My rifle range is about to close, possibly for good!

[sestoppelman]

Found out today that EPA is going to shut down the country run range I have been shooting at for 30 years for lead cleanup. Its been an ongoing threat for a while. They recently closed off most of the rifle ranges 15 benches, down to a half dozen, the trap range and outdoor pistol range and were planning to reopen the indoor pistol range, not sure how that is going.

But starting next Tuesday, the 100-300 yard rifle range will close for an indeterminate amount of time, they say a year, I suspect longer or permanent. Its EPA after all, which is Bident and our gun hating Gov Inslee is likely on board and happy to help shut down shooting any way he can.

My only other practical option now is a place another half hour to 45 minutes north of where I was shooting, adding at least an hour of drive time to my range days. Mind you I shoot weekly year round, so its kind of a big deal.

And no the woods etc is no longer practical around here for various reasons. Too far, dealing with Forest Service, road closures, winter coming on, snow, dealing with the "casual plinking" crowd which sadly is almost unsafe anymore. No. The country run range I have been using is/was by far the best option.

To say I am pissed off today would be a gross understatement.

 

[geoff rath]

Found out today that EPA is going to shut down the country run range I have been shooting at for 30 years for lead cleanup. Its been an ongoing threat for a while. They recently closed off most of the rifle ranges 15 benches, down to a half dozen, the trap range and outdoor pistol range and were planning to reopen the indoor pistol range, not sure how that is going.

But starting next Tuesday, the 100-300 yard rifle range will close for an indeterminate amount of time, they say a year, I suspect longer or permanent. Its EPA after all, which is Bident and our gun hating Gov Inslee is likely on board and happy to help shut down shooting any way he can.

My only other practical option now is a place another half hour to 45 minutes north of where I was shooting, adding at least an hour of drive time to my range days. Mind you I shoot weekly year round, so its kind of a big deal.

And no the woods etc is no longer practical around here for various reasons. Too far, dealing with Forest Service, road closures, winter coming on, snow, dealing with the "casual plinking" crowd which sadly is almost unsafe anymore. No. The country run range I have been using is/was by far the best option.

To say I am pissed off today would be a gross understatement.

A shooting Lawyer mate reckons that shooting is perfect recycling, returning the components (lead, etc.) back to where it came from ...

 

[Bullthrower338]

Man that sucks! The EPA are much to big for their britches, just another way to put the screws to gun owners

 

[crs]

Another bureaucracy making the rules!
My son shoots at an indoor range near his home, but I have to drive 10 miles to the nearest outdoor range.
Not soo though as it has begun to rain and may stay wet a while.
I have room for a private range on my property, but would have to add silencers to too many rifles and pistols to be practical.
Guess I did not move far enough into the country.

 

[375Fox]

I’ve often wondered if this kind of thing could happen. Is there any kind of legal action taken to collect payment from members/former members by the EPA for the clean up? Hopefully my local range will qualify forever as too small to get their attention.

 

[Nevada Mike]

I am sorry for your misfortune. Perhaps a local land owner can help by proving access for a small private shooting range?

I DID move far enough into the country. No HOA and my neighbors are gun friendly. My range is a small, simple 100 yard range, but enough for load development and practice. I also have enough space for a mini sporting clays set up.

When I lived in California I could not shoot or train dogs near home and had to drive an hour and a half each way to a ranch when I could shoot and train my bird dogs. A real PITA which was reflected in my shooting and the training level of my dogs.

 

[ZG47]

We all have to manage the lead on our live firing ranges, whether they be indoor or outdoor. Waiting for local government is silly. Waiting for central government ro come along and assess your lead contamination issues, is BEYOND STUPID. Assuming that you do not have to monitor (and manage) your lead situation because you are running an outdoor range and therefore do not have to remove lead on a monthly basis, is delusional.
The issue here, going by what you have said, is mismanagement of an outdoor live firing range. It appears that the EPA is simply the messenger, in this instance.
YES, I have shot indoor and outdoor. I also managed a club range complex from 1995 to 2009!

 

[BourbonTrail]

@Brent in Az and @AZDAVE might remember when they did that to the Reddington Pass Range in Tucson. I believe it’s still a work in progress, and it was shut down like 10 years ago.

 

[375Fox]

We all have to manage the lead on our live firing ranges, whether they be indoor or outdoor. Waiting for local government is silly. Waiting for central government ro come along and assess your lead contamination issues, is BEYOND STUPID. Assuming that you do not have to monitor (and manage) your lead situation because you are running an outdoor range and therefore do not have to remove lead on a monthly basis, is delusional.
The issue here, going by what you have said, is mismanagement of an outdoor live firing range. It appears that the EPA is simply the messenger, in this instance.
YES, I have shot indoor and outdoor. I also managed a club range complex from 1995 to 2009!

I was wondering where you were from, but I see it’s New Zealand. I generally agree with you but I’ve never seen any attempt at lead clean up at the two ranges I use in Pennsylvania, USA. I don’t know of any ranges that are managed as you describe.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Found out today that EPA is going to shut down the country run range I have been shooting at for 30 years for lead cleanup. Its been an ongoing threat for a while. They recently closed off most of the rifle ranges 15 benches, down to a half dozen, the trap range and outdoor pistol range and were planning to reopen the indoor pistol range, not sure how that is going.

But starting next Tuesday, the 100-300 yard rifle range will close for an indeterminate amount of time, they say a year, I suspect longer or permanent. Its EPA after all, which is Bident and our gun hating Gov Inslee is likely on board and happy to help shut down shooting any way he can.

My only other practical option now is a place another half hour to 45 minutes north of where I was shooting, adding at least an hour of drive time to my range days. Mind you I shoot weekly year round, so its kind of a big deal.

And no the woods etc is no longer practical around here for various reasons. Too far, dealing with Forest Service, road closures, winter coming on, snow, dealing with the "casual plinking" crowd which sadly is almost unsafe anymore. No. The country run range I have been using is/was by far the best option.

To say I am pissed off today would be a gross understatement.

I was a member of the Kitsap Rifle and Revolver Club in Washington. It was closed down by the county due to noise and "safety" complaints. During the 80 plus years it was in operation, there was never an accident. No one was ever injured. Careless and accidental shootings do occur in the area, but there is no evidence that they came from the range. A "bullet" was found in an adjoining park and offered as evidence of careless shooting from the range, but the "bullet" (cartridge?) was unfired and was of WW2 German origin. Didn't matter, it was still evidennce. A .50 cal round did go through a roof and struck a car in a garage but the trajectory of bullet showed that it hadn't come from the direction on the range. That didn't matter either. The judge that issued the injunction is from a different county and knows nothing about firearms. The District Attorney and county officials that were involved in the legal proceedings to close the range were all from the same political party. Guess which one.

The range was open to the public and now people don't have a safe place to go and shoot so they go into the woods and shoot wherever it suits them. But hey, the county is safer because the range is closed. I really do not expect it to ever reopen, but the fight is still ongoing.

 

[sestoppelman]

I’ve often wondered if this kind of thing could happen. Is there any kind of legal action taken to collect payment from members/former members by the EPA for the clean up? Hopefully my local range will qualify forever as too small to get their attention.

Its a county run range, I dont see how they could expect shooters to pay them to screw us?

 

[sestoppelman]

We all have to manage the lead on our live firing ranges, whether they be indoor or outdoor. Waiting for local government is silly. Waiting for central government ro come along and assess your lead contamination issues, is BEYOND STUPID. Assuming that you do not have to monitor (and manage) your lead situation because you are running an outdoor range and therefore do not have to remove lead on a monthly basis, is delusional.
The issue here, going by what you have said, is mismanagement of an outdoor live firing range. It appears that the EPA is simply the messenger, in this instance.
YES, I have shot indoor and outdoor. I also managed a club range complex from 1995 to 2009!

Well as I said the COUNTY operates the range thru the COUNTY PARKS DEPT. Been there since 1971.

 

[375Fox]

Its a county run range, I dont see how they could expect shooters to pay them to screw us?

You had wrote country not county in your first post. I didn’t realize county/government ran public ranges anywhere. It’s all small private clubs in my area.

 

[curtism1234]

We all have to manage the lead on our live firing ranges, whether they be indoor or outdoor. Waiting for local government is silly. Waiting for central government ro come along and assess your lead contamination issues, is BEYOND STUPID. Assuming that you do not have to monitor (and manage) your lead situation because you are running an outdoor range and therefore do not have to remove lead on a monthly basis, is delusional.
The issue here, going by what you have said, is mismanagement of an outdoor live firing range. It appears that the EPA is simply the messenger, in this instance.
YES, I have shot indoor and outdoor. I also managed a club range complex from 1995 to 2009!

Agree 100%

 

[sestoppelman]

You had wrote country not county in your first post. I didn’t realize county/government ran public ranges anywhere. It’s all small private clubs in my area.

You're right I did, a typo. County run range, not country. Notice I didnt blame spell check or auto correct.
No Joe Biden here, when I screw up I own that sucker!!

 

[Brent in Az]

@Brent in Az and @AZDAVE might remember when they did that to the Reddington Pass Range in Tucson. I believe it’s still a work in progress, and it was shut down like 10 years ago.

The Tucson Rod & Gun Club that was up by Sabino Canyon was the original go to range.
Started shooting there around 1973 when we moved to Tucson. Took my hunters education class there when I was 13.
Too many complaints, and lobbying by people, got it shut down about 20 years ago.

 

[ActionBob]

The EPA takes way to much power. Bureaucracy run amuck. Trump was just getting some of that back under control.

 

[ZG47]

I was a member of the Kitsap Rifle and Revolver Club in Washington. It was closed down by the county due to noise and "safety" complaints. During the 80 plus years it was in operation, there was never an accident. No one was ever injured. Careless and accidental shootings do occur in the area, but there is no evidence that they came from the range. A "bullet" was found in an adjoining park and offered as evidence of careless shooting from the range, but the "bullet" (cartridge?) was unfired and was of WW2 German origin. Didn't matter, it was still evidennce. A .50 cal round did go through a roof and struck a car in a garage but the trajectory of bullet showed that it hadn't come from the direction on the range. That didn't matter either. The judge that issued the injunction is from a different county and knows nothing about firearms. The District Attorney and county officials that were involved in the legal proceedings to close the range were all from the same political party. Guess which one.

The range was open to the public and now people don't have a safe place to go and shoot so they go into the woods and shoot wherever it suits them. But hey, the county is safer because the range is closed. I really do not expect it to ever reopen, but the fight is still ongoing.

You appear to be talking about judicial misconduct and/or incompetence. I am not a lawyer but I suspect that a viable option might be to have the injunction set aside on grounds of judicial incompetence. Best of luck with your battle.

 

[Ray B]

That really sucks. The EPA has closed to shooting lead three ranges in the Wenatchee river valley- their claim was that shout "could" make it into the creek/river. the clubs were given the option of shooting non-lead shells- not feasible to shoot tungsten at $3/shot for a round of trap, or build a shot-proof fence high enough to catch all shot from going into the stream. so the gun clubs either closed-up and sold the property or stay open as social clubs with no shooting.

One option would be to check with the Dept of Wildlife. They have funds available for gun ranges that are open to the public and they may be able to give advice to the county on how to deal with the other agencies.

 

[mark-hunter]

I though that closing the rifle ranges is typical European (anti gun) hype! Unfortunately I see that happens in US, as well. Sorry to hear that.