"No airguns allowed here"

[Vana2]

Sometimes it can be lucrative (and appropriate) to educate people who have an attitude against airguns.

Before they were closed to the public I would go to the sandpits the weekend before the deer hunting season to do some shooting with my PCPs and pick up brass for a friend who reloads.

My scoped (bottle) PCPs got some weird looks and out and out disbelief when I set up empty shot shell for targets at 50 yards. My airgun, skill (and sanity) were questioned, and wagers were made. I made quite a bit of money before they learned not to bet against me .

I made a point of letting people try my PCPs, and many were impressed with the power and accuracy.

Yeah, for the most case, here in Canada, anything less than a .22 rimfire is considered a "BBgun" only suitable for kids.

Cheers!

 

[JimD]

The only range I've taken my airguns too is not staffed and they have no rules against airguns. I think the forestry department or something is resonsible for it. I was questioned once by a PB user what I was shooting so I offered to let him try it out. He fired off a couple shots and seemed a little pleasantly surprised.

 

[Spartan]

I'm a firm believer in not asking for permission, but rather giving the rule makers the opportunity to allow me to ask for forgiveness

Seriously, though. In the situation of airguns on a PB range, just do it and let them correct you if need be. Asking questions ahead of time only opens the door for them to flex the bureaucracy. A lot of workers don't really even care about such matters and will ignore such things UNLESS you force them to make a decision on it. So don't force them.

And FWIW, the few times I have taken a PCP to a PB range, the PB shooters immediately started asking questions and were in awe over it. They had no idea airguns were at this level now. Of course, they got to send some lead downrange with it. Probably had some converts in there, but I'll never know.

 

[willy]

OK so i cani''t shoot my Daisy Red rider ?what about black powder? I was told real men shoot black powder.then take a old hog leg with ya.Then if he freaks tellem your just getten warmed up?with the Daisy. All tell what,ya want to make some real money?50$bucks ya have a shooten iron here with ya?OK" best group under 1 " with 3 shoot at 50 yards.And ill use my bb?5.5mm pcp gun" Rang master-Ya" better pay up when i win" Sorry boys i just could,nt help myself"

 

[delooper]

non-breathable does not mean poisonous ..it is the quality of the air. Scenario is ridiculous

Not ridiculous, but maybe far-fetched.

I've never come across an open-air range that banned airguns. But I have heard of plenty of indoor ranges that ban them. This sounds like the most reasonable explanation to me.

 

[rokonman]

Why ask? I simply show up at my rather expensive gun club with a PCP and perhaps a powder burner but sometimes just a PCP and shoot. No one watching a quality PCP putting lead on target at 50 or 100 yards would question whether or not it belongs there.

 

[RickH]

We have more than one indoor and outdoor range here, all inexpensive and close by. If they don’t allow air guns that’s up to them. If they’re rude about it they can go to hell. But that’s me.

Rick H.

 

[KatoKevin454]

they make a lot of money from Brass, air guns = NO BRASS.....

 

[MongooseV8]

I have been told by more than one RO that they dont allow airguns on the firing line because most of the other RO are not familiar enough to verify a safe chamber. I could see an indoor range not wanting airguns for a couple reasons. Most indoor ranges have cartridge and caliber restrictions to prevent damage to the range and a big bore pcp could easily chew up a back stop or sound tile. Another reason is the limited space when at an indoor range, or the confusion of that guy has a rifle why cant I bring in my ar? Lots of reasons, some good some not good. I have had a life long battle trying to shoot my precision TC Encore pistols on the rifle range. Usually I have to talk to the lead RO or go to a range often enough they recognize me and know Im not going to hit the dirt or sky with my cute Encores lol.

 

[MongooseV8]

Just curious - do ranges require you buy their ammo when you shoot? I have only shot on my own property and have no experience. It sounded a little crazy but I thought I read about that somewhere for some ranges.

Maybe airgunners mess with the profitability?

There is a large bowling alley in my town which was re-purposed. That building seems perfect for an indoor range. I find myself wishing I had the wherewithal to make that happen every time i pass it.

Range ammo required...yeah lots of ranges have/had that rule. Too many blow ups or grass fires started. Its not as prevalent as it was back in the Big5 Mosin Nagant Surplus Spam Can days when everyone was running around with steel ammo causing fires. Several ranges in Cali were perma-closed from the fires and for a while it was pretty much statewide gospel seemed like. I still see "No Reloaded Ammunition" signs at ranges sometimes, but the range ammo only has pretty much gone away. My local range has had at least a dozen homies want to try out their new Glizzy Fo-Tay and shot a bunch of 9mm through. I was there one day when a dude blew his thumb off trying out his first ever reloads.

 

[bigHUN]

There are big diferences between a "gun range" and a "gun club" I am not going to detail what is what.

I am leasing/renting a membership in North Americas one of biggest - and for sure the most expensive - private members owned gun club. 14 minutes from my door. Out of some 650 active members I am the only one shooting airguns.
And here I will start elaborating some regulations (in Canada).
What is in the books ?
A CFO (chief firearms officer) have a biggest power to say about safety and protocols on the property, and based on negotiations the books were written, probably many decades ago. !!! The club is paying insurance for you based on these books.
Myself also, cannot shoot airguns on longer then 100 M range.
But... if I take a safety course for the 200 M and make a 10 shot group @ 100 and @ 200 and past the precision test, that will allow me to access the 200 M range.
Same for the next 300 M range.
Now about the airgun limitations...
I am sure I can do a nice tight group @ 100, for next up group @ 200 all we know that distance needs more time for tuning, even more for 300 M.
For these reasons I have a 308 PB project on the go - or I could just borrow a PB from a friend (whom shooting skills and gun setup me personally I don't trust) - I will make these distance test shots, get a certificate for that distance with a PB and after I am free to play.
Same with some other ranges, I need a first step getting a Black Belt, and the next step and the next step to get to a range where the Gun Club will allow me by the books to play.
PRS or other action shootings for example, I cannot do with my Leshiy2 - because, the caliber, the power charge, and no recoil as per the books ... Who plays those games understand what I am saying here.
There are limitations what the gun clubs can allow ... Because ... anything goes wrong the Insurance CO or the CFO can shot down the Club, just like that...
Makes sense?

Take a shooting safety training, and that will be your "driver license".

 

[c_m_shooter]

I was turned away. They claimed it was because air lacks the penetrating power to be safe with their rubberized mulch back stops

When I explained that the gun was the caliber and velocity of a 45 Colt, they said I was good to go on the rifle range. RSO was genuinly impressed with the rifles accuracy.

 

[BryanH]

Tell us you have never been to a rifle range without telling us. If you would see half of the fuds throwing elad down range missing targets, clipping hangers, hitting target posts, shooting wrong targets, etc etc etc. There are PLENTY of fire arms shooters that are dumber than a box of crayons, and can't hit sh#t with anything.

People hear "airguns" and think bb guns. Go to the range with your guns and ask to show them. Be polite and offer to let them shoot the rifles. A lead pellet or slug is going to do FAR less damage than a 223 steel core or a 338 lapua magnum. Sorry but some people are just stupid and need to be shown a different way.

Are you trolling? I don’t get it. I promise you haven’t figured me out.

Good luck convincing the ranges to let you use your air rifles. I have been told by many, that they are not allowed due to ricochet.

I have probably burned more ammo in a week than most will in a life time. But, keep doing your thing running around insulting people. I bet it works real good when you are trying to convince them to let you shoot an air rifle.

 

[Treefrog]

I don't think the Woogie man is trolling.

Seven years working at a shooting range led me to the conclusion that handing someone a firearm will significantly reduce their ability to reason. Much like a motorcycle (or keyboard). Ego gets involved, people get a case of the red-ass, and then it's "Katie bar the door!" I wore out three sets of boots stomping TV-inspired ignorant beliefs to death there.

Most R Os or firearm shooters know very little about airguns and make decisions based on that lack of knowledge. It's up to us to educate then out of their ignorance. The other R Os loved my airguns because shooting yellow-jackets at 20 yards is a lot of fun!

Cheers,

J~