[Jeff Higgins]

I like the idea of private gun clubs with strict membership requirements. Public shooting ranges scare the hell out of me. These aren't racket clubs, or country clubs - there is good reason to exercise caution with regards to who is offered membership.

My club operates both private "members only" ranges and "public" ranges all on the same property. We do this in two distinctly different ways. For rifles, we maintain two physically separated ranges. The members' range provides 50, 100, 200, and 300 yard targets, and is very strictly "members only". Not even guests of members are allowed. There is no rangemaster on duty. Everyone using that range is effectively a "range master".

The other rifle range is open to the public, as well as members who have not yet qualified for the "members only" rifle range. This range employs a full time paid rangemaster who exercises very strict control over all proceedings.

We only have one handgun range, with targets available at 7, 10, 25, and 50 yards. We manage it with "public" hours and "members' hours". Members can shoot any time they want. Like the members' only rifle range, during members' hours every shooter is a "range master". During public hours, we have a paid rangemaster running things.

I avoid the public rifle range and public hours on the handgun range at all costs. Our range masters are very, very good, and all members using those ranges are obligated to help out by being additional eyes and ears. But, still...

It's disheartening to me to see just how poorly some of our "public shooters" (as we call them) handle their firearms. Sloppy, inattentive, lazy. Once it crosses over into "dangerous" they are given very, very little slack. Most safety infractions are given but one warning, some none at all before the offending shooter is told to leave (without a refund).

As a result, we have earned a "reputation" locally. I actually like hearing that - it keeps the riff raff out. In a day and age when standards of behavior seem to have slipped across the board, range safety simply cannot be one of them. That seems to upset some people. That's fine, they can go to less controlled public ranges, virtually every one of which in the area has had a serious accident (including fatalities) in my lifetime. We never have. We're proud of that. It might seem "snooty" to some, but being primarily a private gun club that only allows "public" shooters under the strictest of supervision and control has served us well.