Great calibre of membership
Daily Advertiser, Page: 21. Tuesday, 19 May, 2009
Since taking aim in Wagga, the local branch of the Sporting Shooters’ Association of Australia (SSAA) has always been on target.
Started in 1991 the Wagga branch of the SSAA is the only one of its kind in the Riverina and now has more than 500 members on the club’s books.
Under government legislation anyone who owns a firearm must be a member of the SSAA.
Although the law has bumped up club member numbers, SSAA junior vice president Bruce Milne said about 40 members regularly participate in firing events.
The Wagga branch holds a club competition each weekend at their Big Springs firing range on Wrigleys Road south of Wagga off the Mangoplah Road.
There is a competition every Sunday except for long weekends, Mother ‘s Day and the likes and we close for six weeks over Christmas,” Bruce said.
Points are rewarded to the winners of each round and a club champion is announced at the end of each year.
Bruce said the club rotates between four different shooting disciplines throughout the year.
The disciplines include the Ring Fire Shoot where a .22 calibre is shot over a 100 and 200 yard distance, the Centre Fire Shoot which is shot over three disciplines the target and score, the target and group and the field rifle.
Also making-up the disciplines are the Military Shoot where .303 service rifles are fired and the Black Powder Shoot where firearms pre-1 900 are shot.
Bruce said SSAA members at the Wagga branch come from all throughout the Riverina district and often travel to make the weekly competitions.
We have a number of regular guys that come across from Griffith, Leeton and Tumut,” he said.
Bruce said the club offers its members a friendly and fun environment to mingle and enjoy their hobby.
It is a facility to shoot on a camaraderie basis. Members can come out and have a talk and a shoot with blokes that have the same interest,” he said.
At the moment a number of changes are being carried out at the Big Springs firing range, including an extension of the firing field.
We’re in the process of finishing the club rooms. We are going to have showers and toilets and all the proper amenities,” Bruce said.
The firing range is 200 metres at the moment but we are looking at going to 300 metres.” Bruce said cosmetic work such as planting of trees was also in the pipeline.
The Wagga SSAA branch welcomes all new members and encourages women and juniors to join up.
Members can join from as young as 12-years of age, but must have parental permission and supervision. Anyone over the age of 15 can qualify for a senior licence.
Bruce said anyone with a firearm licence was welcome to shoot at the Big Springs range, but the club asks that after a second visit people become full members of the SSAA.
People are more than welcome to come out and try, but ever since the legislation was changed we get the person to join the SSAA after their second visit,” he said.
For more information on the Wagga SSAA branch please contact club president Arthur Robinson on 6931 1815.
Home > Media monitoring > 2009 > Great calibre of membership