Asking for a "cease fire"?

S

ScottRiqui

New member
The range where I shoot has an automated/computerized target deployment system, so there's no need to go downrange. As a result, there's no regularly-scheduled downtime in shooting, and a "cease fire" is usually only called in response to a safety issue.

My question is, assuming I have permission from the range management, would you consider it rude or unduly disruptive to the other shooters to ask for a brief cease fire while I set up a chronograph? The total time for the interruption would be about a minute or two at most.
 
I would not think it rude of you to call a cease fire for a chrony set up. But then again, I'm the helpful and patient type mostly. Others may get red faced over it.
 
Are all the other range patrons paying by the hour to watch you setup?
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It's $8/hour for non-members, no hourly charge for members. Most of the people who shoot there seem to go with the membership, but there's a chance that some of the other shooters could be paying hourly.
 
Scott,

Kudos for being considerate.

You might want to try to choose times when the range is the least busy. And you might also want to personally ask the others at the line at the time.

Also, I don't know what sort of chrono set up you have, but it would help if you could set it up as much as possible behind the line so as to minimize down time.

One last thing, how well are you known by range management and how accommodating are they likely to be? Once upon a time, I was doing some gun T&E articles for an Internet magazine. I had excellent relations with a local range. They would let me in a couple of hours before they opened (when staff was there for clean up and maintenance anyway), so I could do my chrono work without disrupting others.
 
ScottRiqui said:
My question is, assuming I have permission from the range management, would you consider it rude or unduly disruptive to the other shooters to ask for a brief cease fire while I set up a chronograph? The total time for the interruption would be about a minute or two at most.
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Yes -- rude.

I shoot at an indoor range. The rules are that nobody other than range personnel sets foot forward of the shooting benches. Period. That's point one. Point two is that I don't believe you can set up a chronograph in an indoor range in a minute or two "at most." Even if you can, the other shooters are paying for their time, and one of the benefits of paying higher hourly rates to shoot at an indoor range is no cease fires (except for emergencies). And don't forget the second cease fire while you remove the chronograph, thus potentially doubling the length of the (cumulative) cease fire(s). If safety rules are followed, your cease fire would require that ALL shooters stop shooting, unload their firearms and show clear to a range safety officer, then step back from the firing line. All this has to be done BEFORE you can be allowed to project your big toe forward of the firing line. How long is that going to take, before your set-up clock even starts ticking?

Third, a chronograph has to be set up at least ten feet forward from the muzzle. Depending on the firearm and ammo used, it may need to be fifteen feet to avoid erroneous readings. Having that set up out there would be a distraction to other shooters, which is doubly unfair to them.

I test firearms. I use a chronograph at the indoor range where I shoot. I do so by arrangement with the owner, going to the range (by appointment) at times when the range is not open to the public, so there is no need to call cease fires and to inconvenience the paying customers.
 
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^ Good post. I wouldn't throw a tantrum, and, in fact, wouldn't even object openly. But I wouldn't be happy at all. I consider myself blessed to have a friend who lets me shoot on his land, so cease fires are kind of by acclamation, or the host's command (and as he's a former Marine gunnery sergeant, you don't question that command, or you'll be trying on a new style of hat! :p). But at any indoor range around here, setting up a chronograph would be a major headache to the paying customers.

Scott did mention that most folks at his range don't pay by the hour. But some do, and the rest did pay, through membership. They drove there with specific aims, be it sighting in a rifle, working on their skills, introducing a new shooter, or just fellowship with their buds as they burned through some ammo for grins and giggles. Their time is valuable, too. I'd try to work out an arrangement to arrive a bit after closing time, or well before opening time, to do this while the range is cold.
 
Thanks for all the input, guys. The other shooters at this range are a pretty casual bunch, but I don't want to engender any hard feelings, even if they'd be too polite to say anything. I'll talk to the range managers about the possibility of coming in early or similar arrangements.
 
We use a chrono now and again at the shotgun club to check velocities. Setting it up beforehand on a tripod and turning it on only requires about 15 seconds for someone to stop to set it out the appropriate distance, and the same to retrieve it afterward. I am sorry, if 15 seconds will get folks' undies in a bunch, some folks need to relax and destress
 
Now what if everyone wants to take their 15 seconds but at different times?
Now 20 sec is only 5 extra on top of the 15...............so on and so forth.
 
I doubt that any indoor range will let you set up a chronograph mainly for insurance reasons.

At a semi-private range I used to shoot at (outdoor), we had different ranges - one range was called the "plinking range". That was for rapid fire, full-auto fire, shooting at stuff other than paper targets, and for those who were testing things like suppressors. So it wasn't uncommon to see chronographs out there. But, then again this was a special kind of range.
 
ScottRiqui asked:

My question is, assuming I have permission from the range management, would you consider it rude or unduly disruptive to the other shooters to ask for a brief cease fire while I set up a chronograph? The total time for the interruption would be about a minute or two at most.
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Scott,

I go with a plan to check maybe several rifle reloads. So I'll get my equipment out, bench set-up and target ready first then wait until some else calls for a "COLD". Then set-up both the the target & the chrono at that time. However, some shooters notice I'm ready and have asked if I needed a cold and called one for me!

Now our pistol and rifle ranges are seperated, due to pistol shooters not needing to stop as often as rifle shooters. So I've never had any issue.
 
Now what if everyone wants to take their 15 seconds but at different times?
Now 20 sec is only 5 extra on top of the 15...............so on and so forth.
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WOW, glad I don't shoot at your range. Where I live and shoot, folks are a little considerate and nice towards fellow gun owners - it might be outdoors, but folks will stop while someone sets targets, retrieves them, sets a chrony - all with no problem - called common courtesy
 
Fortunately I grew up on a farm so I had 100's of acres, woods, and a creek to shoot up at will. I have shot at some ranges with my city buddies and while it was fun there was way to much restriction for me to fully enjoy myself.

Once I got used to their start/stop timming it was better as I started using 5 dot targets so I could change guns without having to change targets, I tend to shoot faster than most people I imagine from growing up shooting most days. But the unscheduled stops are agravating.

Setting up a cronie for me means gramps fell off the bucket and I had to help him get up:p
 
WOW, glad I don't shoot at your range. Where I live and shoot, folks are a little considerate and nice towards fellow gun owners - it might be outdoors, but folks will stop while someone sets targets, retrieves them, sets a chrony - all with no problem - called common courtesy
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Outdoor range your probably not paying by the hour. You are right 15 secs isn't much to wait. Now if everyone but me wants to stop fire every 5 min for 15 secs, I'd probably get ****** especially if I've had my hour planned and it forces me to buy another hour. Maybe you could be courteous enough to pay my extra hour?

I don't shoot at a range like the OP. Mine works just like yours does and so do I. Your courteous at the range, why not here?:confused:
 
You can ask, but if it were me shooting at a range where I was paying by the hour I would be more then a little upset.

If I were the owner of a range I would probably try to set up a time for chrono testers to come and pay a slight bit more then normal. Like a once a month thing during the slow hours.

Indoor is better for that testing isn't it? Less environmental variables I would think...
 
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