Homestead Public Range

shirtr · #1 05-26-2008, 04:02 PM

What is with all the I-D-I-O-T-S out there??? Makes me cringe everytime I go out there. I always bring my spotting scope so I don't have to go up to the backstops to view my shot placement and leave my rifles/stuff behind.

Let alone feeling safe while others are handling their rifles back at the benches.

Another peeve. I see people shooting along the road behind the trench that was dug intentionally to dicourage shooting in the area before the range. As far as I know there is one public shotgun range that has been designated so, and one public rifle range.

People don't seem to give a sh*t about leaving garbage on the range. I mean how hard is it to pick up your brass after firing?? And then there are the computer monitors and everything else. Really...

Anyway, kind of a rant but feel free to add your thoughts...I know many of you have some.

Canuck44 · #2 05-27-2008, 01:02 PM

Oh don't forget lets all shoot at the no shooting signs, fence posts, benches and once thats done bring your old appliances and junk out and shoot it into pieces. Whats with people?

I try to go on weekdays during the offseason, usually only one or two others there then.

I remember one guy at the bench next to me picked up his rifle and started loading it when there were guys still down range. He and his friends looked at me like I was an alien when I suggested that that was very dangerous and that he stop and put it down immediatly. I really should become a member at a private range.

shirtr · #3 05-28-2008, 02:25 PM

Exactly what I was thinking.

TheClash · #4 05-28-2008, 02:56 PM

the spring coulee range is pretty trashed right now as well. looks like someone went to town on all the back stops with a 12ga. thanks guys....

pogo · #5 05-28-2008, 03:46 PM

That's nothing. A few years ago I went out there and every table top was covered in green paintball goop. And one time I went out and some ding dong had cut his way through the barbed wire fence and drove his 1/4 ton pick-up up to the benches. We are our own worst enemy.

I guess that's life.

Frans · #6 05-28-2008, 04:18 PM

I gave up and joined the Olds range. It's 15 minutes further out, but it's got some covered stalls, and some rules about what you can and cannot do.

Frans

fluxcore · #7 05-28-2008, 04:50 PM

Im spoiled Im a member of the red deer fish and game, we have an indoor range open all year with coffee always on. Many times its just me and one other person. Great place to escape the house weather its rain, snow or whatever. We also have a great outdoor range with a roof and nice benches with good gun rests and a room with a wood stove and a pile of wood beside it. During those winter months it was nice to come in and warm up and here some good stories. The people for the most part are very safe and curtious all members have to attened a saftey course before getting a set of keys. Lots of us donate time bringing new backstops out and puting old shot up ones in the garbage. I coulden't be more happy with my club and the people in it

rena0040 · #8 06-04-2008, 01:25 PM

Don't forget the shot up beer cans.

twofifty · #9 06-04-2008, 09:16 PM

imo, broken beer bottle glass is the ultimate brainless move, right next to shooting up fence posts. Leaving dirty cleaning patches and ear plugs here and there is also quite inconsiderate.

SHORTMAG · #10 06-06-2008, 09:32 AM

HI FOLKS...I live in Halifax NS...we experience the EXACT SAME THING in this end of the country.Every time we go to our favorite range, we usually wind up picking up other peoples ****...all the same stuff...vcr's...monitors....GLASS to no end...TOASTERS???...man what Sh'theads....and it's NOt the people that register with the range.....it's the ones that don't!!

Cowtown guy · #11 06-07-2008, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frans

I gave up and joined the Olds range. It's 15 minutes further out, but it's got some covered stalls, and some rules about what you can and cannot do.

Frans

Frans do you have any info for the Olds range? I would greatly appreciate it.

#12 06-07-2008, 10:45 PM

Is the Homestead range the one out at Sibbald Flats? - I've never been there and I had considered going out there on the presumption that I'd been shooting with some decent folks....guess not

After reading all of the above, it sounds like shooting at the dump

Wrongside · #13 06-08-2008, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gitrdun

Is the Homestead range the one out at Sibbald Flats? - I've never been there and I had considered going out there on the presumption that I'd been shooting with some decent folks....guess not

After reading all of the above, it sounds like shooting at the dump

Sibbald Flats- that's the one.

I have only been out there maybe a half dozen times. Every time, the people I've meet and talked with have been great. Just fellow shooters and hunters out for a safe, fun time, unanimously disgusted and disappointed with the aftermath of the actions of a few idiots. Maybe I've just been lucky. Judging from the debris and general condition of the Public Access Range that is the case, I've just been lucky. It's a shame really, something that should be so good will be ruined by a few idiots and shut down. From what I've heard the 'Public' ranges days are numbered.

Not sure if I'll ever visit again, but again, it's not because of any first hand negative experiences.

Albertadiver · #14 06-09-2008, 12:41 PM

The last two times I've been to the public range, two almost identical groups showed up.

In both cases there was about 5 young men (I'm just a pup at 26 myself) about the age of 18-24. Among a few different long-guns they had a semi-automatic short barrel .22 with a banana clip which is illegal last time I checked. One group had a handgun in the same rifle case, which I happened to see briefly. They kept it in the case for as long as I was there. I don't want to promote conversations based on nationality, so I'll leave it be that they fit a certain stereotype which made some people on the range uneasy.

They would point the guns all over the place, and had little to no regard for the common range rules, like unloading and making safe your gun before walking downrange to replace targets.

After 10 minutes It was my signal to go home. The other shooters looked to have the same mindset as my wife and I. Did I think about reporting them to the RCMP? Yes. Did I report them? No. They saw my license plate # just as easily as I saw thiers. In hindsight I wished I had called them, but it would have likely been too late for the RCMP to get out there. In fact, I've never seen them or game wardens at the range. Maybe just my luck?

CNP · #15 06-09-2008, 01:57 PM

It affects all of us. If left alone these I D I O T S will continue doing what they are doing. If it's a safety issue challenging guys is the right thing to do. Challenging guys with illegal guns/restricted guns may not be the right option........but calling the cops is always the right option. Nobody takes notice of your plate if you're not doing anything wrong. Do it.

AbAngler · #16 06-09-2008, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Albertadiver

semi-automatic short barrel .22 with a banana clip which is illegal last time I checked.

Check again. Perfectly legal (depending on how short....). The handgun though, is definitely a no no at the public range. You should have called the RCMP. I wonder if a few of them actually got busted, would word get out, thus keeping the undesirables away?

I stopped shooting there after seeing a few guys with SKSs blasting away at rocks 10 yards from the benches. Nothing against SKSs, and I'm all for blasting away and having fun with semis, but that was just too much.

There is talk of changes to the public range and I for one am all for them....

Albertadiver · #17 06-09-2008, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AbAngler

Check again. Perfectly legal (depending on how short....). The handgun though, is definitely a no no at the public range. You should have called the RCMP. I wonder if a few of them actually got busted, would word get out, thus keeping the undesirables away?

I stopped shooting there after seeing a few guys with SKSs blasting away at rocks 10 yards from the benches. Nothing against SKSs, and I'm all for blasting away and having fun with semis, but that was just too much.

There is talk of changes to the public range and I for one am all for them....

I guess I should have clarified, it was the size of the bannana clip I was refferring to. A clip holding more than 5 rounds is illegal in my understanding.

AbAngler · #18 06-09-2008, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Albertadiver

I guess I should have clarified, it was the size of the bannana clip I was refferring to. A clip holding more than 5 rounds is illegal in my understanding.

That would make all my .22s illegal. Most semis come with 10 round mags. What you probably saw was a 10-22 Krinker Plinker with a 25 round mag. http://www.target-sports.com/krinkerplinker.htm
Looks evil, therefore it must be eh?

There is some confusion as to restricted vs. non-restricted with the folding stock. Don't know the details...

CNP · #19 06-09-2008, 03:30 PM

There is no limit to the magazine capacity for semi-automatic rim-fire long guns, or for other long guns that are not semi-automatics.

Canuck44 · #20 06-09-2008, 10:29 PM

Nothing illegal about the 25 and 50 shot mags for my 10-22 or the 10 shot clips on all the old lee enfield 303's. However the amount of shells my 10-22 can go through is a little indecent, possibly even immoral. I am surprised at the number of people who seem to know about guns that are not aware of this.

Albertadiver · #21 06-10-2008, 07:50 AM

Well, I am rightly humbled!

It's been a while since my last gun purchase. I just seem to remember clip size being discussed when I took my PAL a few years ago. I'll dig up my old handbook and try to figure out what the heck made me think that. Maybe it was just the instructors viewpoint I was getting...

I'm not what you'd call a firearms expert. Yes, I've been around them all my life in a farming and hunting environment, but I'm sure not up to speed on current technology.

AbAngler · #22 06-10-2008, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Albertadiver

Well, I am rightly humbled!

Understandably. We have alot of rules to keep track of. And depending on who you ask, alot of interpretations of those rules.

Centerfire semi automatic rifles have a 5 round limit in most cases.

Sounds like it'll be at least another couple weeks before the road is fixed or a bridge installed.