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HomeRange Safety

Range Safety

Safety is job one at The Aurora Sportsmen's Club.
Following is a summary. Detailed rules are available to members and posted on the ranges.

Guest Range Safety Quick Reference
ASC Range Waiver

General Information

  1. Emergency instructions are posted in each range Privy, in the ASC office and on the Member Forum. Each privy is equipped with a first aid kit and fire extinguisher.
  2. Incidents/Accidents notify: ASC President at the phone number listed in the ASC Contacts page on the web site and ASC.RangeSafety@AuroraSC.org.
  3. Everyone on ASC property must follow directions given by ASC Range Officers. Comply first and complain later.
  4. Members, visitors and guests must follow state and federal laws, these rules, and club signs and instructions.

Range Safety Brochure

Guests

Guests – Are defined as non-members who are accompanied by members for "open shooting," which includes unsupervised activities that are not part of a match or event. Guests may shoot only while under the direct supervision of members who may have three (3) guests shooting on the line at one time.
During open shooting activities, guests may not:
  1. Draw from a holster and/or re-holster a firearm, whether it is loaded or unloaded.
  2. Shoot at distances beyond 200 yards.
  3. Move and shoot.
  4. Shoot artillery (i.e., mortar, cannon, etc.)

Children

Children – ASC has no age limits for open shooting. All persons under age 18 must have parent/guardian permission and must be accompanied by an adult. Children who are allowed to handle firearms and bows must be strong enough to safely operate them, skilled enough to properly aim every shot and mature enough to comply with Range Safety Rules.

ASC encourages youth to participate in Youth Sports programs to learn the proper use of firearms and bows under the guidance of certified instructors.

All Ranges and Shooting Fields – Open Shooting

  1. All lawful/legal firearms and ammunition are allowed. No tracer ammunition or full auto firearms.
  2. Members and guests with valid Illinois Concealed Carry Firearm License and law enforcement officers may carry concealed on Club property.
  3. Basic firearm safety practices:
    • Always keep the firearm pointed in a safe direction. This includes firearms that are not loaded. Note: firearms on bipods must always be pointed level with and directly at the back berm.
    • Keep your finger out of the trigger guard and off the trigger until in position and ready to shoot.
    • Load only when in position and ready to shoot. Exceptions: Persons legally carrying concealed on the premises and/or law enforcement officers are allowed to have their holstered handguns  loaded when not in a shooting position.
    • Know your firearm, ammunition, target and what is beyond and around your target.
    Uncased/unholstered firearms not being fired must be: pointed in a safe direction, unloaded, magazine out, visible empty chamber indicator (chamber flag) inserted. On the rifle/pistol range muzzles may be pointed down range, straight up or straight down. On the shotgun areas muzzles must be pointed down range or straight up.
  5. No loaded firearm may be passed from one person to another.
  6. Shooting a firearm from on top of or from inside of a vehicle is not permitted.
  7. Firearm malfunctions are cleared at the firing line or designated “safe table” on an open bay or range.
  8. Intoxicating substances are not permitted on the property. Anyone appearing to be intoxicated may not handle equipment, firearms or bows.
  9. Eye protection and hearing protection must be worn within 30 feet of active shooting positions.
  10. During a cease fire or range closing, orange safety cones must be placed fifteen feet or more down range from the firing line, and no one may handle uncased firearms or bows.
  11. To reopen a range, the orange cones must be returned to the firing line. No one may shoot over or toward an orange safety cone, or handle a firearm when an orange cone is out in front of the firing line, whether or not there is anyone else present on the range.
  12. Shooting at or taking any wildlife on the property is allowed only with an ASC hunting/fishing permit.

Rifle/Pistol Range

  1. No uncased long guns or uncased/unholstered hand guns may be handled in the parking lots.
  2. Firing lines may be advanced by agreement of all shooters on a range. Every shooter on the same range must shoot from the same firing line.
  3. When any person is in front of any firing line, no one in the rear may handle any uncased firearm.
  4. All safe shooting positions are allowed (prone, kneeling, off-hand, standing, shooting sticks, sitting, etc.)
  5. Every shot must be aimed at an appropriate target and fired into the back berms.
  6. Approved targets: paper; clay pigeons; plastic jugs on frames; balloons; fruit and vegetables; and unmodified, reactive (steel, spinner, self-sealing, etc.) targets commercially manufactured by a company that makes firearm targets. Shooters must produce a copy of the manufacturer’s instructions when requested. No explosive targets are allowed, regardless of type.
  7. No target may be placed more than 20 feet away from the back berm of any range.
  8. Rapid fire is permitted so long as muzzle control is maintained at all times.There is no restriction on the number of rounds that may be loaded in a firearm.
  9. Members may shoot on the move. Members must possess an ASC certification in order to:
    • Point or shoot a firearm at distances more than 200 yards.
    • Draw a firearm from a holster to shoot or reholster after shooting, or practice holster draw/reholster with a firearm even if unloaded.
    • Point or shoot artillery (mortars, cannons, etc.)
  10. Holster Draw: Members may use inside waistband, outside waistband (IWB/OWB) holsters or thigh rigs to practice with a loaded or unloaded firearm according to the ASC Holster Draw SOP.
 Artillery
Only those members who have an endorsement on the back of their club ID may fire artillery. Special event participants and demonstrations must have Board of Director approval before firing artillery at ASC.


Muzzle Loading Firearms

It is not allowed to:
  1. Smoke while loading, on the firing line or bench area, or anywhere that black powder is stored.
  2. Load directly from a flask or powder horn.
  3. Cap a percussion, prime a flintlock or install an in-line primer until you are on the firing line.
  4. Use smokeless powder. Only black powder or a black powder substitute is allowed.

Archery Range

  1. Uncased bows may only be handled when the range is open. All legal bows and arrows are allowed.
  2. Archers must follow conventions for safe shooting.
  3. Archers must acquire the target in the bow sight before drawing a bow or releasing an arrow or bolt.
  4. The ranges must be opened and closed properly.

Shotgun Sports Areas - Sporting Clays, 5-Stand, Skeet, Trap, Manual Thrower, Patterning Board

  1. No slug guns, pistols or rifles may be fired on any shotgun sports field.
  2. Permitted targets: clay pigeons, except that paper and cardboard are allowed on the patterning board.
  3. Shotguns may be uncased in the parking area as long as muzzles are always pointed in a safe direction and actions are opened immediately upon uncasing.
  4. When shotguns are carried uncased they must be broken open or the muzzle must be pointed straight up with the action open and visible. Shotguns may not be carried with the muzzle pointed down except for hinged guns that are carried with the action open.
  5. Target loads in lead or steel are permitted in shot sizes: 7½, 8 & 9, except at the Patterning Board where hunting loads up to size #2 shot are allowed.
  6. A maximum of two shells may be loaded in a shotgun at one time in the shotgun sports areas.
  7. Member-provided clays are not allowed on the Sporting Clays Course, Skeet, 5-stand or Trap fields.
  8. The Skeet and Trap fields are open only if at least one person present has been instructed in the safe operation of and has a key to the Skeet/Trap houses.
  9. When using the manual throwers, the puller must stand behind the machine, shooters must stand directly to the left of the machine, and observers must remain at least 5 feet behind the shooter or puller.
  10. Members may bring and use their own clays throwers as long as the firing line and direction are consistent with the club’s throwers.