need info to start a new airgun club/range equipment

[robchar]

A group of us at the Nanaimo F&G club would like to start up an airgun club. I need help advise re range equipments, rules and regulations. This would be for handgun and rifles. Some of the rifles shoot at 700 fps so are classified as such. Currently the basement of our clubhouse is used for indoor archery but they will be moving in a few months to a new multi purpose( archery) building. The basement used to have a 22 lr range in it many years ago and still has the slanted steel back stop and bullet trap.
I have 30 yer experience with 22 bullseye shooting and also handled the recertification of all our outdoor ranges with the BCCFO.
The basement range can easily handle 6-8 shooters at a time. Long term if this was to grow we could used the new multi purpose (archery) which could handle much larger groups and matches on properly equipped.
Any and all help is greatly.

Rob

 

[HammerliSP20]

If you are going the electronic target route there are 2 popular options: MegaLink and Sius.

Megalink seems to be the most popular (probably because of price).

Otherwise there is nothing wrong with buying the manual target return systems.

 

[GerardSamija]

You might benefit from contacting the Richmond Rod & Gun Club. They've had to move to a new indoor range several years back as the old one at the multi-sport complex was sold for condo development, but from what I hear they're doing quite well in the new spot. Matches are being run by the daughter of a fine fellow who ran them when I was a member for a few years, her young son competing among quite a few others. They just use manual retrieval setups but they work fine. 2 shots per target for matches, otherwise shooters typically shoot 10 per card for pistol, 5 per card for rifle as they groups tend to be hard to read with more than that. 10 metres is from the firing line, whether pistol or rifle, as defined by the forward-most contact of the shooters' feet. All the regulations are spelled out per target heights, lighting, rifle and pistol inspection rules including grip configuration, sizes, trigger weights, etc, in the ISSF PDF:

https://www.issf-sports.org/getfile.aspx?mod=docf&pane=1&inst=461&file=Pistol Rules.pdf
https://www.issf-sports.org/getfile.aspx?mod=docf&pane=1&inst=460&file=Rifle Rules.pdf

The Richmond club can be contacted via their website's contact page:
https://rrgc.homestead.com/Air-Gun.html
https://rrgc.homestead.com/Contact-Us.html

 

[sillymike]

If people are going to shoot airguns @ above the 500fps mark, check with the BCFO.

Electronic targets are nice, but $$$
For a new club with unknown membership/usage, I'd be tempted to go with Gehmann manual carrier systems. They are simple, reliable and not that expensive

 

[Westward1]

Do indoor Airgun ranges need ventilation ?

 

[GerardSamija]

No. I mean... maybe by law in California, because if you live in California being within a country mile of something made of lead will basically give you the worst cancer and you'll die within weeks... but no, airgun pellets hitting steel plates do not generate fine enough lead dust particles to be of concern for breathing. Everything falls straight to the floor from a properly downwards-angled steel backer plate. Of course I'd go easy on the sweeping, or if using a vacuum I'd make sure to wear a mask. One needn't be completely reckless around lead.