Local Gun Club Post New Rules . . . !!??

[ralphtt]

I've been a member of a local gun club for over thirty years. The club just completed a renovation of the rifle range which was very extensive. More than needed actually, but that's another story.

Soon as the new range was completed, two new rules were posted.

1. No breech loading rifles .50 caliber or larger.

2. No magazines which will hold more than ten rounds.

These rules don't really affect me . . . I don't own a .50 caliber rifle and only use large magazines occasionally in my AR-15, but guess it's the principle of the thing. The gun club is NRA affiliated and these rules were not mentioned to the membership before they were posted.

My reaction was basically, "Gee . . . it's a gun club. Where else do we go to shoot these banned firearms?"

Obviously, some in-house politics is involved here. :banghead:

Just wonder what you guys think of this situation?

regards,
ralph

 

[Correia]

The 10 round rule is BS. The .50 rule may be a function of the type of backstop used.

Our local state range has a no rapid fire rule. Which they define as anything faster than 1 shot a second. Sorry, I'm an IDPA guy. If you want to make Master class you need to average 3 AIMED shots a second.

Some ranges just suck.

 

[Doug444]

Correa,
True, for some disciplines, the 1 shot/sec. rule does have it's down sides, but for most NORMAL p ) folks it's just fine. But hey, we've got a whole lota desert not that far away that doesn't have such sissy rules, right? Much as I like the Lee Kay Center (that's the one you were referring to, correct?), and I DO like it for a lot of reasons, it's not really set up for many, if any, of the really fun games we play. The other local "public" range (Holliday Gun Club) is a pretty much wide open, "everybody behave yourself" kind of place, but I can recall NUMEROUS times when I've been down range there only to look up and see folks handling and SIGHTING guns in my general direction. Not the most plesant feeling.

When will there be a THR shoot in Utah? I missed the last TFL shoots, and I do mean missed.

Doug444

 

[Gewehr98]

I've seen the .50 BMG rule enforced.

In an effort to save the backstop from being eroded too quickly. If that club just spent a lot of time, money, and effort into rebuilding the berms, I can see why they'd do it.

I've heard about ranges that don't allow more than 1 round in a firearm, regardless of magazine capacity, per shot. Not that I agree with the policy, but if it's a privately-held range, it's their bar of soap and they can wash as hard and fast as they want. Maybe it's a liability thing?

 

[Bainx]

What's the world coming to when I can not lob a lead bullet down range using my 50-70 Trapdoor?

 

[ralphtt]

No berms . . . the backstop is a mountain

at about 325 yards from the firing point.

Seems a silly rule to me . . . where else you gonna' sight in a .50 in this densely populated hill country?

Board of directors meeting tonight . . . maybe get some answers there.

 

[Hkmp5sd]

What's the world coming to when I can not lob a lead bullet down range using my 50-70 Trapdoor?

One that is rapidly become a world where .50 and up are banned from private ownership.

but for most NORMAL ( ) folks it's just fine.

You mean I'm not normal? My local county owned and operated range has this prohibition on rapid fire and it sucks. Fortunately, they don't hire brain surgeons to run the range. I convinced one that the 1 shot/second applied to the "average" time for a machinegun since I only pull the trigger one time. As long as I only fire one 30-round magazine per minute, I am in fact firing only 1 round every 2 seconds.

 

[Chipperman]

What if you bring more than one mag to the range?

 

[Hkmp5sd]

What if you bring more than one mag to the range?

Me? I take a crate full of magazines to the range. I just pick up my brass between magazines, which generally takes longer than one minute. And for those county guys that might still be a little leery of me shooting full auto, letting them shoot off a magazine generally brings them to my side.

I still don't do it very often. I prefer a nice private spot for full auto.

 

[Correia]

Doug, I'm just bummed is all. Lee Kay is by far the closest place for me to shoot. It just doesn't cater to folks like me is all. I think it is more of a sight in your deer rifle kind of range. Last time I was out there was to get the cubscouts in my ward to pass their hunter safety test.

We do need to have another get together, I've just been super busy this summer.

 

[benEzra]

I wonder if you could find out who is responsible and what their thinking was, and then write them a quiet, well-reasoned letter to suggest why this is an unreasonable approach and/or suggest other, better ways to accomplish their goal. Does your club have monthly/quarterly meetings? Is there a sizable minority (or even a majority) of well-respected members you could get on your side?

 

[Standing Wolf]

I think some people make rules just to demonstrate they can make rules.

 

[ralphtt]

Just got back from the club meeting and . . .

turns out this rule was decided on by five of eleven board members who supposedly got together on the telephone. Had a couple hours lively discussion with only the five board members involved speaking in favor of the new rules. Other members had well-reasoned responses and the overall movement was toward declaring the new rules null and void. But, the decision was tabeled til the next meeting to give both sides an equal chance to muster support.

Till then, I guess the new rules are in effect, but doubt many will pay much attention to them.

Interesting meeting!

 

[HankL]

a section of our range rules read "no breach fed rifles OVER 50 caliber." Work them in that direction.

 

[ralphtt]

Thought about that . . .

but how about the guy with the .505 Gibbs or the .600 Nitro Express double rifle?

Can't leave them out . . .

 

[Black92LX]

my club just banned the .50 bmg. it makes sense because 300 yds is the farthest range, and that's just about when it gets really going. but doesn't really affect me i don't own one.

 

[TearsOfRage]

I can vouch for the idea that in-house politics as you call it is sometimes responsible for range rules. I had to leave one club when they started making up new unwritten rules just for me, like no rapid fire. I was about the only active black rifle shooter there at the time.

 

[AK103K]

We always end up suffering for the actions of the few. In this case, those few who insist on tearing up the backstops, or bringing other types of heat down on us with uncontroled and often unsafe shooting. With liability insurance being what it is these days and cost of constantly replacing backstops, etc, I think a lot of small clubs just cant handle it money wise. I shoot at a club that used to be one round at a time and has actually relaxed that rule. They still wont allow rapid fire of full auto weapons, and I dont know of any that will. Unless you have access to private land around here, finding a place to shoot full auto can be challenging. I'm sure most of us are responsible shooters and can keep our rounds where they are supposed to go, but when someone who is trying their damnedest to shut your range down shows up with the news crew and somebody is "bumping" his AR or AK and lead is flying everywhere but on the target on the 6 o'clock news, the rest of us end up paying for it with these types of rules. Dont get me wrong, I'm one that owns and shoots full auto, and also wants and needs other rapid fire practice, but I have to find those other places to do it.

 

[mpthole]

*** veering off topic ***

but doesn't really affect me i don't own one.

Gawd how I hate that phrase.

<liberal whine>
I think I'm going to bring up to my club that since I don't own a shotgun and therefore don't shoot trap, we should get rid of the trap ranges. Afterall, shotguns spread more lead per square foot than any rifle would... and, and ... and doesn't that contribute to more lead pollution or something...?
</liberal whine>

Its the attitude quoted above that is killing the pro-RKBA movement. If a gun club can't support RKBA and all shooting sports then where does that leave us?

 

[Henry Bowman]

my club just banned the .50 bmg. it makes sense because 300 yds is the farthest range, and that's just about when it gets really going. but doesn't really affect me i don't own one.

Mine, too. I suspect that we belong to the same club (FSA). Makes no sense to me. I don't own one, but would like to someday. Sure I wish we had a 1000 yd range, but I know you can safely shoot a .50 on a 100 yd range (it just isn't as fun!).

They keep remining us that we are just one dumb shot away from being shut down. True, and I understand about liability insurance rules and cost. But how is it then that others on this discussion board belong to clubs w/o so many paranoid restictions. :banghead:

 

[Bruce H]

The five of eleven board menbers should be removed from the board. Then they should be removed from the shooting range.

 

[seeker_two]

My club doesn't allow .50BMG b/c the backstops aren't rated to stop those rounds.

No tracer rounds either (county in a burn ban)...

Other than that, everything else is OK--as long as you share...