Big Bore Range Construction Update
Update December 26, 2020
Beginning Monday, December 28, 2020, the Big Bore Range will be closed so construction can continue.
Welch Welding will begin moving the NBS structures into place, and the range will remain closed until the work is completed. We do not have a firm timeframe for how long it will be closed, though we do not expect it to be too long. Much will depend on the arrival of some additional materials, weather, and ground and work conditions.
We will provide updates as soon as we have more information. Thanks to all members for your continued patience and support of this project.
Update December 22, 2020
Big Bore Baffles Being Installed!
We got word from Welch Welding that the rubber for our baffles has finally arrived. This is what was holding up the final installation of the baffles. They plan to be on site either today or tomorrow to install the posts and baffles at the range. John A. and John L. went the extra mile last week and plowed the access road to the range clear to make sure they have access.
The work will require of course that the range be closed while the work is getting done. Will update as we know more.
Update October 19, 2020
Big Bore Range & Indoor Range Reopened
The weekend’s work on the Big Bore Range, and on the Clubhouse air conditioner, has been completed, and both ranges are again open to members for use. Please watch this page for future changes to range status.
Update October 17, 2020
Big Bore Range closure for Sunday, 10/18
Big bore range will be closed again tomorrow as work on the range project continues. Anyone wishing to help out is welcome to show up starting at 8:00AM tomorrow morning. We can always use a few extra helpers, bring a shovel, a steel rake and some work gloves. Our small but highly skilled and enthusiastic crew made significant progress today finishing some of the ground prep, grooming the road for equipment access, and unloading, and staging the large concrete blocks for the side wall. Several loads of blocks have been shuttled down to the range and put in place. This work will continue tomorrow and we are hoping to have that phase of the work completed tomorrow.
Indoor range closure for Sunday, 10/18
Work will be starting tomorrow on the central air conditioning systems for the clubhouse. In order for the contractors to do this work it will be necessary to have the indoor range closed starting 7:00 AM and it will remain closed until the work is completed later in the day. We will post a notice when the range is opened again.
Update October 15, 2020
Big Bore Range Closed Saturday, 10/17/20
We will be getting the concrete block delivered this Saturday, 10/17 starting at 9:00 AM. There will be two truckloads delivered. This block will form the protective wall between the range and the pond.
While the blocks are being unloaded, we will need a few people to help with the balance of the prep work for their placement at the range. A few people are needed to walk a small plate compactor around and help with some rake-and-shovel work. We will be gathering at the club for 8AM or so to get set up and started on the work, and await the arrival of the truck.
This will require the range be closed on Saturday, and work may run into Sunday morning as well. When the work is finished, the Range Closed sign at the gate will be removed.
Update October 9, 2020
Big Bore Range Closed This Weekend
We will be doing some cleanup work at the backstop berm, retrieving the partially buried target stands and maybe moving the dirt back a bit to get back our 100 yard line. If time allows and we have the details worked out, there is some prep work that we may do for the pond sidewall also.
This will of course require the range be closed for much of Saturday, and a possibility that this work may run into Sunday as well. When the work is finished, the Range Closed sign at the gate will be removed.
Update October 2, 2020
Construction Update
For those who haven’t walked down the hill to check, the construction project hit a milestone this week – the footings are complete! The contractors dug holes for each upright support post, inserted tubes into the ground, poured the concrete, and set the connector bases that the steel uprights will rest on.
This is great progress, and things have been going smoothly. When they finished, the contractors also graded the range, and moved all the soil from the 25 yard berm back, to build up the 100 yard berm.
The Big Bore Range is Temporarily Open!
This is all good news for the club, but great news for shooters. It’ll take a couple weeks for the concrete to fully set, and in the meantime, the range will be open for use during normal range hours. The temporary rules are:
- DO NOT TOUCH any of the footings
- All targets must be placed up against the 100 yard berm. New target stands have been placed all the way down at 100 yards, and should not be moved. If you’d like to shoot shorter distances, shooters need to move forward of the shelter. For instance, if you’d like to shoot handgun at 10 yards, the shooter should be standing at the 90 yard line, so that the target is on the stand at the 100 yard line.
- All shooters need to work together to ensure safe range use. Communicate with everyone else on the line, and if rifle and pistol shooters are there at the same time, they must take turns so no one is downrange while someone else is shooting.
As always, thank you for your patience during this project. When the steel baffles are ready to be installed, the range will be closed again to finish construction. Keep and eye out for updates.
Update September 9, 2020
The long-awaited construction project on the Big Bore Range is breaking ground this week!
On Wednesday, September 9, 2020, the contractor will begin prepping the site for construction, followed by clearing the space behind the 25 yard berm. As a result, the Big Bore Range will be closed September 9 – 11. It will reopen Saturday, September 12, and remain open through Sunday, September 13.
Starting on Monday, September 14, the range will close again, until further notice as the contractors begin digging the footings for the supports of the new No Blue Sky (NBS) system.
We will be in constant communication with the contractors, and will open the range whenever it is safe to do so. Please check back for updates.
Once completed, our No Blue Sky system will look similar
to this, except with fewer support posts and steel baffles.
Check out the Summer 2020 newsletter for more details on this project.
Photos of range construction will be uploaded to the Club’s flickr page.
