Cadell Pistol Club

The Cadell Pistol Club in South Australia is one of the SSAA ís smallest branches. However, as the saying goes, size doesnít matter. The small but committed group of shooters are all passionate about the sport and dedicated to growing their membership.

The club was started in 1973 and is located 5 km out of the township of Cadell, which is 180 km north of Adelaide. The town was named after Captain Francis Cadell, who was the navigator on Charles Sturt’s successful exploration of the mighty Murray River. Cadell has a population of less than 100 people. However, that number is doubled when you consider the inmates of the Cadell Training Centre – a low-security facility that focuses on restorative justice.

Surrounded by mallee scrub, the Cadell Pistol Club offers its small membership four different ranges, making congestion rarely an issue. There are two ranges in which members can shoot various 25m and 50m events and there is also a shotgun and air pistol range. Range days held fortnightly on Sundays and are used to shoot UIT matches, Black Powder, Shotgun, Air Pistol and Rifle Silhouette matches.

Other amenities include men’s and women’s toilets, a kitchen area and a clubroom. There is space for camping, although the sites are not powered.

The Cadell Pistol Club is unique, in that the clubhouse was built by hand by the prisoners of the Training Centre. The stone used was taken from an old home in the area.

The current club President is Stephen Brindal, who also serves as the club’s resident trainer and takes all new members through the required safety awareness course. The club Secretary is Christine Brindal.