Gun club questions "Im an idiot i know"

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chetrogers

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Next month i am joining a local gun club I was going to do it this month but i had to work on the day that they give the tour and tell the rules etc..So im waiting till next month.But i have a few questions for anyone that mite be able to help.

The club Im joinging has an 12 station indoor shooting place.Im curious if you are there shooting and lets say you are there with 2 other people.When do you go and get your targets and put up new ones.There must be some sort of cease fire of some sort.Do you just shoot one mag then everyone puts guns down and walks the 50 feet or what ever it is and change or is there some other methed.

Also basicly the same question for the 100 yard shooting that is outside.Do you shoot then walk 100 yards and put up new targets.

And what if your the only one there and you are done with one target.You dont just walk down the range and hope somebody else doesnt start shooting.Thanks for any info.As you can see i am totally new to gun clubs.Thats why im not joining till i can take the tour.Thanks for your time.

The club im joining is http://www.douglasridge.org
 
My indoor range has an automatic target retrival (ATR) system (you hit the switch and it either goes out or comes in).

The outdoor range you can set up a target on each of the ranges (how far out the target will be): 50ft, 75ft, 100ft, and 250ft (or was that yards? I haven't been in ages, too expensive for me). The RO will call a cease fire about every 20 or so minutes. Spotting scopes are a must if you go.

If it's an elebarate(sp) outdoor range they may have ATR systems. I haven't seen any but I have heard of them.

If they have an ATR system in the indoor range, see if you can place your own cardboard up. I got a human silowhite(sp) and then placed it on the cardboard and marked out the vitals, non vitals, even went as far as marking out the main artories. I then tape the human target over the "internals" (making sure that it lines up correctly) and then place my cardboard on the hangers. This way, even with a 7 or 8 ring shot, I can tell if I hit something that is or could be vital. Hey, it's just a me thing :).

Wayne

*PS, just noticed, you're in Oregon also... cool.
 
Thanks for the reply.So there is always somebody there who watches and calls a cease fire etc..Thanks
 
All will be revealed

As you have surmised, there are rules which govern activity at the range. Starts with basic safety rules and common courtesy to other users of the range. If the range is controlled, you will be instructed on terminology and told when you may change targets. If it is a less formal arrangement, you will need to coordinate with other shooters so you can be sure that the range is cold and can work in safety. NRA or other sanctioning bodies have pamphlets and may have info on their website about range commands and rules.

It's a little scary at first, but if you keep your ears and eyes open and use your head, you are in for a lot of fun.
 
I'm a member of a private club. we have target stands from 10M through 1,000M. Nice facilitys, bathrooms/showers, covered shooting benchs etc. Each member has a key.. when you are "invited" to join, you go through an orientation with a "range officer'" before you get your key. However there's never a "range officer" on "duty" everyone polices themselves and works together on calling the range hot or cold. No handling of firearms when the range is cold and we have a painted yellow line 4 feet behind the benchs... when the range is cold everyone must stay behind the line until everyone returns from down range and the range is called hot.

Now after saying all that.... most times I'm there either alone or with 2-3 other shooters... but I rarely go on weekends when there's maybe 15-20 shooters the entire day.... busy huh? LOL

Dues are expensive but worth it.... new members have to be vouched for/nominated by an existing member.

You're free to shoot at anything you want down range except items made of glass or hazardous materials, but you have to remove anything you bring in to shoot at.

Full autos are allowed as is tannerite.


We have fun..... ;)
 
No, as a matter of fact you are NOT an idiot. The idiots are the ones who don't think about such matters and just walk on down the range while everyone goes into panic trying not to kill them.

As stated above, the common system indoors is automated retrieval. No one goes down range so you don't need a cease fire.

Outdoors, there are usually 15 to 20 minute shooting periods, a cease fire with target change, tape up (repair to be cheap) or just a closer look at the target.
 
I'm sure the club has answers for all of your questions. It is wise to think about
those things and a good club will have addressed those and many others.

That's what the orientation will be about plus a time to ask any questions you might have.

Looks like a good club from the web site.

allan
 
Thanks for the replys guys.The indoor range doesnt have an electronic system.At least the picture on the website doesnt show it.And i took My First Steps Pistol Orientation NRA class there in the building and we had to walk down the range.
To tell the truth i am very nervous to join.I just got to keep safety my first priority and i think everything is going to go well.THanks for the posts and anymore to come if there be any :)
 
As others have said, all will be revealed during your orientation briefing.

However, I would be surprised if your club didn't do what mine does. The first person on a range serves as the RO, and calls cease fire for target taping, brass retrieval, etc. That person passes this duty off to another shooter if he leaves while others are still on the range. Yet, even though there is only one RO at a time, each member is responsible for safety, and can call a cease fire if they witness something unsafe.
 
Whatever the exact rules at your club—there's usually a bit of variation from club to club—please don't be afraid to ask the so-called "dumb" questions of other members. The only dumb questions are the ones you don't ask.
 
Also basicly the same question for the 100 yard shooting that is outside.Do you shoot then walk 100 yards and put up new targets.

If you put your paper out to the 100 yard mark, you will be doing some walking when it comes time to patch over or get a fresh target stapled to the board.

And what if your the only one there and you are done with one target.You dont just walk down the range and hope somebody else doesnt start shooting.Thanks for any info.As you can see i am totally new to gun clubs.Thats why im not joining till i can take the tour.

If you are the only one there, then nobody else could shoot, unless you are talking about someone arriving and firing down range while you're still out there. The last range I attended last year, a bright red flag was posted outside the main entrance. This was the first indication "someone is here". The second indication would be guns (unloaded, open breech, safety on) and equipment laying on a table and the owner is not present, possibly meaning (s)he is out in the field. You were not allowed to carry long guns with you while down range, but you could carry a pistol as long as it's holstered. The third indication is to just look out there and lo and behold.

I don't know quite honestly what I would be capable of if someone started firing despite these three indicators. Considering I made it back to my station unscathed, the outcome would be quite ugly. It might go down something like this: Beat him senseless with his own gun, all the while with each new hit, adding another syllable "A-MO-RON-AND-HIS-GUN-WILL-SOON-BE-PART-ED!"
 
Also basicly the same question for the 100 yard shooting that is outside.Do you shoot then walk 100 yards and put up new targets.

You want to make sure that everyone is on the same level and is ready to paste/put up targets. Each range has its own rules, the one I shoot at is pretty informal, when you are done shooting, you stand, set your unloaded gun down and back away from the line and wait until others are done shooting. Everyone communicates to eachother that the line is safe before anyone moves forward.

FWIW, I use the type of targets with grids on them, tape up 4 or 5 targtes at a time. I have another target of the same type stapled to a piece of corrugated cardboard and use a spotting scope and push pins to mark on the gridded target where each shot went. This way I don't have to make a 100 or 200 yard trip both ways every 10 minutes. I get a lot more out of my shooting time this way, and people at a range can get kind of cranky if you ask to change targets every 10 minutes or so. ;)
 
When I did a lot of shooting by myself at a local county range (200 yards) I always took a weapon with me down range when I checked, pasted or removed targets etc. If there were two of us practicing someone always stayed with the equipment.

I had a lot of equipment on the firing line and someone was not going to just drive up and help themselves to it. (It had happened)
My match rifle always stayed with me or was secured, but never unattended while I was down range.

I had a close relationship/understanding with the county conservation people who ran the range and never had a problem/repercussion about my actions. If someones feelings got hurt from my verbal abuse as to their range manners and safety etc so be it. I was told that "We never have to worry about the facilities or peoples safety etc when you are shooting or running rifle matches on our range."

Remember, no matter where you shoot treat the range and the facilites as if they are your's--------because they are your's, to use, even if you don't own them.
I get very angry with morons who shoot-up the Range Saftey and Rules signs and other range facilites etc and when the range is closed down, belly ache because there is no place to shoot.
If there are no posted rules etc just use common sense and you will/should be fine and don't be afraid to ask or make suggestions, just because "We have always done it that way." doesn't make it right or safe, etc.
Good shooting to ya.
Vern
 
At the private range where i shoot

Sometimes there's an RO, but most usually not...As far as calling a "cease fire", its a democratic sort of thing...We shoot for a while, then someone will ask for a cease fire... All weapons are cleared, and no one allowed to touch a gun (ANY gun, even the one's in rack), until range is clear again. Self policing, you might say. Works well, and I've never seen anything resembling unsafe condition there.
 
We just joined our sportsmans association here last week or so and we attended the new member orientation. It consisted of a little classroom time at the lodge going over all the rules and what-nots. Then we did a walk through of all the shooting areas, the flags, how to use them etc. This wasn't our first range so it was just learning the specific DOs and DON'Ts of this club.

Our club doesn't have ROs and such - the members are the ROs, the janitors, the policemen, etc. Basically, everybody is responsible for safety and running things smoothly. It's pretty nice.

As for target changes, anyone who needs can wait for the next general mag loading time and can call a CLEAR or COLD. Most members will also take the time to check targets too. Every range has its particulars, but they're general idea is the same. The main thing is to always be courteous and safe. The biggest problem at the range are jerks/hot heads/know-it-alls. Those are the ones the get people killed.
 
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