No wing shooting right now

WARNING: There is no safe wing-shooting space available at Mill Creek right now 

If you are shooting anything on the fly, please cease

The morning of March 11, the contractor building the berms for the range expansion was running a trackhoe atop one of the new berms, when he heard what sounded like gravel being thrown against the side of his machine. He turned toward his open door and front glass to see the source, and was peppered in the face and shoulder with bird shot.

He tracked down off the berm and immediately called Mill Creek Rifle Club Maintenance Director Joel Campbell to tell him that, although he was unhurt, he believed he had just been struck by shotgun pellets coming from one of the Law Enforcement ranges.

Joel was on site within five minutes of the call. He immediately investigated the LE 2 range, where he found representatives of one agency had a clay pigeon thrower set up at the 15 yard line and that clay pigeon debris was spread up the southeast corner and along the divider berm. He demanded they immediately stop and informed them of what had happened.

Not an isolated occurrence

We can be grateful no one was injured and no damage was done to the equipment. But, unfortunately, this incident is not an isolated occurrence since construction closed the shotgun range on the southeast corner of the club, including:

  • Within the same week, the east berm on the LE 3 range was discovered littered with shotgun shells and broken clay pigeons along the berm, even though that range was still under construction and not open for use.
  • Another law enforcement agency representative was reported hand throwing clays in Pistol Bay No. 5 and shooting his shotgun over the berms towards the river. He was told to stop and informed no aerial shooting is allowed.
  • Indications of shooting beer cans with bird shot was found on the High Power range, also closed for construction, in late December.

If you are wing shooting, you are violating club rules

Please be advised, if you are shooting anything on the fly at Mill Creek Rifle Club at this time, you are violating club safety rules. Understand:

  • No projectiles, no matter how small, should ever pass over a berm at the club. For that reason, the only range where safe bird shooting can be done is the Shotgun Range. The Shotgun Range is closed, and will remain closed until at least mid April. That situation means no ranges are available for safe wing shooting.
  • Shotgun patterning board use is permitted ONLY on the LE ranges or Pistol Bays 4 and 5, using your own cardboard or paper targets. All trajectories must directly impact the middle of the berm without deflection.
  • No shotgun use is permitted on ranges with plywood target backers, and no shotgun shooting at plywood is allowed. 
  • Shooting cans, bottles, or similar items is prohibited.

Please understand the Mill Creek Rifle Club board of directors comprehends your frustration at having ranges closed for construction. The directors appreciate everyone's patience as the club transitions to new and more available ranges. However, the board also takes these violations of club rules seriously, and will take disciplinary action against anyone found violating them, including revocation of membership and expulsion from the club. The administrative head of the LE agency whose member struck the contractor with shot has appeared before the board of directors to assure Mill Creek the matter has been addressed with due seriousness, including requiring him to refamiliarize himself with our range rules and to abide by them to the letter. Future range use by that agency will be attended by one of the agency's administrative staff to ensure all range rules and safety protocols are followed.

Members of the board also ask each of you to take this matter equally seriously. If you see anyone shooting on the fly until the newly renovated Shotgun Range is re-opened, if you see anyone shooting up club plywood with a shotgun, or if you observe any other safety violations, please point out the violation to your fellow member or report details of the range rule violations to an officer or director. You may email any such report to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

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