Kingdom “An Riocht” Rifle and Pistol Club
Welcome to our website. Kingdom “An Riocht” Rifle and Pistol Club was opened in 2007. It is the only centrefire shooting range in Kerry. It is located just 3 miles from Castlemaine, Kerry. The range boasts two ranges, a 50 metre range, suitable for .22 rifle and pistol, and also a rifle range for distances from 100 yards out to 300 yards. The 300 yard range also has a fully working butts system and is regularly used by the Long Range Rifle Association of Ireland for F-Class type competitions. It is NARGC and Garda authorised and is fully compliant with current Firearms Legislation.
The club also holds 3 Position and Classic Rifle competitions there . With the range located on the side of hill, the wind can make shooting very challenging, at any time of year. Some of Ireland’s best F-Class shooters have said it is among the most challenging ranges they have competed on, and it is not unusual to see the Official NRA wind flags blowing in opposite directions. Combined with the stunning views towards Dingle (An Daingean) and the McGillicuddy Reeks, it has to be the most picturesque ranges in the country. It is not unusual for competitors and guests to shoot in the opposite direction to the ranges (with their cameras, of course) as the ever changing landscape offers excellent photo opportunities, throughout the year.
With over 80 members using the range on a regular basis, and quite a few travelling to compete in othe clubs and Internationally, the club is a hive of activity, not just at weekends, as members hone their skills at the different disciplines
The unofficial “clubhouse” for members and competitors is The Anvil Bar and B&B in Boolteens. Murphy’s Farmhouse, just around the corner from The Anvil also has rooms available for competitors. Kingdom “An Riocht” RPC is an NASRPC affiliated club.
If you would like to become a member or want information on how your club or group could hire the range, please call Pat on 087 6242911. New members are always welcome and can be assured of a warm welcome. Existing where members will be pleased to offer help and guidance to novice and experienced rifle and pistol shooters
The club also has an automatic clay trap, where clay shooters can practice and improve their skills. The range is open every weekend and during the week by arrangement. All classes of shooter are catered for, both men and women, and instruction can be arranged with qualified Instructors.
WHAT WE DO
At Kingdom “An Riocht” Rifle & Pistol Club we are interested in many different aspects of sports shooting. For example we regularly hold competitions in F-class a form of High power rifle target shooting, Classic Rifle with as the name suggests classic or vintage rifles, we also cater for pistols and smallbore rifles with competitions like Precision Pistol, Gallery Pistol, Gallery Rifle, WA1500
F-Class
F-Class is a rapidly growing shooting sport subset of High Power Rifle shooting. F-class is shot solely prone at distances over 300 to 1200 yards. Competitors may use almost any calibre rifle (up to .35 calibre), a scope, and a front and rear rest or a bipod. F-class shooters use targets half the size of (and often shoot concurrently with) the world’s long-range Palma shooters. There are two classes in F-class competition: F-Open and F-TR. F-TR is a restricted category where a shooter must shoot unmodified .223 or .308 cartridges with a rifle using a bipod in front with a weight limit of 18.18 pounds. F-Open allows any cartridge, uses a front rest like used in bench rest shooting, and has a higher weight limit of 22 pounds. As our range is 300 yards we run our F-class competitions at that range and we do it a little differently, we have an additional classification “Stalking Rifle” which allows sportsmen to try out F-class using ordinary stalking rifles to see if they like it before they invest.
Classic Rifle
Classic rifle is one of our favourites here, its shot at 300yrds prone with a front rest usually a sandbag. The basic rules are that the rifle had to be produced before 1955 and there is quite a list of rifles to choose from, Lee Enfields, Schmidt Rubin, Carl Gusatvs and Mosin Nagants are among the most popular. There are three classifications, open sights, dioptre sights and scoped with open sights definitely the most popular. It’s a relatively cheap aspect of the sport to get into as all you need to compete is the rifle and maybe a spotting scope.
Precision Pistol & Revolver
Pistol involve shooting short firearms from either the strong or weak hand. There are a wide range of disciplines which involve shooting from different positions including prone, kneeling, seated and standing. Pistol is subdivided into: Smallbore Pistol which is for Revolvers and Semi Automatic Pistols chambered for 22lr ammunition Centrefire Pistol which is for Revolvers and Semi Automatic Pistols chambered for centrefire ammuntion. The most popular are 9mm, .38 and .40 WA1500 Pistol which is an international centrefire discipline which includes a defined set of classifications and disciplines of its own.
Gallery Rifle
Involves shooting small calibre rifles from the shoulder. There are a wide range of disciplines which involve shooting from different positions including sitting, kneeling and standing. Some of the more advanced disciplines also include shooting from both the strong and weak shoulders. Gallery Rifle is subdivided into: Smallbore Gallery Rifle (GRSB) which is for semi-automatic rifles chambered in 22lr ammunition. Centrefire Gallery Rifle (GRCF) which is for lever action rifles chambered in pistol calibres such as .38, .357 and .44. M1 Carbine Gallery Rifle (GRMC) which is for semi-automatic M1 Carbine rifles chambered in .30 ammunition.