State Game Lands Firing Range question

[LowFlyer]

I grew up were I could walk out the back door of my parents house (New Alexandria, Westmoreland Co., PA) and start shooting or walk down to the creek and shot by an old junk yard.

Went to my first State Game Lands on Sunday (242 on Rt. 74 N. of Dover). It seemed pretty busy to me. Five groups shooting off the rifle range and six groups off the pistol range. I stood back and watched and noticed that some who were together were sharing a lane (even though there were empty ones) and others using their own lane (though it was obvious that they were with others next to them).

According to the signs, and to reading others' statements here, the max. rounds in a rifle is 3 and the max. rounds in a pistol is 6.

Well I stood there about over a half hour or so watching and listening. Many a person would load their firearms w/MORE then were allowed. Yep, 12-17 rounds out of a handgun and 20 rounds or more out of and AR-15, sticking in another magazine and shooting the same amount!

Am I right in assuming that everyone is supposed to only shoot one magazine w/the max. limit, call CLEAR, head down to the targets, check thinks out, come back and start all over again instead of shooting off a whole box (it seems)??? (correct me if I'm wrong please)

Other then just packing up and leaving, what could be done to correct the situation? BTW, there were gangsta WTBs (couldn't the target at ALL at the furthest distance), a goth (?) looking group, and ONE person who would shoot the most and then call "CLEAR" even though there were others not done yet (seemed to want to control everyone else's shooting to coincide w/his and he was one of the ones shooting 17 rounds!).

Also, what about the woman who was there picking up brass between people going down lane? I can see going to pick up the brass after someone left, but what do you do if someone shows up and starts collecting brass w/out asking (don't know if she did or not) and you reload yourself and you what to collect your own brass???

Any help?

[cadence2arms]

Thats why I don't go to game land ranges much any more. I much rather going on private property. There is no common sense or manners used by alot of these yo-yos. Your only supposed to fire a few rounds at a time so others can do the same, and you have people firing 20rd mags. reloading and doing it again. Very frustrating. Very unsafe. If I pull up and someone is there I usually keep driving.

[w1cked]

SGL is full of annoying people. Sometimes outright dangerous ones too. This is @ the Wexford one.

[LittleRedToyota]

enforcement of the rules seems to vary from range to range.

you are correct about the round limits, but there isn't actually any rule about only firing one mag and then clearing for a target check.

that was one of the more frustrating aspects for me of shooting at the wexford SGL range (in the time between GPGC closing and my finding the heaven on earth known as PMSC). on weekends, the range would be extremely busy, and it would literally be 30 minutes or more between "clears"...and then there was also the safety issues of gun handling while people were downrange, etc.

the SGL ranges are a wonderful service, and i'm glad the PGC provides them, but i greatly prefer a private club.

[Xringshooter]

First, the woman picking up the brass. I am a reloader also and if she started picking up my brass I would remind her that that is my property and that I reload and I will police my own brass. If she persists I would report her to the people running the range.

Second, if people are exceeding the max rounds count, it is not up to you to enforce. Let the range people know. Also, If someone calls "CLEAR", do it and then have a discussion with the person(s) to get something worked out. Again if there are that many people on the range the PGC people are supposed to have RO's there to facilitate the range.

Third, some people don't want or need to look at their targets after every 3 shots so they may not go down to the target, but they better clear when it is called. Someone shooting more than the rules allow should be talked to also. This is again where you discuss with the other shooters the best time to call clear so that people can go downrange and targets can be checked.

Sharing lanes is ok, you might have an experienced shooter training a novice. Again, typically, if it's several people and they all have their own guns they normally have their own lanes. If more than one person was shooting at the same time from one lane that is a whole different problem. Again the PGC people need to know that because that, to me, is hazardous.

If it's a nice range I might try to figure out when it was used the least and go then although I know that that isn't always feasible. I also sounds to me that the PGC people aren't doing their jobs and it's an accident waiting to happen. In that case I would probably look for a private range to join.

[LittleRedToyota]

Originally Posted by Xringshooter

If she persists I would report her to the people running the range.

the thing is...there is often no one there running the range.

that tends to work out great at private clubs, but sometimes not so well on crowded weekends at PGC ranges.

[Burnsie]

I only go to the Wexford range during the week. It gets way to busy on the weekends. Also, when you're there you have to keep an eye on everyone. You'll be able to pick out the people who know what they are doing and are smart about handling firearms pretty quickly and know that you won't have to watch them very closely. It can be pretty lawless sometimes, and that's when you have to decide if it is time to leave.

I was using a pistol lane, teaching a buddy of mine to shoot a pistol and the dude next to us pulls out a .50 caliber revolver and starts rapid firing, reloading, rapid firing, again and again. There will be an idiot like that every time I go.

[Asmodeus6]

I've been invited to go to Wexford with a few friends a couple times in the last month. I'm not going to Wexford. First its 40 minutes when I can shoot 10 minutes away on private property.

Second I don't enjoy the hassle of a crowded range and all the BS mentioned in the first post. Plus if I go, I'll follow the rules, and I'm sorry but 3 rounds in a rifle is a whole bunch of non-fun in an AK. So instead of going there and being that guy... I'll just not and have my fun elsewhere.

[Kevin3824]

Hello,
You are correct about the load limits and the fines are very stiff if the conservation officer catches them I believe it is 150 dollars for being over and 50 dollars for each round over the limit you load up.

Like mentioned previously there is not any required break between rounds but if someone calls an all clear you need to comply. They may need t put up new paper or check their shots.

Personally, I use a spotting scope so I never have to go down range to see where I am hitting it however I do to put up new paper.

Other then range safety issues and round limitations the only other rules I have seen strictly enforced in some of the SGL ranges is the rule that states you may only shoot at PAPER targets as that is commonly disregarded (many use bottles, cans, softballs, clay targets on pistol range etc to name a few) and it ends up making the range look bad in the end in many cases or may even cause a hazard. Never shoot at wildlife on the SGL either. It is my understanding you are not even aloud to use spinner targets at an SGL because they are not paper.

Unsafe activity should be addressed ASAP if you see it you should talk to the person doing it if they continue then probably should leave yourself before they injure or kill you accidentally.

You could probably stop at a nearby ranger station and report issues to them and they could either do something or contact the conservation officer in charge of that game land to do something for you as well.

The other choices include paying for membership of range time or private land range where the state does not control.

[Poonie]

3 rounds max and 6 in handguns "only" if said range is designated as a pistol range. If not, then its 3 rounds max in all. There is no rule about firing one magazine then calling for a clear to check targets. Its all about courtesy. Sometimes you can get a group that will call a clear about every ten minutes, other times you will be waiting a while between clears. The closer you get to deer seasn the longer the wait I have found.

The woman picking brass would get her ass chewed by me if I saw her picking up my stuff. I too reload and would tell her so and to leave it be.

As to what someone said about informing the range officers, well good luck finding one. Most times its a police your own attitude and there's always one guy who deems himself range officer, which I don't agree with either because usually that guy is some ego head who thinks he can tell you when to load your weapon, when to fire, etc. I grew tired of those guys the one time this wingnut tried to tell me how to handle my weapon when he himself had no authority to do so.