Charmouth tunnel

[richardio123]

This place is fantastic....no wind, a cafe, toilets..... is this shooting we know?

It is really done to such a high standard, it is getting some more lights as it is a little dark on the 50m range for target stuff at the mo although I shot fine yesterday for 3 hours ;-)

Here are some unfortunately blurred photos but it will give you a great idea what the place is like! Oh he even has a shop, but it has only been open for 5 weeks so he is building it up and open to suggestions for stock too!!!!!



Its a real eye opener when it is just you and 50m....no wind!

There is a 100 meter range being built now and a 25 yard range too! Oh it is cleared for pistol and rounds up to .762

Oh contact them through http://thetunnel.co.uk/

[Gareth W-B]

Here are some unfortunately blurred photos but it will give you a great idea what the place is like!

Moved out of the air gun calendar events section, as is not a dated event, or just air gun, so is now here in the target shooting section. Also, you will need to host your photos via an external hosting site and post links unfortunately, as only sales sections can take photos directly uploaded to the server. Sounds a great place however, thanks for telling us about it . Atb: G.

[jon f]

very interesting as i'm going to charmouth for a couple of weeks soon
thanks for the heads up

[Hemmers]

Looks like a lovely facility. Not terribly cheap (£7.50/hr for members, £15.00/hr for non-members), so definitely a place for occasional training sessions. Whilst they sell themselves as a club, not many will be able to afford to while away an afternoon there
But then that's fair enough provided you take it for what it is - a commercial enterprise, not a member's club.


Hope they are able to make a success of it. They've got a lot going for them if they can get publicity out to run some corporate hospitality, etc to supplement the revenue from range hire, the cafe and the shop.

[SteveR]

I really hope this range takes off, especially when you consider the hard work put in to get planning permission through. Looks like some amazing facilities.

As per Hemmers comments about the charging, I guess its a shift in pricing for target shooting, I'm guessing when compared to Clay shooting its cheap ?

Steve.

[BigAl]

I'm glad the place is now open. I did contact the council back when they were trying for planning permission, and sent in offical support, gald it has paid off.

Alan

[ChrisJ]

The last figures I heard they already have 400 paid up members so its of to a good start, hope to visit myself soon as the prospect of training to 50m in the dry and warm during the winter is tempting. wonder if they could hire a wind machine.

[Duff]

Just come back from Charmouth ,didnt know this place existed GUTTED will have to visit next time we are down that way

[tmstech]

£15 per hour for non members and £7.50 for members, what a joke, I won't be going, you can't turn-up and shoot on first visit either.

[rockdrill]

Easy to criticise the prices, but it is a commercial facility which has taken significant investment to create.

Like any business it needs to pay for the investment so yes it is expensive, and like many HO approved clubs you may not necessarily shoot on your first visit.

[Hemmers]

I'm curious, as the Lord Roberts Centre doesn't require one to make visits first. You can just pitch up, pay your money and shoot, having never even visited Bisley before. If you're not a member of the NSRA, you have to pay an extra £6-8 "day membership" surcharge on your hourly rate, but that's it.

Presumably, the difference is that the ranges at the LRC are just commercial ranges not connected with any club, and so visitors will be visiting under the auspices of a club booking, or will have an FAC in their own right.

Charmouth, presumably is a club that will allow you to shoot at a commercial rate and waive the annual membership, if you're a hunter that just wants to set up new kit, play with settings, etc on a very occasional basis.

I'm surprised they haven't managed to set themselves up as a LRC-style facility, so occasional visitors can shoot freely (thereby widening the radius of custom where people won't be put off by having to make a pre-visit, in preparation just for their one-off visit), with a separate club who's members get reduced or free range time based on their membership.

They seem to be limiting themselves by operating as a club rather than as a business that hosts a separate club for people who want to shoot regularly.

As I say, the LRC doesn't require pre-visits, but is equally home to clubs like Reading Uni who don't have a range of their own, and just block-book range time as a club.

Of course, that depends on how they interpret "pre-visit".
If someone's coming a long way to shoot, they can probably visit in the morning, go for lunch, come back and shoot in the afternoon whilst staying within the rules.

[bullbarrel]

If they are a club then HO regs says they can't offer "day membership".

At our club even if you have an FAC you have to sign the visitors book on first visit and then you can shoot on your second. And Surrey have introduced a new 'rule' that all clubs must get probationary members police checked BEFORE they can shoot, even air rifle

As for the NSC/NRA they have special rules. For example Bisley is the only place to have open days. All other non air clubs (excluding shotgun) can only have guest days where the person turning up must be personally known to an existing full member. A number of clubs either flaunt this or are unaware of it, I even seen posts on the BBS advertising powder burning open days .

[BigAl]

I even seen posts on the BBS advertising powder burning open days .

The only Open Days that I can remember having seen mentioned on the BBS have been for the NRA ones. Mostly for the ones run at Bisley, but also for the ones at Altcar as well. I have seen some mentions for "Guest Days" as well, but they are of course under different rules.
I don't think that every guest at a guest day must be personally known to a club member. It is possible to hold a guest day for members of another organisation, such as say a scout group, WI or a even a buiness. The major factor is that all atendess at the guest day must be notified to the local police at least 48 hours in advance.
As far as the "new rules" that Surrey police seem to want to have, have the clubs concerned talked to the NSRA/NRA about this? The rules for clubs are contained within the amendments to the Firearms Act, and I don't think there are provisions for the police to alter them at will.

Alan

[bullbarrel]

I didn't include the groups bit as didn't think it relevant as the OP was talking about individuals going and people suggested a 'non member' rate.

I think as with our FACs I expect plod can make any local requirements the chief constable (and his advisers in the FEO suggest) want. I don't know if the NSRA have been informed as our secretary is on holiday and its just been sprung on us a couple of days before he left.


And sadly there have been posts on here from clubs offering open days for powder burners, I always PM the poster and suggest they amend it

[Hemmers]

If they are a club then HO regs says they can't offer "day membership".

Which is my question - why are they running as a club?

Surely it would make more sense to run as a private range - like the LRC - which anyone can pitch up and shoot at, but which has a special block-booking agreement with a "local club" (which just happens to have been founded and is run by the owners of the Charmouth range) where members get discounted or free shooting based on their membership option.

As for the NSC/NRA they have special rules.

How so? There are no exemption for NSC/NRA in primary legislation. Either the Police turn a blind eye, or they just carefully manipulate the line between clubs and private ranges to get the benefits of having people as members of a club, but to avoid the pitfalls of having to abide by a club's HO Approval conditions.
You can't just turn up to an NRA Open day - you must sign up in advance, so arguably, your name will be personally known to the person handling the registrations.

All other non air clubs (excluding shotgun) can only have guest days where the person turning up must be personally known to an existing full member. A number of clubs either flaunt this or are unaware of it, I even seen posts on the BBS advertising powder burning open days .

The question is, what constitutes "personally known"? Knowing someone for a week? A year? An hour? Two years?

Every club has their own system, and as long as it is safe and sensible, the Police generally run with it.
We seem to have ended up with two parallel discussions going here.