My Range Was Ordered Closed Today

[coloradokevin]

I'm so pissed I could pee fire!

I think shooting sports are beginning to die a slow death in this country, for a variety of reasons. One of these reasons is the fact that more and more shooting locations are disappearing, often due to increased legal/political pressure. I've watched this trend develop for the past couple of decades, and adjusted my shooting habits as required: one public range closes, move to another public range. When that range closes, move to national forest land, then move again when that area gets subjected to a closure order... and so on

But, I felt that I'd finally solved that problem a few years ago after I joined a well-established private shooting club out in the sticks, not too far from the Denver metro area. For the past few years I've been a member of the Wildlife Hunters Association of Colorado, and enjoyed shooting out to 600 yards on a regular basis... until today.

Now, thanks to an unproven accusation from a person who lives a couple of miles from the range, the range is no more. I received this sad e-mail from one of the range directors tonight (this is just a portion of it for public viewing):

"Dear WHAC Members,

It is with a heavy heart that we have to write this e-mail. Due to an incident with a round allegedly escaping the rifle range, we had a neighbor complain to Adams County about our organization. This was investigated by the Sheriff’s office and eventually ended up in a hearing at the Adams County Planning Commissioner’s Office. The Planning Commission has determined that we do not meet the current criteria for the operation of a shooting range in this area. Based on this they have requested from us to cease all shooting immediately on the Hazlet property.

We are certain that you have many questions and we will try to answer them as thoroughly as possible in this email…

What was the incident?
A neighbor to the south of the range alleges that a round was shot over the hill and went through window of their house. The Sheriff’s Dept. conclusion was that it was an accident and therefore they could not hold a specific individual liable for this action. They have stated that it is possible that this shot originated from our range.

As we have always stated we are responsible for every round fired from our guns and that safety is paramount. If it did in fact come from our range, it would have been caused by someone who had an accidental discharge or miscalculated his/her aim, sending a projectile over the back berm. We all know the safety rules and helped each other enforce them; unfortunately our neighbor’s misconception of ballistic trajectories had negative implications on the life of our club.

Could the club re-open?
We are looking at one other option that may grandfather the club and not have to follow current standards. However, this process will take a minimum of 120 days and may not be financially feasible. Regardless of what we may achieve in the future, understand that, by order of the County Commissioner, we must cease all shooting on the property effective immediately. Please do not go to the range to do any type of shooting.

What improvements would we have to do to the club to meet the current regulations?
Adams County makes it extremely expensive to comply with their regulations. We would need to fence in the section of land with a 6 foot high chain link fence. Material alone would cost about $25 per linear foot plus labor. As I am sure you all know, one section of land equals one square mile or, in other words, we would need to build four linear miles of fence which would amount to over $500,000.

We would also need to put a sign every 100 yards of fencing stating that this is a shooting range. Average metal sign cost about $15 apiece. In addition to this we would need to put in sound abatement that would surround the property.

Once again I find myself without a place that I can count on for shooting. I hope this situation somehow resolves itself, but the range owners are already planning to disperse the dues that have been collected from members for the remainder of the year. It kind of sounds like this one is a done deal.

How do we possibly keep shooting in the future if county regulations make it damn near impossible to operate a range? My friend looked through some Adams County regulations on ranges tonight, and said that they are requiring: 6 ft perimeter fences, signs every 100 yards, a ten foot berm "encircling" the property, and an on-site NRA certified instructor whenever the range is in operation. Yeah, all of that's real possible... especially for a 600 yard rifle range. Essentially, counties are regulating ranges out of business, and the problem found its way to my range today.

 

[BaltimoreBoy]

Is the accusation even true though?

Something similar happened at my Father-in-law's shooting club. The range is in the KC area and is on land originally donated by Brewster Hodgdon many years ago. Somebody claimed that a round traveled several miles and hit their house. They fought it and proved by forensics that it was not possible that the round came from the range. The complaint was false and malicious. Maybe they shouldn't give without a fight.

 

[Blackstone]

Is the accusation even true though?

Something similar happened at my Father-in-law's shooting club. The range is in the KC area and is on land originally donated by Brewster Hodgdon many years ago. Somebody claimed that a round traveled several miles and hit their house. They fought it and proved by forensics that it was not possible that the round came from the range. The complaint was false and malicious. Maybe they shouldn't give without a fight.

I hope the accuser got the book thrown at them for that

 

[clutch]

Something is fishy. No one gives up that easy unless they have a reason out of view.

 

[Snowdog]

Sorry to read this. A similar situation happened to me where in outdoor range (once a rock quarry) was shut down in the mid 90's. It closed not because it was unsafe, but because people who had cleared forested area, built McMansions and moved in well after the range was established complained enough to have the operation close down.

It is quite frustrating and I feel your pain.

 

[OARNGESI]

Is it just me or does that chain link fence seem really high

 

[Uncle Richard]

Something similar happened here in WV. Several bullets went flying into someones home that were supposedly fired from a public range managed by the DNR. Considering the topography of the land, and the house approximately a mile away, the individual would have to aim intentionally into the air. The range is supposed to open after the DNR determine how to prevent it again; however, a year is approaching fast, if not already.

A couple idiots ruin it for everyone.

 

[Boxhead]

We had that a few years ago when a fire created some serious damage behind the range in north Idaho. Once the dust settled it was cleared and the range is still as fine as it was...

 

[beatledog7]

Sounds to me like the range may have been in financial difficulty before the alleged loose round incident, and its leadership has simply used the event as a closure decision point.

There is no way to make a shooting range immune to accidents. There is no way to make pharmaceuticals immune to misuse or an automobile crash completely survivable with airbags.

All that said, range regulations are just another backdoor means to rob us of the meaning and importance of RKBA. Imagine a world in which nobody's trying to take away your car, but the rules for putting a car on the road are so arduous, and compliance is so expensive, that the average person can't do it. In effect, though you technically have a physical car in your driveway, you can't use it in the way it was designed to be used.

Do you really have a car in this kind of world?

 

[bill in IN]

Ex post facto?

 

[Jacob L Freeman]

A local man bought property UPHILL from a gun range that has existed 50+ years and has been trying to legally shut it down because of the risk of stray bullets and supposed lead contamination. He obviously (obvious to me as I read the local paper and know more about him than I can say here) has an anti-gun agenda, and is not genuinely concerned about lead. He chose to live there, knowing he would hear gun shots, hoping he would use his "rights" to control neighboring property.

 

[alsaqr]

It's a very sad day when any firing range gets closed down. The Adams county range regulations are totally far out.

My friend looked through some Adams County regulations on ranges tonight, and said that they are requiring: 6 ft perimeter fences, signs every 100 yards, a ten foot berm "encircling" the property, and an on-site NRA certified instructor whenever the range is in operation.

 

[Zeke/PA]

My Shooting Club is only a 10 minute drive from my house and so far it's stable. However, club officials stress the importance of not agrivating the neighbors.
Shooting hours and range safety are strictly adhered to and recent construction has taken place to eliminate stray bullets.
However with current development in many vanes, one wonders.

 

[Bruno2]

We had a problem with bullets finding their way from Tulsa Gun Club onto the tarmac at the Air National Guard's runway. There was a huge fuss made about it and the pistol range was closed down temporarily. The Tulsa County Sheriffs dept leased the pistol range and had their own private area where they trained right beside ours. Their portion didn't get shutdown b/c they had to train and they are law enforcement so they are more safe when it comes to handling firearms than regular citizens.

To say the least we were furious at whoever was shooting over the berm that is only 50 yds from the line. The pistol range was closed for a couple of months and lo and behold the National Guard found more projectiles on their tarmac. Upon further inspection there were many holes shot in the metal roof above the firing line. Also its not like the roofline hangs out more than 2 or 3 ft past the front of the line so someone had to be deliberately shooting holes in it. So we carried our findings and complaints to club management and the pistol range was re opened. We also wrote several nasty letters to TCSO regarding their unsafe shooting habits and lack of respect for private property.

As sad as it is the Sheriffs had access to the range when it was closed to the public as well as the Boy Scouts. The only time we have had snacks and drinks stolen from the snack bar (which is honor system regulated) was when the sheriffs were there unsupervised. Never when the regular members were there and never when the boy scouts were there.

 

[akv3g4n]

Similar story to BaltimoreBoy's. My father-in-law is a member of a club managed range in FL. Apparently, they had an issue with a neighbor claiming that there were bullets striking her house from the range. Thankfully, once the local sheriff got involved, it was pretty obvious that the woman had staged the damage and the bullets had not originated from the range. I forget the specifics on how it was determined, but his range is still going strong now a few years later....

 

[Outlaw Man]

Could someone explain to me how a chain link fence would have prevented this, if the round came from the range? Or is it the signs that stop the bullets? That must be it, since they stop guns from crossing.

Sadly, I think this is going to become more common. I fear this will be backdoor gun control. "Nobody's taking your guns away. We're just saying you can't use them." I really hope we're nowhere near that point.

 

[icanthitabarn]

I am pretty sure someone in Ct. made trouble by saying her house was hit by a round from a shooting range. She produced an empty case as proof. Good luck out there.

 

[MErl]

*censored* was considering that range last year when the fire bans shut down all the public land but the wait list nixed that idea. It does sounds like the rules are 100% designed to not have shooting ranges though. 6' chain link? welcome to prison.

And this is just in time for this years fire bans.

AFAIK CRC is still taking members. It is even more out in the sticks though and you have to plan shooting around the scheduled use.

ETA

Could someone explain to me how a chain link fence would have prevented this, if the round came from the range? Or is it the signs that stop the bullets? That must be it, since they stop guns from crossing.

Sadly, I think this is going to become more common. I fear this will be backdoor gun control. "Nobody's taking your guns away. We're just saying you can't use them." I really hope we're nowhere near that point.

The fence and signs are a "think of the children" thing. Keeps the *censored* from wandering around down range. As if people don't know how to climb a fence.

We may not be at that point of "well can have your guns and nowhere to shoot" but it is a goal. That rule about fencing says the county does not want ranges. Add that to suburban sprawl and houses encroaching to kill the existing ones, you get no ranges. Fire season is coming so public land will be off limits soon along the front range.

 

[627PCFan]

The West Virigina range was Sleepy Creek. WV DNR built a rifle range on the TOP of a mountain. Then the locals would place their targets on the top of the berms which are on top of the mountain.

I hope things get resolved there.

 

[Uncle Richard]

627PCFan

The West Virigina range was Sleepy Creek. WV DNR built a rifle range on the TOP of a mountain. Then the locals would place their targets on the top of the berms which are on top of the mountain.

I hope things get resolved there.

Im referring to a different range, Pedlar Run located a couple miles outside of Morgantown. Sorry to hear the same thing happened to Sleepy Creek.

 

[pendennis]

We've had similar problems. Our club has been in place since the early 1960's. The area has built up around us. One of our worst enemies is a trailer park. They're almost a mile southeast of the ranges, and the ranges all point east.

About five years ago, the local police got a complaint from the trailer park, that a round had penetrated a home there. Police came, took a report, and contacted our club. We contacted our attorney, who contacted the police and the complaining party.

Seems that the "round" had entered the trailer from the EAST. As mentioned, our ranges all point EAST. Person then canceled the complaint when the attorney pointed out the impossibility of a round from our club.

It's worth every penny for us to have an attorney on retainer.

 

[rondog]

Sent you a PM, Coloradokevin.....

And on a similar note - my fear is, with all these new and proposed gun laws, magazine size limits, etc., will LEO's start stalking ranges now, doing "spot checks" on our guns and equipment for "compliance"??? That will REALLY piss people off!

 

[Ed Ames]

This happens a lot in Texas. Several nearby ranges have been shut down, one is in the process of being shut down (they are currently running under a court order of "no rifle bullets over .300 diameter"). It's difficult to find a place to shoot rifles now.

Anyone remember that DA in Kauffman county TX who was, along with his wife, murdered half a year or so ago? He had started the process of shutting down a range shortly before dying.. As I recall it, that case is going to court in September (with a different DA of course).

That is all AFTER Texas passed a range protection law in 2011.

 

[MErl]

public areas possibly, but those are getting shut down all the time.
private ranges are private property and police wont be welcome if they start trying spot checks (unless they happen to be members).

 

[SabbathWolf]

Colorado laws are so crazy anyways...your range should file a counter-suit and claim that someone's house intentionally stopped one of their customers bullets.