New county-owed range has those and steel on their pistol range - no paper targets allowed to prevent folks from going downrange - helps avoid a tragic OOPS by someone not paying attention. Same for their rifle range - no paper targets; they use an expensive Norwegian electronic one where you have a monitor showing where your bullets hit; you can even printout the stats
I agree in that a silhouette isn't an absolute necessity for practice but they've been a regular fixture in my shooting drills for over a decade. I have hundreds of full size silhouette targets, that I'll make use of elsewhere. It's just kind of the point though. I can practice just as well I think, without.
Being able to hit a small, specific target is a great skill and everyone should have it, or at least try and strive to get it, especially being able to do it, on-demand as needed. Im betting most are lacking here though.Yet, somehow, there are a lot of us in the game who just never, ever visualize the shooting of people. Granted, we may be pressed into it, but our targets are far smaller, and usually scram fast. Being able to hit a full size body silhouette, for us, has a zero value. Feral cats, wild dogs, and coyotes are all far smaller, and more elusive targets.
Anybody who carries a gun for self defense has visualized the scenario of shooting a person. I imagine it's about the most counter intuitive, last ditch, please God don't make me do this type of event. That's why people train and practice, they've made a choice that their life and those of their loved ones are valued above the life of someone who would take it. People think very poorly of CCW'ers and those that take an interest in gunfighting. Like we are all sitting on the edge of our seats waiting for an excuse to pull a gun out.Yet, somehow, there are a lot of us in the game who just never, ever visualize the shooting of people. Granted, we may be pressed into it, but our targets are far smaller, and usually scram fast. Being able to hit a full size body silhouette, for us, has a zero value. Feral cats, wild dogs, and coyotes are all far smaller, and more elusive targets.
I believe the times, they are a changing. I am a gun owner and have been since my first 22 rifle in 1957 at age 7. There was a time when most gun owners never gave a thought to having to defend family or loved ones. We simply enjoyed the shooting sports and for the most part CCW was unheard of. Homicides were rare and I grew up on LI just a few miles outside NYC. There were no armed robberies at gun point or car jackings at gun point. Yeah, the times they are a changing. Today is not what it was when I got my first guns and that includes first handguns. Do I enjoy carrying a gun? No, not really but if it comes down to it I would prefer the other guy is dead and not me or my loved ones.Imagine you are a gun owner and you never considered things like being forced to defend yourself in a crowded place or in your home.
The subject of silhouette targets has been done to death. But carry on if you desire.
Funny thing about that was when I went through the Police Academy in 2019 they told us throw away all the silhouette targets we were given because we are not allowed to shoot at people type targets that ar un armed. Instead, the instructor put out the targets that looks like a guy with a gun. By far the stupidest crap I ever heard in my life. They also dont use these targets at my club for their weekly "defensive pistol" shoots. They want you to be timed, draw from a covered, ccw type holster but you shoot at paper plates and sheets of cardboard.Because if a member snaps and ends up being a mass shooter, they don't want the publicity of allowing members to "train to shoot people". Ludicrous, but that's the media-fueled environment we now live in.
Yeah well the guest thing kind if bugs me too, since 99% of the time I shoot alone, but there have been a few occasions these past few years where I've brought a new shooter, someone looking for a lil instruction, etc... it's a few and far between thing of course, and the inconvenience for me is probably outweighed by the benefit that you don't have a bunch of non members hogging up the space and making it harder on members. Idk, I would be surprised if they policed it vigilantly, I'm sure for the rare occasion I might bring someone along with me I won't have any problems. Up until now though I always brought my daughter or my wife on my membership, gonna have to get memberships for them now too I guess. Oh well.I agree with guests to a point. I pay $60-yr with 12 work hours due or pay what was $15-work hour and is now $25. Your allowed 2 guests at a time, but if your a 15-40yr member its a free for all. I have shown up on more than one occasion where a guy on a committe has like 4-5 guys with him and they hog the range for hours. I dont pay my dues and come up there and bust my butt working for someones buddies to have a free ride every saturday.
Family is different. I am on the mow crew and one evening I pulled in and was asked if a 19-20yo woman with a little boy was my daughter? I replied no, why? Apparently she showed up with the little boy and began fishing and when questioned she said her dad was a member and was on his way. Some of the other members were so upset and ready to toss her and I said she's my guest until her dad shows. An hour goes by and no dad so one of the members questions her and I tell them I know her dad from last week when we met. He lectures her about how she's not supposed to be there without a member and then he calls the vice president who calls her dad. Our club says immediate family is unlimited but friends are limited to two. I feel like if the member is in good standing and has been there a long time then wife and kids should be able to piggy back on their membership. My gripe with the saturday mornign guys is 1 guy shows up and signs himself in and puts +3 or 4. Every bench is taken and if you want to shoot pistol no one can shoot rifle and vice versa. I finally told them last year, after being a member for about 8-9yrs now that I am sick of it and will go pay $120-yr for a longer range, better grounds, better benches and I dont have to worry about $25hrx12 for work hours you can never get in and always having to deal with members closing the range for bachelor parties, birthday parties, grad parties, bringing so many friends I have to wait an hour for a bench. I was told have at it. There is always someone on the waiting list waiting to get in. If I was in your shoe's I would find another range/club. I am. Only reason I havent jumped ship yet is the other club isnt taking members right now due to covid.Yeah well the guest thing kind if bugs me too, since 99% of the time I shoot alone, but there have been a few occasions these past few years where I've brought a new shooter, someone looking for a lil instruction, etc... it's a few and far between thing of course, and the inconvenience for me is probably outweighed by the benefit that you don't have a bunch of non members hogging up the space and making it harder on members. Idk, I would be surprised if they policed it vigilantly, I'm sure for the rare occasion I might bring someone along with me I won't have any problems. Up until now though I always brought my daughter or my wife on my membership, gonna have to get memberships for them now too I guess. Oh well.
Mocked them for being a non definitive, featureless silhouette or for being man shaped at all?The UK and European competition shooters used to mock our humanoid targets in their gun periodicals at times. I shoot USPSA and we are using both types.
Well I guess I can't complain about membership dues. I paid $35 for the last 3 years and $30 this year. Don't know why it went down $5. Also trap is $4 a round and one of the jersey guys that I bumped into one day said it's $12 a round where he goes. Reasonable membership costs, just unfortunate they have put a lil bit of a chokehold on our freedoms, etc...My range has done a couple things that made me dang angry, but
the only rules are no drawing from holsters or shooting steel until you take the day long class
after that it’s $30 a month with unlimited free guest passes
not bad I think
Unbelievable, I would be hard pressed not to spot mop the driveway with someone's head had I seen em doing that, at the very least take down plates and drop the dime and tell them I was doing so and that I hoped they got fined by the state and utility and got a year in county. Smh. I hate stupid people, God help them. They ruin it for the rest of us.....We had an outdoor range I frequented closed because of stupid chit. The range was on utility right of way land, and run by a police fraternal organization and open to the public. The full time range officer unfortunately never left the little office building to watch on the range itself.
Morons started shooting up at electrical insulators and the bullets landed far downrange in a residential area. The utility put up with that crap for only so long when complaints started coming in from the community, then revoked permission to use the land after 50 or so years.
I wonder if this is worth a THR poll?I never read the rules at the gun club.
If you say so...I've been a member of a range for about 3 years, never heard of such a policy....
That's true at the club I belong.I never read the rules at the gun club.
Breakthrough! I'm not making fun. Same thing happens at my club, except usually the one who doesn't know 'asks somebody'. You took the action of finding out, and I salute that action.CoalCrackerAl said:Until the other day. I took my neighbor and he was drinking beer. He asked if beer is allowed. I didn't know so i read the rules.
Not surprising. Common to all ranges on which I have shot - which are widespread and many.CoalCrackerAl said:No booze while shooting.
Paper targets only is generally intended to prevent the range from filling up with the remains of gallon jugs (and water commonly), boxes, shredded magazines and newspapers - for penetration 'testing' - broken clay pigeons left, and various bits and pieces of what is properly land fill filler.CoalCrackerAl said:The rest of the rules were just common sense ones. One rule was paper targets only. But they don't mind if you bring spinners and steel plates.