Great range shut down - Buffalo Range in Ottawa, IL
- Thread starter jibberjabber
- Start date
FrankenMauser
New member
Twins said:
If you really believe that you should have a babysitter looking over your shoulder every moment you're on the range, you should give up your firearms, and go join the antis.
I don’t mind range officers. If I’m doing nothing wrong, I don’t even notice they are there. I’m not found of a “Big Brother” protecting me from myself. But I do appreciate a “Big Brother” protecting me from idiots.
Just like drunk / drugged driving laws. While I have no problem with a person that drinks alcohol or smokes a little weed while in the privacy of there own home, I do have a problem with said person getting behind a wheel and driving down the same road as me. Laws are in place to protect me from those idiots.
Opposite would be the seat belt or helmet laws. Big Brother is trying to protect me from myself. That I have a problem with.
There are many idiots that own guns. I appreciate someone that is willing to stand there and protect me from those idiots.
For the people who uses unsupervised ranges:
Do you have a dislike for RSOs or don't think it is necessary for safety at your ranges (or both)?
I've been to 3 unsupervised ranges and they were all eye sores, environmental wasteland, and a disgrace to the shooting community. I don't think the antis had anything to do with what I saw. Along with the safety hazards on busy weekends, I would not want to approach an unruly person with a weapon and politely talk to them in any negative manner. If your unsupervised ranges are run safely, cleanly, and represents a positive image on the shooting community, you're lucky. I don't have one nearby therefore I choose to join a local shooting club with RSOs and posted safety rules.
Do you have a dislike for RSOs or don't think it is necessary for safety at your ranges (or both)?
I've been to 3 unsupervised ranges and they were all eye sores, environmental wasteland, and a disgrace to the shooting community. I don't think the antis had anything to do with what I saw. Along with the safety hazards on busy weekends, I would not want to approach an unruly person with a weapon and politely talk to them in any negative manner. If your unsupervised ranges are run safely, cleanly, and represents a positive image on the shooting community, you're lucky. I don't have one nearby therefore I choose to join a local shooting club with RSOs and posted safety rules.
Onward Allusion
New member
I've been there a couple of years ago and it was a supervised range with full-time RSOs. It was actually the first place where my youngest learned to shoot.
I will have to admit though that the "Pit" is a magnet for lawsuits. Rapid fire was allowed and the berm isn't all that high. From my understanding, this was the area from which bullets supposedly "escaped" the range and hit the DNR lands.
I will have to admit though that the "Pit" is a magnet for lawsuits. Rapid fire was allowed and the berm isn't all that high. From my understanding, this was the area from which bullets supposedly "escaped" the range and hit the DNR lands.
I want them looking over the shoulder of every other idiot who comes in. If that means they need to look over my shoulder in the process, I'm fine with that.
It's great that you feel the way you do, but I don't think it will help range owners if/when some gets hurt and decides to sue because nobody was enforcing safety rules.
God does look out for fools; to a point !!
Be Safe !!!
Not really looking over my shoulder as much as watching my back and every one else's, too boot. Whenever I go to my public range, my biggest concern is the unsafe practices I know I will encounter. Can get a bit tiring telling folks how to behave and pick up their mess. Forget about the bottles and tin cans. They are shooting computer monitors, TV's and even a toilet bowl. I even found a stuffed Bob The Builder doll. Thankfully, I'm retired and can schedule this range for early Mondays, Tuesdays and never later than that. Since shall issue, in Iowa, they are now parking up on the access road, the rest of the week. ...
Be Safe !!!
Mainly I don't know of a single supervised range in the two areas I regularly shoot, and I have never seen the need for one at any of these ranges. My main range is a members only club, but the others are public ranges. The one is county owned and very well kept up. If I saw any serious safety problems at these ranges, believe me, I would speak up.
I certainly don't see the lack of a RSO as a reason to shut a range down.
Last edited:
Uncle Buck
New member
I agree with you, some people do need constant supervision. But why should the rest of us have to suffer. With more supervision comes more rules, more rules, more money....
I very rarely go to the nearest public range, but when I do, I take a garbage bag and a pail. I pick up trash and brass. I have seen others do the same thing.
It is not my job to clean up after slobs, but I do it because it needs to be done. I guess we could lobby the State of Missouri and ask that they have a range official present when people WANT to shoot, but then you would have to want to shoot during THEIR hours, not yours.
I have taken license plate numbers down when I see people trashing the area. (What is it about shotguns that people feel the need to blow things apart?)
We had a popular public range up in the mountains about 30 minutes from here. Once in a while we'd go up there and find it crowded. I'd pull out my MAC-10 machine gun and after a couple of 30 round mag dumps people seemed to leave in a hurry
There was never any problems and everything was fine until people started dragging up computer monitors, and stoves and refrigerators and using them for targets. It didn't take long for the property owners to put a big chain blocking the access road. And that was that.
There was never any problems and everything was fine until people started dragging up computer monitors, and stoves and refrigerators and using them for targets. It didn't take long for the property owners to put a big chain blocking the access road. And that was that.
twins - I live in Chicago and the only ranges I have been to have had NO RSO. I can't compare it to anything, but I don't believe that I would have a problem with a RSO whatsoever as I am a nervous nellie when it comes to making sure I'm handling things properly (I have grazed myself before with an ND, it was not fun, and quite sobering) so I don't mess around. I've never really noticed anyone horsing around, but maybe having the FOID system here puts up that one road block for any gun owner to read those damn rules and regs before they throw on their ears and walk through the door. I don't know if it's just me, but I always read the rules of any place I'm in and abide by them because I hate getting kicked out of bars and ranges. I have watched a guy on the line after one of the staff called the line cold and kept shooting. He got chewed out for sure. Didn't feel bad for him. I think I remember we all had to pack it in so I don't recall if he would have been ejected or not.