Gun Club Policies on shooting and drinking

gagentry · September 27, 2006, 09:04 AM

Our club is looking for info on other club policies about shooting and drinking. Some range officers at our club ie. USPSA, three gun etc. have a no drinking and shooting rule. Others such as trap leagues allow drinking while shooting. What are other clubs doing to address this problem? Has a no drinking policy affected club membership? Thanks for any responses.

rick_reno · September 27, 2006, 09:07 AM

At our range - no drinking is allowed. If shooters show up loaded, we ask them to leave. It's happened once that I remember.

Ausserordeutlich · September 27, 2006, 09:11 AM

At our outdoor Wildlife Management range, there's no drinking or smoking, which is GREAT!

CDH · September 27, 2006, 09:11 AM

I would be VERY surprised to see ANY shooting club allow drinking during the event. I'd love to see the link to the club that allows that.

Shooting is not dangerous any moreso than driving or flying or scuba diving.
But like those activities, being impaired mentally in ANY way while participating in shooting sports can lead to serious and instantaneous consequences.

Drink while bowling a few games if you like and the worst thing that can happen to you is to get thrown out if your behavior gets nutty.
But any organized shooting club that allows drinking at all is asking for a big $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ lawsuit for even a minor injury if done by a "drinking" participant (whether "drunk" or not).

And this has nothing to do with political correctness. It's just plain common sense.

Carter

AirForceShooter · September 27, 2006, 09:28 AM

This is a question you have to even ask?

Booze+Guns= Disaster.

AFS

Rob Pincus · September 27, 2006, 09:50 AM

Don't.

Valhalla Shooting Club is adjacent to a wonderful resort with 2 bars and a great restaurant... in fact, you can have room service (with alcohol at times) sent up to the club, if you'd like... But then you won't shoot. (note the period).

We have Preliminary Breath Test machines at the club to check anyone who we suspect of drinking. The staff at the bars/restaurants at Elk Mountain Resort know to call us if someone drinks and then heads over to the club.. they even warn customers who have appointments at the club not to drink during lunch, etc...
Once the customers get to the club and get tested, they don't get on the ranges....If they blow above a .01. When I was a cop, .02 was the limit to prove alcohol consumption (underage, etc...).

In Contrast, I was at a shooting club in Germany in July where the bar was open while poeple were shooting.... I even had students in Germany at one point who wanted to drink during lunch... they were told not to and didn't....

-Rob

**Mike Irwin** · September 27, 2006, 10:10 AM

The ranges I've belonged to in Pennsylvania were clear on the matter: no drinking and shooting at all. If you did, you were out.

Club functions (such as the annual pig roast picnic) often came with beer -- at those times the ranges were totally and completely closed, no shooting at all.

Eghad · September 27, 2006, 10:57 AM

I can not think of one range that has allowed alcohol to be served while shooting was going on. Even the social events afterwards had no alcohol on the range. If I was at an range event that allowed drinking I think I would be packing up and heading to the house.

PaulBk · September 27, 2006, 11:29 AM

At one outdoor club I used to belong to the policy was "No drinking on the firing line or preceding shooting" A beer (or two) away from the line or after shooting was allowed (880 acre range with camping facilities). This range has been in existence since the 1800's. No issues with intoxicated shooters, ever!

My current outdoor range doesn't allow any alcohol, period.

My indoor range doesn't even allow water bottles on the line

-PB

azurefly · September 27, 2006, 01:13 PM

I'm not a gun club member, and don't have familiarity with conventional rules of gun clubs, but my own personal feeling is that there is no excuse to combine shooting with alcohol or drugs, period.

-azurefly

DonR101395 · September 27, 2006, 01:25 PM

Common sense should apply, but you know what they say about that. Drinking and firearms don't go hand in hand, not to mention in many states is illegal depending on the bac.

Hedley · September 27, 2006, 02:38 PM

The public rifle/skeet range I frequent has no rules on drinking and shooting. Hell, I could build a B52 with the amount of beer cans littering the range owner's truck bed. It's usually the skeet shooters who are getting tanked and only a matter of time before the entire range is shut down. There have even been complaints of people leading too much and peppering the adjacent highway. I think SpringMom's been to this range and can probably attest to it's near lawless nature.

However, this is the only public range of its nature, but I did grow up working at the Texas Gun Club in San Antonio where it was more like a golf club atmosphere where everybody drank and shot skeet. It was the 80's I guess.

Don P · September 27, 2006, 06:04 PM

TOGETHER!

As one member's signature states.

STUPIDITY SHOULD HURT!

How stupid to even ask the question, and by the way where is this club so I can stay as far away as possible?

DRD · September 27, 2006, 06:12 PM

If I were at a range and had reason to believe that a shooter had consumed alcohol or drugs, I would immediately leave. I drink, in moderation, but I will not even touch a firearm if I have any alcohol in my system. This includes cleaning and/or gunsmithing...not just shooting.

bobhwry · September 27, 2006, 07:32 PM

Shooting and drinking, are you kidding me!!!!!!! If you have to ask the question you obviously don,t understand the implications!!! Just imagine the liabilities??

Trip20 · September 27, 2006, 09:19 PM

My trap/skeet club serves beer.

Monkeyleg · September 27, 2006, 10:24 PM

The club I belong to has a clubhouse. There's a bar, and they sell beer and soda (you put your money in the jar).

The clubhouse is only open when the trap ranges are in operation.

On the rifle and pistol ranges, there are several signs stating that no alcohol is allowed.

Most of the trapshooters I see having a beer do so after they're done shooting. But I've seen one or two guys have a beer before shooting.

FirstFreedom · September 27, 2006, 10:45 PM

No alcohol whatsoever on range property.

In fact no CANS or BOTTLES, whether empty or full, allowed on range property, even if left in your vehicle, even if unopened in a cooler, or drank and crushed.

For liability and good PR reasons, this is the very strict rule.

dfaugh · September 28, 2006, 07:10 AM

Well, the DUI (or DWI) limit in most states is .08... and that can be a SIGNIFICANT impairment. Then you start talking about guns, I think a "zero tolerance" policy, is more than appropriate. Even slight impairment could be disasterous.

Take this from some one who decided to do some work on his table saw while under the influence of prescription drugs. I now pull the trigger with my middle finger (Index finger is now too short) and have learned to do many things left handed, as the (remaining) fingers on my right hand don't work so well any more (cut all of them right to the bone.)

ANY lapse in concentration, shooting, driving, using machinery, etc. is a potentially dangerous situation. Alcohol or drugs even in small quantiities, make this more likely to happen.

buzz_knox · September 28, 2006, 07:44 AM

I think that if club membership were affected in any way by a prohibition on shooting while drinking or under the influence, it could only be in a positive way as those inclined to such inherently dangerous behavior left.

CDH · September 28, 2006, 09:56 AM

Quote:

I think that if club membership were affected in any way by a prohibition on shooting while drinking or under the influence, it could only be in a positive way as those inclined to such inherently dangerous behavior left.

Amen to that.
I was in an organized club of another hobby where a guy quit because he got chewed out for bringing some beer.
He got angry, quit the club, joined a different one in the area, and within a month, seriously injured a club member of that other club while intoxicated. Lawsuits ensued.

If there is a problem with losing members who must drink to shoot, I don't see it (and I say that as one who truly enjoys a cold beer on a hot day).

Carter

ITEOTWAWKI · September 28, 2006, 03:32 PM

While everyone makes good points, I would not be disposed to having a bar at my range. The missus might since I'd never be home...but I'd love it. Go shoot off some steam and get a cold frosty beer in the same trip. Might as well have them served by hooter's girls and you'd have the trifecta.

Tim Burke · September 28, 2006, 04:03 PM

I thought the question was about prohibiting drinking non-alcoholic beverages on the firing line as a way to minimize lead exposure.
I guess I assumed that everyone knew not to mix alcohol and shooting.

UniversalFrost · September 28, 2006, 08:16 PM

Drinking and shooting! I quit doing that a long time ago; spilled my beer too much and was kinda hard shooting with a beer in one hand and a rifle in the other, then came the beer hat (best invention ever). After a case it was a real challenge trying to figure out which target was mine. Just kidding!!

Drinking and guns don't mix!!!

A good example is my uncle. Serious alcoholic!! He had too many irish coffees on opening day of deer season several years ago and shot himself in the foot with a 300 wby mag. Now he has 1 and 1/2 feet and doesn't drink anymore. Ocuh

azurefly · September 28, 2006, 08:33 PM

That must have been some spectacular splat, man.

"3... 2... 1... I'm in shock!"

How long could you look down at that before you just passed out?!

-azurefly

September 27, 2006, 09:04 AM	#1
gagentry Junior Member Join Date: September 26, 2006 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1	Gun Club Policies on shooting and drinking Our club is looking for info on other club policies about shooting and drinking. Some range officers at our club ie. USPSA, three gun etc. have a no drinking and shooting rule. Others such as trap leagues allow drinking while shooting. What are other clubs doing to address this problem? Has a no drinking policy affected club membership? Thanks for any responses.

September 27, 2006, 09:50 AM	#6
Rob Pincus Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 1998 Location: Hotels Posts: 3,668	Don't. Valhalla Shooting Club is adjacent to a wonderful resort with 2 bars and a great restaurant... in fact, you can have room service (with alcohol at times) sent up to the club, if you'd like... But then you won't shoot. (note the period). We have Preliminary Breath Test machines at the club to check anyone who we suspect of drinking. The staff at the bars/restaurants at Elk Mountain Resort know to call us if someone drinks and then heads over to the club.. they even warn customers who have appointments at the club not to drink during lunch, etc... Once the customers get to the club and get tested, they don't get on the ranges....If they blow above a .01. When I was a cop, .02 was the limit to prove alcohol consumption (underage, etc...). In Contrast, I was at a shooting club in Germany in July where the bar was open while poeple were shooting.... I even had students in Germany at one point who wanted to drink during lunch... they were told not to and didn't.... -Rob __________________ I.C.E. Training Company. LinkedIn Profile for Rob Pincus

September 27, 2006, 10:10 AM	#7
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,390	The ranges I've belonged to in Pennsylvania were clear on the matter: no drinking and shooting at all. If you did, you were out. Club functions (such as the annual pig roast picnic) often came with beer -- at those times the ranges were totally and completely closed, no shooting at all. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

September 27, 2006, 10:57 AM	#8
Eghad Senior Member Join Date: May 28, 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 6,231	I can not think of one range that has allowed alcohol to be served while shooting was going on. Even the social events afterwards had no alcohol on the range. If I was at an range event that allowed drinking I think I would be packing up and heading to the house. __________________ Have a nice day at the range NRA Life Member

September 27, 2006, 11:29 AM	#9
PaulBk Senior Member Join Date: May 26, 2004 Location: Western Washington Posts: 164	Varies At one outdoor club I used to belong to the policy was "No drinking on the firing line or preceding shooting" A beer (or two) away from the line or after shooting was allowed (880 acre range with camping facilities). This range has been in existence since the 1800's. No issues with intoxicated shooters, ever! My current outdoor range doesn't allow any alcohol, period. My indoor range doesn't even allow water bottles on the line -PB __________________ Hero's aren't born, they're cornered - According to Jim

September 27, 2006, 09:07 AM	#2
rick_reno Junior member Join Date: May 28, 2002 Location: Idaho Posts: 917	At our range - no drinking is allowed. If shooters show up loaded, we ask them to leave. It's happened once that I remember.

September 27, 2006, 09:11 AM	#3
Ausserordeutlich Junior member Join Date: May 27, 2006 Posts: 996	At our outdoor Wildlife Management range, there's no drinking or smoking, which is GREAT!

September 27, 2006, 09:11 AM	#4
CDH Senior Member Join Date: August 18, 2005 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 941	I would be VERY surprised to see ANY shooting club allow drinking during the event. I'd love to see the link to the club that allows that. Shooting is not dangerous any moreso than driving or flying or scuba diving. But like those activities, being impaired mentally in ANY way while participating in shooting sports can lead to serious and instantaneous consequences. Drink while bowling a few games if you like and the worst thing that can happen to you is to get thrown out if your behavior gets nutty. But any organized shooting club that allows drinking at all is asking for a big $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ lawsuit for even a minor injury if done by a "drinking" participant (whether "drunk" or not). And this has nothing to do with political correctness. It's just plain common sense. Carter

September 27, 2006, 09:28 AM	#5
AirForceShooter Senior Member Join Date: December 21, 2005 Location: Sarasota (sort of) Florida Posts: 1,296	This is a question you have to even ask? Booze+Guns= Disaster. AFS

September 27, 2006, 01:13 PM	#10
azurefly Junior member Join Date: November 22, 2005 Posts: 1,187	I'm not a gun club member, and don't have familiarity with conventional rules of gun clubs, but my own personal feeling is that there is no excuse to combine shooting with alcohol or drugs, period. -azurefly

September 27, 2006, 01:25 PM	#11
DonR101395 Senior Member Join Date: October 30, 2005 Location: NWFL Posts: 3,031	Common sense should apply, but you know what they say about that. Drinking and firearms don't go hand in hand, not to mention in many states is illegal depending on the bac.

September 27, 2006, 02:38 PM	#12
Hedley Senior Member Join Date: May 9, 2006 Location: South Texas Posts: 1,279	The public rifle/skeet range I frequent has no rules on drinking and shooting. Hell, I could build a B52 with the amount of beer cans littering the range owner's truck bed. It's usually the skeet shooters who are getting tanked and only a matter of time before the entire range is shut down. There have even been complaints of people leading too much and peppering the adjacent highway. I think SpringMom's been to this range and can probably attest to it's near lawless nature. However, this is the only public range of its nature, but I did grow up working at the Texas Gun Club in San Antonio where it was more like a golf club atmosphere where everybody drank and shot skeet. It was the 80's I guess. __________________ It is imperative to strike down the rise of modernism which would lend itself to folly such as the use of billet components.

September 27, 2006, 06:04 PM	#13
Don P Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 2005 Location: Swamp dweller Posts: 6,187	Booze and Firearms TOGETHER! As one member's signature states. STUPIDITY SHOULD HURT! How stupid to even ask the question, and by the way where is this club so I can stay as far away as possible? __________________ *NRA Life Member, NRA Chief Range Safety Officer, NRA Certified Pistol Instructor,, USPSA & Steel Challange NROI Range Officer, ICORE Range Officer, ,MAG 40 Graduate* *As you are, I once was, As I am, You will be.* Last edited by Don P; September 27, 2006 at 06:06 PM. Reason: addition

September 27, 2006, 06:12 PM	#14
DRD Member Join Date: June 5, 2001 Location: NW of Chicago Posts: 55	If I were at a range and had reason to believe that a shooter had consumed alcohol or drugs, I would immediately leave. I drink, in moderation, but I will not even touch a firearm if I have any alcohol in my system. This includes cleaning and/or gunsmithing...not just shooting.

September 27, 2006, 07:32 PM	#15
bobhwry Junior member Join Date: April 5, 2006 Posts: 530	Shooting and drinking, are you kidding me!!!!!!! If you have to ask the question you obviously don,t understand the implications!!! Just imagine the liabilities??

September 27, 2006, 09:19 PM	#16
Trip20 Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2005 Posts: 2,181	My trap/skeet club serves beer.

September 27, 2006, 10:24 PM	#17
Monkeyleg Senior Member Join Date: January 25, 2000 Posts: 4,625	The club I belong to has a clubhouse. There's a bar, and they sell beer and soda (you put your money in the jar). The clubhouse is only open when the trap ranges are in operation. On the rifle and pistol ranges, there are several signs stating that no alcohol is allowed. Most of the trapshooters I see having a beer do so after they're done shooting. But I've seen one or two guys have a beer before shooting. __________________ ACOG Scopes, EOTech Sights, Crimson Trace, LensAndLasers

September 27, 2006, 10:45 PM	#18
FirstFreedom Junior member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: The Toll Road State, U.S.A. Posts: 12,451	Here's ours No alcohol whatsoever on range property. In fact no CANS or BOTTLES, whether empty or full, allowed on range property, even if left in your vehicle, even if unopened in a cooler, or drank and crushed. For liability and good PR reasons, this is the very strict rule.

September 28, 2006, 07:10 AM	#19
dfaugh Senior Member Join Date: January 17, 2002 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 1,715	Well, the DUI (or DWI) limit in most states is .08... and that can be a SIGNIFICANT impairment. Then you start talking about guns, I think a "zero tolerance" policy, is more than appropriate. Even slight impairment could be disasterous. Take this from some one who decided to do some work on his table saw while under the influence of prescription drugs. I now pull the trigger with my middle finger (Index finger is now too short) and have learned to do many things left handed, as the (remaining) fingers on my right hand don't work so well any more (cut all of them right to the bone.) ANY lapse in concentration, shooting, driving, using machinery, etc. is a potentially dangerous situation. Alcohol or drugs even in small quantiities, make this more likely to happen. __________________ "If you Listen to Fools, the Mob Rules" "No one has the answer, but one thing is true. You'e got to turn on evil, when its coming after you. You've gotta face it down,and when it tries to hide, you've got to go in after it, and never be denied. Time is running out...Let's roll. Let's roll for freedom, let's roll for love. We're going after satan, on the wings of a dove. Let's roll for freedom, let's roll for truth. Let's not let our children grow up fearful in their youth."

September 28, 2006, 07:44 AM	#20
buzz_knox Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 1999 Location: Knoxville, in the Free State of Tennesse Posts: 4,190	I think that if club membership were affected in any way by a prohibition on shooting while drinking or under the influence, it could only be in a positive way as those inclined to such inherently dangerous behavior left.

September 28, 2006, 03:32 PM	#22
ITEOTWAWKI Junior member Join Date: September 22, 2006 Posts: 454	While everyone makes good points, I would not be disposed to having a bar at my range. The missus might since I'd never be home...but I'd love it. Go shoot off some steam and get a cold frosty beer in the same trip. Might as well have them served by hooter's girls and you'd have the trifecta.

September 28, 2006, 04:03 PM	#23
Tim Burke Senior Member Join Date: February 17, 1999 Posts: 551	Silly me... I thought the question was about prohibiting drinking non-alcoholic beverages on the firing line as a way to minimize lead exposure. I guess I assumed that everyone knew not to mix alcohol and shooting. __________________ TB., NC

September 28, 2006, 08:16 PM	#24
UniversalFrost Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 2,300	Drinking and shooting! I quit doing that a long time ago; spilled my beer too much and was kinda hard shooting with a beer in one hand and a rifle in the other, then came the beer hat (best invention ever). After a case it was a real challenge trying to figure out which target was mine. Just kidding!! Drinking and guns don't mix!!! A good example is my uncle. Serious alcoholic!! He had too many irish coffees on opening day of deer season several years ago and shot himself in the foot with a 300 wby mag. Now he has 1 and 1/2 feet and doesn't drink anymore. Ocuh __________________ Lifetime member VFW and NRA "Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" (when all else fails play dead) -Red Green

September 28, 2006, 08:33 PM	#25
azurefly Junior member Join Date: November 22, 2005 Posts: 1,187	That must have been some spectacular splat, man. "3... 2... 1... I'm in shock!" How long could you look down at that before you just passed out?! -azurefly