Rifle range closed

[abunaitoo]

I live in Hawaii, on the island of Oahu. It's the main island in the chain.
We have the largest population (million and counting) of all the islands. So we have the most nutcases in the state.
We have one outdoor public shooting range on the island. ONE!!!!
It's run by the city.
For the last four weeks the rifle range has been closed. Not sure when it will open again.
Unlike in the states where, if you have to, you can drive to another range in another state, We can't do that.
Ever wondered what would happen if you had no place to shoot?????
We're living it right now.

[Bullshop Junior]

It's kinda the same way here. City shut down the range few years ago. only other places are private and you will get arrested for trespassing.

[w5pv]

Where I live I can shoot any time but that is coming to an end sometime down the road that is going away because of people moving out of town and coming to what use to be the country.

[captaint]

Isn't it odd the way people move to "what used to be the country" and decide they can change the rules to suit them. The newcomers.
Another thing that sounds funny is "getting arrested for trespassing in Alaska". ?? What - are we running out of room now ?? Hope my private range/club doesn't get shut down. The club has been there for 112 years. Every now and then, some newly arriving resident tries to have it closed down. Fortunately, we have a lease that runs for 20 years, this round. Safe for a while anyway.
Mike

[Artful]

This the one?

http://www.khsc.info/

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/24049729/stray-bullet-fears-prompt-change-at-koko-head-rifle-range


Stray bullet fears prompt change at Koko Head rifle range
Updated: Nov 22, 2013 8:29 PM
HAWAII KAI, OAHU (HawaiiNewsNow) -
The city has pulled the trigger on a new rule aimed at stopping stray bullets from leaving an East Oahu shooting complex. Recent reports of bullets hitting homes led to the change, according to city officials.

Paul Culpepper loves to take aim at the Koko Head rifle range, but shooting at targets more than 100 yards away is now prohibited. The city is trying to prevent bullets from possibly ricocheting off metal targets.

"I like hitting the gongs out there, but if we have to I guess we have to. It's kind of like a compromise. Now all the bullets will stay here," said Culpepper.

"What I am is a competitive shooter and we shoot out to 600 yards, so if I have no place to practice long range, how am I going to stay good at long range?" wondered rifle shooter Darrell Poland.

An area with metal targets in a gulch more than 400 yards away is off-limits after reports of bullets striking three homes in the Queens Gate and Koko Kai neighborhoods during the last year. A woman also told police that a stray bullet pierced the roof of her van at Sandy Beach in May.

"It was a management decision and they are going to be reviewing procedures regarding that area of the shooting range where the metallic targets are," explained Jeanne Ishikawa, deputy director of the Dept. of Parks and Recreation.

"We have never called for it to be shut down. We have always asked for the city to pursue the safety recommendations that it has been receiving for decades now and for the most part has not fulfilled," said Greg Knudsen, chair of the Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board.

City officials will meet on Monday to discuss long-range plans for the facility.

"They're running tourists up here that are inexperienced, foreign nationals up here, and you have management that are not shooters," said Poland.

"These are just accidents. We don't think anyone is intentionally shooting over the ridge of the crater, but there's enough evidence to verify that bullets have been going over the crater," said Knudsen.

The Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board will take up the issue on Nov. 26 at 7 p.m. at the Hahaione Elementary School cafeteria.

http://khnl.images.worldnow.com/images/24049729_BG1.jpg

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=koko+head+shooting+range&ie=UTF-8&ei=L3q9UsjRFobuoATYiILoAQ&sqi=2&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAg

http://www.kitv.com/news/hawaii/rifle-range-closed-at-koko-head-shooting-complex-renovations-to-come/-/8905354/23378938/-/gtikluz/-/index.html


HONOLULU —Oahu's only public rifle range has been shut down indefinitely. The city has closed the rifle range at the Koko Head Shooting Complex after two reports of stray bullets landing in a residential area nearby.

"We're going to be closing it down temporarily while we complete the investigation," said Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell.

The rifle range is located on the southwest side of Koko Crater. Officials say one of those bullets was reported to have hit a car near the Botanical Garden on the northeast side of the crater. The other, struck a home in a subdivision on the opposite side of the crater as well.

In May, a woman's van was hit while parked at Sandy beach. It's still unclear if any of those bullets came from the range.

"It is possible, I wouldn't say it's impossible, it's highly unlikely but possible," said Mike Muramoto, the range master at Koko Head Shooting Complex.

Muramoto said he's seen bullets ricochet off the berm before and also told us the area is in need of renovation.

"If it hits something, it's very unpredictable how far it will go or where it will go," said Muramoto.

Matt Longfellow says the only way bullets could reach the opposite side of the crater is by shooting directly over it.

"I just cannot imagine somebody pointing a gun that high into the air, you know an accident could have happened but it's not going to happen over and over again," said Longfellow.

The city says the berm is supposed to be at 90-degree angle but after all the years of wear and tear, some parts of the berm look more like its at a 45-degree angle. The plan now is to back fill it in with dirt and return it to a right angle.

The city also plans to create an eyelash, extending the roof that covers shooters, to keep them from mis-firing into the sky.

"Both of these can be done fairly quickly, my goal here is to get it running again in a safe way," said Caldwell.

But will the renovations solve the problem? Gun enthusiasts say the city's aim might be off target.

"Without the study of the bullet, these repairs may be just for show," said Longfellow.

Either way, the city says the improvements are needed. It'll get an emergency permit Monday to start the work and expects the rifle range to be back up and running by early January.


http://www.khon2.com/news/koko-head-rifle-range-closes-temporarily


Gun enthusiasts were greeted with a sign that read "Rifle Range Closed" Saturday after the city made the decision to close the rifle range at Koko Head Shooting Complex temporarily.

Along with a dozen others, Kaneohe resident Matt Longfellow heard about the closure through an on-line forum.

"To show support for the range and for others protecting the second amendment rights that we all enjoy," Longfellow said.

On Friday, the city says two separate reports of stray bullets hitting a home and a car prompted the closure of the rifle range.

"We don't know exactly where they came from we're working with the police. There's an on-going investigation to figure out exactly where they came from and hopefully we're going to be able to tell by the angle of entry and all the rest," Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said.

City officials say a bullet that hit a home was recovered, but the bullet that hit the car was not.

"It is possible I won't say its impossible its highly unlikely but possible," Koko Head Shooting Complex Range Master Mike Muramoto said.

"To shoot over a 1,200-foot mountain you would have to angling the gun very high the safety officers are watching the entire time I don't see how that's even possible," Longfellow said.

Though, this isn't the first time a stray bullet has damaged property.

Last October, a bullet went through the kitchen window of Gavin Moffatt's home in Hawaii Kai's Koko Villas community, luckily no one was hurt.

"To hear that not only has it happened again but happened twice in one day or whatever it was is very concerning very happy that the city is taking this matter seriously," Moffatt said.

While the rifle range was closed other shooting facilities at Koko Head will have normal operating hours.

The rifle closure is expected to last through the beginning of next months to make the necessary improvements.

"What the mayor has authorized is a blessing because we've been in need of refurbishing its been a long time since we've had it done," Muramoto said.

Mayor Caldwell says city crews will begin next week to refurbish the berm and build an awning to serve as a visual reminder to people practicing with rifles to lower them down so they can't shoot upward.

"It could be fairly extensive and expensive so they'll have to find the money they'll have to comply with environmental rules because the soil is contaminated with lead and arsenic," Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board Chair said.

The city has not yet said how much it will cost to make the repairs.

Lead and Arsenic contamination - where are they getting Arsenic from?

http://www.unrealhawaii.com/2011/08/koko-head-shooting-complex/

[pdawg_shooter]

Thirty years ago I bought 80 acres of land 20 miles from town and built there. Now I can do all my shooting from my back yard, up to 800 yards. Smartest move I have ever made.

[Artful]

http://www1.honolulu.gov/csd/publiccom/honnews13/dprkokoheadriflerangeclosed12613.htm


December 07, 2013
Jesse Broder Van Dyke 489-0341

Koko Head rifle range temporarily closed after new reports of stray bullets

East Oahu – Mayor Kirk Caldwell announced that the rifle range within the Koko Head Shooting Complex will be temporarily closed effective tomorrow following two new reports today of stray bullets.

“I am a strong supporter of the Koko Head Shooting Complex because it is one of the only safe and legal places for responsible members of Oahu’s shooting and hunting community to practice safe shooting,” said Mayor Caldwell. “We made the difficult decision to temporarily close the rifle range in an abundance of caution for the safety of those in the surrounding community, but I am committed to installing emergency mitigation measures in order to reopen the range as soon as possible.”

Mayor Caldwell discussed some of the options to reopen the range.

“We want to repair the rifle range berm directly behind the targets, which has been eroded over the years, so it will better absorb bullets. I would also like to construct a visual overhang that would remind shooters to aim their rifles properly.”

The closure only applies to the rifle range. The complex will remain open during normal hours and the pistol, silhouette, archery, action, skeet, and trap ranges remain open.

No injuries have been reported, only property damage. This is a precautionary measure.

Sounds more like they need a bullet deflector, and NOT a visual reminder.
http://www.shooting-academy.com/300METER1.html
http://www.shooting-academy.com/image/PICT0114%20A.JPG
http://www.shooting-academy.com/image/PICT0120C.JPG
and bullet baffles going out further.
http://www.shooting-academy.com/image/DSC_1124.JPG

[kens]

There is a State law in Georgia, that a range can apply for a zoning status and be recorded that it can never be shut down.
Kinda like a Grandfather clause in zoning.

[kens]

Folks in other states should lobby for "Range Protection" such as Georgia.
Perhaps the NRA/ILA can assist.
I googled this for Georgia and is as follows:

Range Protection
No sport shooting range shall be or shall become a nuisance, either public or private, solely as a result of changed conditions in or around the locality of such range if the range has been in operation for one year since the date on which it commenced operation as a sport shooting range. Subsequent physical expansion of the range or expansion of the types of firearms in use at the range shall not establish a new date of commencement of operations.
§ 41-1-9. Sport shooting ranges not deemed nuisances as result of changed circumstances

(a) As used in this Code section, the term:

(1) “Person” means an individual, proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or unincorporated association.

(2) “Sport shooting range” or “range” means an area designated and operated by a person for the sport shooting of firearms and not available for such use by the general public without payment of a fee, membership contribution, or dues or by invitation of an authorized person, or any area so designated and operated by a unit of government, regardless of the terms of admission thereto.

(3) “Unit of government” means any of the departments, agencies, authorities, or political subdivisions of the state, cities, municipal corporations, townships, or villages and any of their respective departments, agencies, or authorities.

(b) No sport shooting range shall be or shall become a nuisance, either public or private, solely as a result of changed conditions in or around the locality of such range if the range has been in operation for one year since the date on which it commenced operation as a sport shooting range. Subsequent physical expansion of the range or expansion of the types of firearms in use at the range shall not establish a new date of commencement of operations for purposes of this Code section.

(c) No sport shooting range or unit of government or person owning, operating, or using a sport shooting range for the sport shooting of firearms shall be subject to any action for civil or criminal liability, damages, abatement, or injunctive relief resulting from or relating to noise generated by the operation of the range if the range remains in compliance with noise control or nuisance abatement rules, regulations, statutes, or ordinances applicable to the range on the date on which it commenced operation.

(d) No rules, regulations, statutes, or ordinances relating to noise control, noise pollution, or noise abatement adopted or enacted by a unit of government shall be applied retroactively to prohibit conduct at a sport shooting range, which conduct was lawful and being engaged in prior to the adoption or enactment of such rules, regulations, statutes, or ordinances.

[CastingFool]

Sad to hear about the only shooting range being closed.

[winchester85]

it is gun control on all fronts. if they cant take away your guns, take away your ability to shoot them. i expect that there will be many ranges closed in the name of "environmental health".

[KCSO]

Even in nowhere we have problems. In N/E Nebraska in a local town a fellow bought the land behind the local shooting range and put in a trailer and is now pumping to close the range as it's a danger to him. Sorta like garbage dumps- NIMBY

[Freightman]

Even in nowhere we have problems. In N/E Nebraska in a local town a fellow bought the land behind the local shooting range and put in a trailer and is now pumping to close the range as it's a danger to him. Sorta like garbage dumps- NIMBY
Same thing happened here got the city range closed and then moved his trailer. We had a three year fight to get the city to build another. They did and it worked out good as the new range is on a piece of land in the bottom of a canyon and there is not a house for 10 miles behind it.

[archmaker]

Texas has some laws on the book about 50acres of land and some other items (ie Neighbor builds house next to your land you can't discharge your firearm within 300 feet of the house, and others).

There is some other items in there that have to be considered, but otherwise . . . § 229.002. Regulation of Discharge of Weapon

I have access to several ranges, so I feel lucky, if I didn't I think I would be lost!

[clownbear69]

I know this will be difficult to do but I plan on doing this..... Getting and owning your own indoor gun range. Even with EPA regulations and limited space it sounds like it would be incredibly useful. As for myself I plan on having one with an FFL half gun shop/half range. huge investment but im young and can save. But the benefit it gives the ability to shoot year round and would make you quite a bit of money. I plan on doing this because in my area there is one gun range within 100-125 miles 7 different places that sells firearms like 2-300 bucks over standard retail and im sick of it also gets in the 20s. Shooting IMO is a right not a privilege like many states think.

[Finster101]

http://www1.honolulu.gov/csd/publiccom/honnews13/dprkokoheadriflerangeclosed12613.htm


Sounds more like they need a bullet deflector, and NOT a visual reminder.
http://www.shooting-academy.com/300METER1.html
http://www.shooting-academy.com/image/PICT0114%20A.JPG
http://www.shooting-academy.com/image/PICT0120C.JPG
and bullet baffles going out further.
http://www.shooting-academy.com/image/DSC_1124.JPG


If I had to shoot from those darn bunkers I would hate it. I like a primitive outdoor range.

[LUBEDUDE]

Artful asks: "....where does the Arsenic come from?"

It comes from the lead in very minute quantities.

If the enviros add that to the danger list, it just inflames it that much more. Hoping to cause added hysteria.

[dbosman]

When I was young, we shot in the 80 acre field next door. All the neighbors were welcome. One, across the street -180 degrees behind the trap pit- complained of shot hitting their roof. Funny that we never noticed gale winds just above our heads.

I hope the state fixes or finds funds to fix your shooting range.