1.
Always close and lock the gate both when entering and leaving the range.
2.
All shooters and guests must sign-in, using full name, before proceeding to the range. Everyone must sign-out when leaving the range. Members must wear their badges at all times on the range property.
3.
All members and guests shall be in compliance with Illinois Firearms laws.
4.
Everyone at the range must wear ear and eye protection. This means observers as well as shooters.
5.
All rifle and pistol shooting shall be from within the range house toward the respective backstop.
6.
No glass objects are permitted as targets at any time.
7.
There shall be no shooting of birds or any other wildlife at any time on range property.
8.
No alcoholic beverages or containers thereof, full or empty, are allowed on range property. This includes such items in vehicles driven to the range.
9.
All fired brass within the range house shall be picked up and placed in the buckets provided at the pistol and rifle ranges. All brass larger that .22 rimfire that escapes the building shall be picked up and placed in the buckets. Any live or
“dud” rounds shall be taken by the shooter or placed in the Dud buckets; they should never be placed in the brass buckets.
10.
Remove all targets when finished shooting. Take all litter with you. Leave the range in a better condition than you found it.
11.
No armor piercing or tracer ammunition is permitted at anytime.
12.
Keep all firearms pointed down range, with muzzle depressed until ready to fire.
13.
Range hours during Daylight Saving Time are:
A.
Monday through Saturday: 8:00 am to 7:45 pm.
B.
Sunday: Noon to 7:45 pm. NO SHOOTING BEFORE NOON ON
SUNDAY!
14.
During Central Standard Time shooting shall end at dusk.
15.
No vehicles are allowed in the rifle target area when the ground is wet. Ruts make mowing very difficult.
Page 1 of 4
Revision Date 03/23/05

16.
Observe a 20-mile per hour speed limit on the entrance road to the range.
17.
During an “all clear” the range flags must be in the up and stretched position.
When the range is determined to be safe for shooting and determined to be “hot”, the flags must be in the down position. Absolutely no handling of firearms, magazines, clips or ammunition during an “all clear” while someone is down range. All firearms should be unloaded at the time the “all clear” is agreed to.
18.
When there is more than one shooter at the range, everyone should consider himself/herself to be Range Safety Officers and be alert for potentially dangerous situations that may arise. Safety is everyone’s responsibility. If a “Cease Fire” command is given, stop shooting immediately; remove your finger from the trigger; keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction; and wait for further commands.
19.
Do not fire shotguns at the pistol backstop. Do not hang targets on the uprights or framing of either the rifle or pistol backstops. All targets should be affixed to the plywood away from the framing. The life of the backstop can be enhanced if targets are hung over existing holes.
20.
Fully automatic firearms are not allowed on club property. .50 or higher caliber machine guns, cannons, and rifles are restricted from the club with the exception of black powder firearms.
21.
Very high rate, rapid firing of firearms is to be refrained from. While there is no specific means for us to monitor rate of fire, some guidelines can be given. In shooting at paper targets, essentially all shots should be on the target. When shooting at fun targets such as bowling pins, plastic jugs, steel knockdown targets, etc. essentially all shots should be hits or near misses. If you are not meeting these criteria and just “spraying” the berm, your firing is not under control, and this poses a safety risk.
22.
Guests are to be family members or personal friends. The allowance for guests is not intended to result in “shared” memberships. If a non-immediate family adult is routinely a guest at the range, he or she should be requested to become a club member. Guests should not be allowed to monopolize the range facilities when other regular members are present. If necessary, the host and guests should share shooting stations. Advanced approval of the Board of Directors and possibly the membership is required, if a large number of guests, such as an organization, is to be hosted.
Page 2 of 4
Revision Date 03/23/05

1.
The landlord has requested that we keep the range locked while in use.
Obviously, the range must be made secure when the members leave.
2.
This is so we know who is using the range, when, and the most popular usage (i.e. pistol, rifle, shotgun). Three reasons for this are a safety issue, check and balance for members or guests doing something contrary to club policy, and visibility of demand on range facilities.
3.
NIRPC requires that all activity at its facilities be in compliance with the law.
4.
You only have one set of eyes and ears; they should not be exposed to unnecessary danger. Blowback and fragments are a real danger, as well as tiny powder grains, which seemingly come out of nowhere. Regarding noise, even the little .22 rim fire can result in hearing loss if plugs and/or muffs are not used.
5.
The idea is establish a clear “line and direction of fire”. This prevents individuals from inadvertently walking into the line of fire. Observers will inherently be behind the shooters.
6.
Glass targets make a real mess, and the shards are impossible to pickup. This poses a significant safety hazard to shooters and the people who mow the grass at the range.
7.
In most cases it would be illegal, but also it is direct violation of club policy and our agreement with the landowner.
8.
This rule should not require explanation; but there are those that believe that they can drink and shoot safely. There is absolutely no place for consumption of alcohol and the use of firearms at NIRPC facilities.
9.
Anything larger than .22 rimfire cases presents itself as a missile hazard when mowing, and cases do escape the building. Also, within the building or outside, empty cases are a real mess. Duds need to be disposed of in a safe fashion, and loaded ammo should never be left lying around.
10.
It just takes a few minutes to police the area before leaving. A clean firing range just makes people behave better. Think about how you would like to find the condition of the range the next time you arrived. There is no garbage pickup service provided at the range and burning of targets and other trash poses an unacceptable risk to the facility.
Page 3 of 4
Revision Date 03/23/05

11.
Armor piercing ammunition is illegal in Illinois. Further this type of ammunition will do significant damage to the steel knockdown targets, which are expensive to replace. There is also a missile hazard concern regarding spalled fragments from such ammunition.
12.
This is a basic rule of gun safety. We don’t want to have any accidents in which someone is shot, or an errant round goes over the hill behind the target stands.
We do not want any more holes in the shooting house roof, either.
13.
These times were set down as part of our zoning. These shooting times are, also, an effort to keep peace with the neighbors. Violation of these times could close the club down.
14.
Same as 11. Above.
15.
This is a common courtesy. You wouldn’t want your yard all torn up by somebody with a 4-wheel drive vehicle. The landowners don’t want the range area full of ruts.
16.
While we’re no longer driving through the farmyard, we should still project a responsible image. Also, at times, the farmer will be in the field, and we should insure that he does not feel in danger from speeding vehicles.
17.
This is just the definition of behavior expected under an “all clear” range condition. This is not unique to NIRPC. It applies to both pistol and rifle ranges.
18.
There is normally not a designated range officer on duty, and everyone has come to the range to shoot. Therefore, everyone should look out for themselves and their fellow shooters.
19.
Shotguns at close range can really tear up a backstop in short order. The uprights and framing require considerable cost and effort to replace.
20.
The firing of such devices poses a serious safety risk as the berms, target frames and firing lines have not been constructed to accommodate such firearms and weapons. A secondary concern is the potential ill will of our nearby neighbors with whom we have coexisted pleasantly for the past several years. We don’t want to be confronted by local law enforcement checking into reports of “machine guns”, cannons, etc. being fired on the club grounds. Conceivably, this could lead to concerns having adverse affects on our zoning.
21.
There are safety concerns similar to those in 20. Above.
22.
Bringing guests to the range is a privilege and an excellent way to solicit additional, good members for the club. Exercising this privilege, however, cannot be allowed to infringe upon the rights of fellow members.
Page 4 of 4
Revision Date 03/23/05