What`s New in Gun Rests? - National Shooting Sports Foundation

Q&A: What Sources Can Help You Get Started?
Vol. 15 No. 1 Winter 2012
NSSF’s Magazine for Shooting Facilities
What’s New in
Gun Rests?
Lead Management:
Lessons to Be Learned
from Colt
Tips on Liability Waivers
The Range Report
Winter 2012
1
Your First Shot
at New Shooters
An introduction to shooting
F
inding new customers is always a challenge. If there
ever was a sure shot at new business, this is it. Best
of all, ranges that held seminars found a significant
increase in range activity, traffic and profits! Shooting
range-hosted and -managed seminars are free to
participants, easy to run by even small ranges and, best
of all, low cost to facilities.
We have already done most of the work for you as
an NSSF member and actually help fund advertising
for your seminar, provide loaner equipment,
ammunition, targets and safety literature. First
Shots is a short, hands-on introduction to firearms
covering safety, responsible ownership and shooting
fundamentals.
Why is the program so successful? First Shots provides a
system for bringing target shooting to the general public
in one complete package that makes it simple for nonshooters to:
1) Gain awareness of target shooting.
2) Build interest in learning more about target shooting.
3) Evaluate and try target shooting before investment.
Here’s what range
owners have to say:
“We started to do First Shots
almost a year ago and continue
to run one class a month. We do this
for two reasons, one is to get more shooters
involved in the shooting sport and the second
being a great way for us to give back to the
community. We have seen participants who
have gone on to take almost every class we offer
on personal protection and continue to want to
learn more about shooting. We will continue to
participate in the First Shots program and look
forward to the new classes
that they are working on.”
Harry Misener,
Special Events Coordinator,
Shooter’s World
4) Access continued opportunities to participate.
The program’s elements of cooperative funding
for advertising, a simple agenda, short time
frames, limited trials and safe environment all
result in an increase of new shooters and new
customers to your range.
Many have seen remarkable results. To learn
more go to www.nssf.org/firstshots or contact
Tisma Juett ([email protected]) or call 203426-1320. Taking that first shot is always the
toughest and the most memorable.
Scan this QR code with
your Smartphone for more
information on First Shots
WWW.NSSF.ORG/FIRSTSHOTS
The Range Report
Fall 2011
2
www.nssf.org • www.wheretoshoot.org • www.rangeinfo.org
Vol. 15 No. 1 Winter 2012
Features
8
11
14
18
Eyeing a Super Model
The Oregon Association of Shooting Ranges is
a shining example of statewide range unity.
By Brian McCombie
Liability Waivers
Important tips on these essential, but not
bulletproof, aspects of your risk-management
plan
By Jeff Yue
What’s New in Gun Rests?
5
18
Get up to speed on the latest aids for
securing firearms on the bench.
By Carolee Anita Boyles
11
Lessons to Be Learned
How an industry giant manages lead at
its ranges
By Douglas S. Malan
Departments
4
14
Letter from the Editor
NSSF personified
By Glenn Sapir
Sighting In
Scoping out news for the shooting
range community
By Glenn Sapir
6
22
24
26
Q&A
Sources to get started
By Ed Santos and A.G. Paul
The Undercover Shooter
A lesson learned
The Undercover Shooter
A long shot in the Northwest
Home on the Range
Beginning the next 50 years
By Steve Sanetti
On the cover:
Our Options & Innovations series
looks at gun rests, beginning on
page 14
Photo by Jeff Davis
The Range Report
Winter 2012
© 2012 National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Range
ReportSM, SHOT Show® and all other trade names, trademarks and service marks of
the National Shooting Sports Foundation appearing in this publication are the sole
property of the Foundation and may not be used without the Foundation’s prior
express written permission. All other company and product names are trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective owners.
3
Letter
from
thethe
from
Editor
Editor
G l e n n
www.nssf.org
S a p i r
The Range Report, published four times per
year by the National Shooting Sports Foundation,
is dedicated to serving the needs and to helping
meet the challenges of today’s shooting facilities.
NSSF Personified
D
o you remember the successful NRA
advertising campaign in which a
diversity of people were highlighted,
with the heading, “I’m the NRA, and I vote?”
Standing before me at the “Product
Showcase” at the business conference of
the Professional Outdoor Media Association was an attractive young lady. She was
co-“manning” the booth for the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation, and she
may not have even heard of the National
Shooting Sports Foundation. Nevertheless, through our discussion that day and a
later conversation I discovered that in some
ways Morgan Dulaney personifies NSSF’s
programs to promote shooting and increase
participation.
She was the NSSF, and she was barely
old enough to vote.
This 18-year-old was on her way back
from the Scholastic Clay Target Program’s
“Last Person Standing” competition at
which her expertise in trapshooting earned
her the national title. The next day, the
dozens of accomplished outdoor writers at
the POMA gathering would attend the organization’s shooting day, and Morgan would
be taking on all shooters.
“I’d say about 30 writers challenged me
at trap,” she later reported, “and I beat all of
them except one. In fact, that day I shot my
first 50 straight, my first 75 straight and my
first 100 straight.”
Not bad for the June high-school graduate who began her freshman year in college
this past fall. At the POMA Business Conference, I told her about NSSF’s Collegiate
Shooting Sports Initiative, through which
the trade association for the shooting sports
grants money to colleges to establish shooting clubs and teams and to strengthen those
that already exist.
A couple of months into her first
semester at the University of Wisconsin at
Oshkosh, Morgan and I caught up, and I
learned that she had taken my mention of
CSSI to heart.
“The college has a riflery team,” she
said, “but that’s all. I have begun looking
into the possibility of starting a trapshooting team, and the university has pledged its
support.”
4
She said she knows that she needs to
start applying for grants, which will fund
ammunition and travel. But she has run
into an important stumbling block.
“We need to find someone who will
serve as our coach and would help take on
the job of starting a team,” Morgan said.
This young lady thirsts to continue
competitive shooting. It has been a part of
her life since she was old enough to shoot.
“All of my family on my dad’s side were
shooters,” Morgan said. “When I got to high
school, my brother was the captain of our
scholastic trapshooting team. By my senior
year, I was the captain.”
Her high school team entered itself
as an SCTP squad, and, of course, that
program was founded by the National
Shooting Sports Foundation to promote
shooting while building character. Before
it was handed over to the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation, SCTP under NSSF
administration had been embraced by more
than 30,000 students.
Today, NSSF continues to be a major
financial supporter of the program, which
has now expanded to include collegians.
Morgan is also investigating starting an
SCTP squad among her fellow students.
Until trapshooting gets off the ground
at her college, Morgan will continue to
go home every other weekend or more
frequently to shoot. SCTP has helped create
an aspiring and accomplished shooter, and
CSSI may help her to continue her competitive shooting while in school. In any case,
her tremendous desire to get on the line and
her intensity when she gets there shows
real promise that a lifetime shooter has
been created—and it’s good to know that
programs that NSSF has administered have
helped to make that happen.
As an NSSF member and as a shooting
facility, you can become part of many of
the programs that NSSF offers—First Shots,
CSSI, Range Partnership grants, WhereToShoot.org and more. Morgan Dulaney is the
NSSF. How about you?
RR
The Range Report encourages letters,
comments, suggestions, questions and tips.
Material to be returned should be accompanied
by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. The
Range Report does not assume responsibility
for the loss of unsolicited graphic or written
material. Correspondence should be sent to: The Range Report
c/o NSSF
11 Mile Hill Road
Newtown, CT 06470-2359
Fax: 203-426-1245
E-mail: [email protected]
We reserve the right to edit for clarity and space.
Mark Thomas
Glenn Sapir
Ann Siladi
Deb Moran
Managing Director
Editor
Advertising Director
Art Director
Advisory Committee
Bill Kempffer, president - chairman of NSSF’s Range Division
Deep River Sporting Clays, Inc.
Sanford,
N.C. Committee
[email protected]
Advisory
Don Turner,
Turner -president
president of NSSF’s Association of Shooting Ranges
Shooting
park
manager LLC
Don
Turner
Consultant,
Clark County
Shooting
North
Las Vegas,
Nev. Park
[email protected]
North Las Vegas, Nev. [email protected]
Robin Ball, owner
Robin Shooting
Ball, owner
Sharp
Indoor Range and Gun Shop
Sharp Shooting
Range and [email protected]
Shop
Spokane,
Wash. Indoor
Spokane, Wash. [email protected]
Brian Danielson, sales manager
Brian Danielson, sales manager
Meggitt Training Systems
Meggitt Training Systems
[email protected]
Suwanee, Ga.
Suwanee, Ga.
[email protected]
Glenn
Glenn Duncan,
Duncan, owner
owner
Duncan’s
Duncan’s Outdoor
Outdoor Shop,
Shop, Inc.
Inc.
Bay
Bay City,
City, Mich.
Mich.
[email protected]
[email protected]
Jon Green, director of education and training Gun Owners Action League (GOAL)
Northborough, Mass.
[email protected]
Bill Kempffer,
president
Holden
Kriss, director
Deep River
Clays, Shooting
Inc.
Indian
RiverSporting
County Public
Range
Sanford, N.C. [email protected]
Sebastian,
Fla.
[email protected] HoldenLaws,
Kriss,CEO
director
Barry
Indian RiverInc.
County Public Shooting Range
Openrange
Sebastian, Fla.
[email protected] Crestwood,
Ky. [email protected]
BarryMurray,
Laws, CEO
Phil
national sales manager
Openrange
White
Flyer Inc.
Crestwood,
Ky. [email protected]
Houston,
Texas
[email protected]
Phil Murray,
national sales manager
Stan
Pate, president
White Flyer
Oregon
State Shooting Association
Houston,
Texas Albany, Ore. [email protected]
[email protected]
Tim Pitzer,
presidentrange program manager
Doug
VanderWoude,
Oregon State
Shooting Association
AcuSport
Corporation
Albany, Ore. Ohio [email protected]
Bellefontaine,
[email protected]
The Range Report
Winter 2012
Sighting In
Scoping out news for the shooting range community
By Glenn Sapir, Editor
First Shots® Kicks Off Big City Tour
The National Shooting Sports Foundation and eight shooting facilities in greater
Chicago and Madison, Wis., sponsored
First Shots seminars Saturday, Nov. 5,
2011, to introduce residents to safe and
responsible handgun ownership. With
Chicago residents now able to exercise
their Second Amendment rights following
the Supreme Court’s
McDonald decision and
with Wisconsin becoming
the 49th state to permit
concealed carry, the two
cities were naturals to
kick off NSSF’s Big City
Tour of First Shots. Future
seminars are slated for
Miami and Sacramento.
“With their individual
right to keep and bear
arms reaffirmed by the
U.S. Supreme Court’s
McDonald ruling, Chicagoland residents are
displaying their keen interest in owning
firearms by filling First Shots seminars at
area shooting ranges,” said Tisma Juett,
NSSF manager of First Shots. “Making
the leap from freedom-to-own to actual
ownership can be challenging, however. To
provide helpful answers to the many questions residents may have about the process
of handgun ownership, five shooting
ranges scheduled free First Shots seminars
to provide a safe and supervised introduction to ownership.”
NSSF, the trade association for the
firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry, co-sponsored the
seminars with these Chicago-area ranges:
Midwest Sporting Goods,
Lyons, Ill.; G.A.T. Guns,
Dundee, Ill.; Bass Pro
Shops, Gurnee, Ill.; Maxon
Shooters Supplies, Inc.,
Des Plaines, Ill.; and H.P.
Shooting Center, Inc.,
McHenry, Ill.
All five ranges reported
that their classes--up
to three a day at each
range—were completely
filled. Each of the ranges,
however, has agreed to
host more First Shots
events in the future.
The process of obtaining a concealed carry
permit can be challenging and, to some,
even daunting. The First Shots seminars
in the Madison, Wis., provided answers to
the many questions of Wisconsin residents
about the process of gaining a CCW permit
and handgun ownership.
Offering the seminars were: McMiller
Sports Center, Eagle, Wis.; North Bristol
Sportsman’s Club, Sun Prairie, Wis.; Colum-
Newly Designed WhereToShoot Website
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has launched a newly redesigned
WhereToShoot.org®, the web’s most comprehensive and frequently updated listing of
shooting ranges.
The site allows anyone to search for a place to shoot in their area. Visitors simply enter
their state or zip code and a list of shooting ranges is created. Searches can be further
narrowed by selecting which shooting discipline the visitor is interested in.
In addition to its popular search capability, the site now offers a number of other
resources for shooters, including links to: video tips; free printable targets; news about local
shooting events and opportunities; safety information; descriptions of various shooting
sports; how to find a retailer; listing of 5 Star-rated shooting facilities; NSSF’s “Pull the Trigger ” e-newsletter archive; and shooting organizations
WhereToShoot.org is the most comprehensive directory of shooting ranges online.
Managed by NSSF, the trade association for the firearms industry, the site is updated
frequently with range information in every state. NSSF encourages all shooting ranges to
enter or update their range information free of charge.
SM
The Range Report
Summer2012
Winter
2011
bus Sportsman’s Club, Columbus, Wis.
“First Shots seminars provide an introduction to safe and responsible handgun
shooting and firearms storage,” said Juett.
“Each seminar covers laws and regulations,
emphasizes the value of proper training
and puts participants on the firing line
with certified instructors so they can experience the fun of target shooting.”
For more information about First
Shots, contact Tisma Juett at tjuett@nssf.
org or go to www.firstshots.org.
Big Names Propel Success
for Sporting Clays Event
The Dover Furnace Shooting Grounds,
in Dover Plains, N.Y., and the GlenArbor
Golf Club in Bedford Hills, N.Y., joined
forces with dignitaries and celebrities to raise funds to restore America’s
193-million acre National Forest System. The Friday and Saturday National Forest
Foundation’s 17th Annual Sporting Clays
Invitational, sponsored by the Remington
Outdoor Foundation, featured an opening
reception at the golf club and 158 shooters vying for top honors at the 20-station
sporting clays course on Saturday.
Among the attendees were Tom
Brokaw, who served as guest speaker at
the reception, and SSgts. Josh Richmond
and Mark Weeks of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit.
Running a successful benefit shoot
takes a lot of planning, organization and
promotion. You may not be able to include
a nationally treasured newsman and an
Olympic shooter on your guest list, but if
your facility wishes to run such an event
or strengthen an already annually scheduled shoot, you’d be wise to study two
guides published by NSSF: “Countdown
to Success; Event Planning Checklist”
and “Guide to Community Relations at
Shooting Ranges.” Both are free to NSSF
members and $15 each to nonmembers.
To order, click on Publications at
Range Resources at the NSSF website,
www.nssf.org. To learn more about NSSF
membership, click on Industry, then
RR
Membership, at the same website.
5
Q&A
Your questions answered
Ed Santos
A.G. Paul
Owner/Founder
Center Target Sports, Inc.
Owner/Operator
The Sound of Freedom U.S.A.
Post Falls, Idaho
Ozark, Mo.
Sources to Get Started
Q. Where can you find help developing
an indoor range?
A. Ed Santos, owner/founder, Center
Target Sports, Inc.
Since opening my commercial indoor
range almost seven years ago, I am often
asked about the process of evaluating such
a project. My initial response is always
the same. I recommend potential range
owners join two organizations as soon
as possible. Membership in the National
Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and the
National Rifle Association (NRA) are essential in my opinion.
The NSSF is an unmatched resource
for market research, demographic analysis
and many other categories of information
that are critical to developing a business plan. The business plan is a critical
component to the overall project. One
very important asset of NSSF Research is
its credibility. I have been involved in a
number of commercial range business plan
submissions. The information supplied by
the NSSF has never been questioned. This
is very important when you are faced with
In Q & A, The Range Report invites
NSSF’s Association of Shooting Ranges
advisory committee members past and
present, and others with special expertise,
to provide their answers to questions
of interest to our readers. If you have
a question you’d like to see addressed,
submit it to [email protected].
If you would like to comment on the
answers given in this edition’s Q&A, or if
you have related follow-up questions for
this expert, please share your thoughts
at the same e-mail address.
6
the in-depth analysis conducted by most
lending institutions today.
The NRA, through its range services
department and its range development
seminars offered three times a year, will
answer the majority of questions that
are raised by potential range owners. I
attended one of these seminars before I
developed my project and can say that the
tuition was money well spent.
In addition to these two organizations, range equipment manufacturers
are well prepared to assist in the project
development and analysis. They will put
in perspective the analysis of equipment
features and the associated costs involved
in specific systems. They are also the best
source for equipment footprint and weight
requirements that are critical to the facility’s structural design.
All in all we as an industry are much
better prepared today than ever before to
assist a potential range owner with the
entire process. Anyone interested in a
commercial range project should contact
both the NSSF and the NRA. There are
many of us who work in this industry and
share your passion for the shooting sports
and are willing to help in any way we can.
A. A.G. Paul, owner/operator, The
Sound of Freedom U.S.A.
Many resources are available to
someone who is considering building his
or her own indoor gun range, which is
what I operate.
The NRA holds a range development
seminar typically three times a year. It
is a week long, and, even though it is
combined with outdoor range construction, it covers most things that have to
do with building and operating a successful indoor range.
The NSSF also can provide prospec-
tive builders with mountains of
information, from demographic studies to
what to expect when dealing with OSHA
and the EPA.
Although these resources are
extremely valuable and should not be
overlooked, one of the very best things a
person can do to prepare themselves is to
visit other indoor ranges.
In most cases the owner/operators of
these ranges are very proud of what they
have accomplished. As a result, most are
usually happy to answer a few questions
on the spot, and sometimes let you see
parts of the facility where access might
not normally be granted. The best question we found to ask was, “What would
you have done differently, knowing what
you know now?” Beyond that, your questions will likely vary from range to range
based on the point you are at during
this journey. In the beginning you will
most likely want to know everything
about “bullet traps” and “ceiling baffles.”
Toward the end it will be more along the
lines of “Who are your distributors?”
In our journey to build The Sound
Of Freedom USA Indoor Gun Range in
Ozark Mo., we visited 50 indoor ranges in
14 states. Each range we visited would
give us ideas on what we liked, and
also things we didn’t like. We talked to
owners, employees and even customers.
At some point toward the end, we ran out
of questions and had a very good idea of
what it was going to take to put together
a successful indoor shooting facility.
Editor’s Note: Prospective range developers
should visit www.nssf.org, click on “Shooting” and then acquaint themselves with
the many “Resources for Ranges” that
the trade association for hunting and the
shootings sports, firearms and ammunition
RR
industry offers.
The Range Report
Winter 2012
Together, Our Voice Is Strong
National Shooting
Sports Foundation®
F
or over 50 years, our mission has never wavered.
Promote, protect and preserve our hunting and
shooting sports. We are the National Shooting
Sports Foundation, the trade association of the firearms,
ammunition and shooting industry. Whether it is in
the field, on the range, in Washington, D.C. or 50 state
capitals, we stand proudly as your voice.
H
elp us make your voice louder and
stronger where it counts. Now more
than ever, it’s time to become a NSSF
member. To join contact Bettyjane Swann at
(203) 426-1320 or [email protected].
The future of
your business
depends on it.
Scan this QR code with your
Smartphone for more information
on NSSF membership
www.nssfmembership.com
The Range Report
Summer
2011
Spring
2011
7
the position that it was there before
the neighbors, so the range was
protected. OASR offered to act as
an intermediary with state regulators. OASR officers also suggested
various ways the club could alter
operations and, in so doing, better
defend it from the complaints.
“They decided they didn’t need
any help, that they’d go it alone,”
says Tim Pitzer, OASR co-founder.
“Well, today? Alone only gets you
so far.”
In the legal battle that followed,
this range lost several acres of its
property and got socked with hefty
legal bills. Though some limited
shooting still occurs there, the facility is a shadow of what it once was.
Understanding that state ranges
were increasingly under attack,
Pitts and Pitzer came together over
a decade ago to develop a state
shooting range association. At the
time, Pitts was vice president of the
Tualatin Valley Sportsmen’s Club,
Pitzer the vice president of the
Oregon State Shooting Association
(a title he still holds today, as well
as being a member of OASR). They
The Oregon Association of Shooting Ranges may
met with other range managers
across the state, getting their ideas
not star on the runway, but it is a shining example
about how a state association might
of statewide range unity
function.
“At the time,” Pitzer rememBy Brian McCombie
bers, “the anti-gunners were going
after shooting ranges in the state.
They were attacking ranges on
all it a “Tale of Two Shootlems. Then, DEQ hit the range with
development and environmental
ing Ranges”­­—specifically,
a $3,000 bill for said investigation.
issues, and trying to use state regutwo shooting ranges in
“It’s a pretty
latory agencies to
Oregon that recently faced the allsmall club, and
shut them down.”
“It
is
much
easier—
too-common problem of neighbors
it didn’t have
OASR was
making environmental charges
$3,000,” says
and much less
formally
organized
against the ranges. In Oregon, as in
George Pitts, who
late
in
2003.
A
costly— for ranges
many states, once the charges were
helped co-found
nonprofit 501(c)
made, a regulatory agency had to
OASR in 2003 and
to
be
proactive
(4), OASR has a
investigate.
today serves as its
traditional organi One range sought the help of
chairman. “So we
and to protect
zational structure,
the Oregon Association of Shootwent in and talked
themselves before with a chairman,
ing Ranges, or OASR. The other
with DEQ, and
vice-chairman,
rejected that help. The outcomes?
mitigated the bill.
problems
start.”
secretary and treaNight and day.
We got it down to
surer. An executive
In the case of the first range,
$1,000, and the
board
helps
keep
OASR focused
the Oregon Department of Enviclub was glad to pay that and get
on
its
mission:
to
protect and
ronmental Quality (DEQ) sent out
this issue settled.”
promote Oregon’s shooting ranges,
an investigator who found no prob The other shooting range took
to educate range owners and opera-
Eyeing a
Super Model
C
8
The Range Report
Winter 2012
tors and to provide the necessary
resources when ranges find themselves under attack.
OASR meets formally four times
a year. Meetings take places at various ranges, as well as at Oregon
Fish and Wildlife headquarters in
Salem. OASR dues are based on
a shooting club or range’s total
membership, with dues levied at $2
per range member.
OASR began with just eight
shooting ranges, but that quickly
increased to a dozen. Today, OASR
represents 24 ranges and shooting
clubs, and four additional ranges
have recently applied. In total, the
OASR ranges and clubs represent
more than 13,000 members, and
those numbers are a source of real
strength.
“When we go into a situation,
maybe a meeting with a state regulatory agency, we go in representing
over 13,000 members of our association ranges,” says Pitzer. “It gives us
some real clout. They listen to us.”
The National Shooting Sports
The Range Report
Winter 2012
A Shooting Range Summit in 2012
The National Shooting Sports Fouindation will host a Shooting Range Summit
in 2012 that will bring together range owners, operators and volunteers from
around the nation. The summit will be a great opportunity to, among other
things, network on forming OASR-type organizations. “The summit will be all about ways to increase shooting range participation,”
said Zach Snow, NSSF’s manager of shooting promotions. “The other big focus
will be on education—to share those resources that will help us promote, protect,
and preserve our shooting ranges for years to come.”
At the time of this writing, neither dates, location nor agenda had been finalized. NSSF will post details at www.nssf.org/ranges.
Foundation (NSSF) assisted the
fledgling OASR, too. Rick Patterson, at the time director of NSSF’s
range division, traveled to Oregon
and gave a presentation to shooting
range owners and managers about
the importance of ranges coming
together. NSSF also paid to bring in
speakers on environmental issues of
concern to state ranges.
“NSSF was really helpful,” says
Pitzer. “When they brought in Rick
Patterson, and he talked to those
other range operators about why
we needed to organize, that really
bought us a lot of credibility within
the state.”
It is a credibility that has been
well earned.
“OASR has really become the
ambassador in the state for shooting ranges and the shooting range
industry,” says Zach Snow, NSSF’s
manager of shooting promotions.
9
“It’s a great cooperative effort,
and it’s ensuring that the future of
shooting ranges in Oregon is bright,
for years and years to come.”
Snow adds that Oregon was the
first state to unify its ranges into
a cohesive organization, and that
OASR is truly a model for other
states and their shooting ranges.
Pitts, though, is very clear on
one point: OASR is not looking for
a fight. Just the opposite.
“We’re not trying to beat DEQ
or any other agency,” says Pitts.
“We’re trying to work with DEQ.”
When OASR got up and
running, for example, one of its
main efforts was to inform state
ranges about the applicable environmental regulations. Later,
OASR began putting together legal
and engineering resources to help
ranges defend themselves from
complaints and investigations.
As Pitts notes, it is much
easier—and much less costly—
10
for ranges to be proactive and to
protect themselves before problems
start. One of the most important
things ranges need to do is to
develop Environmental Stewardship Plans or ESPs. An ESP is a
written document that lays out a
range’s lead-management practices.
OASR helps member and nonmember ranges develop ESPs so that
they incorporate Best Management
Practices. Simply having an ESP on
hand and being able to show state
regulators that best management
practices have been implemented
has stopped many anti-range
complaints right in their tracks.
To understand just how far
OASR has come as an organization,
consider that the group recently
began working on a publication that
will explain state environmental
laws, with range-specific examples,
and detail the best management
practices these ranges should be
employing. OASR is working with
Oregon DEQ on the project, and
should have the book-length publication out sometime this year.
“We hope to issue these books
to all the ranges in the state,
whether they are OASR members
or not, so we’re all working on the
same page,” says Pitts.
Are you interested in the idea of
a range association in your state?
“First of all, contact us, and
we’ll help in any way that we can,”
Pitzer says. “We’re an open book.
We’ll tell you all we can about what
we did, if it worked, if it didn’t.”
Contact a number of other
ranges operators and mangers
within your state and begin to
discuss the idea of an association.
Get feedback on what sorts of challenges these ranges are facing.
However, do not expect any one
person to tackle such an undertaking alone.
“We had a number of various
ranges with enthusiastic members,
notably Fred Ross of Siuslaw Rod
& Gun Club in Florence, that were
essential to making this organization get off the ground,” says Pitts.
“They helped identify the needs
and sell the concept.”
NSSF’s Snow recommends a
core group of three to five people to
do the initial start-up work and will
be willing to serve as association
officers.
“NSSF is all for assisting these
kinds of efforts,” Snow adds. “For
example, we’re able to plant seed
money to implement the initial
organizational structure, so that it
can become a non-profit 501 corporation and a new range association
can move forward.”
“You’ve got to have a few
people really willing to grab the
ball and run with it,” Pitts says.
“It can take some real time, some
significant hours. But, my gosh,
the benefits are going to be so huge
to your state’s clubs and shooting
ranges. You won’t just be safeguarding yourselves—you’ll be
preserving shooting sports in
RR
your state for years to come.”
The Range Report
Winter 2012
Liability Waivers
What to know about these essential,
but not bulletproof, aspects of your risk-management plan
By Jeff Yue, NSSF Associate General Counsel
I
n today’s litigious environment, it is almost guaranteed
that a business will be sued
if a customer is hurt while on its
premises. Venues open for recreation, such as shooting ranges, are
particularly vulnerable to lawsuits—
frivolous or not— that can have
devastating financial consequences.
A single lawsuit, whether arising
because one of your customers failed
to heed the “Wet Floor” sign in the
clubhouse or ignored a range safety
officer’s instructions in loading and
unloading his or her firearm, could
put you out of business if your range
is found legally responsible.
Range owners and operators must be vigilant of customer
lawsuits “waiting to happen”
and implement risk-management
measures to protect their busi-
The Range Report
Winter 2012
nesses. Together with procuring
business-liability insurance and
making range safety a priority (e.g.,
offering employee safety training,
inspecting facilities and equipment,
posting range safety rules, etc.),
liability waivers are an important
component in a successful range
risk-management program. A liability waiver signed by a customer
before he or she is permitted to
engage in shooting or other activities can eliminate, or at least reduce,
the chance that your range will be
sued in the unfortunate event the
customer is injured. And if sued,
the waiver can improve your range’s
ability to defend the case.
Let’s understand what liability
waivers are, identify caveats associated with waivers and offer some
practical tips in using waivers to
protect your range.
What is a waiver?
An exculpatory agreement,
such as a liability waiver (sometimes also referred to as a liability
release or hold harmless agreement),
is a contract relieving or limiting
a party’s blame for harm another
person may incur, such as bodily
injury, as a result of participating
in an activity. Other common types
of exculpatory contracts include
indemnification agreements and
covenants not to sue. These terms
are often used interchangeably with
waivers, but they have completely
different purposes and consequences. Though not covered here,
an indemnification agreement, for
the curious reader, is an arrangement where one person agrees to
11
protect another from liability to
In the event a customer has any
Some states only permit waivers in
third parties, and a covenant not to
questions, range personnel should be
certain circumstances, and some do
sue is an agreement entered into by
readily available to answer them.
not enforce waivers at all.
an individual who has a valid legal
Though it is not advisable to
claim against another but agrees not
Watch your language
recycle someone else’s waiver, it
to pursue the claim.
States require waivers to include
could be a helpful starting point in
It has been said that waivers
creating one of your own. Furtherclear and unambiguous wording and
are not worth the paper they are
will balk at waivers attempting to
more, you may save money by having
written on. This claim can be chalabsolve a party from extreme forms
an attorney review a waiver that you
lenged with “It is better to have a
of liability (i.e., gross negligence,
have already prepared rather than
waiver than not have one at all.” A
intentional acts). Waivers that do
having the attorney write one from
well-drafted, clear and unambiguous
scratch.
not meet specific wordsmith requirewaiver can be invaluable in estabments or are overbroad are not likely
lishing that your range exercised
going to be valid.
You still can be sued
reasonable care in educating custom Many court opinions can now be
Waivers are not bulletproof. A
ers about the risks associated with
found on the Internet, and law firms
customer that signs a waiver and
shooting activities. Individuals may
publish summaries of court rulings
is hurt on your range can still sue
also hesitate in pursuyour range no matter how
ing legal action against
well-written your waiver is.
your range if they signed
Whether the challenge has
A well-drafted, clear and
a waiver expressly statany merit is a different quesing that they voluntarily
tion. Regardless, the fact
unambiguous waiver can be
and knowingly assumed
remains your range will still
these risks. Even if your
have to defend itself.
invaluable in establishing that
waiver is not enforced and
Having a waiver is
your range exercised reasonable still better than not having
a lawsuit proceeds against
you, a court may consider
one at all. Even if the waiver
care in educating customers
the waiver in evaluating the
is not enforced, a court may
consider it as strong evidence
sufficiency of other legal
about the risks associated with
that a customer knew and
defenses you may have and
shooting activities.
assumed the risks of the
limit your damages.
activity. Be sure to keep and
store all waivers signed by
Caveats
Before rushing off to adopt a
your customers in a safe and readily
on their websites. A number of other
waiver for your range there are a few
accessible place. If you do not retain
online resources provide helpful
important caveats to keep in mind.
them or cannot find them, your abilguidance on waiver requirements in
specific states. Range owners and
ity to defend against a lawsuit could
Is everyone in agreement?
operators should read these materibe hindered.
A waiver is a contract and, being
als and familiarize themselves with
a contract, it is subject to all of the
state waiver laws. Before acting on
What about the children?
standard rules of contract formation
Laws dealing with waivers signed
this information, however, an attorand construction. A waiver is not
by minors or signed by parents/
ney should be consulted to ensure
likely to be enforced if you are unable
guardians on behalf of minors are a
that your waiver complies with your
to demonstrate that a customer
mixed bag. Waivers signed by minors
state’s particular legal requirements
read and understood the nature of
have traditionally been found to be
to be enforceable.
the document, was informed about
unenforceable because of a minor’s
the risks associated with shooting
capacity to enter into contracts.
One size does not fit all
activities, voluntarily chose to assume
Never assume that a waiver
Courts and legislatures in multiple
received from a friend at another
states have enforced parental waivthose risks and intended to relieve
range or one found on the Internet
the range from liability arising from
ers, however.
will protect your particular business.
A good practice is to create a
his or her participation in the activwaiver that is signed by both the
All waivers are not created equal.
ity.
Customers should always be
minor and his or her parent/guardian
Every state interprets waivers differafforded time to read a waiver.
and implement other precautions to
ently, and just because a waiver may
Consider having customers initial
limit your range’s liability (e.g., ask
pass muster in one state does not
each page or paragraph of your
about the minor’s skill level, make
mean it will in another. Some states
waiver to reflect their acknowledgesure facilities and equipment are safe,
are lenient in interpreting waivers,
insist that a minor’s parent/guardian
ment and agreement with the terms.
and others strictly scrutinize them.
12
The Range Report
Winter 2012
is present and close by at all times,
provide range safety officer supervision, etc.).
Checklist for waivers
Below are a few tips to follow in
creating your own waiver. This list is
helpful but not comprehensive.
4 The waiver should be written
in easy to understand language.
If you have foreign language
customers, have waivers translated and make them available.
4 Warn of the full range of possible
injuries that a customer could
incur by participating in an activity (e.g. bodily injury, permanent
disability, death or property
damage).
4 Identify risks assumed broadly
(e.g. “known and unknown”);
otherwise the waiver could be
limited to known risks or risks
inherent in the activity.
4 Exculpatory language waiving
The Range Report
Winter 2012
the range’s liability should be
conspicuous. Use bold font, large
type, and SET APPART FROM
OTHER LANGUAGE.
4 Having multiple customers sign
4 Expressly state that the waiver is
bringing personal injury, property damage and contractual
claims vary from state to state.
Waivers should be retained
among your records for at least
until such periods expire.
seeking a release of your range’s
negligence, including negligence of its directors, officers,
employees and authorized representatives, to the fullest extent
permitted by law. Use the word
“negligence.”
4 Include language that your range
is also seeking to be released from
the negligent acts of event participants or bystanders.
4 Waivers are not likely to protect
a range against liability for acts of
gross negligence or other outrageous conduct.
4 Waivers should be separate documents. Do not incorporate a
waiver into another form like a
membership application or registration form.
one waiver form is not recommended.
4 The statute of limitations for
Contact a lawyer within your state
It is highly recommended that
ranges contact an attorney licensed
in their state with experience writing
and defending waivers before implementing their own. Range owners
and operators should educate their
attorneys about their business and
the specific activities they conduct.
Armed with this knowledge and the
ins and outs of your state’s waiver
requirements, your attorney can
ensure that your waiver contains the
proper wording to make it compliant and enforceable to protect your
RR
range.
13
Options & Innovations
What’s New in Gun Rests?
Get up to speed on the latest aids for securing firearms on the bench
By Carolee Anita Boyles
W
hen it comes to gun rests,
Hall said he prefers leather to
“We give discounts to ranges,” he
every shooter has an opinsynthetic materials because the
said. “We usually provide products
ion. Options range from
leather wears better.
to ranges at an industry price of about
simple sand bags to complex portable
Brandon Butler, marketing
half the manufacturer’s suggested
shooting benches, with everything in
retail price, which makes them very
manager of Battenfeld Technolobetween; every shooter has his or her
gies, said many ranges don’t take as
affordable.”
favorite.
much advantage of manufacturers’
Brant said Shooters Ridge offers a
At H&H Gun Range in Oklaprograms for purchasing gun rests as
number of different types of bags that
homa City, Okla., patrons can shoot
they could. Tim Brandt, public relayou can fill with sand, including those
either handguns or rifles on one of 55
tions manager for ATK, including
made of suede and regular leather.
indoor lanes.
Shooters Ridge and RCBS, agreed.
Shooter’s Ridge also offers the Gorilla
“The majority of our lanes
“I don’t know if it’s logistics, if
Bag, which provides seven different
are set up to handle high-powered
they think they can’t afford it or if
rest options for a variety of firearms.
rifles,” said owner Miles Hall.
Battenfeld Technologies has a
“We give discounts to ranges. wide variety of bench-top rests
“Benchrest shooting really
boils down to what you want to
in the Caldwell brand of shootaccomplish with the gun. What We usually provide products to ing accessories, including its
we’ve found is that there isn’t
ranges at an industry price of own versions of the shooting
bag.
a cookie-cutter answer when
about half the manufacturer’s “The Tack Driver bag is an
it comes to what the customer
wants; there isn’t one gun rest
choice for ranges,”
suggested retail price, which excellent
that works for everybody.”
Butler said. “The Dead Shot
Hall said that what his
makes them very affordable.” bag is another great bag for
customers use the most is sandranges.”
filled leather bags.
they don’t have the staff to put rests
The Tack Driver has an H-shaped
“That’s also the simplest and easiout or to be sure they get put away,”
configuration that makes it suitable
est gun rest for a range to have,” he
Brandt said.
for rifles, shotguns and handguns; the
said. “They work for both long guns
Butler said many companies have
Dead Shot is a two-bag system with
and for handguns, and everybody
special pricing for ranges who buy
front and rear components that make
‘gets’ how to use them.”
shooting rests for customer use.
it versatile on the shooting bench.
14
The Range Report
Winter 2012
Once you get past the basic sandfilled bag, there’s a broad range of
other rests for use on ranges.
“Personally, I particularly like the
Zero-Max and the Pistolero Handgun
Rest for ranges,” Butler said.
The Caldwell Zero-Max Shooting Rest is a full-length tube steel
construction rest with elevation and
windage adjustment, a front sandbag
and micro adjustment for elevation
corrections. The Caldwell Pistolero
offers five inches of horizontally
adjustable hand support and three
inches of vertically adjustable barrel
support, so it accommodates almost
every handgun on the market. It’s
designed for both indoor and outdoor
use.
Clark County Shooting Park in
Las Vegas, Nev., has typical concrete
benches on its outdoor range, but
supplements those benches with gun
rests.
“We have rests that are easily
adjustable,” said Park Manager Steve
Carmichael. “They’re Delta rests
made by Hornady. They can be positioned so the shooter can put the butt
stock of the gun on them in several
positions. It’s a molded rest that’s
tapered so you have several different
heights.”
The Delta gun rest offers nine
different shooting heights, three on
each of its three sides. It can be filled
with sand to make it heavier than
just the molded plastic of which it’s
formed.
Shooter’s Ridge has its Deluxe
Rifle Rest, which is designed to minimize felt recoil. It’s built of tubular
steel with windage and elevation
adjustments, a vinyl-coated butt rest
and a front sandbag for a solid shooting platform. Both right-handed and
left-handed shooters can use this
shooting rest.
If you’re looking for a simple pistol
or rifle rest, the Allen Company has
its Shot Saver Bench Rest. It’s a small
bag mounted on a three-legged rest
with removable pointed anchor pins.
MTM Case-Gard has a new benchtop rest, the K-Zone Shooting Rest.
Unlike many other rests, this one is
plastic, which makes it lighter and
easier to handle than heavier models;
The Range Report
Winter 2012
The Deluxe Rifle Rest
from Shooter’s Ridge
Photo courtesy of Shooter’s Ridge
Photo courtesy of RCBS
Photo courtesy of Shooter’s Ridge.
The RASS Shooting Bench
Shooter’s Ridge two-tone sand bags (above);
Shooter’s Ridge suede sand bag (above left);
and Shooter’s Ridge leather sand bags (left)
15
Resources for Gun Rests
Allen Company
525 Burbank St., P.O. Box 445
Broomfield, CO 80020
303-469-1857
www.allencompany.net
Battenfeld Technologies
(Caldwell brand)
5885 West Van Horn Tavern Rd.
Columbia, MO 65203
573-445-9200
www.battenfeldtechnologies.com
Hornady Manufacturing Company
3625 Old Potash Hwy.
P.O. Box 1848
Grand Island, NE 68803
308-382-1390
www.hornady.com
MTM Case-Gard Company
P.O. Box 13117
Dayton, OH 45413
937-890-7461
www.mtmcase-gard.com
Shooters Ridge (part of ATK)
N5549 County Trunk Z
Onalaska, WI 54650
800-635-7656
www.shootersridge.com
Vanguard USA
9157 East M-36
Whitmore Lake, MI 48189
734-449-1200
www.vanguardworld.com
RCBS (R.A.S.S. system; part of ATK)
605 Oro Dam Blvd.
Oroville, CA 95965
530-533-5191
www.rcbs.com
it has compartments you can fill with
sand to add weight if your customers
wish. It has a hand-wheel elevation
system and will fit bolt-action rifles,
modern sporting rifles, lever-action
rifles, slug guns and handguns. The
overall length can be adjusted as
much as 7½ inches to fit different
firearms.
Also from MTM Case-Gard is
a recoil-reducing rest, the Shoulder Gard Rifle Rest. An integrated
recoil-reduction sling lets shooters
16
with magnum and bigger bore rifles
shoot with less felt recoil. You can
remove the recoil reduction sling for
use with lighter caliber rifles.
The MTM Pistol Rest is for
handguns only. It can be adjusted
to hold everything from a 14-inch
Thompson Center Contender to a
little Derringer; it locks into position so it doesn’t shift from the
recoil with each shot. The Pistol
Rest can be used with or without a
sand bag; the rest is made of polypropylene.
Vanguard’s Steady-Aim gun
rest is made of heavy-duty steel
and has a precise micro-elevation
adjustment. The central elevationadjustment dial provides a -5 to
+20-degree angle range of movement; an anti-vibration bag securely
holds a rifle’s forearm, and a leather
sling holds the stock. The feet
adjust from rubber to spiked metal,
depending on what you need for
the surface of the benches on your
range.
Some gun rests are built into
stationary benches.
“Meggitt Training Systems has
built a bench with a barrel notch in
it,” Hall said. “You can rest a rifle
barrel or a handgun in it. But what
we’ve found with that one is that
people shoot the bench. They rest
the barrel in that little notch, and
when they fire the gun, the recoil
makes the gun slip back. Then they
fire again and shoot a hole in the
front of the bench.”
Battenfeld Technologies has
two shooting benches, each with
a couple of different models: the
Stable Table and the BR Pivot.
“The Stable Table’s claim to
fame is that it’s easy to move,”
Butler said. “The BR Pivot is more
for a permanent shooting position.
It comes with two tops: a wooden
top and a synthetic top, both of
which are suitable for outdoor and
indoor use. The BR Pivot is adjustable for length, so you can use is
with any type of firearm; it adjusts
for everything from a handgun to
a long gun. The center console is
removable so it will accept a tacticalstyle firearm or a lever-action gun.
You also can slide the rear portion
off and leave the center portion
in place, and you have a rest for a
handgun.”
From Shooter’s Ridge, the
Deluxe Shooting Bench comes with
a shooting yoke and spotting scope
arm. The vertically adjustable gun
yoke allows for a 20-degree shot
swing; this means 35 yards of coverage if the target is 100 yards from
the shooter. The spotting scope
mount swings in so your shooters
can see their targets clearly without
walking downrange. This bench
has an adjustable seat, so it will fit
almost anyone shooting on your
range.
Other shooting benches offer
different types of gun rests, each
one of which is slightly different
and offers different advantages. For
example, some shooting benches
have a rotary “dial” feature—much
like those on some bench-top rests—
that allows the shooter to raise or
lower either the stock or barrel to
get the scope crosshairs at exactly
the right height on the target.
At the high end of the shooting
bench spectrum is the RASS bench.
“You sit down on it and put the
firearm in the gun rest that’s on it,”
Hall said. “The gun rest that’s on it
serves a number of purposes. It’s
bulky for use on an indoor range,
but on an outdoor range it’s fantastic.”
The RASS bench, manufactured by RCBS, has adjustments
for elevation and gun-rest height,
as well as seat height and distance
adjustments, and has 360 degrees of
movement.
“The RASS bench has been a
really popular product for shooters,”
Brandt said.
With so many options to choose
from, it’s hard to decide which
shooting rest is the “best.” Ultimately, that will depend on whether
you have an indoor or outdoor
range, what kind of shooting your
customers do, and your budget. One
thing is very clear, however; for
every range situation, you can find
a variety of options that will meet
RR
your customers’ needs.
The Range Report
Winter 2012
Buy a gun for
someone who
can’t and buy
yourself
10 years
in jail.
TM
The firearms industry has always taken the criminal
acquisition and misuse of firearms very seriously. This
is why the National Shooting Sports Foundation®
(NSSF®), the trade association for the firearms industry,
has partnered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in a campaign to further
reduce the number of firearms illegally straw purchased
in the United States.
The program, called “Don’t Lie for the Other Guy,”
was developed to raise public awareness that it is a
serious crime to purchase a firearm for someone who
cannot legally do so or for someone who does not
otherwise want his or her name associated with the
transaction. The program is also designed to educate
firearms dealers on how to better detect and deter
potential straw purchases. This collective effort drives
home the message that anyone attempting an illegal
firearm purchase faces a stiff federal penalty: Buy a gun
for someone who can’t and buy yourself 10 years in jail.
In areas where Don’t Lie is
launched, residents and visitors
see Don’t Lie for the Other Guy
billboards and
posters throughout
the city and hear
the campaign’s
strong message via
radio and
television public
service
announcements.
In reaching out to firearms retailers, NSSF distributes
Don’t Lie retailer-education kits. Each kit contains a
training video and brochure for the storeowner and staff
as well as point-of-purchase displays aimed to deter this
illegal activity.
For more information on Don’t Lie for the Other Guy,
visit www.dontlie.org.
Scan this QR
code with your
Smartphone for
more information
www.nssf.org
E
Lessons to
Be Learned
How an industry giant manages
lead at its ranges
By Douglas S. Malan
verything about Colt’s Manufacturing Company and Colt
Defense is massive.
Housed together in a 263,000
square-foot facility, the West Hartford, Conn.-based operations comprise
one of the largest gun factories in
the world for the civilian, defense
and law enforcement markets in the
U.S. and worldwide. From pistols to
machine guns, the Colt companies
design, develop and manufacture
some of the most technologically
progressive firearms found anywhere.
Of course, a vital component of
their operations involves managing
the lead generated by firing millions
of rounds each year in their indoor
military, commercial and research
ranges. For example, Colt Defense
alone fired more than six million
rounds, predominantly 5.56mm
NATO, in 300 days in 2009. With
the accompanying handgun loads of
various calibers and brass casings,
the companies have implemented an
aggressive and comprehensive plan
for managing and recycling their
respective waste from a fired round.
Considering the scale of their
operations, what can a typical
indoor civilian range learn from
these major gun manufacturers?
Quite a bit actually.
Though the volume of lead
produced by any civilian range is a
fraction of the Colt ranges’, the techniques and policies used by Colt are
applicable to ranges of any size, just
as OSHA regulations govern ranges
of every size.
“Even for the common range
operator, it’s not just the ventilation, it’s the hygiene component as
well,” said Henry Poulin, safety and
environmental manager for the Colt
companies. “A good lead-management program doesn’t have to break
the bank. It’s education, soap and
water.”
Henry Poulin, safety and environmental manager for Colt companies, says a good lead-management program isn’t cost prohibitive.
18
The Range Report
Winter 2012
Real-Life Scenario
By taking note of these points
from Colt’s state-of-the-art operations, range operators “can easily
achieve compliance” with OSHA
regulations, Poulin noted.
Conscientious sensitivity
The overall key to maintaining
a safe shooting range is to reduce
exposure to lead and use responsible
lead-disposal methods to prevent
any adverse impact on the environment. From the use of water traps to
detailed cleaning policies and air- and
water-filtration systems, the Colt
companies employ several strategies that other range operators can
emulate.
“Colt has a culture of sensitivity to the health and environmental
issues involved with lead,” Poulin
said. “We want people to understand
what we do so they can improve their
operations.”
Lead compliance program
Beyond the OSHA requirements (see sidebar on page 20 for
more details), Colt’s policies include
specifics for managing lead. First,
all cleaning must be done wet using
mops, towels and de-leading spray
cleaner. Those materials should then
be disposed of properly in receptacles
approved to handle hazardous waste.
It’s important to avoid using a
broom or compressed air to clean
surfaces because lead particles would
be scattered. Range employees
should be certified in lead training
and should clean the range following a regular schedule and activity
log. At every opportunity, range
operators should make sure surfaces
are smooth and flat for easier cleanup, and cloth upholstery should be
avoided.
“Surfaces that customers come in
contact with can be easily cleaned at
any time,” Poulin said. “Don’t allow
The Range Report
Winter 2012
A row of brass casings
ready to be recycled
The exterior of Colt’s
water trap. Bullets enter
the square opening
and then deflect off of
heavy iron plates inside
before coming to rest
in a heavy-duty basket
submerged in water.
Water Down Your Rounds
Colt utilizes 3,500-pound water traps in its ranges for function and targeting.
These traps accept rounds up to 7.62 mm, including AP rounds.
Rounds enter through a square front funnel ranging from two to six feet
wide and hit removable AR 500 sacrificial plates before dropping into a basket
submerged in water. A hoist is used to raise the basket and to replace or repair the
plates inside a trap that measures four feet wide, four feet high and five feet deep.
The water traps, together with dry traps for static and tactical shooting at
outdoor and indoor ranges, are available under Colt’s RapidRange® brand. Both
are portable, non-electric and permit easy round reclamation and recycling.
19
food and drinks anywhere near
the operation [the actual shooting
site]. That’s another pathway for
ingestion.”
Range-equipment safety
Regularly checking the condition
of your range’s equipment is vital to
controlling lead exposure.
“I know that sounds simple, but
it’s often overlooked,” Poulin said.
“A shooting range is a destructive
environment. Take time to do the
maintenance. What you’re shooting
into has to be looked at all the time.”
Patrick Rittmon, the Colt
Defense range master, explained
the twice-daily process of monitoring the water traps’ large iron plates
to ensure that none are breached
during heavy-duty gun testing.
“We hang our hat on our safety
policies,” said Rittmon, a retired
gunnery sergeant in the Marine
Corps. “All of the safety processes
are just as important as shooting the
gun.”
Also, sand barriers are positioned behind water traps as an
additional safeguard to protect from
round penetration. Water runs
through the shooting tubes to keep
gunpowder from dispersing in the
air or igniting.
Range operators should ensure
that backstops or other suitable
materials are in place to prevent
round penetration in unwanted
areas.
“Of course, fireproofing is a major
consideration,” Poulin emphasized.
Patrick Rittmon, Colt Defense range master, says, “We
hang our hat on our safety policies.”
Lead recycling and reclamation
The amount of lead waste and
brass casings that Colt operations
generate is staggering. Spent lead
fills huge 55-gallon drums that are
trucked away for recycling. Brass
casings pile up several feet deep in
cardboard boxes large enough for at
least two adults to stand in without
touching.
Indoor commercial ranges don’t
need to manage lead and brass on
that scale, but they should make
smart decisions about recycling the
waste, Poulin notes.
“Make sure the facility you hire
[to haul away the lead] is using the
lead responsibly,” he said. “For each
shipment, we get back a certificate of
recycling that indicates the lead has
A Quick Look at OSHA Standards
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has established
strict requirements for employers whose workplace contains lead in any quantity.
Through lead standard 1910.1025, these employers must determine whether the
action level for airborne lead is exceeded for any employee.
This initial determination must include air monitoring for lead and must
cover the exposure of a representative number of employees who are reasonably
believed to have the highest lead-exposure levels.
If this monitoring reveals lead levels that exceed the action level, employers
are required to further address their workplace safety situation. More information is
available at www.osha.gov.
20
been sent to a smelter.”
Lead and brass can be sold and
recycled just like scrap metal, so
some shooting ranges could see a
monetary benefit to their efforts,
depending on their volume of waste.
Ventilation control
OSHA requires some form of
ventilation for all indoor shooting
ranges. The Colt ranges use super
high-efficiency HEPA filters that
remove 99.999 percent of all lead
particles from the air as their various
guns are fired.
Air-quality monitoring, in
general, can pose significant costs
to range operators, but Poulin said
there are some ways to mitigate the
expense.
“If you’re running the same type
of operations, performing the same
type of cleaning procedures and such
as nearby ranges, you may be able
to share air-quality data monitoring
with those ranges” to comply with
OSHA regulations, Poulin said.
The important thing is that the
data is a match for your operation.
He suggests checking with ranges in
your area or going to www.wheretoshoot.org to locate similar ranges to
RR
inquire about data-sharing.
The Range Report
Winter 2012
The Range Report
Winter 2012
21
undercover
shooter
A Lesson Learned
Getting basic pistol instruction at two Missouri ranges
W
hen the editor asked me to go
undercover as a novice shooter
searching for a private pistol
lesson, I felt like I needed to call forth all
my hidden high school Thespian qualities. As an NRA-certified instructor, I work
with new shooters and have witnessed
the gamut of emotions and skills associated with the decision for a person to
learn to shoot. I found two popular indoor
ranges in St. Louis. One lay in a suburb
south of the city and the other fell right
between the ’Hood and the Hill.
When I called to make an appointment for a private shooting lesson, both
establishments’ representatives asked
me why I wanted to learn to shoot, and
then, tried to get me to sign up either
for an NSSF First Shots class or an
NRA FIRST Steps course. I told them I
was a property manager (I am), that I
preferred a one-on-one session over a
group lesson and that I wanted to learn
to shoot for two reasons: recreation and
in case I wanted to get a concealed carry
permit.
Range A
Hardly satisfying
I arrived early. My instructor introduced himself, apologized that Homeland Security had commandeered a
classroom and that he would teach the
classroom portion in the lounge area.
After asking me a few more questions
about what I knew about shooting
(nothing) and why I wanted to shoot,
he excused himself to find a gunsmith for a member. About 10 minutes
later, he returned and immediately
22
went to the big jar of pretzels on the
nearby table and took a handful.
So, we bellied up to the bar in the
lounge, and he went over safety rules
and then uncased two .22s – a revolver
and a semi-auto. He worked with me
on grip, sight alignment and trigger
squeeze. He also said, “Treat each gun
as if it were pregnant.” I asked him
what he meant. I didn’t understand his
explanation, but it seemed odd – something about one gun being pregnant
so you had to get another one. I really
didn’t want to know any more. He told
me to cock the hammer on the revolver
with my strong hand (right-handed).
Before we entered the range, an employee gave me ear protection, and because I was wearing glasses, he told me
I didn’t need additional eye protection.
On the range, in Bay 18, he offered
suggestions after every 10 rounds,
pointing out my group. I looked over
my shoulder at him at least four times
as he stood at least six feet behind me,
and every time, he was looking down
to the left at the other shooters in bays
1 and 2. Maybe he was also the acting
range safety officer? I shot both guns,
and then he left me and brought back a
.38 snubbie for me to try. At that point,
I believe he was trying to sell me a gun,
which wasn’t the point of the lesson.
After an hour, it was over. Cost: $30 for
instruction, $27.40 for ammo, two targets and lane rental. Total cost: $57.40.
Instructor’s parting comments:
“You are good enough to pass
Concealed Carry, but that level is
very low. You might want to come
back and take a pistol class.”
Range B
One-on-one—in a private room
With trepidation, I pulled into the lot
at this place—located among abandoned
buildings and payday loan places. Inside,
in the small shop, cigarette smoke filled
the air and a lot of male bonding was
going on. Worn-out carpets, water-stained
ceilings, a tiny retail shop, but a clean
lady’s room and very friendly fellows
made for an interesting setting.
My instructor seemed nervous. We
went into a classroom, and he closed the
door. In my opinion this is not a great idea
when one is instructing a person of the
opposite sex, but all the same, he began
to get more confidence and went through
the complete NRA FIRST Steps’ agenda in
one hour, allowing me time to work with
six different guns and dummy ammo and
to learn all six fundamentals of shooting—including stance, breath control and
follow-through. After supplying me with
ear protection and asking if I wanted eye
protection, he stood off my left shoulder
as I shot targets at seven yards and then
at about 15 yards. I shot all six guns,
loading them with his supervision, and
he offered to get other rental guns for me
to shoot if I wanted. We now were into a
90-minute lesson, and as much as I like
to shoot, it wasn’t on my dime, and traffic leaving the city would be horrendous
soon. So, I paid the $75 for everything
and left.
Instructor’s parting comments: “You
just need to shoot now. Find a gun you
like, and practice your fundamentals.
Come back and shoot here. Take another
RR
lesson if you want.”
The Range Report
Winter 2012
undercover shooter scorecard
Each category is rated on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the highest score.
Editor’s note: The Undercover Shooter is an experienced recreational shooter but is not trained in technical aspects of range design and operation.
Range A Customer Satisfaction Rating
Range B Customer Satisfaction Rating
Location............................................................................. 5
Location............................................................................. 2
• Located in the metro area, behind big-box stores and strip malls,
this self-contained building with two separate shooting ranges
looked inviting and clean. My GPS took me right to it.
Facility............................................................................... 5
• If you want it, they probably can get it here. A well-lit, attractive
layout featured new guns, used guns and gun accoutrements. Members have access to a lounge, and a gunsmith is onsite. Eighteen
lanes in a state-of-the-art shooting area. You can read all about the
ventilation system on its superb website.
Classroom Instruction.......................................................... 2
• Too many distractions, with members and instructors buzzing
around. Instructor had a difficult time staying focused, as he was
hungry. Friendly, but too friendly. In the course of an hour, I learned
about his marriage and his previous jobs. He did answer questions.
Instructor’s Knowledge........................................................ 2
• I based his knowledge for teaching a new shooter on what I knew
the NRA demands of its instructors. He consistently had me use my
strong hand to drop magazines, cock the hammer and release the
slide, which changes the grip. He taught three fundamentals. • Off the beaten path, it was a little scary, especially to a woman from
out of town
Facility............................................................................... 2
• A real man cave. The shooting lanes, all 10 of them, were shot up
(bullet holes everywhere), and the ventilation system didn’t seem as
efficient as at Range A.
Classroom Instruction.......................................................... 4
• Other than that I felt uncomfortable at first, this guy would get a
10 if I could give it. Attentive, and moved through the entire FIRST
Steps course efficiently, calmly and methodically. He used charts
and the blackboard for support.
Instructor’s Knowledge........................................................ 5
· Shooting since 12, obviously he paid attention to his teachers. He
knew about weak hand, strong hand, grip, stances, etc. It sounded
like he loved the shooting sports. Instructor’s Demeanor......................................................... 4
Instructor’s Demeanor......................................................... 2
• Hopefully, this guy will get confidence right from the start and not
take so long to warm up. Once he found his mojo, he really hunkered
down and led me from start to finish—from what is a gun to how to
take care of a jam.
• I never recommend that instructors eat on the job. But, other than
that, he appeared confident.
Follow-Up Options Offered.................................................. 5
Follow-Up Options Offered.................................................. 5
• Basic pistol, CCW, more one-on-one, advanced training, leagues. You
can progress rapidly here.
• Basic pistol, CCW, more one-on-one, advanced training, leagues. You
can progress rapidly here. Rental Equipment............................................................... 5
• Wide variety of pistols available. When you rent one, you rent them
all, and can change out one for another. Of course, you have to buy
the ammo onsite.
Rental Equipment............................................................... 5
• Wide variety of pistols available. When you rent one, you rent them
all, and can change out one for another. You must buy ammo here,
too.
Preferred Range
I was skeptical when I walked in, but my preference, because of the instructor/instruction quality, was Range B:
Bull’s Eye, L.L.C., 5100 Manchester Road, St. Louis, MO 63110
314-781-4867 • http://www.bullseyestl.com/home.nxg.
All reports, comments, impressions, opinions or advice expressed in the Undercover Shooter column are solely those of independent, recreational
shooting range consumers and do not necessarily represent those of the National Shooting Sports Foundation or its affiliates. Neither the NSSF nor
its affiliates make any warranty or assume any liability with respect to the accuracy or reliability of any information provided by Undercover Shooter
contributors. Readers are encouraged to and should perform their own investigation of the information provided herein.
The Range Report
Winter 2012
23
undercover
shooter
A Long Shot in the Northwest
Editor’s Note: If half of this article seems familiar, it is
because the report on “Range A” appeared in the Fall 2011
edition of The Range Report. If you were reading that Fall
edition really carefully, and you have been subscribing to
the magazine for at least a few issues, our report on “Range
B” might have seemed familiar as well. You see, the gremlins that lurk in every magazine office, trying to rearrange
copy, photos and captions when no one is minding the
shop, pulled a fast one by reprinting the “Range B” information that had appeared in the Summer 2011 Range Report
rather than the copy intended for the Fall edition. So redfaced, we are publishing that report in full, as it had been
prepared by The Undercover Shooter, with apologies to the
author, the ranges and, most of all, our readers.
The West has far horizons, but rifle ranges with real distance are scarce.
L
ong shooting makes little sense on a
hunt. You shoot better up close. Lethal
hits not only define success; they’re
humane. Hunters who boast of long shots
might well be consoled for not getting closer.
That said, hitting at distance is fun. A
perfect score on paper at 600 yards, or the
hollow pop of a gong seconds after you open
the bolt, affirms you as a rifleman. Alas,
ranges for such play require cattle-ranch
acreage.
In the shadow of the Cascades, I can
shoot 1,000 yards just minutes from my
house. There’s no pit, though, and no framed
target for a pal to safely pull and mark. And
landing a bullet somewhere on a plate the
size of a manhole cover is hardly instructive.
I looked, recently, for better options –
and found two an hour’s drive apart near
Portland, Ore.
Range A
Members-only club does offer
opportunities to the public
“We have the only 1,000-yard range
this side of the state,” said Kevin.
My ears perked up.
“Our club has produced fine longrange shooters too – three of the four
on the Savage F-Class team that won
an international title,” he added.
F-Class competition, at 800, 900 and
1,000 yards, is luring lay shooters to shoot
long. I had been to this park-like range
before F-Class became a draw. It was time
to revisit. “Short ranges” for high-power
events means 200, 300 and 600 yards.
“Long ranges” start at 800. As is common
elsewhere, extended yardages can be used
only during a match or when short ranges
are closed. The pits serve all. A current
schedule showed Thursday was “long
range day.” From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., shooters flail away at 800 to 1,000 yards; from
1 p.m. to sunset, they fire at 300 to 600.
24
“That schedule flip-flops every week;
next Thursday it’s short first, then long,”
Kevin said.
He added that a relatively small
membership is a club asset.
“We number just over 1,000, so you
won’t be crowded here. Some days, you’re
the only one.”
Match days do fill the line, and there are
lots of matches, including an Oregon Sniper
Challenge and a “Palma Plus 20” (Palma
match plus 20 shots at 1,000 with any rifle,
any sights). There’s a Hunter’s Sight-In series
four weekends during fall, to which nonmembers are welcome. The Civilian Marksmanship Program lives here too; shooters
fire M1 Garand and modern sporting rifles
(MSRs) on the National Match course.
“Nonmembers are ordinarily limited to scheduled matches,” said Kevin.
“But they can visit as member guests.”
A member may host up to four guests
per visit. Generous hours (8 a.m. to sunset
weekdays, 9 a.m. to sunset weekends,
with necessary exceptions for range maintenance) make the $5 guest fee a bargain.
Membership is the unavoidable next step:
$150 per year in dues, after a $100 initiation
fee. Miscellaneous fees hike total first-year
cost to $330. Family packages encourage
youth and spouses. A key-card gets you
in the gate. Eight hours of volunteer labor
annually are expected of every regular
member. Volunteers can become Range
Safety Officers. Some privileges accrue.
Range B
Six-hundred yards is max here
Motoring west, you’re quickly
immersed in metro-area traffic. The 205,
a veritable river of steel, carries you past
the I-5 spine toward the Coast Range and
another shooting facility. It dates to 1940,
when local riflemen anted up $3 each in
annual dues. At the close of World War
II they bought the original 172 acres for
$1,400! Subsequent additions have nudged
total acreage to 230, paid for by timber cut
and rock mined from the property. Those
proceeds have funded improvements too,
including an indoor range. The current
indoor facility serves rimfire and air-gun
shooters 24 hours a day, seven days a week!
Four lighted trap ranges and two lighted
skeet ranges tempt shotgunners. Benchrest
and black-powder venues – plus 19 stations
on the outdoor rimfire line – help make this
the area’s most popular shooting complex.
It hosts Vintage Rifle and Cowboy Action
matches, Scheutzen, IPSC and Metallic
Silhouette competitions.
My focus, however, was on long-range
options. They extend, I found, to 600 yards.
That’s far enough for anyone tuning a biggame rifle. Far enough for National Match
events. Far enough to embarrass any shooter
on a windy day. But it’s not 1,000 yards.
And as I expected, the 600-yard line comes
open only on match days and when the
200- and 300-yard ranges are closed. Times
for practice from out yonder are, by current
schedule, limited to Tuesday evenings –
albeit the 200- and 300-yard ranges, with a
long string of covered, well-equipped firing
stations, typically stay open 8 a.m. to sunset.
Pit gear and targets are well maintained.
Elevated walls fronting firing points snare
bullets launched accidentally. The large
“campus” separates the centerfire alley
from other venues, to the delight of shooters
who don’t revel in the blast of braked .338
Lapuas and short-barreled MSRs.
Members can bring up to five guests,
but only one guest at a time may shoot.
Membership costs $120 a year, after a $175
initiation fee. As with its neighbor to the
east, all members at this range must be NRA
members, too.
This club offers limited ammunition
and food sales to shooters. It schedules an
impressive list of classes in popular shooting
disciplines.
The Range Report
Winter 2012
undercover shooter scorecard
Each category is rated on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the highest score.
Editor’s note: The Undercover Shooter is an experienced recreational shooter but is not trained in technical aspects of range design and operation.
Range A Customer Satisfaction Rating
Range B Customer Satisfaction Rating
Signage/Visibility.............................................................5
Signage/Visibility.............................................................. 5
• Long-range shooting requires space, and this range is predictably
rural. That said, it’s easy to reach from the 205 freeway and state
routes just outside the Portland metro area.
Layout/Setting.................................................................5
• This range was established more than 60 years ago; the Portland
metro area has grown to meet it. It is very close and easy to reach
for Portlanders, and well-signed.
Layout/Setting.................................................................. 5
• Treed surroundings and intelligent layout make this an appealing
facility.
• Topographic relief and timber have been used to good effect to
make this range safe and appealing to the eye. Its size (230 acres)
allows for long shooting and separation of venues.
Retail Product Availability..............................................NA
Retail Product Availability............................................. NA
• Unlike shotgunners, long-range riflemen do not buy ammunition
on-site.
Rental Availability.........................................................NA
• Unlike shotgunners, long-range riflemen do not buy ammunition on-site.
Rental Availability.......................................................... NA
• Long-range riflemen typically bring all their own gear.
• Long-range riflemen typically bring all their own gear.
Staff Friendliness................................................................ 4
Staff Friendliness.............................................................5
• Though range representatives proved a bit difficult to reach from
website information, they were cordial and invited me to shoot and
to phone with further questions.
• I spoke with several range officers/administrators. All were exceptionally engaging and helpful. They invited me to shoot again
on the range and to phone with further questions.
Safety............................................................................... 4
Safety..............................................................................5
• Safe range practices are enforced. Overhead baffles ensure against
bullet travel beyond the long-range butts. Member guests may shoot
only with member oversight.
• Safe range practices are enforced; however, the rules are not
onerous.
Programs/Membership...................................................... 3
Programs/Membership.....................................................4
• A “long-range day” is slated every week for practice, and highpower matches, including F-Class events, occur regularly throughout
the shooting season. Membership is open; nonmembers may visit as
guests of members. Family packages encourage youth. Members pay
annual dues of $150, plus a $100 initiation fee, and contribute eight
hours of volunteer labor.
Cleanliness......................................................................4
• Regular service days and a relatively small but committed membership keep this range clean and well maintained.
Comments/Impressions
• Special matches like the “Palma Plus 20” and “Oregon Sniper”
encourage long-range practice and draw new shooters. National
Match and Civilian Marksmanship Program events make this club
worth the dues for area rifle enthusiasts.
• A wide variety of shooting programs (classes and matches) for shotgun, rifle and handgun distinguish this range. There is no 1,000-yard
course, and practice at 600 is limited to one evening weekly. Dues of
$120 a year, plus a $175 initiation fee, entitle members to use of a
24-hour indoor rimfire range seven days a week, and dawn-to-dusk
shooting on centerfire ranges.
Cleanliness....................................................................... 4
• Indoor and outdoor ranges are diligently serviced and well maintained.
Active building, with timber-cutting and mining to help underwrite range
improvements, can give parts of this range an “under construction” look.
All venues, however, are clean and shielded from undue disturbance.
Comments/Impressions
• This range has programs and facilities for shooters of all interests
and lies within a few minutes’ drive of thousands of shooters, abutting the largest city between Seattle and San Francisco. It offers
special-interest rifle events, such as Scheutzen, Metallic Silhouette
and Vintage Rifle. It does not feature the distances for F-Class and
other extreme-range shooting.
Preferred Range
The Undercover Shooter’s experiences and observations led to his endorsement of both ranges,
but if a shooter wants to reach out to 1,000 yards, the choice is Range A:
Douglas Ridge Rifle Club, 27787 Hwy. 224, Eagle Creek, OR 97022
503-637-3131 • www.douglasridge.org • [email protected]
All reports, comments, impressions, opinions or advice expressed in the Undercover Shooter column are solely those of independent, recreational
shooting range consumers and do not necessarily represent those of the National Shooting Sports Foundation or its affiliates. Neither the NSSF nor
its affiliates make any warranty or assume any liability with respect to the accuracy or reliability of any information provided by Undercover Shooter
contributors. Readers are encouraged to and should perform their own investigation of the information provided herein.
The Range Report
Winter 2012
25
Home on the Range
Views from NSSF staffers and guest contributors
Beginning the
Next 50 Years
By Steve Sanetti
President & C.E.O.
Steve Sanetti is the
president and chief
executive officer of
the National Shooting
Sports Foundation. His
responsibilities include overall supervision of all of
the Foundation’s operations.
NSSF remains dedicated to ranges and the shooting sports
I
t’s hard to list all the programs
that the National Shooting Sports
Foundation has created in the last
50 years that have specifically helped
ranges, because just getting someone
to go shooting almost certainly means
that they will visit and use a range at
some point! Our mission has been
to promote, protect and preserve
hunting and the shooting sports—the
latter being near and dear to me as
both a competitive target shooter,
reloader and collector who often
commits the cardinal sin of actually
shooting examples in his collection.
So, in our world, getting people off
their couches for a day of outdoor
recreation at the range is the ultimate
focus of most of what we do.
Starting in 1971, National
Hunting and Fishing Day always
had ranges in mind, specifically
including a “sight-in your hunting
rifle” component. Later on, into
the 1980s, the extremely popular
Sportsmen’s Team Challenge added
a new dimension of excitement in a
nationally televised event that was
specifically designed to get people to
try action-shooting events at their
local ranges, with the kinds of rifles,
pistols and shotguns that sportsmen
and women likely already owned.
It also demonstrated that .22 semiautos could easily be as accurate
on the range as bolt-action rifles,
thereby accelerating the trend to
today’s modern sporting firearms,
so much in evidence on today’s
shooting ranges.
In the 1990s, another NSSF
program, Summer Biathlon,
encouraged nontraditional users to
26
literally run to their local ranges.
The NSSF also began its Five Star
Rating program, in connection with
the federal Environmental Protection
Agency, to help with suggestions
for range-facility improvement and
environmental stewardship, and to
recognize outstanding excellence in
providing America’s shooters with
quality ranges in which to practice
our sports. Attacks on ranges from
agenda-driven groups increased, and
we were there to help fight back and
make sure there were places to shoot.
In the 2000s, STEP OUTSIDE
was created in recognition of the
fact that most people begin their
participation in the shooting sports
when asked by a friend to join them
at the range for a day of fun. This
was intensified later in the decade
by our First Shots program, which
encouraged newcomers without such
trusted mentors to go to a local range
and experience actual shooting for the
first time under safe, controlled and
nonintimidating conditions. That
we have succeeded in returning the
favor to participating ranges is shown
by statistics that tell us the average
First Shots participant returns to
the host range at least twice during
the next 12 months and spends over
$400 on equipment and shooting
supplies. That helps everybody in
the industry, particularly if the new
shooters become lifelong participants.
So thanks to all the ranges who have
helped to make NSSF’s First Shots so
successful.
Our Range Inventory program
and electronic efforts such as
“wheretoshoot.org” have helped
would-be shooters locate all the
ranges open in their areas. This was
in direct response to the off-heard
lament that “Sure, I’d go shooting,
if only I knew where I could do it
safely.” This is particularly important
in our mobile society, and I’d like to
think that at least some of the influx
of new faces at your ranges is due in
some part to the efforts of our hardworking NSSF staff.
And last, but certainly not least,
our Range Partnership Grants have
awarded millions of dollars to worthy
ranges to help them enhance and
improve their facilities and to make
the range experience a genuine
pleasure to their customers. We
also offer detailed research that is
tailored to help us, and you, the
range operators, address the specific
concerns of your range users.
Literature, a new team of
consultants called Range Action
Specialists, this very magazine and so
many more programs and resources
have been created by NSSF in our
first five decades.
So as we enter our next 50 years,
the NSSF stands in proud partnership
with its shooting range members.
These and many other programs
aptly demonstrate the high esteem
and importance with which we value
America’s shooting ranges. They are
truly where our members’ products
meet the acid test of performance
and meet the high expectations of
America’s shooters. And they, in
turn, sincerely appreciate all that
you do to make their next trip to the
range a quality, memorable and fun
RR
experience.
The Range Report
Winter 2012
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28
The Range Report
Winter
Spring 2011
2012