Range Rules

THE FOUR RULES OF GUN SAFETY

  • Treat all guns AS LOADED, even when you know they are not.

  • Keep the muzzle pointed in a SAFE DIRECTION.

  • Keep your FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER until your sights are aligned and you have made the decision to shoot.

  • Know what your target is and WHAT IS BEYOND IT.

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

Call 911 in the event of a medical or fire emergency.

Simplot ZX Ranch location: Arrow Gap Road, one mile north of US-31, at the southern base of Table Mountain.

Emery Place location: three miles east of Silver Lake on US-31 in Lake County. Turn south at the pair of metal barns.

In the event of an Emergency:

  1. Cease Fire Immediately.
  2. Notify a Guide.
  3. Follow all instructions given by the Guide.
  4. Offer assistance if you are able.
  5. Render aid. First-aid kits are located in Guide vehicles.
  6. Wear gloves and other protective equipment as appropriate.
  7. Call 911 if necessary.
  8. Direct help to location. Stand post by the main gate to direct emergency personnel as needed.
  9. Take notes as soon as practical. Interview witnesses and get written statements. Write a safety incident report.

(541) 576-2781 Lake County Sheriff non-emergency

(541) 977-0627 Lake County Fire non-emergency

RANGE RULES

Rat Patrol Sage Rat Safaris provides a small group varmint hunting and target shooting experience in Lake County, Oregon. We use these safety rules and range procedures on our hunts: please read them. All users are required to abide by and enforce these rules. If you see another person violate a rule, please politely point it out to them and request they comply. If continued violation occurs, tell a Guide. If anyone informs YOU of a violation, correct the mistake and thank them. Oops, sorry, thanks!

  • ALWAYS obey the Four Rules of Gun Safety.
  • You are responsible for every round you fire.
  • Never shoot toward residences, livestock, irrigation equipment, pumps, hay piles, tractor yards, or structures. Rats in an unsafe direction get to live!
  • Do not shoot at birds.
  • No shotguns.
  • No quick draw shooting from holsters.
  • Do not leave a loaded gun unattended. An unattended gun must have magazine out and the slide/bolt locked back. An “unattended” gun is one left uncased when the shooter is away from the firing point for any reason.
  • Park vehicles behind the line of firing points.
  • Pets may not leave vehicles without Guide approval.
  • Intoxicant use is forbidden until the day’s shooting is concluded and the range is closed for the day. Persons appearing intoxicated, disoriented, or otherwise not in complete control will be asked by a Guide to stop shooting or to leave the field.
  • Be courteous and polite. Follow the instructions of your Guides.
  • Ask your Guides for help with malfunctions or problems.
  • Warn others in your vicinity before using centerfire ammunition. Many folks prefer ear plugs around rimfire and ear muffs around centerfire.
  • IT IS THE SHOOTERS RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE OTHERS IN THEIR VICINITY ARE WEARING EAR PROTECTION BEFORE COMMENCING FIRING.

HOT RANGE RULES

  • Wear eye and ear protection.
  • Do not uncase or handle guns until the Guides declare the range hot.
  • Do not load guns early, wait until you are at a firing point and the range is hot.
  • Only shoot in the designated safe direction.
  • Shoot in a controlled manner, aligning the sight system with the target.
  • Never go in front of a firing point on a hot range whether others are shooting or not.

CEASE FIRE RULES

  • Stop shooting immediately when a cease fire is called.
  • Make guns safe: keep gun pointed in a safe direction, engage safety, remove magazine, unload gun, and lock action open.
  • Case gun or place gun on the shooting bench or table with the muzzle pointing downrange. Barrels may be rested on sandbags and rifles with bipods may rest on the bipod.
  • After the gun is safe, move behind the firing point and acknowledge the cease fire audibly or visually.
  • DO NOT HANDLE GUNS during a cease fire.

AMMUNITION RULES

  • Do not use: shotgun, Simunition, tracer, incendiary, paintball, airsoft plastic pellets, or any projectile containing an explosive charge or any other type of ammunition which may reasonably be expected to cause fire risk, scatter plastics, frighten livestock or damage steel targets.
  • Do not use bullets on steel targets that are marked armor piercing, attract a magnet, or have a tungsten core.
  • Pick up your brass. Ask your Guide for a tarp to catch spent cartridge cases.
  • Dispose of brass, duds, live rounds, and cleaning rags in the coffee cans. Do not put live ammo or duds in trash bags.
  • No exploding or incendiary targets.

AGE RESTRICTIONS

Guests ages 18 – 20 will be permitted to use the range only if accompanied by an adult 21 or older. Children under the age of 18 will not be allowed on the range without adult supervision from a parent or guardian. Children ages 14 and under must be accompanied one-on-one with an adult parent or guardian with 100 percent eyes-on supervision. Adult in charge of watching each child will not be allowed to shoot. Children ages 9 and below are not allowed on the range. Children shall not be left unsupervised on the range at any time. All children must be fitted with eye and ear protection while visiting the range. Ear muffs, ear plugs and safety eyewear are available from the Guides.

RANGE SAFETY COMMANDS

To make the range HOT:

“EYES AND EARS” Put on your eye and ear protection. Verify that everyone in your vicinity also has their ear protection on.

“RANGE IS HOT” The range is formally open for live fire.

To STOP FIRING and declare the range COLD:

“CEASE FIRE” Stop firing immediately, keep muzzle pointed in a safe direction, remove finger from trigger, and engage safety. Remove magazines, insert chamber flags. Move behind firing point.

“RANGE IS COLD ” Range is safe. Do not handle firearms! Shooters may move downrange past the firing points.