Switzerland is littered with rifle and pistol shooting ranges. After compulsory military service was introduced (in 1848), it also became compulsory to practice outside of service in 1907, once a year. This was organised by shooting societies (clubs).

The 300 meters distance for rifles was imposed as early as 1874 during the Federal shooting competition, and literally every town had a shooting range.

This is what the range looks like







First challenge is to make sure you’re aiming at your target, not the neighbour’s one.

However you are only allowed to shoot Swiss ordnance rifles, StGw 57 & 90, and the older straight pull rifles and carbines. There is also a Match bolt rifle category shooting the 7.5 Swiss cartridge. Open sights only.









But every now and then there is an open rifle day, where virtually all rifles are allowed, up to .50 BMG (this one with a silencer), including scoped ones. It’s an open day (well morning really), no competition, just leisure, fun, and possibly sighting in.

I brought three rifles, Colt Delta Hbar, Norinco M14 in an archangel chassis, and my Chinese Dragunov



My buddy brought a scoped StGw 57 and a scoped K31



The targets setup is a mix of precision targets and metallic gongs




Here’s my buddy helping with sighting in the Colt



and the M14



He was not confortable with the Dragunov

The M14 was fairly inconsistent, cheap rifle, cheap chassis, but I’ll still work on accurizing it

The Dragunov performed quite well, however it’s scope is more a combat scope than a precision one, good for the gongs, for the precision target not so much.

The Colt really shone. After sighting it it, it was very accurate and consistent. The ten ring is 10 cm, a tad under four inches.





Now I need to get a better trigger, Geissele probably, as the stock trigger pull is 3 kg (6 lbs 10 oz).

I also had a nasty kaboom with .308 Tula ammo, I had six rounds in the bottom of a box, the first one blew up, and the mag plate acted as a fuse. Unpleasant but I was unhurt, so still a great morning of fun with the last 45 minutes spent hitting gongs.

Interesting post,thanks.

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Hue 68 noli me tangere

Great shooting range! I want to tour Switzerland one day.

Thanks for sharing.

Curl

I am ready to swap my Mustang for a Skoda to shoot those rifles!

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Possum—The other white meat!

Nice. I really like my K31's. Fantastic rifles.



With a clamp-on scope mount and a cheap 6x40 scope. As I have been known to say, the four in one hole are the rifle's capability. The other two are my capability.








The funny thing is that I shot similar with irons. Three in one hole with another close and a couple flyers. If I could only be as consistent as this K31 is with GP11.