Another black eye for the Lethbridge range?

[Pathfinder76]

Looks like someone else can't keep their muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Someone apparently shot a van window out above the range.

[whitetail Junkie]

Originally Posted by chuck

Looks like someone else can't keep their muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Someone apparently shot a van window out above the range.

`Deadly

[geezer55]

E-mail I received last night about the incident. Hopefully they find the person/persons responsible for the shooting. Personally I am very interested as we have lived above the range for the last 20 years and the van was located about 4 houses away. I have my opinions of where the shot came from but will wait for investigation to be finished.

LFGA Members,

You will see some media coverage regarding an incident which occurred Saturday, April 10 at 4 pm. A van located on Stafford Road North sustained damage from a projectile. The police say it is a 30 calibre. Of course, the range is where they look first. I am encouraging the olice to do a complete investigation and have offered gate log records, video tape and the co-operation of our membership.

My major contention is that Range officers / supervised users of the range, discharging firearms in a manner aligning with our range rules and protocols ARE NOT the cause of that projectile hitting that van.

Therefore, only two options remain;

1) A range officer / supervised user on the range acted carelessly / criminally on the range (did not follow our range rules / protocols) which resulted in a projectile leaving our range. If this is the case, then we will have video tape / witnesses which will prove that and justify charges against that individual.

2) The projectile originated from outside our range. As our range is all about safe and responsible firearm use, we will assist the police in any way to find and stop dangerous firearms use, wherever it may occur.

[TangoKilo]

I got the same email...

Lets let the police do their investigation before we jump to any conclusions.

[twofifty]

Speculating here, but just because the .30 cal round can be shown to have come from the direction of the range, does not mean it launched from there. It could have been fired miles uprange, at game or in mischief, from the hills across the Oldman river and flown right over the range facility.

The condition of the bullet and its penetration/terminal ballistics in the vehicle may help resolve whether the bullet struck after a ricochet, or perhaps at the end of a long free flight. It is not a long way from the range to the neighbourhood in question, so I'd expect an escaped bullet to have much retained velocity and energy.

[Scott N]

This is the last thing the Lethbridge range needs. It's such a nice range it would be a shame to see something like this close the range after the previous "incident." I've never seen anyone use the range in an unsafe manner, so I always have the feeling that someone is up to "funny business" in order to cause trouble. With the gate passes it shouldn’t take the police too long to find out if the bullet actually came from the range, and who was using it at the time. Hopefully this incident has nothing to do with the F&G range or any of it’s members.

[TheClash]

Originally Posted by Scott N

This is the last thing the Lethbridge range needs. It's such a nice range it would be a shame to see something like this close the range after the previous "incident." I've never seen anyone use the range in an unsafe manner, so I always have the feeling that someone is up to "funny business" in order to cause trouble. With the gate passes it shouldn’t take the police too long to find out if the bullet actually came from the range, and who was using it at the time. Hopefully this incident has noting to do with the F&G range or any of it’s members.

i agree scott..and with the new baffles as well they should be able to tell instantly what range and spot the shot came from..if the shot did indeed come from the range.

i am just curious as to how far east of the top of the range the vehicle was, and the angle at which it hit the van?....would that match up with the trajectory needed to clear the lip of the coulee?

[geezer55]

Go to google earth, find Stafford Road North, sixth house in from Stafford Drive North, on southside of Stafford Road is where the van was sitting. You will be able to see where the van was located to the range. Like I said earlier I live about 4 houses away and have for 20+ years and as a family have never felt unsafe because of the range's location.

[TheClash]

we need some csi technology on this haha.

geezer did you see the van? was the bullet coming at a downward angle, or a flatter angle??...sorry for the spanish inquisition!! (nobody expects the spanish inquisition!!)

[geezer55]

Last night went to get my son from work and mentioned to him that the police were on our street, it was then that he let me know that the police were also on our street Saturaday. We wondered which one of our neighbours were causing the trouble. Later in the evening got the e-mail and today it's on the front page of the Lethbridge Herald. Didn't see the van, only the pictures in the paper. Also don't know which way the van was parked.

[TheClash]

anyone have a link to that story and the pics??

[Gramps.257]

I have alot of good memories learning to shoot as a youth at this range 30+ years ago.I was gifted my 1st shotgun and Bench rifle by senior members of this range.

[TheClash]

gramps i think you might be thinking of the old range down by the airport??? or am i mistaken.

[Gramps.257]

Originally Posted by TheClash

gramps i think you might be thinking of the old range down by the airport??? or am i mistaken.

I did shoot at the one out at the airport too(Lethbridge trap club?) but the range i was talking about was out the north side of the city by the dump(if its even a dump anymore). Is this the same range or has it changed again? Have not been there in 25 years but used to ride my bike from the west side of Lethbridge down to old highway3 and then north along the river trail to the range with my rifle strapped to my back(dont do this now or you'll end up in the back of a police cruiser).

[Gramps.257]

Wasn't the last incident at this range a police training accident that allowed an round to leave the range.If so it shouldn't be held against the range.Sorry if my facts are not straight as i havent lived in lethbridge in 25 years and most of my hometown news comes from the Lethbridge hearld online.

[TheClash]

yes the last incident was due to the police.

[Gramps.257]

I was looking on google maps and it seems the range has really changed a lot since my days there.Looks like a new access road was put in and a lot of berms as well.With the coulees as a backstop it would have to be either poor muzzle control or a bad luck ricochet to put it into that neighborhood. An incident like this will have those vocal few crying to have the range closed which would be a shame as this place was a turning point in my life as a youth.
My parents had divorced and i was mad at the world but i met a few nice gentlemen that took me under there wing and treated me like a son.It was these guys that helped to give me the direction that a missing father wouldn't.I owe more to this range than most and it would be a shame to see anything happen to it.
To this day when ever i am at the range and see a youth eyeing up my firearms ( usually my AR-15s,handguns ect) i always let them shoot as much as they want for free as i know i have already been paid in full.

[TheClash]

the range has a safety system installed where a baffle is located in front of the canopy you shoot under...so a rifle must be pointed at such an angle to shoot over the lip of the canopy..this angle would put a hole right through the baffle in front of the canopy.....(baffle is the ranges word not mine btw)...so if the bullet did originate from the range ( i have my doubts) then there will be a hole in the baffle.


as far as a ricochet, how deformed would a "normal" .30 cal bullet be after striking a steel gong and ricocheting off in a new direction?

[AB2506]

Did they actually find a bullet? Could it not be a 30 caliber ball bearing from a sling shot?

[TangoKilo]

they found a BULLET!

[mclean]

A friend of mine lives on the west side of Stafford Dr., Last summer approx. 8 pm as he was sitting out on his patio, he heard a noise he said it sounded like a small bird flying past him,at first he thought nothing of it ,he then saw the bullet inbeded in the patio floor. He removed bullet and took it to the police dept.this in the same area as the family that had van window shot out.
I did see the bullet it did not appear to be a bullet that one would buy over the counter at Canadian Tire, It did happen .
This is a first class shooting range, and i sure hope they find a solution to this problem before someone does get hurt.

[geezer55]

This is part of the e-mail sent to LFGA members last night. Haven't heard as much about this incident as the incident with the police.

"The police continue their investigation regarding the projectile that hit the van. We have provided the police with the video footage from the range and the gate log. We have also assured them our full cooperation with anything else they require to complete their investigation. Our position has always been that the range is safe, for both range users and Lethbridge residents, so long as range rules and protocols are followed.

After reviewing the video tape, we see nothing that would indicate any inappropriate or unsafe use on our range on the day in question. We will await the results of the police investigation. In the meantime, the range is open for all approved uses - please continue to use our range safely and in compliance with all our range rules."

[TheClash]

i'm on that video!...whew!!

[Browning Sharpsh00ter]

Originally Posted by TheClash

yes the last incident was due to the police.

This whole problem started with the police thinking thier in some kind of matrix movie... The problem i have is that they caused the problem in the first place and we still let them shoot down thier...They actually built a range off the northside of the big bore range...just for them.. WHY?

[Boss442]

Its my understanding that they pay a fee to book said ranges. On more than one occasion while I've been down there they have been more than friendly, and several of them have taken the time to talk with members and build a rapport. Personally I believe there a vital voice/supporter of the range. Unfortunately there was an incident a few years back while they were conducting training, and they took full responsibility for it.

[Browning Sharpsh00ter]

Originally Posted by Boss442

Its my understanding that they pay a fee to book said ranges. On more than one occasion while I've been down there they have been more than friendly, and several of them have taken the time to talk with members and build a rapport. Personally I believe there a vital voice/supporter of the range. Unfortunately there was an incident a few years back while they were conducting training, and they took full responsibility for it.

I ve also been on the other spectrum where i was asked to leave because they where wanting to practice some top secrect SWAT tacticsI was at the bigbore range when this occured. So i seized fired and packed up my stuff. While I was sitting in my truck watching them proceed over the normal firing line destroying the brand new wood backstopps with their MP5s..I also had a bad run in with the C/O's, just a little suggestion to u c/o's when the range is active and u plan on wasting tax dollors yaping in the parking area it might be a good idea to wear your ear defenders...they might support the range but they also do the most damage...And old guy once told me, cops cant do two things, 1) they cant shoot 2) they cant drive...LOL

[Rackmastr]

It sounds like your displeasure towards the police or law enforcement is more of the issue....

[crawfy]

Originally Posted by Browning Sharpsh00ter

I ve also been on the other spectrum where i was asked to leave because they where wanting to practice some top secrect SWAT tacticsI was at the bigbore range when this occured. So i seized fired and packed up my stuff. While I was sitting in my truck watching them proceed over the normal firing line destroying the brand new wood backstopps with their MP5s..I also had a bad run in with the C/O's, just a little suggestion to u c/o's when the range is active and u plan on wasting tax dollors yaping in the parking area it might be a good idea to wear your ear defenders...they might support the range but they also do the most damage...And old guy once told me, cops cant do two things, 1) they cant shoot 2) they cant drive...LOL

As a current member I also have a right to be down there shooting so my question is, if I am down there shooting and the police come down to shoot can they tell me to leave that range or not, do they have special privilages that the rest of us as members do not have?

[M70]

I imagine they book special training sessions so it is therefore a closed session. If you wanted a special event, a guy could probably book it as well. The few times I've been there at the same time, they've been friendly and polite. We've chatted a little bit about rifles and ammo and from what I figure, we have at least one thing in common.

A few years ago, there was a lot of spent brass from their tac team training session that had not been picked up but that's been the only issue I've ever had with law enforcement training down there.

[geezer55]

On th Lethbridge Fish and Game site they have a range schedule there. www.lfga.org