Range Safety Rules


GENERAL RANGE SAFETY RULES AND PROCEDURES

GENERAL RANGE SAFETY RULES AND PROCEDURES

  1. ALL Federal and Provincial Regulations are to be observed at all times at the range. Failure to comply may result in eviction from and being banned from the range, without refund of fees or dues.
  2. SGGC authorized Range Safety Officers are present to assist shooters and ensure compliance with club rules. At their discretion and following discussion with the shooter, an RSO has the authority to remove a shooter from the SGGC for a day, and if required refer the matter to the SGGC board for further action which may include cancellation of the shooter’s membership.
  3. Shooting at any animals/wildlife within the range boundaries is expressly prohibited.
  4. All members must swipe their electronic membership card or enter their 5 digit PIN number into the gate kaypad upon BOTH entering and leaving the SGGC, even if the main entrance gate is open upon the member’s arrival. All members in a vehicle must swipe their membership card or enter their PIN number, not just the driver (when applicable). Swipe card use and PIN number entry is date and time stamped, and is permanently recorded as required by Federal regulations. Membership cards are issued to each member alone, and are not transferable to others.
  5. Members may sponsor up to 2 shooting guests per day – guest passes are available in the green box at the north end of the Range Officer ATCO Trailer. Complete the form provided and deposit the appropriate payment PER guest. Members are responsible for the conduct of their guests and for ensuring that their guests follow all SGGC, Federal and Provincial firearms rules. Members must stay with their guests while the guests are shooting to oversee their actions. Non-shooting observers are also welcome and do not require a guest pass. Minor guests do not need to pay a fee for a guest pass, but must be signed in and wear a guest pass if shooting.
  6. All shooters must display their membership card or guest pass card in plain sight at all times. Members who have forgotten their card may be denied shooting privileges. Members at the range are encouraged to help ensure that other shooters display membership or guest pass cards including a visual check of a member’s swipe card photo vs. the wearer.
  7. Guests at matches and commercial guest customers have unescorted shooting privileges only on the ranges booked for the match or the commercial event. They are not allowed to shoot on other ranges without the supervision of a member.
  8. All shooters and guests must wear adequate eye and ear protection while on or immediately behind the firing line.
  9. All shooters are encouraged to have firearms cased while transporting firearms to and from the firing line. The case is considered safety equipment and also assists in preventing the handling of firearms during a cease fire.
  10. Uncased rifles and shotguns are to be carried with the muzzle pointing up. Hinge action shotguns may be carried pointing downwards while broken open.
  11. Minor shooters (under 18 years of age), are welcome and encouraged. All minor shooters must be under the direct, immediate and constant supervision of an adult while shooting, and must otherwise be supervised and behave in a responsible and safe manner.
  12. Entry to all ranges is to be only via the approved path/door which approaches from the rear of the firing line. The indoor range is to be entered only via the south Qounset hut door. Ranges must NOT be entered by moving around the sides of the buildings and shelters.
  13. The consumption of alcohol and drugs is not permitted within club boundaries while any portion of the range remains open to shooting. Anyone found in contravention of this rule, including shooters who have consumed alcohol immediately prior to arriving at the range, or appear to be impaired from any source will be permanently banned from the range.
  14. No smoking within the clubhouse, indoor range or shelters. The fire hazard at the range is always high to due to dry grass. Use a gravel area such as roads.
  15. Only targets approved by SGGC and made of paper (rifle and pistol) are allowed. Targets of plastic, rubber, metal, glass, wood, masonry or other materials are expressly prohibited.
  16. Targets are to be placed on the target stands centered vertically and well clear of the supporting framework.
  17. Use only the target stands provided by the Club or the organized groups. These have been designed to ensure that they do not produce ricochet safety hazards for either the shooter or our neighbors. Personal target stands are NOT allowed. Shooters found to be intentionally shooting target stands will be permanently banned from the range.
  18. The ground baffles, walls, tables, desks, barrels and other items at all ranges are not targets or target stands. They are the property of the club and the various shooting disciplines and must be respected as such. Persons found shooting them will be permanently banned from the range.
    Firearms not in immediate use are to be empty of all ammunition and magazines, and their actions open and visible, stored in the racks provided or in their case, or stored in a locked vehicle.
  19. All ranges require a common cease fire and a common firing line. Shooters must not be positioned forward of other shooters on the firing line, even if they are laterally far apart.
  20. In general terms, when two or more shooters are on a particular range, one must assume the responsibility of range officer, to declare cease fires and the resumption of shooting, following a check of the range. Shooters must get an “ALL CLEAR” signal from the range officer before going down range to post, check, or retrieve targets. The member acting as range officer is responsible to ensure that everyone on the line is following the cease fire and other range commands and is maintaining a common firing line. Also see RSO details below.
  21. The SGGC is under extensive video surveillance. Members and guests utilizing the SGGC do so with the understanding that their images and actions are being observed and recorded.
  22. Live ammunition is to be recovered, and if not reused then discarded in the appropriate containers, not left lying on the ground.
  23. When finished, remove your targets from the backstops and ensure that your shooting area is clean before leaving the range.
  24. The gate must not be locked open at any time. Groups expecting the arrival of guests for an event must issue a temporary gate code, or post a person at the gate, to allow access by authorized guests.


RIFLE SPECIFIC RULES

RIFLE SPECIFIC RULES

  1. Rifles may be used on Rifle 1, Rifle 2, and the Indoor (Quonset) range only.
  2. A Range Safety Officer, approved and trained by the SGGC, must be present and on duty during the firing of rifles on any range. The RSO may not participate in shooting when on duty.
  3. During a ceasefire, all firearms must be removed from the firing line and stored as above.
  4. During a ceasefire, those not proceeding downrange are to remain more than 1 meter away from the firearms racked / stored at the rear of the shelters. They ARE allowed along the firing line and benches, in order to set up equipment and perform other tasks which do include handling firearms. FIREARMS MAY NOT BE HANDLED IN ANY MANNER DURING A CEASEFIRE when people are downrange. This includes casing, preparation, cleaning, repair, adjustment, lubrication or any other handling. Such activities are only allowed upon the return of all persons from downrange and the return of the range to active shooting status.
  5. During a ceasefire on the Rifle 1 (300m) range, the ceasefire lights must be activated. All shooters are responsible to ensure that all persons who have gone downrange have returned prior to declaring the range active. Note that on Rifle 1 not all of the 300m target stands are visible from the leftmost (most Westerly) shooting position – the member acting as range officer must ensure they have viewed all target stands and that the range is clear of personnel before declaring the range active.
  6. Firearms must never be pointed at another person. Long guns must be moved to and from the shooting benches and racks with their muzzles pointing up. Long guns must be removed from their cases only on the shooting benches on the firing line, with the muzzle pointing up or downrange. Firearms must never be pointed along the firing line (sideways) when moving or handling them.
  7. The shooting position baffles in front of each shooting position must be raised to a point immediately below the line of bore to obscure visibility of the ground between the shooting position and the target. Their use is mandatory.
  8. All shots are to be made at the target directly in front of the shooter’s firing position. No shots are to be made at angles across the range, as this poses a ricochet and safety hazard. Shooters wanting to shoot at a different target stand / distance must move to a firing position which provides the required stand / distance immediately to the front of that position.
  9. When finished shooting, clean up all brass casings. Brooms and brass pickers are provided for your use. Remove your targets from the backstops and ensure that your shooting area is clean before leaving the range.
  10. Cartride restrictions per Federal regulations: .460 Weatherby and .50 BMG are PROHIBITED.
  11. Rifle ammunition with steel cores and / or steel penetrators is strictly PROHIBITED – no exceptions! Members are responsible to test their own ammunition prior to use using the magnets and bolt cutters provided.
  12. When proceeding downrange during a cease fire on Rifle 1 and Rifle 2, shooters must use the red/green flip-tag board, moving the tag corresponding to their bench number. Be sure to reverse the tag upon returning. Red indicates that the shooter is downrange.


SHOTGUN SPECIFIC RULES

SHOTGUN SPECIFIC RULES

  1. Shotguns firing shot may only be used on the shotgun / trap ranges, and must not be fired at the plywood target stands on other ranges. Shotguns may be patterned, using lead shot only, on the designated patterning board. Shotguns firing only slugs may be shot on the rifle ranges in accordance with rifle rules.
  2. Only shotguns firing lead birdshot are to be used on the shotgun / trap ranges. Buckshot and slugs are prohibited on those ranges.
    Only one shotgun shell is allowed to be loaded into a shotgun at a time.
  3. Manual trap area shooters are to shoot with the barrel of their gun constrained as to direction by the blue hoops at the four stations. Load only on your turn to shoot.
  4. The manual trap area will be subject to a cease fire when required by the trap/skeet field or the five stand field to the east of the RO shack, at the discretion of the RO(s) in those areas.
  5. Only clay targets and other approved Sporting Clay targets are to be used on the shotgun ranges.
  6. Shotshell restrictions: Lead shot only, maximum shot shells to be size US # 7.5 (0.095″), 2.75″ in length, 1 1/8 ounce shot maximum. STEEL SHOT IS PROHIBITED.


PISTOL SPECIFIC RULES

PISTOL SPECIFIC RULES

  1. Pistols are to be shot on Pistol 1, Pistol 2, Pistol 3 and the Indoor (Quonset) range only, and not on the rifle ranges. If shooting pistols on the indoor (Quonset) range they MUST be shot from within 50m of the rear berm.
  2. Targets are to remain on target stands at the rear berms, with shooters varying their distance to the targets as required, while maintaining a common firing line for all shooters on that range.
  3. Shots must impact directly into the rear berms. Do not shoot into the side berms or “floor” of the pistol ranges.
  4. Drawing and firing a loaded handgun from a holster must be done in a safe manner and with the greatest care at all times. The handgun must be loaded and unloaded only at the firing line.
  5. Handguns in holsters not in immediate use on a firing line must be unloaded of ammunition and/or magazines, with hammer down / striker de-cocked.
  6. Handguns must be holstered, or set in or on a case or table (muzzle pointing downrange) during a cease fire. There is to be NO handling of handguns during a ceasefire for any reason.
  7. Handguns that are removed from a case or returned to a case must be done with muzzles pointing downrange, and only when the downrange area is clear and the range is declared active.
  8. When moving forward and backwards to a firing point pistols must be continuously pointed downrange. At no time should a pistol be pointed more than 90 degrees from downrange for any reason.
  9. Holsters which are located on the hip or thigh of the shooter’s dominant or support side are allowed. Chest, shoulder, small-of-back and any other holsters which might cause the pistol muzzle to point uprange, across the firing line, or at the wearer, while in the holster or during the motion of drawing or re-holstering the pistol are NOT allowed. Generally, cross draw holsters are not allowed due to the above, however Cowboy Action shooters are allowed to wear cross-draw hip holsters in that their shooters re-position their body so that the handgun is pointed downrange whenever the handgun is drawn and re-holstered with the dominant hand, as supervised by their ROs.


ARCHERY RANGE RULES

ARCHERY RANGE RULES

  1. Firearms must not be discharged on the archery range – archery only. Broadhead and bladehead arrows are prohibited for use on SGGC target bags.


EXCEPTIONS TO THE ABOVE

EXCEPTIONS TO THE ABOVE

  1. Police (ex. RCMP, EPS, Sheriffs) while in uniform only may carry slung carbines downrange during ceasefires. Firearms must be cleared and flagged prior to proceeding downrange and may not be otherwise handled.
  2. Police and other previously approved groups may shoot carbines and shotguns on the pistol ranges with special and prior permission
    The following exceptions are allowed for special organized groups within SGGC while they are holding formal competitions or practice sessions, all under the direct control of their respective Range Officers for the entire time. Examples of these groups include Sporting Clays, Silhouette, Cowboy Action, Swiss Rifle, Schuetzen, Service Rifle, IPSC, IDPA, and WRAS. These exceptions are NOT allowed for the general membership during casual shooting.
  3. Group matches or practices that incorporate approved exceptions (shown below) to the general rules 1 to 6 inclusive (above) must utilize signs to advise others that the match or practice is an authorized and previously scheduled event. Ad hoc and unscheduled practices are not allowed to to use those exceptions. Group members wishing to hold practices muist adhere to the scheduling and special use setup requirements listed on the group match and practice directives. Refer to thos directive documents for details.
  4. Targets may include steel targets with special permission and specific conditions of materials used and usage of targets. Steel targets must be shrouded per special use conditions as directed to the organized group. Group matches or practices must utilize signs to advise others that steel is in use.
  5. Targets may include clays for competition and practice.
  6. Rifles utilizing pistol cartridges may be shot on the handgun ranges, ex. 44/40, 38/40, 45 Colt, etc.
  7. More than one shotgun shell may be loaded into a shotgun at a time. Approved competition and practice may utilize other sizes of lead shot.
    When safe and suitable, organized competitions may access a range via the maintenance gate after the range has been cleared and a new firing line established downrange of the temporary entrance.
  8. Approved competition and practice may set target stands at other locations than at the rear berms with special permission and specific conditions of usage to eliminate hazards.
  9. Guests at matches and commercial customer guests are not required to display guest passes unless mandated by their organizing group.