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Range officer;rifle range tyranny
salzo
Member Posts: 6,396 ✭✭
Went to the range today, and was approached by one of the ROs, who said that I was breaking a rule.
2 months ago, I was at a patterning board, when this same RO approached me.
"You shooting buckshot?"
"No."
"What are you shooting"
"I am shooting turkey loads"
"Whats that?"
"they are loads you shoot turkeys with"
They aint buckshot?"
"No, its turkey shot."
"You are not allowed to shoot buck shot on the pattern boards."
"Its not buckshot."
Now I have been a member of this range for five years, and have never seen a rule that said you were not allowed to shoot buck shot. I always read the posted rules at the range,(to check for changes) and there is no rule about not being able to shoot buckshot at the pattern boards. The rules say you cannot shoot slugs-shot only.
Today, I was shooting a shotgun-slugs. I was set up in the shed at a 25 yard bench. I have done this many times, I have seen many other shotgunners do this, but the RO objected.
"Whats that?"
Whats what?"
"What are you shooting."
"I am shooting a shotgun"
"You cant shoot shotguns on the 25 yard bench"
"I am not shooting shot, I am shooting slugs."
"you can only shoot .22s and muzzleloaders on the 25 yard bench."
"I have never heard of such a thing. I see all sorts of guns being fired from this bench."
"Its in the rules."
"No it is not. I have read the rules many times, and have never heard of such a rule."
"Yes it is.Its in the rules."
"Maybe your rules. But not in the rules of the range that I pay to use."
He walked away, and spoke with another range officer. The harassment was over.
This is the best part. I packed up my stuff, got in my car, and as I was backing out of my spot, I noticed a car coming from somewhere no car belonged. It was the range officer,speeding through the parking lot at leat 25 mph, where the speed limit is 5 mph on the grounds. Along with speed limit signs, this rule is posted in every shed. Someone has a real problem with speeders. Yet here is this range officer, who makes up his own rules, and expects everyone to obey them, is driving well over the strict speed limit.
Give some people a little power, and they are sure to turn into tyrants.
"The powers delegated by the proposed constitution to the federal governmentare few and defined, and will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace negotiation, and foreign commerce"
-James Madison
2 months ago, I was at a patterning board, when this same RO approached me.
"You shooting buckshot?"
"No."
"What are you shooting"
"I am shooting turkey loads"
"Whats that?"
"they are loads you shoot turkeys with"
They aint buckshot?"
"No, its turkey shot."
"You are not allowed to shoot buck shot on the pattern boards."
"Its not buckshot."
Now I have been a member of this range for five years, and have never seen a rule that said you were not allowed to shoot buck shot. I always read the posted rules at the range,(to check for changes) and there is no rule about not being able to shoot buckshot at the pattern boards. The rules say you cannot shoot slugs-shot only.
Today, I was shooting a shotgun-slugs. I was set up in the shed at a 25 yard bench. I have done this many times, I have seen many other shotgunners do this, but the RO objected.
"Whats that?"
Whats what?"
"What are you shooting."
"I am shooting a shotgun"
"You cant shoot shotguns on the 25 yard bench"
"I am not shooting shot, I am shooting slugs."
"you can only shoot .22s and muzzleloaders on the 25 yard bench."
"I have never heard of such a thing. I see all sorts of guns being fired from this bench."
"Its in the rules."
"No it is not. I have read the rules many times, and have never heard of such a rule."
"Yes it is.Its in the rules."
"Maybe your rules. But not in the rules of the range that I pay to use."
He walked away, and spoke with another range officer. The harassment was over.
This is the best part. I packed up my stuff, got in my car, and as I was backing out of my spot, I noticed a car coming from somewhere no car belonged. It was the range officer,speeding through the parking lot at leat 25 mph, where the speed limit is 5 mph on the grounds. Along with speed limit signs, this rule is posted in every shed. Someone has a real problem with speeders. Yet here is this range officer, who makes up his own rules, and expects everyone to obey them, is driving well over the strict speed limit.
Give some people a little power, and they are sure to turn into tyrants.
"The powers delegated by the proposed constitution to the federal governmentare few and defined, and will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace negotiation, and foreign commerce"
-James Madison
Comments
SIG pistol armorer/FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com, the best gun auction site on the Net! Email davidnunn@texoma.net
Guns! Guns! Guns!
Next time whip it out and ask him to repeat the rules for the camera!!!
Take pics of him speeding in the parking lot.
Turn the video to the Board of Directors, ask them to remove him or help stop his harASSment.
Ran into a similar situation at a pistol club I'm a member of, and have been for 26 years. Range Officers are members who volunteer their time during shooting events. I had done so for nearly 20 years until I was granted a lifetime membership. We were well trained not only in rules, but safety precautions. The rules plainly stated that guns were subject to a safety inspection at the Range Officers request. Note, I said, "request". We were instructed that we did not have the right to inspect a gun without permission, but a refusal would require the gun to be removed from use at the range at that time.
I had gone to the range with 8 custom 1911's to test fire before final finishing and bluing. I was on the second gun when a young man walked up and begin to disassemble one of the guns. He was not wearing a Range Officer badge (required), did not identify himself as a Range Officer (required), nor did he request permission to inspect the guns (required).
Now I will admit that these pistols were not pretty in their current state of refinement, but they were more than likely the best quality guns on the range at the time. I immediately told him to put the gun down, step away, and explain himself. He then told me," I'm THE Range Officer, your guns are not safe and you can't fire them here, and, with that attitude, I afraid you will have to leave the range, now!" "You are wrong on all accounts", I replied. "We'll see about that!" he said as he stomped off.
A few minutes later, he returned with the club President and two of the club Officers. "Hello Daniel," "Hello Troy", we exchanged greetings. "Is this the man you were telling me about?" asked the President. "Yes", replied the young man. "And these are the guns you were talking about?" asked the President. "Yes", replied the young man. "Dan, why wouldn't you let him inspect these?" "Simple" I said, " He didn't ask, didn't identify himself, and didn't have a Range Officers Badge on" The President laughed as he looked at the young member, "You're d@mned lucky he didn't shoot you're *, boy. This man fires around 1500 rounds a week here, and wouldn't be caught dead with an unsafe gun. Come back to the Office with me and we'll go over the procedures again, and learn a little courtesy at the same time."
Moral to the story, "Confront the situation. If you're in the right, it will usually go you way."
Save, research, then buy the best.Join the NRA, NOW!Teach them young, teach them safe, teach them forever, but most of all, teach them to VOTE!
Those people who see nothing but grey areas, no black and white, are lost in the fog.
Tell me, how do your range rules determine what is bigger than a .50BMG, by power, or by bullet diameter? Just curious, because it could come up. Are the rules governing size to deter damage to the back stop, or noise? Again, just curious, because I'm sure there are many things that could be louder than a .50 BMG as well. As far as to what may go further in a backstop, I'd think there may be another caliber out there that is smaller in diameter than the .50 BMG, capable of more penetration, maybe, not sure. This would all be interesting to bring up at your next range officers meeting. By the way, the rule stating that nothing bigger than a .50 BMG may be used, I was wondering, if its not governed by bullet diameter, then it must be power, what on God's green earth does have more power than a .50 BMG, that is commonly available or known to be of sporting use? Or even target work? I'm just bored, not trying to be a smart @$$, just bored.
SSgt Ryan E. Roberts, USMC
It's not what you know that gets you in trouble, it's what you know that just ain't so!
Pack slow, fall stable, pull high, hit dead center.
A few years back a club I was a R/O at received matching funds from the FNRA to make range improvements for several events that we were holding there. A youth sports-fest was one of the events, and the range really looking good after all the work was done. There is no on duty R/O, it is by luck of the draw if anyone happens to be there. You of course have to be a card carrying member to use the range. There is a pistol only range, and a long gun range. There are no restrictions that I know of, but I'm sure a 105mm is out of the question, as is handgrenades, and surface to air missles. The problem is that because there is no one there to watch over the club at all times the place is all shot to hell. The roof has bullet holes in it. The pistol range has been blown up by rifles, & shotgun slugs. All the target trash is left to blow everwhere, the equipment house is shot all up, and the trash barrels look like they have been through a meat grinder. Some of the R/O's you may come in contact with may let the power go to their heads, but think how it would be without them, because we will not police ourselves.
Trinity+++
"Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it."(Proverbs 22:6)
I am not angry at the police dept., but rather the President of our range for allowing the range to be tied up for 4 consecutive days and no paid members allowed to use it. The President told me that the Police respond very quickly to any problems at the range since they are allowed to use it periodically. Isn't that what they are paid to do?
I have asked them to get involved in IDPA at our range, but they never do. They are intimidated by the civilian IDPA shooters there.
Is there any other range members out there that has experienced this same type of frustration at their local range?