Posted: 1/9/2007 8:07:06 PM EDT
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These Guidelines have been posted by CM before and I thought I'd post them early for newcomers to read. Mods, can we get a tack, just until LCR? Other suggestions are welcome. See below |
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Latest version...just finished updating it tonight, actually. to FREQUENTLY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS for LCR SHOOTS THE BIG PICTURE Current pit is about 150x50 yards flat gravel with good backstop…and a rock. Plenty of room for parking and camping. No water, no bathrooms, minimal shade-- plenty of trees in area, but they are on unusable camping terrain.. No soft ground for camping. Campfire always running. You do not need to bring an AR-15 to show up (heck, you don't even need to shoot!). Guests, dogs, kids, LEOs and brown-riflers welcome. Texans welcome …if chaperoned. Friday night is unstructured---minimal shooting and maximal socializing, with folks arriving at various times. Watch the board to coordinate a rendezvous. Saturday routine tends to be: • Rookies can catch the 9:00 convoy from park and ride at exit 77—make sure you post that you need to be guided, and watch the board to make sure you are covered. • Shooting starts in earnest about 10:00. Most early shooting is newbies. Old-timers tend to pace themselves. First –timers tend to wait and watch for a bit. • Shooting is pretty steady most of the day, then tends to be on-and-off towards late afternoon. Night shooting for an hour or so after dark. • Saturday is generally too busy to stop the line for any drills/games etc. (other than the obligatory “gallons o’ Tannerite” experiments). • Nighttime= Campfire. Food. Poker. Beer. Lies. Insults. Condiments. Sleep. Rain. Cold. Wind. Locusts. Sunday is usually minimal shooting from some of the overnighters. Sunday morning is a great time to do tactical drills, etc. Majority of people are usually cleared out by noon, though there are still some diehards shooting sporadically on Sunday afternoon. If you can only make one day, go on Saturday—you’ll be cheating yourself if counting on a full-blown shoot on Sunday. For obvious reasons, we don’t advertise the location of the pit in the open forum. First timers need to make the rendezvous. If you are a GPS or Google Earth person, the lat/long is: 41.948N 87.656W ROADS Roads are high quality gravel. You can make it with a normal auto, semi-auto or horse. Spare tires have been known to come in real handy. From the park and ride, it is about 20 minutes of pavement and 20 minutes of gravel. It is easy to get lost on way out– especially in the dark. Get good directions before leaving solo. Contrary to what millions of TV viewers believe…not everybody loves Raymond!! WARNING: During normal working hours, thar be logging trucks! They have right of way—always. They travel downhill very fast. If you hit one head on, it will dent your bumper—the rear one. PARKING Plenty of parking available. The lower level by the campfire has limited space—it is a fringe benefit for the Friday arrivers. If you are near the campfire, expect to have tarps strung from your roof. FOOD and DRINK Food and drink are ‘bring your own’. If someone wants to bring treats or organize a BBQ—go for it. A trend toward organized meals is developing somewhat. Crabs show up at the January shoot. CAMPING Since the last couple Winter shoots, campers have become quite popular---empty floorspace goes fast. Lots of folks just use tents or the back of SUVs. Don’t underestimate the weather at the Winter shoot. SAFETY You are as much in charge of safety as anyone else— it is best to speak up if you see something wrong. If someone pimps you on safety, the best approach is usually: don’t fight it, don’t argue , don’t take it personally---just correct the alleged mistake and learn from it--if you disagree, then comply first and debate later. FIRING LINE A rope usually delineates the firing line. If line is not long enough, it is OK to extend to the sides rather than bunching up. The goal is to keep all the muzzles on the rope, while keeping the brass on the tarp. Be sure of backstop if shooting cross-pit from far end of line. Pistol area is usually on right-side of line with targets set up at closer range. .22 targets are now set up to the right of the pistol area—you might need your own tarp. WEAPONS HANDLING If you are not comfortable operating in an informal range environment, then an easy way to stay safe is to: • unless holstered, be unloaded when you leave the firing line: magazine out, action open, chamber empty. • carry long guns muzzle up and place in rifle rack, or place on tarp/ground with muzzle on firing line pointed downrange. • carry handguns muzzle down or holstered. • don’t handle weapons when people are down range CEASE FIRE/COMMENCE FIRE We don’t have organized ceasefire times. The following routine seems to be popular: • Anyone can call cease-fire at any time. -- If there is a problem, call it so everyone hears you. -- If it is just a cease-fire to reset targets, for example, just ask the other shooters calmly if they want to go safe, let folks finish a magazine, etc., and after consensus, call it so everyone hears you. • When restarting after a break -- Check for folks still downrange -- Call for “Ears On” ” and give people time to get ready -- Call “Range is Hot” BUMP-FIRE Bump-firing is allowed...heck, it is practically mandatory!. Some folks appreciate a heads up before you bump-fire adjacent to them. This gives them a chance to spread out or step back to compensate for the bumpers lack of muzzle-control. Full-auto is also OK. More thrust per squeeze is encouraged. NIGHT OPS Night shooting is an integral part of the experience. Tracers, incendiaries and propane are encouraged. Wax fire-starters or road flares are good for ignition sources. Usually, no one shoots after drinking alcohol, unless they use common sense while doing so. Some people get annoyed if you shoot too late at night. If you are not sure what constitutes “too late”, then you can always go ahead and shoot---if people get annoyed, then you were probably shooting too late. WEAPONS AWAY FROM THE FIRING LINE It is understood that troubleshooting, cleaning and show-and-tell will be taking place away from the firing line. This is totally acceptable, just like it would be in a gun shop. EYE AND EAR PROTECTION Your personal eye and ear protection are your own business. Since camp/vehicles are close to the range, most folks appreciate a heads-up to get ears on before shooting starts up after a break. Yellow foamies work well when you are off the line. Be advised that there are usually a few muzzle brakes in use, and they tend to be extremely loud and send some blast laterally. TARGETS SUGGESTION #1: If you are shooting at a “really cool” target, give everyone a heads up, so they don’t miss the show! SUGGESTION #2: Clean up what you shoot SUGGESTION #3: Remove “dead” targets. A target that has been shot out and lost its reactivity can cause you to waste ammo and doubt your marksmanship ability. Ironically, for some of us not named OdT, perfectly good targets can have the same effect!! We never really coordinate what targets will be there. Luckily, enough folks usually bring some. We can never have too many targets and are always looking for new ideas. There is not normally a traditional paper target frame. Ranges are usually longer than most people are used to plinking at, so keep in mind that the visual effect is lessened – a shook up can of Rainier may be fun at 20 yards, but it is near invisible at 100 yards. Lists are not all inclusive: • these usually make good targets – most anything reactive, tannerite, ice bottles, water bottles, cheap beer/soda cans, bowling pins, 4x4 lumber, pumpkins, melons, steel targets, propane cylinders empty or full, clays, balloons, various plastic items, tennis balls, softballs, glowsticks, orange bullseye exploders, Dixie Chicks CDs, David Horsey cartoons, scrap plywood/particle board for buckshot range • these usually make bad targets – anything that is a pain to clean up, glass, electronics (unless it is playing rap music), paper bullseyes (unless you plan on quietly sighting something in), nasty chemicals, conservatives, Tannerite+metal/rocks/etc. • for closer range .22 rimfire, there is a whole ‘nother range of possibilities—such as ping pong balls, sidewalk chalk , eggs The Dollar Store and Boeing Surplus are a plinkers best friends! Be advised--copper jacketing can bounce back from steel targets. Rifles rounds will destroy pistol range steel. So will roughly .41 magnum and up. Most any centerfire round will destroy .22 rimfire spinners/swingers. Wood target frames are expected to take some collateral damage, but intentional or inattentive fire will hasten their demise considerably. As they say in Lewis County, “wood doesn’t grow on trees, you know!!” AMMUNITION It really sucks to run out!! You might want to bring more than you think you need. Reduced capacity magazines are discouraged, but tolerated. It helps to bring a cardboard box or tray to hold your stuff whilst sitting around campfire loading mags. Pit is not a fire hazard—steel core is OK. 50 caliber is OK. Tracer is OK. Incendiary is OK. We have someone checking on napalm, so hold off for now. SHOTGUNS This isn’t the best place for shooting clays, but it has been done a little bit. The standard rifle/pistol targets we use aren’t real good for shotgun, since they get one-shot/one-killed. Additionally, the wood target frames get destroyed prematurely. We tested a buckshot course on last two Sunday mornings, and it worked good—just have to close the regular line for the 2 minutes it takes to run the course and pickup the empties. BRASS (and NON-BRASS) If you can, bring a big tarp to catch brass—it makes life so much easier. .22 rimfire is a real pain to pick up if not on the tarp. The brass all gets mixed and is generally available for the taking—feel free to pick through if you want to save some. Magnets can help some for picking up steel cases. We always need a few buckets/boxes to carry out the brass. We also need people to take some home. If you plan on shooting early Friday, you may need to have your own tarp. CLEAN UP Our goal is to leave the pit and camp clean of targets, brass, steel and trash. We usually clean as we go--- calling for clean-ups when there is a lull in the shooting, and ideally, right before dark. Everyone chips in to clean up their fair share, except for those who don’t. If you are leaving early, you can always call a cease fire for cleaning if you haven’t done your share yet. Garbage pails/bags are a big help. Anyone can volunteer to take out a few bags of trash. We are kind of counting on help from apartment dwellers with dumpster access, as well as others who make routine dump runs. Keep in mind that on too many occasions, the Sunday crew has been stuck doing most of the work. MUZZLE CONTROL When vomiting, it is recommended that you keep your muzzle pointed in a safe direction…..please!! If vomiting after grain alcohol, the campfire is NOT a safe direction! VOLCANO SAFETY We are pretty close to Mt. Saint Helens. Suggestions: In case of ash-fall --switch to BUIS. In case of lava flow -- duck and cover! CAMERAS If you plan on posting pictures, be advised that some people don’t want their faces on the web….and the web doesn’t want some of our faces on it either!! ALTERNATE ENTERTAINMENT There always seem to be a few quads showing up. Poker is pretty popular. THINGS THAT FORTUNATELY SEEM TO ALWAYS SHOW UP, BUT ARE NICE TO VERIFY AHEAD OF TIME Saturday escorts for park and ride rendezvous Firewood Campfire Grill Overhead tarp for social area Large tarps for brass First aid kits Bourbon THINGS THAT SOMEONE HOPEFULLY BRINGS Rifle Rack Overhead canopy or tarp for rifle rack Targets Chairs Tables for range and/or camp Garbage cans Garbage bags Water for dousing fire on last morning Rope for firing line Additional Canopies for rain wind Boxes/buckets for brass Hors d’ouerves Music US Flag Ankle splints Tylenol Beheaded corpse of a wolverine Carbine Monoxide detector/alarm HORSE TRADING Some folks have had good luck buying and trading (and having things given to them!) DIVERSITY While not an official policy, we at LCR celebrate diversity. We don’t discriminate based on action, brand*, caliber, barrel length, stock color, national origin or oppressive system of government. We even tolerate Oregonians and Coast Guardsmen, but we don’t like to talk about it. We do sort of draw the line at the U.N. though. NOISE ABATEMENT*Well, maybe Century Arms, perhaps Tannerite can set off car alarms. Car alarms have been known to disturb deer and other wildlife. Frogs can be irritatingly noisy. BEHAVIOR Party-types….be aware that there are children present. Some discretion is advised. Parents…..be aware that there are party-types present. You can always move your kids away if campfire behavior surpasses your threshold. No rules will prevent bad behavior or language. If someone starts getting out of control—someone else usually sets them straight. LEGAL ISSUES While we don’t have any actual rules against them, illegal drugs and illegal firearms have not shown up at the shoot. |
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Isn't the parking area near the campfie now non-existant? I got that impression from one of ODT's pictures. Or was it just flooded out in those pics? Also, What does everyone think of muzzle down carry for longarms? To prevent the "what goes up must come down" thing. |
Google earth takes me to Wrigley Field with those numbers |
He did say it had a good backstop! |
That is actually a pretty serious concern. That area is now fairly hazardous. (not easy to swim in winter clothing, assuming the fall doesn't get you first) Make note to keep the your kids and/or drunkards clear of that area. Some sort of barricade would be nice.... but I haven't thought of anything for it. |
FWIW, I see no reason that Black Rifle Drag Racing should require anyone not racing to stop shooting. Put up the trees during target reset times. No worries. |
I'm not allowed to play with the fire anymore  I won't be coming to this one this time (I know I've said it before, but usually feel bad and get guilted into coming anyway--but I am not letting that happen this time). It's just to cold for me...and if the princess isn't happy...NOBODY will be happy  But you guys have fun!!! |
Totally agree. Mostly because it's being well advertised/organized in advance. That note is more applicable to spur of the moment ideas, which just have a real hard time getting any traction during a busy shoot. Also especially applies to any sort of move and shoot drill, which really would shut down the line (like the shotgun thing I am trying to get going on Sundays). |
Shhh !! We are trying to throw off the Illinois Nazis and the FOTT!!! |
After seeing the area on Saturday, I think cars would do the trick. The kids and drunkards need to be made aware of the boundry. Not going past the cars or RV's would be a good visual barrier during the day time. It's the night time that bothers me. Perhaps we need to mark the area at night with chemlights. |
I fear that the pink flamigos would not last... 
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+1 |
This is a very good point. I would contend that any car seen on that road is grounds for immediate cease fire. |
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We should also move the line forward about 5-10 yards from where it was last time. This will give the .22 shooters some room. I think they were cramped up against the dirt piles on the right last time, since we only extended right as an afterthought. It will also give any cars coming in on the left a little more room to enter behind the line. |
I thought you guys were going to employ an air horn? |
I have to agree here. Vehicles that are visible on the road are in front of the firing line. Cease fire. |
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Air horn wouldn't work for CEASE FIRE unless everyone had one, or there were designated range safety people. As far as COMMENCE FIRE, there was some discussion, but no follow-through. It think we just defaulted to: the signal for "heads up---put your ears on!" = one rifle shot |
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GETTING’ CLOSE….. I preflighted my targets/stands…man, did they take a beating last time. Repaired all the wood and chains and such, so I’m good to go now. There were so many shooters last time that my soft target inventory (plastic, tennis balls, etc.) is way down. We can use some reinforcements. SOME LITTLE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO IMPROVE THE LCR… ...BEFORE LEAVING HOME Grab 2 garbage bags (empty ones!!) – drop one off near the campfire and one near the firing line If you have a couple small cardboard boxes, bring them so people can carry brass home with them. If you have a couple short pieces of scrap 2x4 … Just drill a hole near one end of a 1 to 2 foot piece, and we can hang it from pistol frame. If you have an empty 1L or 2L soda bottle…fill it with water and freeze it. Use it to keep your lunch cold on the way down, and then hang it from pistol frame. Heck—even the 20oz ones help. If you put a couple drops of food coloring in first, that’s even better. If you have empty 1-lb propane bottles from the blackout, donate them to the rifle range for rifle targets. If you have some old spray paint laying around, paint ‘em something bright. If you empty them at LCR, use them for targets. If you plan on watching the night shoot, think about donating one full bottle of propane ..for the children. ...AT THE RANGE I could use a couple folks again to baby-sit the 100 yard swinging steel target. I’m better equipped with chains, nuts and bolts this time, so hopefully we can keep it in action longer. I could use help spray painting the steel targets. Traditionally, kids have first dibs on this. Once the line is going full speed, though, I give up on the paint cause it just doesn’t last. During the main event night shoot, it would help if we had at least one non-shooter with a bright spotlight to help verify no one is down range, as well as to give us some light when setting up targets, checking for bleeding...stuff like that —plus it help might preserve some shred of shooters night vision. |