Proper range safety

[Alden]

Frizzen stalls. Maybe remove the lock at the cease-fires? But you'll have to prove the bore is empty. Ping the ramrod? Bring a 40" borescope!? No, pour water down the muzzle for the RO!

 

[azmntman]

All good ideas (and they vote(d)) :blah:

 

[Alden]

Of course those are exaggerated sarcasms. What we need is blackpowder loads to be counted, safegurded, and handed out one at a time and that includes any priming powder charges which will be in numbered single-serving little envelopes like salt or Sweet-&-Low for pistol and longarm, respectively...

 

[ormond tony]

I don't know if it's too late to post on this thread so.....I too my BP to a range that has individual 'pens' for shooting. My wife and I get to one, unpack, put unloaded BP pistol, revolver but wait until we finish these before putting our rifles/muskets on the table. We set up targets, come back to shooting table, load and add caps to the gun we want (only the gun we will shoot is loaded). Then we put the cap(s) on nipples. After shooting we place our guns on the table and change targets. Then we would use our long guns. No RSO stopped to say we are doing anything wrong. This last 1.5 years until yesterday. The RSO came up and said I wasn't follow the rules. He actually asked that I should 'pop' the cylinder off the revolver like an unmentionable. I told him the guns were BP and he said I was confrontational. He could not tell if any revolver, single shot pistol or BP replica long arms was loaded and capped. The RSOs do not understand or refuse to understand BP shooting. I guess he was looking for the slide and clip to be removed to be safe. How do I explain that a single shot pistol has nothing to take apart. Last time I go there. I'm glad the county has a great range with very knowledgeable RSO for both BP and unmentionables.

 

[nhmoose]

8 year old post????????????????????????????????????????????

 

[vibraphonusrex]

Where I usually go to the range, when there’s a cease fire, you don’t dare go near the bench. They are very good at checking everyone’s firearm. They just want me to stick a flag between the nipple and hammer. They allow loading at the line, and firing free-hand, prone, or from the bench. The range I’ll be at next week, in Arizona, wants you to load behind the line, and prime at the line. When in Rome…

 

[ormond tony]

At this range, all positions are separated by berns and participants are 30 yards apart unless there is a group shoot or lessons. Most times we don't even see another shooter. For 2 years we shot there and all RSOs have seen us and watched us and never said anything. I'll just go to the ranges that have knowledgeable RSOs and some even have skeet or trap shooting.

 

[Kansas Jake]

Who oversees the range and RSOs? It might be useful for all to have a conversation with that person or persons. It seems the specific RSO has little knowledge of Muzzleloaders or cap and ball and that in and of itself is dangerous.

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

I don't know if it's too late to post on this thread so.....I too my BP to a range that has individual 'pens' for shooting. My wife and I get to one, unpack, put unloaded BP pistol, revolver but wait until we finish these before putting our rifles/muskets on the table. We set up targets, come back to shooting table, load and add caps to the gun we want (only the gun we will shoot is loaded). Then we put the cap(s) on nipples. After shooting we place our guns on the table and change targets. Then we would use our long guns. No RSO stopped to say we are doing anything wrong. This last 1.5 years until yesterday. The RSO came up and said I wasn't follow the rules. He actually asked that I should 'pop' the cylinder off the revolver like an unmentionable. I told him the guns were BP and he said I was confrontational. He could not tell if any revolver, single shot pistol or BP replica long arms was loaded and capped. The RSOs do not understand or refuse to understand BP shooting. I guess he was looking for the slide and clip to be removed to be safe. How do I explain that a single shot pistol has nothing to take apart. Last time I go there. I'm glad the county has a great range with very knowledgeable RSO for both BP and unmentionables.

Sounds like you had the same RSO as I got! I haven't been back to that range since. Again, I get it if the RSO is making a judgement call, but when they rudely cut you off as you try to explain that following the same protocols for CF guns might not be the safest thing for a ML . . .

 

[user 34300]

For my BP only club shoots we have tables behind the line. All loading and cleaning is done at the tables. Priming is only done a the line. That club is fine with loading at a table behind the line and firing off the regular benches on free shoot day with cartridge gun people shooting.

You can load and shoot at the line off benches. How? My range is never full. I select two benches next to each other. I load on the left bench and shoot on the right bench. All manipulations are done on the line.

I keep my flask on the left bench. My priming flask goes in my right rear pocket after priming. I would never load and shoot off the same bench and leave flasks or horns on the bench while firing. At least put them in the shooting box and close the lid.

 

[Colonial Boy]

It certainly is an old thread but a very interesting one and I just read the lot.
The only muzzle loading clubs that I’ve shot at had benches behind the line for loading then capping/priming was done on the line but no firearm handling when anyone was forward.
Other ranges that I’ve been on, from .50 Brownings down to air guns had the same rule, no touching firearms when people were forward.
It only takes one mistake to lead to a possible tragedy.