Metro Rifle & Pistol Club
Cape Breton, NS
Welcome to the Metro Rifle & Pistol Club, One of the largest shooting associations in Eastern Canada
The Metro Rifle & Pistol Club (1976) ascended from the modernization and reorganization of the Sydney Rifle Club, founded early in the 20th century. We were, in those early years, an organization devoted to the development of athletics with firearms, the refinement of marksmanship skills, and a venue for upstanding like-minded citizens to share pertinent knowledge; especially to younger members. I am proud to state the evolution of our club into our modern culture, still nurtures those goals established very early in the last Century.
Currently, the Metro Rifle & Pistol Club is a formidable institution, over 500 strong. At this time almost a quarter of our membership are trained Range Safety Officers and we graciously hold a seat on the council of the Shooting Federation of Nova Scotia. Our focus has expanded from the legacy left by the former Sydney Rifle Club to include an emphasis on safety and sport. In facilitation of augmenting these goals, the club requires that any individual interested in joining our club complete a range safety orientation session, provided by our executive before their membership will be processed. This has been implemented to ensure that everyone in our club is cognizant of range rules using the Active/Not Active (Hot/Cold) protocols as taught in the C(R)FSC. An overview of this system is written on the building at the 25m/100m Leitches Creek DNR Facility for reference and should be reviewed periodically. The Metro Rifle & Pistol Club has a pristine safety record and collectively we will do whatever is required to maintain that record; there are no ‘Gray’ areas with regards to safety.
The Metro Rifle & Pistol Club augments ‘Sport’ by providing free marksmanship training to members during our coaching sessions. We are devoted to helping our club members and athletes achieve their optimum individual performance while pursuing outdoor activities, at competitions and at the annual Provincials. We have been sending teams to attend The Olympic Pistol/Rifle Provincial and National Championships, The MacDonald Challenge (Olympic Standard Pistol), 50m Free Pistol Provincials and Nationals, and the Police Practical Combat Shooting Championships for many years. Our individual club members and teams have done exceptionally well winning Top Honors in all of these events on multiple occasions, setting provincial records in the process. In addition, our club members are active in just about every other shooting sport on the planet from Cowboy Mounted Shooting to Skeet to Service Rifle, traveling broadly as ambassadors of our great club.
On the home front, the club hosts a series of shooting competitions throughout the shooting season encompassing many disciplines. Our competitions with descriptions are listed on this website. We also offer a winter Air Gun league to refine marksmanship training during the winter season. This program is also free for members with air pistols graciously supplied by Bob Selig (NSRA) and the Shooting Federation of Nova Scotia. Youth groups are also provided free firearms training as requested by organizations such as are the Nova Scotia DNR Youth Hunting Programs, whom we help regularly.
The past few years were busy for our club with new agendas put forward and organized on a continual basis by our ever vigilant executive. We constructed a bermed 25m pistol range at the Leitches Creek DNR Facility. This short range was designed, constructed and paid for by the Metro RPC to provide one of the safest pistol shooting facilities in Canada for our membership. We also purchased the 150 acres parcel of land adjoining the DNR property and have begun layout for a venue encompassing the Olympic Shooting Sports for our membership. Included will be Biathalon, The Pistol Sports (PPC, Standard Pistol, Rapid Fire, Air Pistol, ect.), 300m rifle, Olympic Trap & Skeet as well as Small Bore Rifle. There will also be ranges for our membership that just want to go out with their family and friends and shoot for fun, or practice with their hunting rifles or bows a few times a year.
The Metro Rifle and Pistol Club has made significant strides since the early part of this century. The loss of our indoor range coupled with the economic situation of our geographic area impacted our membership for a time; as did the ‘Gun Registry’ boondoggle. Fortunately, that trend has inverted and I am honoured to proclaim we are a growing, proud, forward-focused institution devoted to safety and sport.
Shoot safe and I hope to see you at the range!
Michael Kelly
President, Metro RPC