LGYC Skeet Range Safety Rules

LGYC has an outdoor skeet range that is available to any member and their guests with a confirmed reservation with one of the Range Safety Officers. 

Each member is directly responsible for the actions of their guests.  Shooters under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.  The range hours are 10 am to 3 pm.   No alcohol is permitted before or during a shooting event.  The skeet range is located directly behind James Hughes house and has 5 shooting stations and one skeet house.  A typical round of skeet is to take two shots at each of the 5 stations for a total of ten rounds per person, per match.  The results of each shot fired will be recorded in a range shooting book.  Each shooting station is four concrete pads placed in a square, forming a firm shooting platform. 

There is a gravel path between each station so that muddy conditions will not prevent safe passage on the course.  To utilize the range, you must have a Range Safety Officer (RSO) present and follow his instruction while on the range.  The RSO’s name will be posted on the side of the skeet house, and he will be wearing a bright yellow hat.  LGYC has four NRA certified RSO’s with over a two centuries of shooting experience between them.  They are Murray Beck, Tommy Gray, Pete Van Staagen and Gerald Daniel.  When a shooting event is being planned by members, you must contact one of these individuals to schedule a shooting event, and as stated earlier, an RSO must be present to utilize the range. 

If there are shotgun shells leftover from our Labor Day party, there will be no charge for them; if not, you must bring your own.  We will have shooting clays available and again if we have them leftover, then no charge.  A member needing both shells and clays are charged $5 for one round of skeet (10 shots) and $1.00 for clays for one round.  This will be added to your club account.  Check with the RSO for availability of shells and clays when scheduling a shooting event.

Once you have arranged for an RSO to be present on the date and time of your scheduled event, you should determine who in your group has approved shotguns.  Shotguns should be 12 ga, 20 ga or 410 ga.  NO HANDGUNS ALLOWED.  If you have an over and under or side by side shotgun, you can only load two shells, but if you have an autoloading shotgun with the ability to load more shells, you still load only two shells at each station.  This is a good time to say that your gun is only loaded as you are standing on the shooting platform.  Your gun must be unloaded and action open when walking from station to station or around the range, with the barrel always pointed towards the lake, not at people.  Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action, and your shooting session being terminated for safety reasons.

You can only shoot steel shot shells.  No lead shot shells can be used over the lake water.  This is a TVA requirement that must be followed.  The steel shot shells can be purchased online through most sporting goods stores like Cabela’s or Academy, but you can also find them at Walmart.  Ensure you purchase the size shells that match your shotgun (ie 12 ga shells for a 12 ga shotgun and so on).  Each shooter must also wear ear protection and shooting glasses while shooting, and both are available from the RSO.  No open-toed shoes such as flip-flops, sandals, etc. can be worn by a shooter.  If no one in your group has a shotgun, you should make arrangements to borrow a gun from a friend or another club member. It is the shooter’s responsibility to check the weapon for safe operation and to know how to use the shotgun safely.  The RSO will inspect any weapons brought to the range. and check for safe operation and proper ammunition.  If you have any questions, ask an RSO for help.

Anyone can call for a “CEASE FIRE” if they see or believe an unsafe condition exists or is developing.  Unsafe conditions will be discussed during the RSO’s mandatory safety briefing.  Upon hearing “CEASE FIRE”, stop firing immediately, unload the weapon, open the action and wait for further instructions from the person who called the “CEASE FIRE” or the RSO.

If a delay occurs while shooting, such as boats approaching the range and a “CEASE FIRE” called, the shooter must open the action, unload the weapon, and wait until the delay has been resolved.  If a shooter drops a shell, leave it on the ground until the shotgun is open and it is safe to pick it up.  When the skeet throwing machine needs to be refilled, or malfunctions and needs to be checked, the shooter must unload the weapon and open the action until the skeet machine has been cleared of personnel.  If a gun or ammunition malfunctions, keep the muzzle pointed at the lake, wait 30 seconds and unload the weapon.  Do not attempt to reuse the ammunition ... a replacement shell will be brought to you.  Shooting may continue after the weapon is cleared and safe to reload.

At the end of each shooting session, your unloaded weapon should be returned to the gun rack located next to the skeet house.  The group’s scores will be checked to see if a shoot-off is required to determine the winner.  If there is a tie between multiple shooters, each will shoot one round from each station until the tie is broken.  When all shooting has been completed, a “CEASE FIRE” is declared by the RSO and no gun may be loaded again.  All shooters need to collect the used shell casings found on the range and put into the trash can located by the skeet house.

Skeet Range Checklist

• Schedule a Range Safety Officer (RSO) for the date and time of your shooting event.
• All RSO’s will be wearing a bright yellow hat.
• The scheduled RSO’s name will be posted on the side of skeet house.
• You must follow all instructions and directions given by the RSO.
• Ensure you have the proper shotgun and ammunition (only 12ga, 20ga and 410ga guns allowed)    NO HANDGUNS ALLOWED.
• Only steel shot shells can be used.
• Must have shooting glasses (Can be shared among shooters).
• Must have hearing protection (LGYC can provide if you do not have).
• No alcohol allowed before or during a shooting event.
• No open -toed shoes allowed by shooters (flip-flops, sandals,etc.)
• Shooting hours are 10 am – 3 pm.
• At the Skeet Range, all members and their guests must sign shooting book and a waiver to utilize range.
• Members are responsible for their guest and their actions.
• Shooters under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
• All weapons will be unloaded when brought to the range.
• Place all unloaded weapons in gun rack provided by LGYC.
• Before any shooting begins, a safety briefing will be conducted by the RSO.
• Anyone seeing an unsafe act shall issue the command “CEASE FIRE” to stop all range operations.
• Each shooter will be called to the first shooting station (four concrete pads) by the RSO in the order in which they signed in.
• Each shooter must have shooting glasses and ear protection on to proceed.
• Weapons are only loaded after arriving at the shooting platform.
• No shooter will be permitted to walk between stations with a loaded weapon.
• All shooters and RSO will be watching the lake for approaching boats and a "CEASE FIRE" command given should a boat get close to range.
• After shooter has fired two rounds at each of the five stations, ensure their weapon is unloaded and proceed to gun rack to store weapon.
• After everyone has shot and scores tallied, any tie in scores will cause a shoot-off to determine the winner.
• After all shooting has ceased, the group will move across range to pick up the empty shell casings to be thrown in trash.

• Murray Beck 205-243-6910 murray@utility-specialists.com
• Tommy Gray 205-999-1147 tgray@reliableautomation.com
• Pete Van Staagen 256-603-2898 petervs@knology.net
• Gerald Daniel 205-914-1113 egd412@yahoo.com