't have time to inform everyone.

So if you are going down for the afternoon session - don't bother !
 
not good when this happens,

take solace from the fact that they have saved some pour souls from standing in those cold butts for the best part of the day.

bob.
 
It is also closed 21 - 25 Jan for maintenance work to be carried out.

i think they need to sort it out full time, why on earth are we still one of the few ranges in the world shooting program where we use people in the buts.

sad really,

oops, at least you know about that closure.

bob.
 
i think they need to sort it out full time, why on earth are we still one of the few ranges in the world shooting program where we use people in the buts.

sad really,

oops, at least you know about that closure.

bob.

Good point indeed Bob
Perhaps if the Olympic shooting events had been allowed to go to Bisley together with improvements to the range setup we would all have a state of the art range system.
But the ODA didnt allow that and chose to build at Woolwich and then plan to demolish- great investment eh!
Driving around Bisley you can see it really is struggling financially - which is very sad.
 
They actually posted it on the web yesterday that the ranges were closed due to the weather and range maintenance work.

The olympics probably wouldn't have made a great deal of difference to the rifle range facilities at Bisley as there aren't any full bore olymic events. I think there was also an issue about promised funding for the Manchester commowealth games that they hosted and never got paid for. They did trial electronic targets but I understand that some of the control apparatus was stolen or damaged and they are still in dispute over who is responsible for replacing them.
Yes all in all a charming old place is Bisley but the NRA is not without it's problems most of which are financial. I was shocked to hear what the actual individual membership of the NRA was, only some 5,000 odd individual members. Yes many affiliated clubs but not many individual members.
 
i think they need to sort it out full time, why on earth are we still one of the few ranges in the world shooting program where we use people in the buts.

sad really,

oops, at least you know about that closure.

bob.
it brings an income stream to young people that might struggle to get part time jobs, the electronic targets haven't worked since I have been going there.
 
Sadly the council at Bisley has a lot to blame itself for.. I am surprised they even know we have moved into the next cnetury. They still do not realise that there are more types of shooting sticks than the single shot target rifle. THAT is their downfall. Always has been and unless they really do wake up always will be.

The reason they do not have the grass roots support is that they DO NOT support the shooters themselves.
 
i think they need to sort it out full time, why on earth are we still one of the few ranges in the world shooting program where we use people in the buts.

sad really,

oops, at least you know about that closure.

bob.

They did have electronic scoring a couple of years ago on the last few lanes on century around lanes 98-102 or something like that. It worked well for the most part, although we did shoot out the chain holding it up once. If I remember right they got stolen.

I was due down there this morning, but luckily got the message.
 
I suppose it is a reflection of how I see the place as being a little 'backward' technologically that I didn't even think to check the website !

I rather like Short Siberia as an old skool, tucked out of the way little place where everything is done manually and I quite enjoy pasting my targets up and checking scores.

I can imagine it is super frustrating for those shooting at 1000yards though !
 
i will round my personal thoughts off by simply saying this,

until it gets shot of the smell of leather and musky mothballs, land-rover discovery's and pinky rings i can not see it last much longer in the real shooter world of places to go., and in real terms as mentioned above.

The reason they do not have the grass roots support is that they DO NOT support the shooters themselves.
the targetry was stolen ? but i think the cost to do the whole range set up would have bankrupt them so it all went missing ??? (well thats what we have been told).

I can't see myself ever going back ! for a few reasons and a few are mentioned above.


bisley CLOSED: ............................................. dare i say it, plenty of room for more houses that we don't need.

bob.

ps: backward in both manners reality and respect for the shooters that keep their shops ticking over
 
Thats a shame, was planning to head over to the BSRC tomorrow.

For all its problems, I think that its important to draw a line under past experiences and move forward. There's a new team in place now and they are working hard to turn around the nightmare financial position (it was practically bankrupt even a couple of years ago). There are lots of new initiatives to support shooters (the NRA shooting club for one). At the end of the day, membership dues are important if the place is not only to survive but also develop in the future. It was a great shame that the smooth talking bar-stewards at LOCOG did not see fit to hold the shooting (and even archery) events at Bisley. It would have been a great boost.
 
Last year I nearly attended a club day with possibity of fog,I took advice from my mate and didn't go,morning session didn't happen,range was closed,late afternoon the 100yd range was opened as visibility improved,200 mile round trip just too shoot at that range :doh:,was glad my mate said not to go,am was 1000,pm 600yds and mcqueens at 200
 
"It was a great shame that the smooth talking bar-stewards at LOCOG did not see fit to hold the shooting (and even archery) events at Bisley."

Great shame is an understatement, a national discrace more like.
 
The range is officially a MoD range, so selling it off for housing is no more likely than Ash ranges being sold for housing.

I dont see what the problem with people doing the butts is, as Kenny says its employment for many local students. Some are brilliant, some arent, but you could say that about those who shoot there too!!

I dont understand why it was closed, I shot there last year in the snow, without a problem. But that was snow on the gound as opposed to in the air.
 
"It was a great shame that the smooth talking bar-stewards at LOCOG did not see fit to hold the shooting (and even archery) events at Bisley."

Great shame is an understatement, a national discrace more like.

Who's shame: LOCOG's or the NRA's for not doing enough to bring the Olympic shooting to "The Home of Shooting"?

I blame the NRA...

(By the way, Bisley is such a famous venue, Ruger have named a gun after it: Ruger Hunter Single-Action Revolver Models & Ruger Single-Action Revolver Models)
 
Sadly the council at Bisley has a lot to blame itself for.. I am surprised they even know we have moved into the next cnetury. They still do not realise that there are more types of shooting sticks than the single shot target rifle. THAT is their downfall. Always has been and unless they really do wake up always will be.

The reason they do not have the grass roots support is that they DO NOT support the shooters themselves.

Absolutely! The ONLY interest they had in pistol shooting was in how much they could rip people off at th egate for a "parking pass fee for visitors to the NPA Pistol Anno Domini events and they were totally useless in 1988 after Hungerford.

When I first read the heading to the post I though it meant that the NRA had gone "belly up" and died the death. Sadly I was to be disappointed when I read the body of the post.

But I live in hope...
 
Enfield I too thought that the original posting was about the demise of the NRA.
I feel much the same as you about how they neglected pistol shooting in the past and one of my greatest regrets was listening to their advise that we should leave the lobbying to them as regards submissions to Lord Cullen. No I would proberly go much stronger, they sold pistol shooting down the river just as they did with other forms of shooting previously that didn't conform with their very limited interests.

I never paid the parking fee for the NPA meetings as the man on the gate always got there long after we had arrived. I do recall on one occasion when we were camping there and the wife popped out to the NAFFI just up the road they wanted a parking fee off her on rentering the camp we had already paid camp site fees which were not cheap considering the poor facilities provided. They never got the parking fee is all I would say.

Just the same I wouldn't like to see any organisation fail. I just hope that they have finally woken up and smelt the coffee and will change their ways, because if they don't I doubt that they will still be around in two or three years time which will be a great shame.
 
The NRA and Bisley are just a old boys club who like to think the world revolves around them!! And are a waste of time IMO.
Basc may have its bad points to some people but at least they are trying to keep shooting alive and "dont! pee down the backs of shooters and then tell them it is raining"
like the Nra
 
That's the problem with shooters we have long memories and we don't forgive when we have be wronged so badly especially if it has happened more than once.

It's both a strength and a weakness. I do hope the new (yet once again) regime at the NRA turn things around and try to make amends for the wrongs that have been done in their name in the past.

Just in case I hope that there is some body like the BASC who is already making plans to step forward and offer a suitable insurance/affiliation scheme to enable rifle clubs to continue shooting when the NRA finally curls up it's toes because that is what will happen if they continue in the way that they have in the past.
 
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