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bigfatdave
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Post by bigfatdave » Tue Oct 23, 2012 7:49 am

Painted lines and schmafety officers are neither required nor desired at my conservation club's ranges, except at youth events or public-invited matches.

I'm a bit appalled that adults can be so ignorant and still have a membership somewhere.

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Hakaman
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Post by Hakaman » Tue Oct 23, 2012 10:18 am

Is that you in the picture BE? I like that range, looks quite impressive and organized.
I know greener's range has no rangemaster on the line. Mine doesn't for day to day shooting either, for matches it does but thats about it.

I think a lot of the public ranges are "self policing" which, in theory, means everyone os a range maser and can call a cease fire or call out others on safety issues.... in theory

I have shot at both types of ranges you mention, Mr. Bgreenea, and I like the ranges governed by a RO. In ranges that don't have an RO, I find shooters with more assertive personalities pushing their desired ideas upon the range, and they may not be what other shooters want, or may not be safe. A range governed by an RO has a 'set' group of safety rules that everyone must obey.
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Bullseye
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Post by Bullseye » Wed Oct 24, 2012 6:59 am

No, that is not me in the picture. The picture I posted was one I searched for to use as an example of the safety line I was describing. Even at an unsupervised range a safety line can help with careless individuals. Someone has to make the line safe and then volunteer to stay behind while other shooters go downrange to inspect and change targets. That person would be the rangemaster designate for that trip to the targets. Someone else could have a turn behind the line on the next cease fire session.

Unfortunately many folks think they are safe and do careless things on the range with their firearms, potentially endangering others.

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blue68f100
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Post by blue68f100 » Wed Oct 24, 2012 8:51 am

Fortunately I do not shoot at an outdoor range so I don't have to worry about other shooters. The ones I used years ago, had RO and the safety line. Now at the indoor range there is still a hot line so to speak in which all guns must be cased in order to removed. It's setup so each bay is hot at all times w/ dividers between shooters. The targets are on trollies so you can look and change at will. Even with this setup every now and then someone new thinks they can shoot gangster style, they are normally using a rental gun. Normally when this happens they are missing the target at 7 yrds and bullets spraying every where. Including hitting the ceiling, others targets not just next to them but 2 over at times. There is suppose to be a RO watching but this is now done by video. So normally the regulars (old men like my self) step in and intervene. Safety must be a number 1 priority with all guns. Complacency is when bad things happen.
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bigfatdave
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Post by bigfatdave » Wed Oct 24, 2012 9:35 am

Or everyone goes downrange at once

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Georgezilla
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Post by Georgezilla » Wed Oct 24, 2012 11:19 pm

blue68f100 wrote: Even with this setup every now and then someone new thinks they can shoot gangster style, they are normally using a rental gun. Normally when this happens they are missing the target at 7 yrds and bullets spraying every where. Including hitting the ceiling, others targets not just next to them but 2 over at times.
This reminds me of a few years ago... I was at a public range with my brother and a friend, we were shooting at the 15 yard line and fellow set up right next to us on the 7 yard line (at this particular range, there was only one pistol firing line, but the berms were stair-stacked to allow people to place targets at 7 and 15 yards). The guy takes out a .50 AE Desert Eagle out of his range bag and proceeds to empty the magazine, gangster style, as fast as he can. He managed to fire over the berm, hit one of our targets, and hit another shooter's target that was on the other side of him. He probably shot a 15 foot group at 7 yards... It was quite scary.

I am actually scared to go to public shooting ranges these days. Most do not have a range officer, and far too many people do not practice safe handling of their firearms. On top of that, on several occasions when I have had to tell people at public ranges to keep muzzles pointed down range, do not handle firearms during cease fire, ect., they usually get a major chip on their shoulder (even though I am extremely polite). I remember one time there was a guy pointing his semi-auto to the side whilst loading a mag, I asked him to please not point his weapon at other shooters while he is loading it, he argued with me that this practice was "completely safe".

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Post by Bullseye » Thu Oct 25, 2012 7:02 am

bigfatdave wrote:Or everyone goes downrange at once
Not a good idea at a public range. While shooters are downrange who's minding the firearms sitting on the benches? Anyone can walk up and grab some firearms and run.

Or, what happens if someone new arrives and starts unloading their firearms at the benches while everybody else is downrange.

Two very good reasons why someone needs to stay behind and monitor the firing line. You've got to practice good risk assessment.

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arizona-hermit
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Post by arizona-hermit » Thu Oct 25, 2012 12:21 pm

Bullseye wrote:
bigfatdave wrote:Or everyone goes downrange at once
Not a good idea at a public range. While shooters are downrange who's minding the firearms sitting on the benches? Anyone can walk up and grab some firearms and run.

Or, what happens if someone new arrives and starts unloading their firearms at the benches while everybody else is downrange.

Two very good reasons why someone needs to stay behind and monitor the firing line. You've got to practice good risk assessment.

R,
Bullseye
Very true Bullseye,

Several years ago a few of us were at our favorite local shooting spot (a dry river bed with HUGE backstops) and all three of us went downrange to setup new targets and clean up the old ones.

When we started back from the 100 yard berm, we saw a small (10-12ish years old) child walking stealthily (looking every direction and trying to remain out of sight from us) towards our vehicle and rifles. Thankfully we all had sidearms and whistles (for communications, etc) and decided to blow the whistles and hustle back to the vehicle. The child immediately disappeared back into the underbrush and we never saw him/her again. We get back to the vehicle and decide to try and see if the kid needed assistance, so we lock up the rifles in the vehicle and set out to try and find the kid.

We are many miles from ANY sort of civilization, so we knew the kid was either 1) a lost runaway or 2) an illegal alien and depending on what we found we would either take the kid back to town or call the Border Patrol and report the activity.

Not 50 yards from the vehicle we find a large dump site used by illegals to get rid of extra clothing, trash, water bottles, etc, etc, etc. We call the Border Patrol and report it.

From that day forward, we always took the weapons with us to check the targets or left an individual back to keep watch on the weapons. I refuse to be scared away from my favorite shooting spots simply because it happens to be a route used by illegals. We are so close to Mexico that seeing illegals is a routine matter and allowing them to change how we live is not going to happen.

Most coyotes are armed, but rarely ever confront other armed individuals that can fight back or report them to the authorities.
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain. [1 COR 15:10a - NASB]

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Hakaman
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Post by Hakaman » Thu Oct 25, 2012 7:53 pm

Most coyotes are armed, but rarely ever confront other armed individuals that can fight back or report them to the authorities.
Wow, I'd always pack a sidearm in that area with plenty of ammo, and keep my eyes and ears open. Good luck to ya, sounds like a fun shooting area.

H

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