airgun range

C

cartwheel

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Just West of T.O.
Hey CGNers,

A question I haven't been able to find the answer to...

So when designing an outdoor shooting range there are "overlays" that outline the distances and areas that need to be clear to be safe- for instance shotgun ranges using #7.5 shot or smaller have a 300 yard pie that needs to be clear for shot fall.

Does anyone have this info for air rifles? I've been considering approaching my club's executive to get air rifles approved on some ranges and I thought the shotgun range would probably be perfect, but I would need some "backup" info...

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!
 
I shoot indoors, using a approved pellet trap. Cadets and other places uses Gyms and schools. So I dont see anything special required. Prolly as long as its controlled that air guns and actual firearms cant mix up.
 
I was wondering about outdoors... we have indoor stuff and we have outdoor ranges with berms already at the club, but we also have shotgun fields that aren't used very much and would probably make a good spot if the "safe" range area is safe...
 
I use a homemade portable silent air gun bb/pellet trap. My design and article on the subject is going to be printed soon in an issue of the Backwoodsman magazine. I use mine outdoors and indoors and until the magazine comes out, I can't say much else (yes there will be full plans on how to make it and the total cost for new materials). But here is one quick picture to wet your pallet.

airgun_zps486ca6af.jpg
 
Nice pellet traps!

Unfortunately this doesn't have anything to do with my question about outdoor safe ranges for airguns... Maybe I should rename it safe distance for airguns?

I didn't find any CFO documentation on the matter- I was wondering if anyone has any ideas...
 
What would stop you from shooting a pellet rifle on the rifle range. Set a target at whatever range you want to shoot at and giver. Why do you need a designated spot to shoot.
 
At my club the riles are only paper on the target holders at 25/50/100 yards so setting targets at whatever range is not allowed. It is also not allowed to shoot steel unless it is "bunkered" to prevent bullets deflecting over the berms. I would like to do both- shoot steel and set them to different ranges. I already shoot the "toy guns" on the big boy range, but looking to do something different as well.

Using Chairgun I can see that a .177 CPH at 20ft-lbs starting energy is down to 1 ft-lb at 250 yards which is similar to a shotgun fall distance. Anyone have a link to some regulations? I can find some people's comments on the matter but nothing official in writing...
 
cartwheel said:
Anyone have a link to some regulations? I can find some people's comments on the matter but nothing official in writing...
Click to expand...


Why this need to find regulations. .?
<500 for airguns aren't firearms... so no regs.

A little common sense is all you need to use.
 
maple leaf said:
I use a homemade portable silent air gun bb/pellet trap. My design and article on the subject is going to be printed soon in an issue of the Backwoodsman magazine. I use mine outdoors and indoors and until the magazine comes out, I can't say much else (yes there will be full plans on how to make it and the total cost for new materials). But here is one quick picture to wet your pallet.

I had something similar, I will post mine.
Click to expand...
 
Make sure your club Exec does it's homework before they say yes to using the Trap range. Each range is authorized for specific use and firearms, rifles are not allowed on trap ranges unless specifically OK'd by the proper authority (and that authority is NOT the club's Executive).
 
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cartwheel said:
Nice pellet traps!

Unfortunately this doesn't have anything to do with my question about outdoor safe ranges for airguns... Maybe I should rename it safe distance for airguns?

I didn't find any CFO documentation on the matter- I was wondering if anyone has any ideas...
Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind words. I originally made my comment because this trap is safe to use as an indoor/ outdoor range, and being portable it can be used anywhere you want to shoot. It totally absorbs the energy from the projectile and traps all pellets and bb's, even high powered ones.

KND said:
I had something similar, I will post mine.
Click to expand...

Sweet, looking forward to seeing it :)

cartwheel said:
At my club the riles are only paper on the target holders at 25/50/100 yards so setting targets at whatever range is not allowed. It is also not allowed to shoot steel unless it is "bunkered" to prevent bullets deflecting over the berms. I would like to do both- shoot steel and set them to different ranges. I already shoot the "toy guns" on the big boy range, but looking to do something different as well.

Using Chairgun I can see that a .177 CPH at 20ft-lbs starting energy is down to 1 ft-lb at 250 yards which is similar to a shotgun fall distance. Anyone have a link to some regulations? I can find some people's comments on the matter but nothing official in writing...
Click to expand...

Here is some regulation stuff:
Q. Do air guns have to be registered?

Air guns need to be registered if they have both a high muzzle velocity (greater than 152.4 meters or 500 feet per second) and a high muzzle energy (greater than 5.7 joules or 4.2 foot-pounds). As a rule, the manufacturer’s specifications are used to determine what muzzle velocity and muzzle energy an air gun was designed to have. This information may be found in the user’s manual or on the manufacturer’s web site.

More information on air guns can be found in the air gun fact sheet. Individuals and businesses with questions about a particular air gun may call the Canadian Firearms Program at 1-800-731-4000 for assistance.
Click to expand...
Taken from: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/faq/reg-enr-eng.htm#c9
 
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TPK said:
Make sure your club Exec does it's homework before they say yes to using the Trap range. Each range is authorized for specific use and firearms, rifles are not allowed on trap ranges unless specifically OK'd by the proper authority (and that authority is NOT the club's Executive).
Click to expand...


Yup- this is why I am trying to do the homework BEFORE I go to the club executive... There isn't any point in going to the exec without a plan. Was hoping to get pointed to the airgun regulations from the CFO to see if it was even possible to apply to get the range authorized. If it was, then I would bring it to the exec and try to get the ball rolling. The one unofficial thing I have found is that a distance of 600m is used as the fall zone which seems a lot farther than I would have anticipated based on pellet ballistics.

I'll just ask the CFO's office.
 
In Ontario PAL rated airguns fall under the same regulations as firearms.

So as long as your in a place where it's legal to discharge firearms and does not want to call it a provincially approved range you can do whatever you like.

If you want it to be a provincially approved range you need to follow the regulations that you would for firearms.
Non-PAL airguns have no requirements.

So you will need to have baffels or several hundred yards of deflection fall out distance on either side of your targets.
You can use your clubs trap fields for PAL airguns as long as you dont have trap going on. If you dont have the fallout distances
You will need shotfall agreements with your neighbors.

Contact the CFO they have a template and made it up a couple years ago with these guys http://caftacentral.com//index.php/cafta/
I do not agree with the large buffers for the fallout zones they made the distances based on the range size of the CAFTA range.
It should fall into Trap field distances due to the Ft lbs energy but it does not. Funny thing is the CFO guy down in southern ont. thought
the same too. Perhaps you could work to get this changed? or else just shoot field target outside your club like at a farm somwhere.

By the way cartwheel where are you from? Send me a PM

standard for a PAL airgun range.
 
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