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Douglas
Guest
Our 50yr old range, houses get built, property gets annexed, etc. Padlock went on the gate 7/5/09. Thanks, Douglas
Pete Wass
Well-known member
It's the same all over
My home club has been under the asault of a bunch of property owners who live over a mile away. This spring they planted bullets in a couple of locations and reported them to the Sheriff's department. The Head Deputy came to the range two times I was there with bullets that had been turned in. In both cases we were able to determine that the bullets had been picked up on the or a range and deposited where they were reported. The group tried politically to shut us down but with their obvious shecanery they were soundly defeated. They are still reporting bullets appearing on their properties. Their roar has been deminished to some extent.
The other side of this is the incident where a woman was hit by a BMG bullet whilst doing her dishes in a Camper trailer at Texas Motor Speedway AND I had a report of a situation sort of locally where a bullet escaped a back yard range and hit a house over a mile away.
This is a serious matter and ranges must be vigilent. Ranges that allow the "General Public" to shoot without supervision are simply asking to be shut down. We know they are out to get us, why do we play into their hands? My advice is to not allow unsupervised people shoot at our ranges. If it requires that our dues quadruple, it is at least some assurance that we will have a range to shoot at going forward. I often see things done at my home range that curls the hair on my balding head. It has to stop. EVERYWHERE.
My home club has been under the asault of a bunch of property owners who live over a mile away. This spring they planted bullets in a couple of locations and reported them to the Sheriff's department. The Head Deputy came to the range two times I was there with bullets that had been turned in. In both cases we were able to determine that the bullets had been picked up on the or a range and deposited where they were reported. The group tried politically to shut us down but with their obvious shecanery they were soundly defeated. They are still reporting bullets appearing on their properties. Their roar has been deminished to some extent.
The other side of this is the incident where a woman was hit by a BMG bullet whilst doing her dishes in a Camper trailer at Texas Motor Speedway AND I had a report of a situation sort of locally where a bullet escaped a back yard range and hit a house over a mile away.
This is a serious matter and ranges must be vigilent. Ranges that allow the "General Public" to shoot without supervision are simply asking to be shut down. We know they are out to get us, why do we play into their hands? My advice is to not allow unsupervised people shoot at our ranges. If it requires that our dues quadruple, it is at least some assurance that we will have a range to shoot at going forward. I often see things done at my home range that curls the hair on my balding head. It has to stop. EVERYWHERE.
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gordon gauge
Guest
Way easier said than done. To watch all the shooters you would have to have at least a 5 to 1 ratio of shooters to Range Officers. Very few ranges can pay for that, even with volunteers,who may or may not be qualified. In the end it boils down to the shooters being responsible for themselves, and as much as I hate to admit it, there is a segment of people who want to shoot guns who have not a responsible bone in their bodies. They are freaks, losers, and scumbags, but with a public range it is hard to keep them out.
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Bill Wynne
Active member
Something to ponder
I believe that this is one of the best and most timely topics ever discussed on Benchrest.com.
Extreme measures would help some. How about a low concrete roof downrange to keep bullets shot from the benches from going over the berm. They could be placed with a crane like tilt wall concrete buildings. They could start five or ten feet past the firing line and continue twenty or twenty five feet downrange. One side effect might be that sound would carry less off the range.
Parking garages and bridges are built all the time and this would require less than those structures. Used cross ties might even make a fair top with some space between them.
I know that this is an expensive measure but so is land for another range. I hesitated to mention this for obvious reasons. Consider it something to think about.
Concho Bill
I believe that this is one of the best and most timely topics ever discussed on Benchrest.com.
Extreme measures would help some. How about a low concrete roof downrange to keep bullets shot from the benches from going over the berm. They could be placed with a crane like tilt wall concrete buildings. They could start five or ten feet past the firing line and continue twenty or twenty five feet downrange. One side effect might be that sound would carry less off the range.
Parking garages and bridges are built all the time and this would require less than those structures. Used cross ties might even make a fair top with some space between them.
I know that this is an expensive measure but so is land for another range. I hesitated to mention this for obvious reasons. Consider it something to think about.
Concho Bill
Pete Wass
Well-known member
Interesting indeed
I spent March in Florida. I shot at several ranges, one of which was a "Public Range" just west of the Daytona area. They have a heavily baffled range and the man running the range the day I was there showed me all the bullet holes in the baffles. more than one person had shot into the roof baffles, obviously willfully. He called them knuckle Draggers. They are those who go to the "Surplus" stores and buy the cheap rifles sold there and all the ammo they can afford. They then go to a range, if they have no sand pit to go to and blast away, without regard to anyhting but shooting.
Whenever anyone speaks the word Shooting I am reminded of these guys. Shooting for Shooting's sake is a waste of everything one can think of. Shooting for the sake of shooting should be discouraged. Shooting for the sake of shooting will take us all down. It is stupid and distructive.
I spent March in Florida. I shot at several ranges, one of which was a "Public Range" just west of the Daytona area. They have a heavily baffled range and the man running the range the day I was there showed me all the bullet holes in the baffles. more than one person had shot into the roof baffles, obviously willfully. He called them knuckle Draggers. They are those who go to the "Surplus" stores and buy the cheap rifles sold there and all the ammo they can afford. They then go to a range, if they have no sand pit to go to and blast away, without regard to anyhting but shooting.
Whenever anyone speaks the word Shooting I am reminded of these guys. Shooting for Shooting's sake is a waste of everything one can think of. Shooting for the sake of shooting should be discouraged. Shooting for the sake of shooting will take us all down. It is stupid and distructive.