Dear Members,
Below is our December Range Construction Update.
Table of Contents
Range is Open!
We are happy to announce that the first pistol bay is open starting 12/11/2023! In the below picture you can see the two bays, Bay A & Bay B. Bay A is open. Bay B is NOT open as the backstop is still under construction. We will continue to provide updates on this bay’s progress as well as overall.
Bay A is 40 yards deep. You can shoot pistol, rifle or shotgun in the bay. Please pick up your shells, especially if shooting shotgun.
To access the range, you can use the entrance by our archery range or from the parking lot near our pistol house. The road to the range by our pistol house will be closed when we have bullseye pistol, trap, skeet or 5-stand going on as that road is downrange from those shooting activities, so the entrance by the archery range would be the only open road.
Please note, at this time, there is no bench or similar to shoot from. These are being built and with ongoing construction we can’t have any objects like this in the bays. Also be aware, until the construction is complete and we have a opportunity to complete final grading, seeding and simlar, the area will be muddy. Please plan accordingly when planning footwear, clothing, etc. to come to the range.
We have placed some target stands in Bay A for your use. See the section below about pistol bays which describe the stands that are available. It is recommended you bring 18″ wide (or wider) cardboard or similar backing to staple to target stand sticks to hang your target. Please don’t shoot the sticks as these are needed for all members to use.
December Range Construction Update
Overview
As stated above, Pistol Bay A is complete & Pistol Bay B is well underway. We are hopeful to have Bay B complete prior to the ground freezing. The rifle range work has begun but there is no estimated completion at this time.
December Range Progress Photos
Here are some progress photos from December 2023 of the construction. Huge thank you to club member Dmitriy for providing the ariel photos and video to us.
Here is a drone video of the range from club member Dmitriy.
Pistol Bays
The bays will be ~50 feet wide & 125 feet deep. Our side berms will be over 10 feet tall, similar to our action pistol range with backstops at about 20 feet tall.
The Board has discussed and is aligned that we will allow rapid fire on these bays once complete. We have a growing membershp base that particpates in IDPA, USPSA, PCSL, Steel Challenge and are also the home range for the Scholastic Action Shooting Program. All of these disciplines require athletes & competitors to shoot rapidly and we’d like to make sure our facilities are able to be used for this base of our members to be able to practice.
While rapid fire is now permitted in the new pistol bays, shots MUST remain controlled at all times. The speed at which people can shoot and remain controlled varies based upon skill level of the shooter and other factors. Please understand your limitations and ensure above all else you are staying safe so we can keep this open policy for all members. Any members found being reckless putting themselves, others or the club in jeopardy can face membership suspension or termination.
Overview of target stands
The club will provide target stands similar to the below on each of the bays. The stands are designed to hold targets 18″ wide, which is standard for action pistol targets. Members will be able to affix their targets to these sticks. It will be our recommendation that you bring backer cardboard that is 18″ wide or wider to staple or clip to the sticks if you are going to use paper targets. We believe this system will be better than the prior snow fence or plywood we use to have which got shot up, made a mess, and didn’t allow members to choose their own shooting distance. Please refrain from hanging your target centered on the sticks and shooting the sticks.
Rifle Range
Our rifle range has cleared a space to start building the East side berm. As you can see in the photo we have some good progress here with berms being started and the range itself being cleared.
Our new rifle range will be close to 150 yards deep and a very comparable width to our old range. We intend to have target distances at 50 yards, 100 yards and 150 (or max depth).
We will continue to have benches, a roof and target backer boards at the aforementioned distances.
While rapid fire is permitted in the new pistol bays, we won’t be able to support rapid fire in the rifle range, once complete, for safety reasons. At ~150 yards, the muzzle elevation change required to point above the berm is very minimal relatively and we need to make sure we don’t have shots leaving the range. Rifle shooting in the pistol bays is permitted so those seeking practice may use these bays up to the 40 yard distance.
Map
Here is a diagram outlining the new range locations, high-level plans and where the access roads are to the ranges.
Donations to support the New Range Costs
This move will be costing our club approximately $75,000 to build a new access road, remove trees, build new berms and add other amenities like benches and roof to the new range.
We are asking any members that would be willing to donate to the club to help offset these costs to please do so. We are able to take donations online or from mailing a check.
Donations online can be made by clicking here:
https://saukvillegunclub.com/shop/product/range-construction-donation/
Please note: Donating by mailing a check, especially for any large donations, is preferred due to avoiding processing fees from online payment processors.
Please make out and mail any donation checks to:
Saukville Gun Club
P.O. Box 13
Saukville, WI 53080
Please note the purpose of the check in the memo field or with a note that it is to help with range construction costs.
We sincerely apprecate a donation of any size to assist with large outflow of cash we will have to cover these expenses.
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Thank you for reading,
Saukville Gun Club