Report - Rippon Tor Rifle Range, Dartmoor, September 2020

[AlternativeAdventuring]

Rippon Tor Rifle Range is a disused rifle range situated in Dartmoor National Park.


When the Second World War broke out, Dartmoor was used for a lot of military activity, with artillery firing included in this. Rippon Tor Rifle Range was used to train soldiers and was built in 1941.


Following the war, the range was used primarily for cadet training and continued to be an active site up until the mid 1960's. The range formerly closed in 1977 mostly due to growing concerns about the risks the site had to the increased amount of public walkers on the moors.

On a nice warm September day, whilst down in the South West along with everyone else who staycationed over the summer, I decided to venture out to the rifle range. I'd had my eye on it for a while and I've always been quite a fan of a nice walk on Dartmoor when I'm in the area so figured why not check it out.

I really enjoyed this place and the digger was a nice, suprising touch! It's certainly a pretty cool place to look around.

Hope you guys enjoy the report

This trench above is where the trench soldiers would use pulley systems to raise and lower the targets. The shooters who were located to the south of the rifle range would then aim at these to pracitice their shooting.

Some more pics:

 

[HughieD]

The butt's are really cool. Bit different. Like that...

 

[AlternativeAdventuring]

The butt's are really cool. Bit different. Like that...

Yeah I thought they were cool too, not really ever seen anything like them before!

 

[Down and beyond]

Nice crisp photos mate a good report I say

 

[AlternativeAdventuring]

Nice crisp photos mate a good report I say

Thank you!!

 

[Calamity Jane]

Nicely shot. The trench is interesting to see. Just shows you what can be documented for social history. I like this, its different.

 

[AlternativeAdventuring]

Nicely shot. The trench is interesting to see. Just shows you what can be documented for social history. I like this, its different.

Thank you

 

[Giymo85]

Spent many an hour on ranges like this when I was training.

The trenches are great fun. The person at that end doesn't just raise and lower the target, although that is a big part of it. Inbetween rounds of fire they would patch the holes in the target for re-use and they would also indicate where the rounds had hit the target using an arrow on a stick. Primitive but functional and all the while live rounds passing just overhead.

 

[Calamity Jane]

Spent many an hour on ranges like this when I was training.

The trenches are great fun. The person at that end doesn't just raise and lower the target, although that is a big part of it. Inbetween rounds of fire they would patch the holes in the target for re-use and they would also indicate where the rounds had hit the target using an arrow on a stick. Primitive but functional and all the while live rounds passing just overhead.

Interesting to hear from someone who has been active in this environment. Cheers for more insight.

 

[AlternativeAdventuring]

Spent many an hour on ranges like this when I was training.

The trenches are great fun. The person at that end doesn't just raise and lower the target, although that is a big part of it. Inbetween rounds of fire they would patch the holes in the target for re-use and they would also indicate where the rounds had hit the target using an arrow on a stick. Primitive but functional and all the while live rounds passing just overhead.

Oh that's really interesting, thanks for giving some more information!

 

[Giymo85]

Welcome both, one of the joys of this forum in my opinion. So many folk from so many different walks of life and all with something to offer.

 

[pirate]

I used to hate being in the butts.
Constantly having to watch the sandbank behind for the bullet to hit so you knew when to lower the target.
Luckily I’m old enough that one of the rifles I got to fire was a Lee Enfield .303.......they have some kick

 

[Giymo85]

I used to hate being in the butts.
Constantly having to watch the sandbank behind for the bullet to hit so you knew when to lower the target.
Luckily I’m old enough that one of the rifles I got to fire was a Lee Enfield .303.......then have some kick

Yeah, the 5.56 doesn't really compare. I never minded it, bit of a doss time in a lot of ways.

 

[pirate]

I think they replaced it with the L81A2 which was 7.62 ,I was only in cadets........we also had the L98a2 which was the single shot version of sa80 but yer that was pony in comparison

 

[Giymo85]

It was the L85A2 by my time and I actually rate it really highly. Certainly did the job when we needed it to.

Sadly, I was also there for the start of the indoor virtual ranges. They are what killed a lot of these areas off.