NO "Humanoid Targets" at my gun club!

[Adam Helmer]

I live in very rural TIOGA county PA and our gun club has about 200 members and very few members show up at the monthly club meetings.

I am a Board member and was out voted at the last board meeting that voted to ban silhouette/humanoid targets. A few new Board members expressed their dislike of the Official NRA B-27 silhouette target. Our local small town police department holds their semi-annual qualification training on our club grounds and MUST fold the "head" down on the B-27 target to comply with the new club policy! I stated "a target is just a target", but to no avail. I am glad I have a 60-acre farm where I can be a free man.

I understand in the Peoples' Republic of Massachussets the commoner folks cannot shoot at silhouette targets under penalty of lawrrr. I hope this is not the portent of things to come: It has come to my hometown!

Adam

[BILLY D.]

I could comment on targets and subjects for them but I'd probably be stoned. :eek:

Best wishes, Bill

[buckhunter]

We have the same crap here as Adam started. No pictures of anybody wheter its the Pope or Bin Landen. Understand my club got some greif sometime back about shooting targets with bad guys on them. Afterall they are humans also. BS.

Oh I love the liberal population of this state.

[Adam Helmer]

buckhunter,

I worked in MA and my NH gun club had many MA members. The stuff is spilling over here into rural PA. That is why I bought a hilly farm with natural berms already in place. We have several ranges hereabouts on the farm and I literally "call the shots."

Adam

[kt]

next to my club a farm field just sprung a crop of houses, well now they say to reduce noise we must count to 3 between shots. its rediculous when you actually try to comply, it isnt any quieter if you space the shots out. same thing, the old board got voted out and the new board just dont much care.
kt

[Adam Helmer]

kt,

Your point is right on the mark. Once more than one shooter is on the line, what happens to the 3-second rule?

Adam

[Steverino]

In the past ten years, I have watched three outdoor gun ranges close in my area 100 mile radius(2 public, one private) due to either liability insurance costs or neighbor complaints.

Areas that I used to duck hunt years ago have closed off access after the million dollar houses went up and its inhabitants that built their homes out in rural Northern Illinois didn't take too kindly to the sounds of shotgun reports and splashing/barking labs at daybreak. Musta slipped the develpers mind...:rolleyes:

BTW- These are the same people that decry controlled bowhunts to minimize the rampant deer population which is devouring their prized flower gardens and the Canadian geeze that are crapping all over their imported Brazilian teak patio set overlooking the pool and cultured stone chimnea! :D

[Adam Helmer]

Steverino,

Current PA law specificaslly says that gun clubs cannot be closed down due to noise complaints. Gun clubs/ranges are Noisy places. The clubs are PRE-EXISTING uses in most cases, so the new homeowners can go pound sand!

Adam

[Dan Morris]

Guess I'm lucky...range I shoot at is primarily LEO so there is no restriction as to targets....mater of fact, I often mooch targets from them! Only range rule is the silhouettes have to go in trash after firing.
Dan
:)

[MtnMike2]

My gun club is out in the boonies. I shoot IPSC (but haven't shot competition in about 6 months) and we use the standard IPSC silhouette targets. I understand some clubs have gone to the "turtle" targets but I'm glad we haven't!
There is some rule about not wearing camo at the range / shoots but we have folks doing that too. Guess we're just not very PC.;)

Mike

[kt]

i tried to write this before and after two paragraphs my comp. disconected from the net! any how
Adam something to think about, although the president of my club (who you would love, guy lives for blackpowder.) he told me that what you say about not being able to shut a club down on a count of noise is true he tells me a noise lawsuit although clubs in PA always win they can spend seven thousand plus on attorney fees every time, our club sets money aside just for the occasion. we also have had a state range shut down on account of houses built a mile down range.
kt

[Adam Helmer]

kt,

We had that very matter come up at our club. We did not go to court because of Pennsylvania Laws Relating to Firearms, 5 Pa C.S. S3304, which says, gun clubs are exempt and immune from any civil action or criminal prosecution relating to noise or noise pollution, provided the range was in compliance with noise control laws when the range was built.

Our club is over 50 years old and was in compliance when it was built. New nearby homeowners were out of luck. Ranges can be closed down if they are not safe and have faulty backstops, richochet problem, etc.

Adam

[gold40]

The state of Missouri operates a dozen public shooting ranges where anyone can shoot for $3 per two hours. They are convenient and well managed.

Humanoid targets are prohibited, but the facility provides free bullseye targets. In 20+ years, I have not found this to be a significant limitation. I don't think this is an issue worth complaining about.

gold40

[Adam Helmer]

gold40.

Well, I must say humanoid targets are an "issue worth complainging about." After all, a target is a target. I agree that people shooting at silhouette targets should remove them from target frames after they finish shooting at same.

I am not hindered by my club's politically correct banning of silhouette targets. I just go home to the farm and shoot all I want without any hassles.

Adam

[gold40]

ADAM,

Perhaps you missed my point.

How many states have a dozen high quality public shooting ranges subsidized by the state treasury? If the trade-off for having all those public ranges is an element of political correctness, it seems to me that is a "reasonable sacrifice."

One can practice and improve his/her shooting skills satisfactorily with conventioal bullyeye targets.

Sometimes we shooters get too rigid with our demands and expectations.

gold40

[Adam Helmer]

gold40,

I think you missed my point. First, the Pennsylvania hunters paid for dozens of shooting ranges on state game lands that are FREE and used by the public and not just huinters who own the state game lands.

I am tired of "reasonable sacrafices", "reasonable controls" and banning certain guns because they "look menacing." I hope I am wrong, but I suspect after January 20, 2009, we gun owners will really need to express our demands and expectations. I hope we can hold our own.

We disagree about silhouette targets and that is ok. Happy New Year.

Adam

[Mr. 16 gauge]

I am tired of "reasonable sacrafices", "reasonable controls" and banning certain guns because they "look menacing."

I'll give that a hearty "Amen"....what next? Banning targets that look like animals because it offends Peta?:mad:
It's just a slippery slope.

[Adam Helmer]

Mr. 16 gauge,

Thank you for giving me the point I could not think of in my last post: "Slippery Slope" it is because once we give in , the antis grab for more and more of our rights.

Happy New Year!

Adam

[Joe Boleo]

Sounds like the antis have taken control of your gun club. Take care...
Joe

[bj139]

Doesn't censoring what you put on your target a violation of your free speech? If someone wanted to shoot at an American flag I would not like it but I would defend their right to do it.

[FootPounds]

Doesn't censoring what you put on your target a violation of your free speech? If someone wanted to shoot at an American flag I would not like it but I would defend their right to do it.
Right on with that, at-least one good thing about living in VA is we can shoot any-type of humanoid targets (even zombies ones).

[Win75]

ADAM,

Perhaps you missed my point.

How many states have a dozen high quality public shooting ranges subsidized by the state treasury? If the trade-off for having all those public ranges is an element of political correctness, it seems to me that is a "reasonable sacrifice."

One can practice and improve his/her shooting skills satisfactorily with conventioal bullyeye targets.

Sometimes we shooters get too rigid with our demands and expectations.

gold40



There should not have to be any trade-offs or "reasonable sacrifice". A target is a target. It is just a piece of paper with ink on it. I personally am tired of trade-offs.
What about the other sides demands and expectations? They get more rigid and intrusive every day.
I have a lot more to say but I will leave it at that and be civil.

[BriBri]

My club in northeastern Mass also prohibits any human sillouette targets. I think it's ludicrous. Do they think if you shoot at a human-like target, that you'll be more prone to shoot at an actual person? The laws in Mass-hole really get to me sometimes.

I even asked our Board (of Directors) of we could have animal sillouette targets on the range. Their answer: No. What about is rifle-shooters who want to hone our skills for hunting (correct shot placement, etc.)? It's truly absurd. But it's OK for the archers to have their 2D (sillouette) and 3D targets. Is that hippocritical or what? (I think the next time I am on the archery range, I will pin up a picture of Obama to shoot at...I'd like to see what they would say about that.).

[Adam Helmer]

Win75,

You have a keen head for figuring. I used that very same line at the Board meeting before the humanoid ban took effect: "A target is just a target." I added that we should require shooters to take down their targets when done and put them in the trash cans provided.

Adam

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Ah, yes.....P.C.ness at it's finest (or worst!).....maybe if we quit using those Osama bin Laden targets, and Obama smiles at them enough, the whole muslim world will accept us with open arms (and no bombs strapped to their chests!).