An odd thing to see at a range...

[Hand_Rifle_Guy]

At a local range, they sell a variety of paper targets, including the old B-27, and a couple of anatomy based targets.

What's odd is that on the "humanoid" sillhouettes, they have large hand lettered signs that say "NO HEAD SHOTS" on the display targets.

HUH?!!!

I mean, this is a shooting range. These are PAPER TARGETS, with no faces, or anything.

Now I can understand some ranges objecting to people shooting pictures of actual people. That can lead to Murder 1 charges in a worst-case situation. (I know that's a long reach, but hey, names on bullets means the same thing.)

But blank sillhouettes? Come ON!! Who are they afraid of here? The PC police?

Someone care to explain this to me?

I guess I'm thick in the head, cuz I don't get this at all. If they don't want people to make head shots, why do they sell "humanoid" targets?

BTW, this range is all of one building over from the police station. Could that have something to do with it?

Mind you, this is an OK place to go otherwise. They gave me a good deal on my Springfield 1911, so I have no beef with them at all. And they don't seem to enforce their rule too hard, as the staff guys don't go out to the lanes much. At least I haven't SEEN them out there much.

But it sure makes me curious. I should have asked the staff last time I was there, but I was busy working with new shooters, so I didn't get to it.

 

[tc556guy]

Might be that people trying to make head shots are lauching rounds up over a berm or something? they might be trying to keep rounds within the berm? I dunno...next time you are there, ask them.

 

[Greg G]

If it is indoors, maybe some folks are hitting the target carriers.

 

[Ledbetter]

Safety Warning.

Should probably say

"Range Discipline is the Province of Range Officer Only. No Self-Help."

Just kidding.

 

[Hand_Rifle_Guy]

Oops. It's an indoor range, so maybe they don't want bullets chewing on their target hangers. But there's no signs about not shooting the top half of your targets, and I've never met this anyplace else. Gotta ask. Just seems mighty odd to me.

 

[Snowdog]

tcsd1236, that's what I was thinking when I read the post.

Maybe also ask the range master where the targets were purchased from. They could have been surplus from a correctional institution (or private armed security outfit) that sold off the surplus to your range. If this is the case, then perhaps it simply reflects the policy of whatever the outfit they use to belong to (some civil courts may find a head-shot more of an intent to "kill", rather than to a center of mass shot intended to "stop")
Who knows.

Maybe ask someone next time you go?

 

[Zundfolge]

I noticed the same thing at the range I frequent. Only it's a home made sign taped up on the wall that says "no head shots on silhouette targets", not a tag line on the targets themselves (so I doubt it's because the targets are LEO surplus).

I figure either there's a genuine safety (or equipment damage) issue with aiming high in the indoor range, or they don't want to appear to be teaching people to become "gun toting crazed killers".

Or its some target shooting competition rule.

I dunno ... I guess I'll have to ask next time I'm out

 

[TheBluesMan]

Three other TFLers and I just did some shooting at a range where they had the same kind of targets. The words "No Head Shots" were printed on the head area of the target. The place also sells a lot of police and security uniforms and related accessories. I got the feeling that it is a "PR thing" due to the large number of customers who are LEOs.

They didn't seem to care that 3gun and I turned the target upside down and shot at the top part of the target (near the target hanger) or at the "head" area which was then at the bottom. Falconer and Ron V. had a few "Osama's face" targets which, after being affixed to the target boards below the head area, were filled with holes. The place had no problem with that...

So here we are in Northern Ohio waiting for it to warm up again so we can get back outdoors and shoot whatever part of the target we want.

 

[Seeker]

You could take some scissors and cut the 'head' part out of the target before putting it up - then you would be sure not to have any flyers hit in the 'head' area.

 

[Bob Locke]

So here we are in Northern Ohio waiting for it to warm up again so we can get back outdoors and shoot whatever part of the target we want.

Sissy! Get out there and SHOOT!

 

[Thumper]

Worked at a gun range for awhile.

Nothing to do with PR or political correctness.

When the unwashed attempt head shots, they're just as likely to hit target hangers or the line itself. That can get expensive.

 

[EOD Guy]

Hand_Rifle_Guy

You must be talking about Targetmasters West. The stated reason for no head shots is that too many people shot up the hangers and cables.

 

[Hand_Rifle_Guy]

Targetmasters West.

Well, yes. But I didn't want to single them out by name, in case it got ugly.

OK, explanation accepted, mystery solved.

Moderators, permission granted to kill this thread. (Like you need MY permission. It just makes me feel special to say that.)

Side note: D'you suppose there's a Targetmasters East? (I gotta stop asking such dumb questions. Need more coffee. )

 

[Lord Grey Boots]

I have seen the same at local indoor ranges too. Too many over optimistics folks hitting the target carrier.

I'll admit I did it once myself....

 

[Tamara]

We (lendringser & I)...

...went to Bullseye down in Atlanta about a year ago. They give you your targets and a wire frame with two clips to hang on the carrier and hold your target. The guy cautions us (even though I'd been there a million times) "It's a $1 fine if you hit the wire target holder". Yeah, yeah...

Anyhow, it's getting toward the end of the shooting session, and lendringser (a superb pistol shot) asks to use my P7M8. "Sure", I say, and hand him the gun. He shoots targets at various ranges, maintaining tiny groupings. "Dang, these things are pointable", he exclaims, and runs the target all the way out to the 25 yard mark.
"Watch", he says, "head shots".
He abrubtly snaps the pistol to eye level and *BAMBAMBAM*! A rapid triple tap.
The target, with two neat holes through the forehead area, slumps to one side and falls off the hanger.

We paid the extra dollar.

That's why many ranges don't officially endorse headshots on B-27 type sillouhettes; the clamps for the carrier frequently overlap the head area of the target.

 

[KimberLady]

Well, for those of us who *are* accomplished with head shots and want to practice our failure drills? (2 COM 1 head)

Jeez, even when I qualified for my CCW (yep, here in the PRK), the course included head shots.

 

[K80Geoff]

Hmmmm! "A PR thing"

On Ladies night do they have a policy of no crotch shots

(OK so it is in bad taste, but the ladies ay my local range sem to always shoot low at the B27s)

 

[freeride21a]

I worked at an indoor range in southern california. I can tell you..yes it was for the target hangers. Each night i would have to replace 1-3 of them and tighten the clips back on on half of the rest. As well as if they place the target too close and miss they get sprayed and can actually break skin even though they are angled away from shooter.

 

[The Rock]

Hmm.

Most of the indoor ranges that I have been to have the target hanger thus:


(Cable and other stuff)
____|____
| (empty) |
Target here


As you can hopefully see, the head is between the hangers.

Are you folks different in the method to hang the targets.

TR

 

[thumbtack]

I had a similar experience at the Winchester gun range in Dallas. A friend and I were at the rifle range and I had just gotten a silhouette target out of my car when the RM called for a cease fire. We were about to go to the pistol range but I wanted to grab my rifle targets first. I still had the silhouette target in my hand and did not want to place it on the table because it was during a cease fire, so I headed down to the targets when the RM started yelling at me saying I could not put the target up here and that I could only shot it at the pistol range. Puzzled by what he said, I told him I was just going to grab my targets and that we were headed to the pistol range. I never thought to ask why but after thinking about it I guessed it was just PC for the range.:barf: