Natives Rifle Club Inc.
Est. 1901
Rifle Club clubhouse,
Belmont Rifle Range
Brisbane
Queensland
Australia
The objectives of the Club are to foster the sport of full-bore target rifle shooting and the safe and responsible handling of firearms.
Competitive full-bore target rifle shooting is conducted over distances of 300 yards to 1000 yards using single shot rifles specifically designed for the sport. Rifle calibres permitted for standard full-bore target shooting are either 7.62mm (0.308in) or 5.56mm (0.223in).
Club competitions are held each Saturday afternoon commencing at 1.00pm
History of the Natives Rifle Club:
The origins of the Natives Rifle Club is closely connected with the Australian Natives Association (ANA), a patriotic organisation founded in Melbourne in 1871 and which later had branches in all States. From the ANA, the Australian Natives Friendly Society (later the Australian Unity Friendly Society and now known as Australian Unity) and many sporting and social clubs were formed.
The first steps towards forming an ANA rifle club in Brisbane were taken in 1900 and the club became fully active in 1901 as the Australian Natives Rifle Club, later referred to as the ANA Rifle Club and eventually the Natives Rifle Club.
In 1994 a decision was made to establish a club house on the Belmont rifle
range and this was achieved through the generous support of its members.
The clubhouse has developed over the years to become a very comfortable meeting
place for members to enjoy the social aspects of the sport. The clubhouse
is shown in the above photograph.
Club Activities:
Club members gather at the Clubhouse on the Duncan rifle range at Belmont
prior to commencement of shooting on each Saturday afternoon at 1.00pm.
Coffee and refreshments are available from the Club for anyone who would like to
join us over lunch. During the afternoon, club members shoot twice at the
distance prescribed in the QRA calendar for the Duncan rifle Range (
click here to
view calendar ). Shooting for the day is usually concluded by 4.30pm
after which members and guests adjourn to the clubhouse to discuss the outcome
of the competition and enjoy the fellowship of the Club.
The competition roster also includes teams matches known locally as "fixtures" in which teams from each of the clubs on the Duncan rifle range compete against each other for the honour and trophies associated with being the top team for the year.
From time to time, Prize Meetings are held at various other rifle ranges
around the region. These Prize Meetings are open competitions for each of
the Grades and disciplines encompassed by the sport of Fullbore Target Rifle
Shooting and, as the name suggests, prizes are provided by the promoters and
awarded to winners of matches and daily aggregates. These Prize Meetings
are also listed on the QRA calendar (
click here to
view calendar ). Members of the Natives Rifle Club
participate in these Prize Meetings with quite some success - click here
to view the photos on the Photo Album
page.
The Queensland Rifle Association Inc.,
like other State Rifle Associations, each year holds a State Fullbore Target
Rifle Shooting championship known as "The Queens Prize". These
Championships are held on the Duncan range and are contested by many of the
members from the Natives Rifle Club. Likewise, The
National Rifle Association of Australia Ltd
holds the National Fullbore Target Rifle Shooting Championships (the National
"Queens Prize") on the Belmont range on an annual basis.
Full target gallery on display at the Duncan Rifle Range, Belmont for the 2009 QRA Queens Prize competition
Competitors and scorers on the firing mound
Club Facilities:
The clubhouse boasts comfortable
facilities for members to relax and enjoy the social aspects of the
Club. A kitchen is available to prepare light meals and
refreshments are available for a small charge. The clubhouse
includes a bedroom which can sleep up to three people and which is
available on request throughout the year for those who may wish to stay
overnight. The Queensland sub-tropical weather encourages members and guests to
gather on the clubhouse outdoor deck for lunch and again later to
discuss the results of the day's shooting event and recognise members'
achievements in the daily competition.
The Club will make a rifle available to visitors who wish to
try the sport of fullbore target rifle shooting while ammunition is
charged at cost price to the visitor. An experienced member will
provide guidance and tuition to the visitor during shooting to ensure
they gain the most from their time on the range in a safe and secure
environment.
New members are able to use the Club's reloading
equipment to produce their own ammunition, again under the guidance and
tuition of an experienced member. Hand-loading will generally
reduce the cost of ammunition by approximately 50% compared to factory
prices and, when matched properly to a particular rifle barrel, may
reduce the size of shot groups fired from that barrel.
