We have new conditions on Range 4 that demand changes how we run the range for those shooting steel targets. With the elimination of driving to base of berm with your vehicle and making steel target set up faster / tear down faster, we have to adapt to the new conditions of no vehicles ever on any grass at Range 4.
The club was ordered to eliminate any vehicles on grass and we salute and adapt.Steel then has to be carried from the road up the bank and taken to firing point and this is easily a 20 minute event and tear down same duration. 20 min is conservative, its usually 25 min.
During a day of shooting at Range 4, its common for shooters to finish shooting and want to get their steel and go home. When that happens throughout the day, we lose upwards of 1.5 hours of a 6 hour shooting day at the expense of other shooters who have to wait for steel shooters to get their targets and be out of the pits. 25% of shooting day is lost and it gets worse when we got to drag steel from road or to the road.
To remedy this, we have begun to enforce two set up times and two times steel shooters can go take down their steel targets. This instruction is located in the shooting notes on the club calendar for Range 4. Here is how such notes look and steel shooters should come prepared :
REC-FIRE RIFLE R-4 0745-1500
Report Gate 7 at 0745, Gate closes 0815.
This is a 1000 yd day. If Rg 3 hot,
expect delays. Steel: set up time is 0745-0815 and 1200-1215 only, Tear down 1200-1215 and 1500 only. All Shooters come prepared for quick target set up. Come late you wait. No vehicles on any grass, keep on roads. Targets / stands, bring yours-- none provided. Steel shooters: pls read above carefully, we are changing how we operate Range 4. Too much time is lost setting up /tearing steel down all day long.
We are enforcing these times. You finish shooting early, you won't go down range to tear down steel till 12 Noon or 1500 hrs. We need cooperation , thank you.
KD shooters and those putting target stands up: unless you do it under 10 minutes when we get to the pits, we may be forced to include you on the same restrictions steel shooters are now being held to. There is really no reason these target type configurations can't be set up or removed in 5 min. Please be prepared to save time at the range and allow us RSO's to keep maximum shooting time happening all day long.
Examples of impact:
Shooter arrives at 1000 hours and wants to set up his steel targets: Shooter will be told next set up time for steel is 12 Noon and please read range notes in the future.
Shooter arrives at 1230: He won't shoot steel today.
My favorite example: Its 0855, we went hot at 0830 hrs on Range 4 and a shooter comes up and asks when can he go down range to remove his steel and go home, "I only brought 8 rounds to shoot today". and the reply is "You'll have to wait till other club members finish shooting and need to go to the pits". Obviously this club member did not think of the inconvenience to other club members whatsoever and what we need on Range 4 is team work and cooperation so we all have a great shooting day on Range 4. Getting a long distance range like Range 4 is a precious commodity and we simply must make the most of every minute of the shooting day.
Bottom Line: We want to make the most efficient use of time on Range 4.
Parting Shot: If you only need 25 min of shooting, expect to wait to remove steel off range and if you come late to range...you will wait. The trick to having a successful day on Range 4 is get there early. If set up time is 0745 to 0815, don't arrive at 0815 or later. If set up time is 1200 to 1215, don't come at 1215...come at 1145 so you don't miss the set up time window. Help us out here, be considerate of others, get here early and lets shoot !! For those that come in the morning, you know we always have Gate 7 open on time so............RSO's get there early to set up the range, all we ask is you be there on time when we open Gate 7. .