A brief history:
Rochdale Air Gun Club ltd. was founded in 2009 and started out as the Rochdale Air Gun Centre at Buckley Brook as an Outdoor Range (sadly now closed). Here, our members enjoyed shooting outdoor in all weather conditions and everyone pitched in to help with both setting up and clearing everything away again after each session. Hot tea and coffee was available, but really it was mostly a place for people to get together and enjoy the sport of air gun shooting.
In 2014, we were fortunate enough to find the site we use today. Here at Ensor Mill, we founded our indoor shooting range and, after a great deal of hard work, opened our doors.

The hard work did not stop there and we continue to improve the facilities to try and offer space for every air gun shooting discipline our members and visitors may wish to enjoy. At our fully indoor club, shooting enthusiasts can enjoy shooting all year round and, in addition to coffee and tea, we also installed a kitchen that serves a nice variety of hot and cold food and drink.

Where we are today:
The site currently offers a 10-metre match pistol and (max 6 FPE) rifle area, a 15-metre range for both pistol and rifle shooters, affectionately known as the ‘plinking range’, and a 50-metre range with a large variety of plinking targets and precision target sheets at distances varying from 20 yards to the back wall, 50 metres away.

In 2017 the members set up a committee to have a say in the running and maintaining of the club. Members were asked to volunteer for the various sections of the committee and these members, alongside volunteers, help to set up the range with new targets after each session finishes and to aid as Range Marshalls, ensuring all safety regulations are abided by.

We are proud to say some of the long-term members of our club have gone on to shoot not only in club and regional competitions but even compete at national level.

What you can expect:
At Rochdale Air Gun Club, we welcome people of all ages and abilities. Our site is fully wheelchair accessible and all three of our ranges offer at least one wheelchair accessible shooting lane.

We have a selection of hire rifles and pistols that can help you get a feel for the sport and both our staff and many of our members are always willing to share their experience and to help you find your feet (and, not unimportantly, your target).

Your first visit will include a safety briefing and induction, for which you will receive a signed certificate, not for your CV, but so that on a future visit you can show you have already completed the safety briefing.
If you are new to the sport or to the equipment you are using, the safety briefing will also include basic operation of your (hire) rifle or pistol and help is always available if you have any questions about shooting, our facilities, the equipment you are using, or about any aspect of (getting into) the sport. 
Please note, as we try to keep our prices low and do not wish to charge first-time visitors more than others, induction sessions for visitors who are completely new to the sport are currently only available during the Saturday morning session, or by appointment where possible.

Should you go on to purchase your own rifle or pistol, you will find many of our members really enjoy discussing good options for any budget and will gladly direct you to the shops with the best prices, service and/or advice in the North-West.
Our members are always happy to share their experience of any make or model of rifle you may (or should) be considering to purchase, and they can offer constructive advice and recommendations for additional accessories. If you are really lucky, members may even offer to let you have a go with their rifle or pistol, to give you an idea of what you might like.

We welcome visitors, with and without experience and whether they think they might want to become members or not. All we ask is that you abide by the Safety and Conduct Policies we are all bound by and immediately follow any reasonable (safety) instructions from our Range Marshalls.

There is no set minimum age. However, junior shooters must at all times be accompanied by a responsible adult and the junior must be physically able and mentally mature enough to safely handle the weapon they are using.
Our Range Marshalls keep a close eye on the safety of all persons on site and will give instructions and guidance where needed, but the accompanying adult of a junior is responsible for that junior and must never leave that junior unattended in any of our three shooting areas.
We also welcome spectators, whether to have a look around to see what it is all about or to observe a paying shooter, so long as any spectators do not obstruct the activities of paying visitors and abide by the same regulations that our shooters have to.

All members and visitors are covered by the club’s own insurance, so long as all provisions of the club’s Constitution and Safety Regulations are followed.