About The Tunnel

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The Tunnel opened in 1831 and operated as a road tunnel until the A35 was rerouted to the new Charmouth bypass completed in 1990. The tunnel is 66m long and 6m wide, and its twin is still in use as a road tunnel near Beaminster. It was derelict for a number of years until the present owner purchased it in 2004. The conversion work began in 2009 and finished in 2010 when Target Sports Centre began business running the new ranges. The Tunnel currently houses two rifle ranges, an armoury, cafe, and classrooms. In 2012 our 100m fullbore range was completed, built on a section of disused road behind The Tunnel. The building currently houses the range, as well as our on-site gun shop and more classroom space.

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Opening Times

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Sunday             CLOSED

Monday          CLOSED

Tuesday        10am - 5pm (latest booking for a shooting experience is 4pm)

Wednesday  10am - 9pm (latest booking for a shooting experience is 5pm)

Thursday      10am - 9pm (latest booking for a shooting experience is 5pm)

Friday            10am - 5pm (latest booking for a shooting experience is 4pm)

Saturday       9am - 5pm (latest booking for a shooting experience is 4pm)

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Advance booking is required for all shooting and range use, shooting experiences must be booked in advance, by email or telephone, and we cannot accept same day bookings.

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Getting here and parking

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• Please see this link for our location on Google Maps

• The Tunnel is located on the A35, approximately 2km north of Charmouth, West Dorset

• There is ample free parking in front of The Tunnel, and an overflow car park is located on top of The Tunnel, approximately 100m past the front gate 

• The closest train station is Axminster Station

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Accessibility

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Both our 25m and 100m rifle ranges are fully wheelchair accessible, and all shooting can be conducted from a seating position. 

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Costs and Fees

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For the cost of our all-inclusive Shooting Experiences, please see our Shooting Experiences page. These can also be purchased as gift vouchers.

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If you have your own rifle and would like to hire a lane, the rates are as follows.

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25m and 35m small-bore ranges: £15 per hour (£10 for juniors)

100m full-bore range: £25 per hour (£15 for juniors)

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For Commercial rates, which includes exclusive use, please contact us on 01297 560049 or email info@thetunnel.co.uk 

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Club Membership

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A number of clubs make use of the Target Sports Centre.  The clubs are separate organisations from the Target Sports Centre Ltd.

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The Tunnel Target Sports Club is a miniature rifle club, using .22RF rifles. The club now has an active membership of over 500 people, one of the largest in the South West, with regular competitions, two club nights per week, and several members progressing to international level shooting.

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The West Dorset Rifle & Pistol Club is a Home Office Approved club with members shooting full bore rifles, small bore rifles and muzzle loading pistols.  The club regularly shoots at Bisley.  Members participate in CSR, F Class and McQueens. The club is the full bore club that makes most use of the ranges at the Target Sports Centre, and is open to new applications for membership.

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Please see our membership page for details.