I'm fortunate enough to be on my jollies in Switzerland. I happened to Google rifle ranges in Switzerland and up pops a 300m range that crosses a main road. I'm not savvy enough to post a link but it might be of some interest if someone can? I do love the way the Swiss do risk and personal responsibility.
Swiss range over a road
- Thread starter charlie222
- Start date
Rusty Gate
Well-Known Member
Seen this a while back, great range.
Retrieving your target card’s a bit spicy!
Retrieving your target card’s a bit spicy!
I believe one of the ranges in Switzerland is next to the French border.
Firing is towards the border and if the bullet goes over the top it lands in France.
Now that’s safety in the extreme!
Firing is towards the border and if the bullet goes over the top it lands in France.
Now that’s safety in the extreme!
udderlyoffroad
Well-Known Member
For those unaware, pretty much every municipality in Switzerland that’s larger than a small hamlet will have its own 300m rifle range. This is to enable soldiers serving in the Swiss Military to undertake their compulsory shooting practice. Often these ranges are built to take advantage of the terrain as a backstop - Brünnlisau just takes that philosophy well into the ‘probably wouldn’t get signed off today’ end of things.
My favourite anecdote I use to bore people with, from the late 90’s: I was in the ‘Jungschuetzen’ – young shooters, where at the age of 15 ½ you were given a service rifle to take home, clean and turn up for shooting practice. There was a rivet through the fire rate selector so full-auto couldn’t be selected, but 1 and 3-shot could be, though the latter was never used. Imagine giving the inner city yoofs in the UK a SIG 556 to take home, albeit strictly no ammunition. Can’t see that going wrong.
Anyway, on my second practice session, I turned up on my bike, gun strapped to my back(no slip), mag in back pocket, and met my mates at the village range. RO goes “Cow on the range” – but we were instructed to carry on shooting. Apparently, at 300m, hold out your arm at full extension, and if there’s a gap of two fingers or greater betwixt target and cow, good to carry on. Cows were entirely un-arsed by the ‘supersonic bees’ whizzing overhead. Am unaware if this particular SOP has changed.
My favourite anecdote I use to bore people with, from the late 90’s: I was in the ‘Jungschuetzen’ – young shooters, where at the age of 15 ½ you were given a service rifle to take home, clean and turn up for shooting practice. There was a rivet through the fire rate selector so full-auto couldn’t be selected, but 1 and 3-shot could be, though the latter was never used. Imagine giving the inner city yoofs in the UK a SIG 556 to take home, albeit strictly no ammunition. Can’t see that going wrong.
Anyway, on my second practice session, I turned up on my bike, gun strapped to my back(no slip), mag in back pocket, and met my mates at the village range. RO goes “Cow on the range” – but we were instructed to carry on shooting. Apparently, at 300m, hold out your arm at full extension, and if there’s a gap of two fingers or greater betwixt target and cow, good to carry on. Cows were entirely un-arsed by the ‘supersonic bees’ whizzing overhead. Am unaware if this particular SOP has changed.
5MM/.20Man
Well-Known Member
That shooting range looks awesome.
Rasputin
Well-Known Member
For those unaware, pretty much every municipality in Switzerland that’s larger than a small hamlet will have its own 300m rifle range. This is to enable soldiers serving in the Swiss Military to undertake their compulsory shooting practice. Often these ranges are built to take advantage of the terrain as a backstop - Brünnlisau just takes that philosophy well into the ‘probably wouldn’t get signed off today’ end of things.
My favourite anecdote I use to bore people with, from the late 90’s: I was in the ‘Jungschuetzen’ – young shooters, where at the age of 15 ½ you were given a service rifle to take home, clean and turn up for shooting practice. There was a rivet through the fire rate selector so full-auto couldn’t be selected, but 1 and 3-shot could be, though the latter was never used. Imagine giving the inner city yoofs in the UK a SIG 556 to take home, albeit strictly no ammunition. Can’t see that going wrong.
Anyway, on my second practice session, I turned up on my bike, gun strapped to my back(no slip), mag in back pocket, and met my mates at the village range. RO goes “Cow on the range” – but we were instructed to carry on shooting. Apparently, at 300m, hold out your arm at full extension, and if there’s a gap of two fingers or greater betwixt target and cow, good to carry on. Cows were entirely un-arsed by the ‘supersonic bees’ whizzing overhead. Am unaware if this particular SOP has changed.
When I first moved to Switzerland I was quite taken aback by the number of folks heading home at weekends with their guns over the shoulder not even in a case. Always made me chuckle as I could only imagine the UK going into meltdown if some young private’s we’re walking home with their sa80s or whatever they use these days over their shoulders.
Obviously, the cow didn't interrupt the line of sight to the target though. Strensall near York is a flat range one of whose ranges goes out to 600 yards. To see over intermediate firing points, each is built a few feet higher as you move back. Nevertheless, it used to be common back in the days when a local farmer had grazing rights across the complex for a sheep to amble onto a firing point mound ahead of you. The first you knew usually was the target suddenly disappearing and being replaced by something white & woolly (iron aperture sights) as you were squeezing the trigger.
When I was a teenage army cadet many decades ago in a Perth school ACF unit we had Monday 'parades' in mufti and in summer often marched up a nearby public street to an area of waste ground to practice 'section attack' with Number 4s, a couple of BREN LMGs, and blanks. Back in the 60s, the sight of 20 or 30 armed boys in school uniform marching down the road led by a 17 or 18 year old youth failed to arouse panic or mass hysteria. Just a few parlour curtains twitching on the adjacent bungalows. Of course, this was before the 1968 film 'IF' with the revolutionary sixth former Mick played by Malcolm MacDowell and his mates shooting the school up with stolen cadet force weapons and setting fire to it.
KIbworth Range here in Leicestershire (not at all to be confused with the Wildfowlers' Ground) had a road running through the danger area and two sentries had to be placed at either end of the road when the range was used. I shot on it regularly in the 1970s. The range was closed and returned back to full agricultural use in the 1990s or thereabouts. The road mentioned can be see in this copy of the byelaws.
It used to be quite common for RAF airfields to stop traffic on adjacent roads as aircraft skimmed over them on landing or take-off. I saw a picture on Facebook of the A1 Great North Road no less being blocked by RAF personnel with a twin engine prop job barely clearing the roadside hedges at one of the North Yorks airfields, Leeming or maybe Dishforth. There was rather less traffic around than on today's A1(M)
and the road looked the width of a country lane. 1950s IIRC.
Never underestimate the determination of the Blue Rinse Brigade as I think Rachel Reeves has regarding Winter Fuel Allowance. For unless a rabbit is pulled out of the hat at the budget, maybe in abolishing the remaining 5% VAT on domestic gas and electricity, she will surely see that ire demonstrated at the ballot box.
maximus otter
Well-Known Member
Am l alone in failing to see the connection between this and Swiss rifle ranges?
maximus otter
Never seen "If" I guess? Watch the clip to around 1:30. And presumably had she practiced on any rifle range she'd have been a better shot and actually hit what she was aiming at? Three or four young teenagers exposed on a roof. It's hardly that difficult a mark? Switzerland for you Madam!
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maximus otter
Well-Known Member
FWIW i started shooting (.22 and .303) as a Sea Cadet which ouwl dhav e been early-mid 70s. We used to get on a bus with rifles in sligns and boxes of ammo, to get to the shooting range, which happened to belong to London Transport. One of our officers had used of the 25m .22 range which was located on a roundabout right next door to Grays town centre.
As others have said cant imagine getting on a bus with a rifle, whether in a bag or not today.
As others have said cant imagine getting on a bus with a rifle, whether in a bag or not today.
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