SSAA Hay Branch

New South Wales Club Profile

About seven kilometres from the small New South Wales town of Hay sits the SSAA Hay Branch. Established in July 1996 by members of the local pistol club and other rifle enthusiasts who were concerned with the ‘genuine reason’ and ‘special need’ provisions of the gun laws emerging at the time, the branch started out with a meagre membership of only 24 shooters. Today that number has grown to 104, with women and juniors making up 20 per cent.

The first branch president was Peter Jacka. Today, John Simpson holds the role of president.

The range is made up of a 300-metre shooting range consisting of ten concrete benches. Some of the range facilities are shared with neighbour Hay Pistol Club, which is located on adjoining land.

Current upgrades to the facility include the addition of permanent target frames. Additional improvements are also planned to make the range more user friendly.

Disciplines shot include benchrest, field rifle, military service and a home-grown match called ‘ferals in the distance’. Rimfire benchrest is probably the most popular event among members.

The range is located on the Sidonia Road and shoots are generally held at 1pm on the last Sunday of each month. However, if it is blowing a gale, you can expect to have a lot of room to roam on the range. Like most rifle shooters, members of the Hay Branch seek the elusive ‘zero wind’ conditions.

For more information contact: secretary Roy Sullivan on 02 6993 1874 or email Rsullivan@dlwc.nsw.gov.au