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Range Signage - Allow Ammo Types

kf4zht

Red Skull Member
Joined
May 20, 2020
Member Number
561
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1,004
So I volunteered to help out with our clubs safety committee, I got my CRSO a couple months ago and it made sense. Bonus I am trying to make the club more competition friendly and when you write the rules its a lot easier.

We are having a big problem with ammo and target choices. In some cases its people shooting steel on the short range bays with bottleneck (mostly AR/AK), people shooting steel core at the 300 yard, shooting offhand 9mm handguns at 100 and skipping bullets over the berm, etc. I have to hope that most of the issues are due to ignorance instead of malice (Hanlons Razor). Our old rules were stupid and had restrictions that made no sense leading people to break them. Also it was covered once during orientation and on the website, but no one was going to pull out their phone onsite to see what the rules were. Its an unmanned range so there are no RSOs

So long story - I want to make some signs for each of the ranges that make it real clear what ammo can be used on what targets, symbols as much as possible. Planning on engraving them on the router out of Duets sheet or similar. Has anyone seen any good example, ideas, symbol sets, etc for inspiration?
 
The range I’m currently on has staff there but it’s mostly individual bays, so there are no RSO’s.

I’d start with a sign in/out whiteboard with all of the rules written next to it. Then on each range I’d have signs with only the applicable ones to that.

Our 100 yard range says “no pistols, no rapid fire”. The pistol steel says “no center fire rifle cartridges”, then there is a tin cowboy action one that says “.22LR only.” Nobody is going to read 25 rules at every bay but 1-2 in big red letters should get their attention.

Keep it simple, and leave the burden on them to ask about exceptions. Sure, you can shoot lead cast subsonic .300 blackout at 50 yard steel. Yes, you can fire your .270 benchrest pistol with a 3-9 scope at 100 yards. You have to email us and get confirmation first though.

Assuming you have an email list for all the members, send them a docusign link stating they have read the new rules and will be charged for any damages they cause.

I’m with you that it’s nice to not have all the “no drawing from a holster, only 1 round every 2 seconds” crap, but people have to have some common sense.

It’s worse lately with all the new gun owners. I’m for them getting out and shooting, but many of them have zero idea what’s going on, they wouldn’t know whether they even have steel core ammo or not. Maybe hang a magnet there with instructions on how to check.
 
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The range I’m currently on has staff there but it’s mostly individual bays, so there are no RSO’s.

I’d start with a sign in/out whiteboard with all of the rules written next to it. Then on each range I’d have signs with only the applicable ones to that.

Our 100 yard range says “no pistols, no rapid fire”. The pistol steel says “no center fire rifle cartridges”, then there is a tin cowboy action one that says “.22LR only.” Nobody is going to read 25 rules at every bay but 1-2 in big red letters should get their attention.

Keep it simple, and leave the burden on them to ask about exceptions. Sure, you can shoot lead cast subsonic .300 blackout at 50 yard steel. Yes, you can fire your .270 benchrest pistol with a 3-9 scope at 100 yards. You have to email us and get confirmation first though.

Assuming you have an email list for all the members, send them a docusign link stating they have read the new rules and will be charged for any damages they cause.

I’m with you that it’s nice to not have all the “no drawing from a holster, only 1 round every 2 seconds” crap, but people have to have some common sense.

It’s worse lately with all the new gun owners. I’m for them getting out and shooting, but many of them have zero idea what’s going on, they wouldn’t know whether they even have steel core ammo or not. Maybe hang a magnet there with instructions on how to check.

The good thing we have is a closed membership cap that has been static for years. The problem is that we have a closed membership group with people who have been there for years. So you get a lot of "I know the rules" and "Don't tell me how to shoot" types. Also for several years the shotgun codgers ran the place and didn't give 2 shits about improving, enforcing or caring about anything that wasnt shotgun. We have much better leadership but still dealing with the effects of that era.

Hanging magnets is on my list. We have had a few issues were people damaged targets and immediately reported it and paid after being missold ammo. I can see this getting worse since it seems every ammo distributer is digging deep for anything they can sell.

I'm thinking something like a picture of a handgun and steel and paper next to it. A picture of a bottleneck cartridge and paper but an X through the steel. But the exceptions are killer on this - oh it has an AR on it why can't I shoot my 9mm AR or but my 5.56 is a handgun so I can shoot at steel right. None of this is hard, but people are dumb
 
Sort of a side track but what is the problem with shooting "steel" core at 300 or even 100 yards ? Do you have expensive digital electronic targets ? Cheap pallet wood, cardboard and sand berms. All throw away or static materials. Knowing what type of bullet core is in a finished purchased cartridge is confusing if not futile for most anyone.
 
Sort of a side track but what is the problem with shooting "steel" core at 300 or even 100 yards ? Do you have expensive digital electronic targets ? Cheap pallet wood, cardboard and sand berms. All throw away or static materials. Knowing what type of bullet core is in a finished purchased cartridge is confusing if not futile for most anyone.

We have no rules against shooting steel core ammo, we have rules against steel core ammo on steel targets where it damages or craters them excessively. At our 300 people rarely post targets,most just shoot the steel.

The only ammo you cannot shoot anywhere is tracer or incindiary, too wooded and we almost lost the clubhouse to a cig fire a few years back
 
you should do some testing of your own on that 'steel core is wrecking my targets' shit
hard steel core is expensive, and mild steel core ain't all that different than lead, where velocity is the real shit
steel core silver tip 54r doesn't touch my steel, where lead 55gr .223 handloads will crater it something fierce
bet it's one guy with a .22-250 or a .204
 
Remember
" You caint fix STUPID"
Godspeed!

My .02
Board of director's meeting , look into bylaws and do a revamp.
Then go thru rank and file and have a new sign and accept policy set.
No sig. No gate code.

Good luck.
 
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