Thread: Getting ahead of new range rules

Like many forum members I have an informal shooting range at home for siting in and load development. The prospect of tight controls under the new law changes got me thinking about getting up to speed ahead of any inspections. I thought that I had a good 'handle' on range safety, but after watching the following vid, I have some improvements to make.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVNpkQJZ0lc

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

Like many forum members I have an informal shooting range at home for siting in and load development. The prospect of tight controls under the new law changes got me thinking about getting up to speed ahead of any inspections. I thought that I had a good 'handle' on range safety, but after watching the following vid, I have some improvements to make.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVNpkQJZ0lc

Isn't it more about the "primary purpose" of the land? Eg the local NZDA range would come under new requirements, but zeroing on the mate's forest or farm block wouldn't because that's not the primary purpose of the land?

Who's a lawyer on here who can spin some interpretation onto this mess?

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With a bit of luck they will hand it off to others to do. i.e. pistol ranges are cert'ed by nzpa. So it would be NRA that would cert the long ranges 1000m and deerstalkers would do the 25 to 300.

fairly sure it will impact my group of clay bird shooters. We have a loose association of "members" and everything is done / agreed by gentlemans agreement.
Been going 15 years, personal invitations are extended to prospective new members based of recomendations of members (this is the only way you get to join full stop)
we have quite a few traps (15 I think or near too) on one of the members farms..........we are not a club nor a organisation and strive to be as far from it as possible.
I think if we have to have inpsections, make the club formal and have rules etc then it will most likely be the end of it.

Under the old rules , technically you did not need to have a Range certified . The caveat to that if something went wrong you found yourself in deeper sh1t . The Ranges where " certified " by someone in NZPA , I don't know how many or what areas they/ he covered .
The parameters/rules governing the construction come from USA? Military Range documents as they are the only ones who have done actual testing and are not theoretical . How the new "Regime" will work is anyone's guess ?.

I've been personally involved in range certification for many years.
The NZ firearms range manual is here: https://www.police.govt.nz/about-us/...s-range-manual (unfortunately it's 2005 edition, so we are waiting to see what the new version will cover).

I would imagine they would have neither the time, energy, or inclination to try and find every impromptu setup like the op has. I like most people I know have land to sight in on and occasionally have mates over. I do not publically advertise it, or have formed a group or club, or use it on a regular fixed basis and there are no permanent structures. I do not rent out the "facility" so am not doing it for hire or reward therefore is it a range and how would they find it.
I think this might be being over complicated and in the next two years who knows some sense may prevail and the whole thing forgotton when they realise that clubs already do most of the shit they waffle on about in 32 or so pages more efficiently than they can and that Charlie having a few shots out the back of his farm is not worth worrying about..

Have you blokes all viewed the Youtube link I posted ?? There is some great info and tips all geared towards building and operating home ranges. good sensible stuff we should be aware of regardless of the law changes
The link that basenjiboy has posted has some interesting info. including that 'All ranges need signs and range flags' I have a very good sign that I hang on the road gate which is padlocked when the range is in use. Do I need a flag as well for a farm range ?

Moa Hunter...if you were running a brothel from home...or a P lab...would you put a sign up at the gate????
so IF what you are doing MIGHT be considered somewhat not quite up to standards of the new law...why on earth would you want to advertise that you are doing it???

I can't see how they are going to police it, they do a piss poor job of stopping people on phones talking and txting as well as people wearing helmets on push bikes so finding ranges on farms etc might be in the to hard to do basket.

Originally Posted by Mooseman

I can't see how they are going to police it, they do a piss poor job of stopping people on phones talking and txting as well as people wearing helmets on push bikes so finding ranges on farms etc might be in the to hard to do basket.

Let alone catching up with Crims with firearms and drugs.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

Moa Hunter...if you were running a brothel from home...or a P lab...would you put a sign up at the gate????
so IF what you are doing MIGHT be considered somewhat not quite up to standards of the new law...why on earth would you want to advertise that you are doing it???

I have used a sign at the gate for years. I have had one occasion when the Police turned up at the gate - in response to 'reports of gunfire'. The gate was chained and locked. Anyway the officer was a good sort and I asked him if he would like a shot. He declined a shot but checked out what we were doing and left happy.
Point being, we should all make sure that we are doing things in a good safe professional way so that we dont make metaphorical targets of ourselves.

Originally Posted by Mooseman

I can't see how they are going to police it, they do a piss poor job of stopping people on phones talking and txting as well as people wearing helmets on push bikes so finding ranges on farms etc might be in the to hard to do basket.

My feeling is that we are an easy target and there may be some expectation for officers to check up on any firearms use / gunfire

The cops will be busy on my road,i have an informal range, the neighbours shoot clays and people along this rod are always sighting in rifles.It sounds good some days

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

I have used a sign at the gate for years. I have had one occasion when the Police turned up at the gate - in response to 'reports of gunfire'. The gate was chained and locked. Anyway the officer was a good sort and I asked him if he would like a shot. He declined a shot but checked out what we were doing and left happy.
Point being, we should all make sure that we are doing things in a good safe professional way so that we dont make metaphorical targets of ourselves.

yes we definately should be safe and do thing in safe manner....the point Im making is this.....if its not a proper qualified range WHY stick up signage to say its being used as a range....by all means put up sign saying firearms being used safely,move on nothing to see here,do not enter......the same as controlled burn signs but by putting up range sign you are opening your self up for beurocrap to demand you comply with thier agenda(anyone else notice how similar that is to jacinda).
I intend to put a few shots through a couple of rifles next week....on land I have permission to shoot on...behind a locked gate....I cant see the difference between firing those say 10 shots at paper or rabbits.IF I need to put up signage or indeed prior warn police I m going to shoot paper...then I need to do the same for rabbits......