Well myself and 2 of my friends/ shooting buddies and I did ground maintenance at our range yesterday. Tomorrow at 11AM we will meet and shoot for the afternoon. If we don't go together like this, we would be shooting by ourselves. We have quite a few members, they are weekend shooters mostly. We have a sign in , sign out chart. Very little traffic.
One less place I can socially distance at ! Range re-opened this morning !!!
- Thread starter 284winner
- Start date
You guys whining about your ranges being closed is unreal. For many years there was no place legal to shoot with in 50 to75 miles of here. A lot of shooters got together and one of us got on the docket at the county commission meeting. If I remember correctly over 500 showed up at the meeting to push the county to get us a safe place to shoot. They voted that day to spend, I think 15 million dollars to build a pistol, rifle and clays range. Next week when we were all safely back at work. They eliminated that bill and spent 2 million to build a nice building at the sheriffs range ( for law enforcement) and open it for us to use ONE WEEKEND per month. Many years latter the Florida Wildlife Comm., the NRA and a whole bunch of shooting organizations got together and started the ball rolling to open a range that would be for shooters not the LEOs. 15 years latter it is still not opened. I think it was projected to be open 2014 or maybe 2015. The range has been built for 3 or 4 years, but some deep state person in the health dept has been sabotaging the final inspection for the range to open. First it was handicapped toilets, FWC said they would provide a trailer and hook up to a septic tank. That failed, and it has been one thing after another. They insisted on a water treatment plant. then a sewer treatment plant and a big building for what I don't know. Nobody at the FWC will reveal who this person is that is stonewalling our range. Maybe that is a good thing as that person might be in serious trouble with some unruly shooters. In a month you will all be back shooting in your ranges, suck it up and be grown ups.
No resident of Michigan should be surprised at this. Just more capitulation to the "new"/"woke" America and the lib elected officials. All of this in the face of common sense and federal guidelines! Unfortunately, the same can be said about NY, CA, MA, MD, VA, MN, WA, etc.. Beginning to see a pattern?
Yep, looks like I'll be scouting for a public land range. Need 600-800 yards so it'll be tough to find it but I'll find it. I'm sure the DNR will run me off there though eventually.
Ned Ludd
Silver $$ Contributor
Most of the various closures observed around the country have been ordered to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Just because someone doesn't like those orders, doesn't mean they don't have a purpose. Just because someone may think those orders are idiotic, because hey, I'm the only person out at the range today, how can that be a risk? Then ask questions like, "Did I come into contact with anyone that I wouldn't have if I stayed at home, not just at the range, but at any point during my trip to/from the range?" The answer will more often than not be that you did, and probably more than just one or two. That increases the chance of spreading the virus...get it? Michiganders need to be especially concerned as your state is currently number 3 in the country on the coronavirus infection list.
We may not like these shelter-in-place rules, but they were put in place for a reason. Even places such as gun ranges that may not have been directly ordered to comply may do so by choice out of social responsibility. Law enforcement doesn't have time to dick around with warnings. So they're now arresting people on the spot that disobey the prohibition on social gatherings in some areas. The answer is simple, stay at home. No one has the "right" to engage in behaviors that put others at risk. The more people that do that, the sooner this will be behind us.
We may not like these shelter-in-place rules, but they were put in place for a reason. Even places such as gun ranges that may not have been directly ordered to comply may do so by choice out of social responsibility. Law enforcement doesn't have time to dick around with warnings. So they're now arresting people on the spot that disobey the prohibition on social gatherings in some areas. The answer is simple, stay at home. No one has the "right" to engage in behaviors that put others at risk. The more people that do that, the sooner this will be behind us.
Michigan is overall a high number state for the covid virus BUT in 3 counties. Detroit metro counties. 3 hours from my home area. We have one case here in my county and one in my neighboring county. My range is 7 miles from home. No stops between here and there. Shotgun management doesn't work...Period. Putting rules in place in this case is the answer. Just like grocery shopping, Fueling up vehicles, Stopping at the bank etc. There are safe methods to these activities. Not just stay home !
Maybe you should be the poster child for NO GOLFING in Florida. Apparently it's an Essential activity there. Florida is high in numbers also. How can THAT be ok and a one man shooting scenario not be ok ? Don't try making common sense out of this scenario. There wasn't any used when they decided to close it down. It's not public. No public allowed. The benches are a minimum of 8' apart. That said, I've never ran into any other members while I've used it. It's used by 95% of the members just before deer season. To compare this scenario to closing public sites is like comparing apples and bananas. I fished today on a lake in my boat. Gosh, I'd hate to think I passed or received the covid 19 while being alone in my boat. Probably shouldn't go again and lock myself in my basement till next year. That's the answer right? Your right about one thing. No one has the right to engage in behavior that puts others at risk. This situation isn't that. Public sites I agree with shutting down, private ones, I do not.
D-4297
Gold $$ Contributor
Arizona currently has a lower level of restrictions than other states do , but I've kept my butt home for several weeks now . The other day , I loaded my gear in the car , and drove 45 miles out into the desert to some BLM land and spent about three hours shooting some Ladders , and other test loads . When finished , I picked up my toys . Policed the area where others had left their trash behind , and came home . Had contact with no one , and never got close to anyone . I know folks back east have a harder time with finding a isolated , safe place to shoot , but a little thought regarding farms in your area , with potentially good temporary ranges set-ups might be a answer . Think about safe , useful alternatives . Contact these sites , and be courteous when explaining your request to use their land , and why . And arrange to pay for the priviledge . At worst ; they can say no ...
Coyotefurharvester
Silver $$ Contributor
Actually the stay at home has nothing to do with protecting you as a individual. If it did why is it alright for a whole community and visitors to the community to come together in the same building(grocery store). My member only range will reopen when the flood waters recede. Spring flooding seems to end about when flu season ends.
But they put in place the wrong rules as they overreacted in the face of fear mongering, crisis opportunism, and the political need for CYA. Their models and predictions were purposely overstated in order to force drastic policy changes. Dr Ferguson admitted that.
When we are through all this we will have damaged our economy, expanded government control, lost freedoms, and will have to face all the death and misery that will bring--which could very well be far greater than these sensationalized COVID-19 numbers.
This is nothing new. Emotion almost always wins out over reason.
What do you expect? It's Commiefornia. Matt
100% CORRECT !!! As I said, the member that closed it said " We don't want TV5 news to find out were still open !" It's all politics. Scared what it might look like to the media.
ttfreestyle
Silver $$ Contributor
I have a private range with covered concrete benches and 1603 yards but due to a injury I am not able to shoot. That’s just as bad as it being closed except I can go sit and watch cows.... ahem.
I've been in my home since March 14th when this stuff started getting worse here and recommendations were to stay home. I think I went out one time since to fill my truck up and pick up some fresh items at a farm market. Since then I've been at home staying busy replacing interior doors, trim etc to keep busy. Brainstormed a bit and decided to fish by myself and shoot at our range the last few days. I've been there twice shooting, fire forming brass and enjoying the outdoors...alone. Launching my boat with no docks in place isn't easy. It's a two man job typically but not safe to fish with anyone outside my household. I went alone using hip boots to make it easier. No stops to risk contact while doing those activities. After a month of being around home, it's just nice to change the scenery a bit and get out. Can only work out and run on a treadmill so much in a day's time. Luckily I can do some raking and yard work with weather being decent. I think this stay at home order will be lifted in my area soon as we never had many cases north of Saginaw Mi. The Club boss emailed asking for a meeting to re-open the range with rules. Things are looking up.
My club range is still open but there are even fewer shooters than usual which tells me that cool aid is cheap nowadays.
Overreach
I don’t feel it’s irresponsible to shoot, when, how and where it’s lawfully permitted. This strain of corona virus may not ever go away, completely. It’s effect can be from less than a sneeze, to death. It’s reported that some 80% of people that get it, fight it off with such mild or ambiguous symptoms, that they do not even know they were sick, let alone had Covid-19. For example, they thought they had a backache or headache.
No one is suggesting the old adage “get out and shoot” to every private club member, these days, merely because a range is open. We all plainly see on the news that this hits hardest the physically compromised, infirm, aged, diabetic, overly heavy, male, etc.
Guys can and must make their own best decisions. There are no guarantees. That’s freedom. There are range shooters that are soon going to sell off gear to make ends meet, some know it, some don’t yet, others that had already resolved this would be their last year of shooting, guys whose kids are leaving home, guys whose doctors told them to enjoy their short time left and their families, guys whose spirit, mind and body are lifted because of range time, and even guys who can grind out another workweek only because of two hours of the smell of gunpowder and that cut out nice, tight group from Saturdays at the range.
No one is suggesting the old adage “get out and shoot” to every private club member, these days, merely because a range is open. We all plainly see on the news that this hits hardest the physically compromised, infirm, aged, diabetic, overly heavy, male, etc.
Guys can and must make their own best decisions. There are no guarantees. That’s freedom. There are range shooters that are soon going to sell off gear to make ends meet, some know it, some don’t yet, others that had already resolved this would be their last year of shooting, guys whose kids are leaving home, guys whose doctors told them to enjoy their short time left and their families, guys whose spirit, mind and body are lifted because of range time, and even guys who can grind out another workweek only because of two hours of the smell of gunpowder and that cut out nice, tight group from Saturdays at the range.
Deleted outa08
That is that love hate thing. Man to be him now. Jeff
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