Range rules - your opinions, please

[DoctorDawg]

My wife and I are planning to invite a bunch of friends over to our house and private (outdoor) range for a cook-out/shoot-off. In preparation, I've drafted a set of range rules. I'd appreciate your opinions; have I forgotten anything, or is anything here screwy or wrong?

THE RULES

• By entering the range, you assume all risk of shooting activities.
• Always observe the Four Rules of Gun Safety:
  • Always treat all guns as if they are loaded.
  • Never point a gun at anything you do not wish to destroy
  • Keep your finger off the trigger and outside of the trigger guard until your sights are on the target (“off target, off trigger”).
  • Always be sure of your target and what is behind it.
• The range officers are xxxx xxxxxxxx and xxxx xxxx (or their designees).
• Always follow all range officers’ instructions immediately.
• No alcoholic beverages on the range. Inebriated guests are not allowed on the range.
• The orange gate must be closed whenever shooters are on the range. If you wish to enter the range when the gate is closed, please be aware that you will be entering the range between the firing line and the targets! Stand outside the closed gate and call out for a range officer; enter only when instructed to do so by a range officer.
• Hearing protection is required for everyone on the range. Eye protection (glasses or safety glasses) is strongly recommended.
• When a range officer (or anyone else) calls “cease fire,” immediately do the following:
  • Repeat the command “cease fire.”
  • Unload your weapon and show safe (i.e., leave the action open).
  • Do not reload your weapon or resume firing until a range officer commands “commence firing.”
• Only one shooter at a time is permitted on the firing line. Everyone else (except for a single instructor, when permitted by a range officer) should stand at least ten feet behind the firing line.
• Shoot only at paper or cardboard targets mounted on the wooden stand at the north end of the range.
• When you are done shooting, unload and show safe before leaving the firing line.
• Loaded weapons are allowed only in the hands of the shooter on the firing line. All other weapons should be unloaded and shown safe (i.e., action open) and placed on the bench nearest the firing line, pointed downrange. If you are the next shooter you may load your gun at this bench immediately prior to approaching the firing line.
• No rapid-fire, bump-fire, or double-taps. No un-aimed fire (for example, shooting from the hip). No shooting into the air. No horseplay. Never point a gun (loaded or unloaded) anywhere except downrange or at the ground immediately in front of you.
• If the gun goes ‘click’ when it should have gone ‘bang!’ you have just had a misfire. Do the following:
  • Continue to point the gun downrange (toward the targets) while you count to thirty.
  • Call out to a range officer to inform him you’ve had a misfire.
  • Do not attempt to re-fire the round. After counting to thirty, unload the gun and show safe. Give the misfired round to a range officer for disposal.
• If the gun goes ‘pop’ when it should have gone ‘bang!’ (that is, if the shot sounds odd, or softer than usual) you have just had a squib (an underpowered shot that may have left a bullet stuck in your barrel, or a ruptured shell casing). Do the following:
  • Do not attempt to fire another round! (If a bullet is stuck in your barrel, firing another round could cause the gun’s barrel to explode).
  • Unload and show safe.
  • Leave the firing line.
  • Before examining your barrel for a stuck bullet, double-check to make sure the gun is unloaded.
  • Ask a range officer for any tools you need in order to clear your barrel (such as a wooden dowel and a ball-peen hammer).
• If a cartridge gets stuck in your gun’s chamber and cannot be easily removed, do the following:
  • Unload and show safe.
  • Leave the firing line.
  • If you are certain that the cartridge is spent (contains no bullet and no powder), you can usually drive it out of the chamber with a wooden dowel and a ball-peen hammer. If there is any possibility that the casing is part of a live round (still containing a bullet and powder), or if you are not sure, do not attempt to drive it out with a dowel. We recommend taking the gun to a gunsmith.

[NC Dave]

Originally Posted by DoctorDawg

• No alcoholic beverages on the range. Inebriated guests are not allowed on the range.

• The orange gate must be closed whenever shooters are on the range. If you wish to enter the range when the gate is closed, please be aware that you will be entering the range between the firing line and the targets! Stand outside the closed gate and call out for a range officer; enter only when instructed to do so by a range officer.

You will have people who have not been around guns and it sounds like you will be allowing drinking outside the area of your range, so I would post someone at the gate at ALL times the range is hot. There is too much of a risk of someone wandering into the line of fire. IMHO, calling out to the range officer won't cut it in this case.

[Krackels]

Originally Posted by NC Dave

You will have people who have not been around guns and it sounds like you will be allowing drinking outside the area of your range, so I would post someone at the gate at ALL times the range is hot. There is too much of a risk of someone wandering into the line of fire. IMHO, calling out to the range officer won't cut it in this case.

+1

Also even though it seems like you will only have one shooter at a time, I'd suggest a no guns shall be handled when others are downrange.

[DoctorDawg]

Good points, both. Thanks. And sorry about accidentally posting in the wrong group.

[DanTheEldest]

Even though you're going to be entertaining friends, it would still behoove you IMO to have some sort of a liability waiver they would have to sign before entering the range as opposed to just reading your poster. It's kind of a sad thing to have to do, but we're in such a litigious society I wouldn't trust anybody--even friends--not to sue if something bad happened. Maybe make your list of rules into a flier with check-boxes next to each item. After going over it with them, put a waiver at the bottom by a signature so they can't claim ignorance. Otherwise, it looks pretty comprehensive.

And you suck for having a private range. Just thought I'd throw that in.

[JD McDorce]

I would prefer to see both "eyes" and "ears" required, but it's your party.

[BBunin]

No drinking AT ALL until after shooting!
Drink all ya like after you're done shooting. Drink one and you're done shooting.

Why?
Define inebriated.......

[DoctorDawg]

Thanks, folks. And yes, we fully intend to not break out the beer until after the shootin's over. I just threw in the part about alcohol because you never know who has a hip flask in his pocket or who was drinkin' before they showed up.

Most all of our guests will be experienced gunners (although several are prolly unfamiliar with semi-auto pistols...this is wheelgun country around here). But I've observed that there's something about a private range in the woods that seems to suggest to some people that all the usual range etiquette isn't necessary. So wrong, in so many ways.

Define 'inebriated'? Easy. It's my home, and my range, and I'm the range officer. If I say you're inebriated...there's yer sign!

[deltafred]

why couldnt we be firends and you live here in Washington......dammit, i cant seem to find anywhere good to shoot out here, atleast not yet.

you have defiantely thought long and hard about your range, good job.

[DoctorDawg]

Originally Posted by DanTheEldest

Even though you're going to be entertaining friends, it would still behoove you IMO to have some sort of a liability waiver they would have to sign before entering the range

I agree completely, Dan, and I've been wrestling with this issue. Doesn't seem real hospitable, asking your guests to sign a liability waiver. On the other hand, it's a hard world out there....

Anybody have any liability waiver language (the shorter the better) they can suggest? I ain't no gol-danged lawyer.

Originally Posted by DanTheEldest

And you suck for having a private range.

Some'a my neighbors thinks so, too...