Range Rules

A condensed rule book is available for download and printing here. This is the copy you should print and bring when you attend an orientation and pick up your membership cards.

Range Rules For Thompson Mountain Sportsmen Association

Until further notice and amendment, the following House Rules and Guideline (HR&G) shall apply to all activities conducted on the Thompson Mountain Sportsmen (TMSA) property and shall be strictly adhered to. Failure to do so may result in suspension of membership privileges and/or expulsion of day-card holders.

1. Membership
   1. Membership entitles the member to use the TMSA’s facilities subject to the bylaws and Range Regulations of the TMSA. A condition of membership is strict compliance with the bylaws of the TMSA and these Range Regulations.
   2. All members shall have all licenses and permits required to own, possess and transport the different classes of firearms they wish to use on the range facilities.
   3. TMSA has the following classes of Membership
      1. Associate Membership – Associate Members have no voting privileges.
      2. Charter Membership – Charter Members have voting privileges.
      3. Family Membership – Allows additional members of a Charter or Associate Member’s immediate family living in the same household to become a Member of TMSA at a reduced rate. Family Members have no voting privileges.
         1. Family memberships are limited to one spouse and two minor children.
      4. An Associate or Family Member who wishes to become a Charter Member of TMSA will be required to apply to the Board of Directors (BOD) in writing for vetting, and will have to meet the requirements for a Charter Membership.
   4. Charter, Associate and Family Members shall:
      1. Enjoy all privileges provided by the TMSA; and
      2. Be obligated to promote the welfare of the TMSA in all its activities; and
      3. Conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner at all times; and uphold the Constitution and comply with the House Rules and Guidelines (HR&G) that are in effect at the time.
      4. Notify the TMSA of any changes in their address.
   5. An Associate Member of the Thompson Mountain Sportsmen Association (TMSA) who wishes to become a Charter Member will meet the following criteria:
      1. Be an Associate member in good standing for a period of two (2) consecutive years; and
      2. Have attended two (2) work parties in each of those years; and
      3. Must maintain all required paper work, as required by law, to own, and possess firearms.
      4. Only one (1) individual under a Family Membership can hold a Charter Membership at one time. This member is the “main” member of the family membership. A family member (having paid just the add-on fee) is not eligible.
   6. All Executive Council Members are required to hold a Charter Membership.
   7. Associate and Family Members have no voting privileges and are not eligible to hold a position on the BOD.
   8. All members and guests must stop and sign in with the Range Warden upon arriving at the range, and sign out prior to leaving the range.
   9. All after-hours access members will sign-in in the After Hours book regardless of reason for visiting the range. The gate must always remain closed and locked after hours.
   10. When using TMSA facilities, each member and guest must display their membership card or a day card upon their person in a visible manner when they sign in with the Range Warden, and at all times while upon TMSA property.
2. Day Cards
   1. Any person not a member of the TMSA and wishing to use or visit the TMSA facilities must purchase a day card. The day card must be worn in a visible manner at all times while they are on the TMSA property.
   2. Once an individual has purchased a day card, they become a member of the TMSA for that day. They shall obey the bylaws and HR&G of TMSA and shall be subject to the same controls as members.
3. Guests
   1. Guests are non-shooting observers.
   2. Guests are not allowed to handle or discharge firearms at any time.
   3. Any guest asked to leave for a violation of these rules will also have their entire party asked to leave.
   4. Any member asked to leave will be asked to surrender their membership card until the matter is dealt with by the BOD as outlined below.
4. Range Warden
   1. The operation of the TMSA property shall be under the direction of the Range Warden whose responsibility it shall be to ensure that these regulations and the bylaws of TMSA and all other directives of the Directors are strictly obeyed.
   2. The Range Warden has the right and responsibility to suspend the privileges of any member for noncompliance of the rules of TMSA. Such suspension to be effective until the date of the next BOD meeting, where the Range Warden will submit a written report detailing the incident for the BOD to review.
      1. Wardens will have an information sheet available for any suspended member, on the process involved for reinstatement as well as contact information of the Membership Director.
      2. A member or day-card user asked to leave the range will not be welcome to return until the matter is dealt with by the BOD. Members will be asked to surrender their membership cards until the matter is dealt with by the BOD.
      3. Anyone asked to leave the range is not welcome to return to the range until the matter is dealt with by the BOD. This includes buying a day card or applying for new membership/renewing membership.
   3. In all matters not covered by these regulations or in case of emergency situations or other situations not contemplated by these bylaws, each member shall follow and comply with the directions of the Chief Range Warden or the Range Warden on duty. Emergency information is posted on each range.
   4. While on the range, the Chief Range Warden or the Range Warden on duty has absolute control & final authority on any issue related to any member’s conduct, range operation, and safety.
   5. If a member disagrees with the decision of the Range Warden, they may file a complaint with the BOD as explained below.
5. TMSA Property and member responsibilities
   1. It shall be the responsibility of each member to ensure that they do not damage TMSA property.
   2. That they promptly and immediately report any damage of TMSA property to the Range Warden.
   3. No member shall remove any TMSA equipment from TMSA property or have any TMSA property in his possession without written permission from the BOD.
   4. No member shall cut any timber or other vegetation from TMSA property without the authority or written permission from the BOD.
   5. No wildlife shall be injured or killed upon TMSA property.
   6. When wildlife is present upon any of the ranges, all firing shall cease until such wildlife has been removed.
   7. No fires shall be lit on any TMSA property.
   8. It shall be the responsibility of each member to ensure that after using TMSA facilities and property they remove any target, paper or other debris that has been left by their activities. (Recycling bins are on site).
   9. The use of cans or bottles as targets or any other unauthorized targets on TMSA property is not permitted.
   10. All vehicles on TMSA property must be parked on the main road or in designated areas.
   11. All persons using the TMSA facilities will ensure that firearms are discharged in a safe direction at all times downrange into backstop, berm or bullet trap.
   12. No climbing of berms or the placing of targets or stands on the berms or on a back stop is permitted anywhere on TMSA.
   13. The TMSA range facility is a non-smoking property. Smoking will be allowed only in designated smoking areas, which are clearly marked and have a cigarette butt disposal container available. The indiscriminate disposal of cigarette butts will not be tolerated, and any member or guests will have their range access privileges suspended, pending BOD review.
       1. Smoking areas may be removed at the Range Warden’s or BOD’s discretion.
       2. Vehicles are not smoking areas.
6. Range Control
   1. 1. The control of all activities shall be according to the bylaws and HR&G under the immediate supervision of the Range Warden.
      2. Any person wishing to use TMSA facilities shall stop and sign in at the gate or with the Range Warden before using the Range so that the Range Warden can make them aware of the range rules.
      3. Any children, under the age of 18 years, on TMSA property shall be under the direct control and supervision of an adult at all times.
      4. All pets brought onto TMSA property shall be leashed or otherwise confined and no responsibility is assumed by the TMSA for the safety of such animals.
      5. Any firearms handled or viewed away from the firing line shall be so handled and viewed in a safe manner that being in a muzzle up condition with actions opened in a designated “Safety Area.”
         1. Under no circumstances will any firearms away from the firing line be charged or chambered with any live ammunition. Any faulty firearm will be removed from the range, noted by the Range Warden in his log, and will not be used again until a note from a recognized gunsmith or other proof that it is functioning to its reliability is provided to the Range Warden or BOD.
      6. Firearms will always be carried “muzzle up” with actions opened with the exception of handguns which may be carried holstered, but they must be empty at all times when being transported. All “Safe Storage and Transportation Regulations” apply while on TMSA property.
7. Firing Line
   1. 1. Firearms will not be left unattended.
      2. Except when in use, all firearms will be in a visible safe condition. This includes the engagement of safeties and/or the opening of all actions.
      3. Firearms may be loaded only at the firing line during periods in which firing is allowed and they must be pointed down range at all times.
      4. On the call for a ceasefire, actions shall be opened and the firearms shall be unloaded, including the removal of magazines from firearms. The shooters will leave their firearms on the firing line with barrels pointed down range and will stand back from the firing line.
      5. During a cease-fire no firearms may be handled and no one may be forward of the painted line.
      6. Under no circumstances is live ammunition to be disposed of upon TMSA property.
      7. Only authorized ammunition may be used on club property. The use of incendiary, armour piercing, tracer or flechettes is expressly prohibited.
      8. Muzzle loading firearms shall be charged from safe containers, dropping measured loads of powder. Such loads shall always be safe and within the limits of the firearm as set by various loading manuals. There shall be no open containers of powder on the firing line.
      9. There shall be no consumption of alcoholic beverages while shooting is in progress. Any person who appears to be under the influence of alcohol or a drug, or is suspected of being under the influence, shall at the request of any member cease shooting and remove himself from the firing line.
      10. Ear and eye protection are required equipment for all shooters and spectators, while on the TMSA property. Eye and ear protection must always be worn when shooting is occurring.
      11. Upon command of the Range Warden or at the request of other members on the firing line that there shall be a cease fire, all firearms shall be unloaded, actions opened and members shall stand back from the firing line. Upon a call for cease fire, should any person have a loaded firearm they wish to discharge, they shall raise their hand and call “loaded” and shall then ensure that no one has advanced beyond the firing line before discharging the firearm at the earliest possible time.
      12. Approved targets only.
          1. Approved targets include cardboard or paper targets, approved steel targets for handgun and shotgun only, and frangible approved clay pigeons.
          2. No explosive or other dangerous target shall be used, and no target shall be used that will make clean up of debris difficult or impossible.
          3. Non-approved targets include but are not limited to: glass, metal cans, shell casings, metal gongs, steel plate, plastic items, pipe or posts.
          4. After shooting, each member shall be responsible for cleaning up their debris left from targets on the range.
      13. Upon finishing their shooting, each member shall make reasonable effort to retrieve empty shells and brass that they have expended. They may remove them or deposit in the provided containers.
      14. Archery is allowed on ranges facing the mountain, with the permission of the Range Warden or BOD.
          1. Inform the range warden you would like to shoot archery and they will assign an appropriate bay.
          2. No archery is allowed on range # 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
8. Range Hours
   1. Ranges hours and closures are subject to change and are published on the TMSA web site. TMSA.NET
9. Complaints
   1. All complaints or issues that members have should be directed to the attention of the Range Warden. The Range Warden will present all issues, in writing, at the monthly BOD meeting. Board Meeting dates and locations are published on the website.
   2. In the event a member finds the Range Warden’s response unsatisfactory, they may attend the board meeting in person. Time and place are posted on the website.
10. Coast Mountain Practical Shooters (CMPS)
    1. Only CMPS members are allowed to use the CMPS ranges and pistol pads unless designated by the Range Warden or a member of the Board of Directors.
    2. All TMSA Range Rules apply to the CMPS ranges and pistol pads.
    3. Steel popper targets and are not to be propped up or used in a reverse manner to disable their falling or reactive action
    4. CMPS membership requires successful completion of an IPSC Black Badge Course or other qualification deemed sufficient by the BOD.