MCFG Members - Help Me Improve Our Safety Officer Program

[Simon6101]

Appears that we are not done

Well it appears that the R.O.'s or someone have struck again.

I believe that it has always been acceptable to shoot at the spinner targets designed for .22. We had a customer purchase some and take them to the range only to be told that she could not use them at MCFG and was run off.

Now this is her story and I do not know if she was using them properly or not but this is not the first time that I have heard of folks being run off for shooting at steel targets.


My question is; What is the rule concerning the steel targets? I do take my kids up frequently and that is what we generally shoot at while in the bays.

 

[chizzle]

Well it appears that the R.O.'s or someone have struck again.

I believe that it has always been acceptable to shoot at the spinner targets designed for .22. We had a customer purchase some and take them to the range only to be told that she could not use them at MCFG and was run off.

Now this is her story and I do not know if she was using them properly or not but this is not the first time that I have heard of folks being run off for shooting at steel targets.

My question is; What is the rule concerning the steel targets? I do take my kids up frequently and that is what we generally shoot at while in the bays.

Just like we tell the SO's, the Board really can't do anything unless people give us names, member numbers, date of incident, etc. While I don't think that any of our Safety Officers would do this (since hanging steel is specifically allowed by our rule book), I can't guarantee that every Tom, Dick and Harry that belongs to our range might not quote a rule that doesn't exist. Please check out rule 23 in our rule book for details on steel targets.

It's also difficult to know if the shooter was using the targets in a safe way (in front of a berm, with an appropriate caliber, etc.) without more details.

Moving forward, I want to make sure that we reserve this thread for actual 1st hand (your own experience, not your buddies experience) interaction with Safety Officers, and not just a place to complain if somebody interacted with somebody that they don't like. If folks just complain about other people that they don't like without confirming if they're an SO, I think that could unfairly paint our Safety Officers as the culprit, when they may not even have been involved.

 

[CB45]

Well it appears that the R.O.'s or someone have struck again.

I believe that it has always been acceptable to shoot at the spinner targets designed for .22. We had a customer purchase some and take them to the range only to be told that she could not use them at MCFG and was run off.

Now this is her story and I do not know if she was using them properly or not but this is not the first time that I have heard of folks being run off for shooting at steel targets.


My question is; What is the rule concerning the steel targets? I do take my kids up frequently and that is what we generally shoot at while in the bays.

MCF&G does not have RO's.

If a volunteer safety officer saw something that violated a club rule, they would have presented the violator with the rulebook and described the infraction.

Rule 21-24 talk about target types allowed at the club.

 

[rockhopper46038]

This is only a guess, but by "spinner" targets the poster might be referring to the targets that look like caltrops (or jacks, to other folks) that you put on the ground with a leg sticking up and shoot at the target, at which point it goes spinning merrily along the ground until it stops with another leg pointing up presenting a new target. Lots and lots of fun, but I recall someone telling me as well that because it is not "mounted" steel, it is prohibited. That was over a year ago though, so no SO involvement.

 

[chizzle]

This is only a guess, but by "spinner" targets the poster might be referring to the targets that look like caltrops (or jacks, to other folks) that you put on the ground with a leg sticking up and shoot at the target, at which point it goes spinning merrily along the ground until it stops with another leg pointing up presenting a new target. Lots and lots of fun, but I recall someone telling me as well that because it is not "mounted" steel, it is prohibited. That was over a year ago though, so no SO involvement.

You are correct. I've discussed this with Bobcat Steel also, just so he knows where we are coming from. The steel must be HUNG UP (i.e. on a stand, tripod, etc.). Since the jack targets (aka "Walkers") are not hung up (they lie on the ground) they are not allowed on our range.

Here is a photo of one of Bobcat Steel's "Walker" targets

That being said, these walker targets are wonderful targets (I bought one for my Dad in Iowa for Christmas), they just don't comply with our rules and thus aren't allowed to be shot on our range. If you'd like to discuss the "why" behind this issue, please attend a Board meeting and propose this as "New Business", as that's where the Board handles this type of issue.

 

[Simon6101]

Sorry

Sorry I mentioned anything. It was not the walkers. I have been a member long enough that I knew the walkers were not allowed

 

[chizzle]

Sorry I mentioned anything. It was not the walkers. I have been a member long enough that I knew the walkers were not allowed

Thanks for understanding. I want to make sure this thread remains on-topic, so we continue to make our range better. I don't want this thread to turn into the "people that tick me off at MCFG thread" as I think it gives the wrong impression to potential new members. 98% of our members are good people that I'm proud to have as members in good standing. Moving forward, we need our members and our SO's to make sure the remaining 2% learn to be as safe and friendly as the rest of us.

 

[kazaam]

Good lord, chizzle, you have a difficult job. Must be tiring.

Anyway, while I like the whole safety class thing, it kinda sucks because the money I was gonna use to join the range will have to go towards a class. So now I'm a perpetual visitor. I'd like to take the class anyways (to learn), so it's not really even an issue...but I guess I just wish I had more money.

 

[WebSnyper]

Good lord, chizzle, you have a difficult job. Must be tiring.

Anyway, while I like the whole safety class thing, it kinda sucks because the money I was gonna use to join the range will have to go towards a class. So now I'm a perpetual visitor. I'd like to take the class anyways (to learn), so it's not really even an issue...but I guess I just wish I had more money.

Check out the guys from ACT ... they have some great training and it is very reasonably priced.

 

[rimfire_crazed]

Seriously. You can get a basic pistol class for less than half of the membership fee. Stay home a few weekends.

 

[chizzle]

Good lord, chizzle, you have a difficult job. Must be tiring.

Anyway, while I like the whole safety class thing, it kinda sucks because the money I was gonna use to join the range will have to go towards a class. So now I'm a perpetual visitor. I'd like to take the class anyways (to learn), so it's not really even an issue...but I guess I just wish I had more money.

I understand completely. I grew up in a poor farming family in Iowa, so I understand having to make ends meet. My goal is to make our club affordable to prospective members (right now we're like the cost of a movie per month, or a 30 day supply of Starbucks) so that we don't price anybody out of the market, if possible.

 

[kazaam]

It's more just a complainy type thing on my part haha. The club is actually priced very well, but since I'm a student I just barely make money and I had NO. IDEA. how expensive shooting is!

/end thread derailment.

 

[chizzle]

It's more just a complainy type thing on my part haha. The club is actually priced very well, but since I'm a student I just barely make money and I had NO. IDEA. how expensive shooting is!

/end thread derailment.

Thanks for understanding. I remember what it was like to be a broke college student; keep up the hard work at school. Before you know it, you'll be able to afford it!

 

[pudly]

It's more just a complainy type thing on my part haha. The club is actually priced very well, but since I'm a student I just barely make money and I had NO. IDEA. how expensive shooting is!

/end thread derailment.

Learn to love .22s.

 

[LFD102]

I was unaware of the rule change on regulating how many people can share a bay. My co-workers and I have on many occasions gone up before we went to work and done some shooting . Now I find out that we were violating the rules because there has been as many as 8 of us sharing a bay.

I guess the next time we go we will just have to occupy both bays.

First I've hard of the rule change about the bays .
Rest edited since reading the rest of the post issue has been addressed
Thanks to all that run and try to make MCFG a safe place to shoot I may not agree with all the rules and changes but I do understand and as a member will abide by them

 

[LFD102]

I was at the range one morning last week, doing some test-firing of customer guns in one of the bays. I was the only one there. I had my gear set on the table at the back of the bay, and I would walk forward about half the distance to the target, load the gun, fire until empty, then walk back to the table with the gun pointed at the ground. While I was doing this, a gentleman had pulled his pickup onto the gravel "road" at the back of the bays, and was collecting the trash. Upon seeing me walking back to the table, he approached me and said "They don't want anyone open carrying a gun in the bays," explaining that I had to either case or holster the gun prior to returning to the table, or move the table down to where I wanted to shoot from. I thanked him for explaining that to me, but was unaware that it was in the rules (I don't consider a muzzle pointed straight down as breaking the 180).

The person in question never introduced himself to me by name, nor did he identify himself as a Safety Officer. He did not have a club badge visible, and was not signed in on the sign-up board (after he got done gathering the trash, he left). If he was acting in an "official" capacity, he should have said that. If there are rules changes made after the rulebooks are distributed, they need to be communicated to the membership, either by mail, Email, posting on the club website, and/or posting outside the clubhouse.

This was the first and only interaction I've had with someone who might have been a volunteer RO.

This is very similar to the incident I've had glad to see it was handled. Sorry the hear he left the club, prior to the SO changes I'd had great conversation and interaction with him.