Stupid range rules...
- Thread starter leadcounsel
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I earlier referred to a lax rule facility, or my own dirt berm at the house, but after reading along here, I do kind of realize a specific place for the restrictive nature of the public range. Our conservation department has a shooting complex that has all of the fire rate rules, target rules, and so forth.
But, If I have a new rifle or an old one with a new scope, It's hands down the best place to sight in. Each booth has a spotting scope, and various styles of bench rest. There is little worry for cross wind as there is dirt barrier all the way around. Range goes out too 100 yds. And it usually costs me about $6
But, If I have a new rifle or an old one with a new scope, It's hands down the best place to sight in. Each booth has a spotting scope, and various styles of bench rest. There is little worry for cross wind as there is dirt barrier all the way around. Range goes out too 100 yds. And it usually costs me about $6
beatledog7
Member
Does anyone else see patterns emerging here? There are exceptions, but:
1) Ranges with loose or non-existent membership restrictions generally have either very lax rules or very rigid rules. The rarely fall into the middle.
2) Ranges with moderate membership restrictions tend to have moderate rule sets.
3) Ranges with exclusive membership tend to have fewer and very well-reasoned rules.
jmr40 noted that in any environment rules get made to pay lip service to precluding recurrence of some idiotic behavior (I have paraphrased), and that is certainly true. But a few have been mentioned here that just make no sense at all to me: bolt actions upside down and one elbow on the bench come to mind.
Best I can figure:
1) Ranges who let pretty much anyone who has money shoot there either think they need tight rules (probably because they carry insurance that forces such rule sets upon them) or think rules are for sissies (and somehow get by without carrying insurance). Both extremes can make for a very unpleasant experience.
2) Ranges who are a bit more choosy about which shooters they'll allow on the range -- or at least ensure the shooters understand basic safety -- have sorted out a set of rules that make sense to most shooters who shoot there because these shooters have demonstrated a rational understanding of safety; they don't get hit with silly, arbitrary "safety" rules because they are safe without them. These ranges are often the ones with the most onerous "profit enhancement" rules.
3) Ranges with relatively exclusive membership know their membership, and in some cases have been very selective. Everyone who's coming there to shoot is independently safe and is capable of and bound to watch each other's backs. These ranges almost never suffer idiotic behavior because the membership won't tolerate it. Such ranges still have rules, but they are not arbitrary and they are most often arrived at by consensus.
Of course, rules set to appease politicians (no humanoid targets, etc.) may reach across membership-restriction boundaries.
But a few "rules" seem absent at the ranges that control membership: shoot only our ammo; we steal your brass, no rapid fire...people who join more exclusive "clubs" won't go for that sort of crap.
1) Ranges with loose or non-existent membership restrictions generally have either very lax rules or very rigid rules. The rarely fall into the middle.
2) Ranges with moderate membership restrictions tend to have moderate rule sets.
3) Ranges with exclusive membership tend to have fewer and very well-reasoned rules.
jmr40 noted that in any environment rules get made to pay lip service to precluding recurrence of some idiotic behavior (I have paraphrased), and that is certainly true. But a few have been mentioned here that just make no sense at all to me: bolt actions upside down and one elbow on the bench come to mind.
Best I can figure:
1) Ranges who let pretty much anyone who has money shoot there either think they need tight rules (probably because they carry insurance that forces such rule sets upon them) or think rules are for sissies (and somehow get by without carrying insurance). Both extremes can make for a very unpleasant experience.
2) Ranges who are a bit more choosy about which shooters they'll allow on the range -- or at least ensure the shooters understand basic safety -- have sorted out a set of rules that make sense to most shooters who shoot there because these shooters have demonstrated a rational understanding of safety; they don't get hit with silly, arbitrary "safety" rules because they are safe without them. These ranges are often the ones with the most onerous "profit enhancement" rules.
3) Ranges with relatively exclusive membership know their membership, and in some cases have been very selective. Everyone who's coming there to shoot is independently safe and is capable of and bound to watch each other's backs. These ranges almost never suffer idiotic behavior because the membership won't tolerate it. Such ranges still have rules, but they are not arbitrary and they are most often arrived at by consensus.
Of course, rules set to appease politicians (no humanoid targets, etc.) may reach across membership-restriction boundaries.
But a few "rules" seem absent at the ranges that control membership: shoot only our ammo; we steal your brass, no rapid fire...people who join more exclusive "clubs" won't go for that sort of crap.
Not necessarily, Beatledog. My local range, Bullseye, was under extreme scrutiny for the DC sniper stealing a gun from them, so much so they actually had to separate the store and the range. However, their rules are very basic, essentially wear ear and eye pro, stay in your lane, and specific rules on equipment (such as no rifle cartridges or birdshot). They make any new shooters take a five minute safety lecture, and that's that.
You'd think that a range under this much pressure would have very strict rules, but they don't.
You'd think that a range under this much pressure would have very strict rules, but they don't.
CoRoMo
Member
Our club banned those from the indoor pistol lanes. :banghead: What are a bunch of anti-2A twerps running a gun club for!!
PavePusher
Member
splithoof wrote:
Damn, it sounded like a fun place until you got to the restrictive part there...
Damn, it sounded like a fun place until you got to the restrictive part there...
evan price
Member
The ODNR runs supervised gun ranges here in Ohio and I have the good fortune to live real close to one.
The rules are pretty simple- No rapid fire but up to 3 round bursts are OK as long as you are on target. No mag dumps. No full auto. Paper targets only. No tracers (Had a couple fires from idiots sneaking them in). Have to buy a range pass, and an annual is $24 for unlimited use or $5 for a daily. Take as much brass as is left behind.
The RO of my range is a little less strict on regulars, he's got an unwritten rule that rapid fire is OK if you can prove to him you are in control. Standard test when people whine about mag dumps is he puts a standard NRA target at 100 yards and says if they put all 30 rounds on paper they can shoot as fast as they want. If they miss, they get ejected for the year. Been years, and nobody has taken him on that.
Rules are necessary, there's a lot of idiots out there. They tend to fill the benches quickly during busy season and then it's get in line and wait. One fella was so angry that he actually had to wait for a bench on a busy Saturday morning that he took his AK and started shooting at the clay pigeons on the ground in the skeet range. That got him a trip to jail.
I like shooting, I like my range, and if some ****** starts flying lead over the berm and people shut the range down I am gonna be torqued off. We already had one good range closed permanantly because of rounds overtopping the berm and hitting the Battelle research center.
The rules are pretty simple- No rapid fire but up to 3 round bursts are OK as long as you are on target. No mag dumps. No full auto. Paper targets only. No tracers (Had a couple fires from idiots sneaking them in). Have to buy a range pass, and an annual is $24 for unlimited use or $5 for a daily. Take as much brass as is left behind.
The RO of my range is a little less strict on regulars, he's got an unwritten rule that rapid fire is OK if you can prove to him you are in control. Standard test when people whine about mag dumps is he puts a standard NRA target at 100 yards and says if they put all 30 rounds on paper they can shoot as fast as they want. If they miss, they get ejected for the year. Been years, and nobody has taken him on that.
Rules are necessary, there's a lot of idiots out there. They tend to fill the benches quickly during busy season and then it's get in line and wait. One fella was so angry that he actually had to wait for a bench on a busy Saturday morning that he took his AK and started shooting at the clay pigeons on the ground in the skeet range. That got him a trip to jail.
I like shooting, I like my range, and if some ****** starts flying lead over the berm and people shut the range down I am gonna be torqued off. We already had one good range closed permanantly because of rounds overtopping the berm and hitting the Battelle research center.
45_auto
Member
What did they charge him with?
jcwit
member
Sounds like a good range with very reasonable rules.
plateshooter
Member
"3) Ranges with relatively exclusive membership know their membership, and in some cases have been very selective. Everyone who's coming there to shoot is independently safe and is capable of and bound to watch each other's backs. These ranges almost never suffer idiotic behavior because the membership won't tolerate it. Such ranges still have rules, but they are not arbitrary and they are most often arrived at by consensus."
The above quote defines the ranges or clubs that I belong to. Our rules are voted on by the members and are enforced by the members. If a member does not like the rules, he can bring it up at a meeting. If there is enough interest by the members to change it, a vote will be taken.
We don't allow full auto or anything that sounds like full auto. No 50 cal or tracers. This is done out of respect for the neighboring homes churchs and farms in the area. We don't need any wanna be Rambo shooting over the berms while trying to bump fire his WASR 10.
We have a waiting list of people who would like to join our club. We have reached our cap for our number of members. and get calls almost every day inquiring about membership. Seems people like the rules we have that provide for a safe, and fun place to shoot.
My suggestion to those who don't like the rules at a particular place, is to find another range, or buy some land, buy some insurance, open your own range, and make your own rules.
The above quote defines the ranges or clubs that I belong to. Our rules are voted on by the members and are enforced by the members. If a member does not like the rules, he can bring it up at a meeting. If there is enough interest by the members to change it, a vote will be taken.
We don't allow full auto or anything that sounds like full auto. No 50 cal or tracers. This is done out of respect for the neighboring homes churchs and farms in the area. We don't need any wanna be Rambo shooting over the berms while trying to bump fire his WASR 10.
We have a waiting list of people who would like to join our club. We have reached our cap for our number of members. and get calls almost every day inquiring about membership. Seems people like the rules we have that provide for a safe, and fun place to shoot.
My suggestion to those who don't like the rules at a particular place, is to find another range, or buy some land, buy some insurance, open your own range, and make your own rules.
Don't be so sure this is about it being about money. There is a theory that some range consultants have come up with that suggests the brass is a hazardous substance due to the lead residue and that thus the range is responsible to see it is disposed of properly. The shooter is not likely to be licensed to handle hazardous materials.
Other range consultants claim the brass belongs to the shooter until it is abandoned and at that point becomes the responsibility of the range and thus allowing someone else to pick it up would be inappropriate.
Its a convoluted situation.
I guess the range/club 1 mile from my house is number 3. Although I'm not sure how "exclusive" it is. It has common sense safety rules, and no shooting steel, but other than that it's all good. I would never actually PAY money to shoot at some of the places described above with range nazis and target/ammo/brass rules.
evan price
Member
45 auto said:
4M disorderly conduct, as I recall. Up to 30 days in county lockup.
The closest outdoor range has a couple of what I consider strange rules. The first is no tracer ammo. It is in the middle of the desert, no vegetation back of the berm (just a small mountainside), yet no tracers. Not that I shoot at night, but tracers are cheap right now (probably because you can't shoot them most places). The second odd rule is that you can't pick up brass off the concrete shooting positions when the range is cold, only when it is hot.
Aaron1100us
Member
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Love the range I go to. No dumb rules, no one monitors it, you can shoot whatever you want. People even bring appliances out there to shoot.
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Sent from my PB99400 using Tapatalk 2
David E
Member
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- Aug 3, 2008
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No, but it's ok to buy lead bullets in bulk and handle each one barehanded, but the "lead residue" inside the brass is more hazardous?
No, it's utterly nonsensical.
SpentCasing
Member
A certain indoor range by me I choose not to go to due to some of these gems.
No "headshots"
Any rifle will be shot using only 1 round in the gun at a time. My G18 mag and my buddy's Saiga 12 with a drum is good to go though.:banghead:
All staff shall be condescending to any and all patrons.
-So I must drive twice the distance (20mi each way) to go to a proper indoor range with courteous staff and all the way to Amish country for a proper rifle range. Not sure why youd want to shoot a rifle at an indoor range anyways.
No "headshots"
Any rifle will be shot using only 1 round in the gun at a time. My G18 mag and my buddy's Saiga 12 with a drum is good to go though.:banghead:
All staff shall be condescending to any and all patrons.
-So I must drive twice the distance (20mi each way) to go to a proper indoor range with courteous staff and all the way to Amish country for a proper rifle range. Not sure why youd want to shoot a rifle at an indoor range anyways.
David E
Member
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- Aug 3, 2008
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- 7,459
No "headshots"
I think the reason for that is they've had too many hits on the target carriers.
Put the target 10 yds down range, sit down or kneel and the angle of fire will hit something besides the backstop.
And/or, people can't hit much, so intended headshots go high, hitting the target carrier...
No clue about their other rules.
I doubt it.
I've been to ranges that had that rule too. One was in Illinois.
They were extremely serious about it, to the tune of being immediately kicked out if you shot anything in the head. The basic silhouettes they sold didn't have heads, even. And you couldn't have anything that looked like a person, either, of course. "not even zombie targets'Wouldn't want to be shooting and killing people, you know.
Ignition Override
Member
If you own the brass, they can not take away your private property.
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