SAFETY RULES

DUNHAMS BAY FISH AND GAME CLUB INC ACTION SHOOTING LEAGUE

View as PDF: Action Shooting League Rules

1. EYE AND EAR RPOTECTION ARE REQUIRED AT ALL TIMES. This applies to participants, staff, and spectators
2. This match is a “Cold Range”.
   1. 2.1.  Magazines and ammunition remain outside of the firearm until directed by the Range SafetyOfficer (RSO).
   2. 2.2.  Firearms may only be loaded or unloaded under the direction of RSOs.
   3. 2.3.  Unloaded firearms may be handled in designated areas only.
   4. 2.4.  Ammunition may be loaded into the magazines in advance, but the magazine is to remainoutside the firearm.
   5. 2.5.  Pistols are to remain holstered outside of the designated areas mentioned in 2.3.
   6. 2.6.  Long guns may be placed on the provided rifle racks or cased, at the shooter’s discretion, butempty chamber indicators must be always used when not shooting. Division rules may dictate that a rifle is to remain carried by the shooter in some instances; in these scenarios an empty chamber indicator will be use and no magazine will be inserted into the firearm.
3. Shooter may unload only when instructed to by the RSO and while under RSO supervision with the following procedure: Magazine will be removed, action will be held open, chamber will be visually identified as empty, action will be closed, and firearm will be dry fired while pointing down range. Handguns are to be holstered immediately upon clearing, and chamber flags are to be used on all

long guns.

1. 3.1.  Not waiting for the RSO or dry firing at the ground or feet is grounds for match DQ.
2. 3.2.  When using rimfire firearms, an empty chamber indicator is to be used in place of dry firing.
3. 3.3.  When clearing a firearm, do not cover the ejection port or attempt to catch the ejected roundin the air. Allow it to fall to the ground.

4. Any shooter who “sweeps” him/herself or any other person with a loaded or unloaded firearm atany time will be disqualified.
5. Any discharges in a direction deemed unsafe by the RSO may result in disqualification from thematch.
6. Accidental/Negligent discharges SHALL result in disqualification from the match.
7. Any person who displays disruptive behavior or is abusive (verbal or otherwise) towards any otherperson at the match SHALL be disqualified from participation and shall be removed.
8. Any shooter found to be or suspected of being under the influence of any drug or alcoholimmediately before or during the match SHALL be disqualified.
9. Dropping a firearm:9.1. Dropping an unloaded firearm, behind the firing line, may result in match disqualification, at the discretion of the RSO.9.2. Dropping a loaded firearm SHALL result in disqualification.
   9.2.1.Certain stage descriptions may require a loaded firearm to be grounded. Doing so shall notresult in stage disqualification.

10. All persons at the match must obey RSOs with respect to the shooting competition and safety rules. Any person failing to observe this rule will be removed from the shooting area.
11. Unsafe gun handling by a competitor during a match may result in disqualification at the discretion of the RSO/s. Unsafe gun handling includes, but is not limited to, accidental discharges, sweeping, shooting over confining berms, unaimed or uncontrolled fire, and any other actions deemed unsafe by match staff.
12. Any shooter whose firearm breaks the 180 or is pointed in an unsafe direction shall be disqualified. This does not apply to holstered sidearms.

12.1. The 180 Rule may be broken when the stage description requires it. In such cases, the

firearm/s will have been verified empty by the mechanics of that stage.
13. The RSO/s may disqualify any shooter who has, by their actions before, during, or after a stage,

shown that they are not properly prepared to safely handle and shoot their firearms in the match/stage in question.
13.1. Such disqualification may be for the entire match or for a single stage of the match, at

the discretion of the RSO. MATCH COMMANDS

1. Shooters will come to the starting position for each stage with their handgun holstered and their long guns either cased, held, or slung, with a chamber flag inserted.
2. Shooters will not approach the starting position until instructed to by the RSO
3. The RSO will issue the following commands once the shooter has reached the starting position forthe stage:
   1. 3.1.  “RANGE IS HOT”: This command alerts the match participants and spectators that a stage isabout to begin.
   2. 3.2.  “LOAD AND MAKE READY”: The shooter may load the firearms necessary for the stage andassume the starting position, as determined by the stage description
   3. 3.3.  “SHOOTER UNDERSTANDS THE COURSE OF FIRE?”: The shooter confirms that they understandthe stage description and how to complete the stage. If the shooter requires clarification, nowis the last chance to ask.
   4. 3.4.  “SHOOTER READY”: The shooter confirms that their equipment, including all firearms,magazines, and whatever other gear they deem necessary, is on them and they are ready tobegin on the command.
   5. 3.5.  “STAND BY”: The RSO is confirming that they understand the shooter is ready and that the StartSignal is imminent.
   6. 3.6.  Start Signal: The stage will begin at the BEEP of the timer or other signal as described in theCourse Description
4. Upon completion of the Stage the RSO will issue the following commands:
   1. 4.1.  “IF YOU ARE FINISHED, UNLOAD AND SHOW CLEAR.”: The shooter will unload their firearm/s asprescribed in Section 3 of the SAFETY chapter of the match rules.
   2. 4.2.  “CLEAR”: Once the RSO has visually checked the chamber of the firearm/s, the RSO shall declare the firearm/s clear
   3. 4.3.  “SLIDE FORWARD/CLOSE BOLT”: The shooter will drop the slide and/or close the bolt on an empty chamber.
   4. 4.4.  “HAMMER”: In a safe direction, the shooter will dry fire any firearms used during the stage.

4.4.1. Rimfire shooters may dryfire at their discretion OR insert an empty chamber indicator at this time.

5. 4.5.  “HOLSTER”: Any pistol used on the stage will be holstered now that it has been cleared by the RSO and any long gun used will have the empty chamber indicator inserted and be cased, placed on the rifle rack, or slung at this time.
6. 4.6.  “RANGE IS SAFE.”: This command alerts the match participants that the range is cold, and any scorers/target tapers may go down range.

5. Other Commands

1. 5.1.  “MUZZLE”: The RSO will give this command when the shooter’s muzzle is approaching anunsafe direction. Failure to correct this may result in shooter disqualification.
2. 5.2.  “FINGER”: The RSO will give this command when a shooter’s finger is inside the trigger guard oron the trigger when moving between shooting positions and not preparing to fire.
   5.2.1. If the Stage requires or allows the shooter to fire WHILE moving, this command willonly be given if the shooter’s finger is on the trigger or in the trigger guard when theyare not preparing to or actually firing.
   5.2.2. Repeated violations of trigger discipline MAY result in disqualification from thematch.
3. 5.3.  “STOP” or “CEASE FIRE”: The shooter will IMMEDIATELY cease fire and stay where they are.This command may be given by ANYONE present but is only to be issued when a serious safety violation has been committed or any other factor has created an unsafe situation to continue.

5.3.1. Depending on the cause of the Cease Fire, the shooter MAY be given a chance to

reshoot the stage, assuming the cause is not a disqualifying offense by the shooter. 5.4. “TIME”: In the case of stages with a par time, this command will be issued when the shooter

has reached the maximum time allowed for the stage. The shooter is to cease fire and wait for the further direction of the RSO.

SCORING

1. Scoring will be based on the TIME PLUS method.
   1. 1.1.  Stage scores shall consist of the total time the shooter takes to complete the stage plus anypenalties and less any bonuses amassed based on the stage description.
   2. 1.2.  Stage description shall determine the bonuses/penalties, based in seconds.
2. Some stages will have par times. Once the par time is reached, the RSO will issue the “TIME” command and the shooter will cease fire and follow the commands of the RSO.
   1. 2.1.  Any targets not cleared when the par time has expired will count as a miss.
   2. 2.2.  The total score for a shooter who “pars out” will be the par time PLUS any penalties or bonusesaccrued.
3. Scoring of paper targets will always be ruled IN FAVOR of the shooter. i.e., a line break counts as ahit, not a miss.
   3.1. Line break hits on no-shoot targets will count as a hit of the no-shoot, thus resulting in apenalty.
4. Reshoots of stages will only be allowed if the failure to complete the course is deemed to bebecause of a failure in the stage equipment, not for a failure of the competitor’s equipment.

4.1. Reshoots of a stage caused by the failure of the shooter’s equipment may be allowed, at the discretion of the RSO, if it is believed that the design of the stage specifically influenced the failure and said failure cannot be safely rectified on the clock.

5. Scoring is based on best hits recorded. I.e., if a target requires 2 A-Zone hits to receive no penalties, a shooter may fire more than 2 rounds at that target and only the best hits will be scored.
   5.1. Certain stage descriptions may require an EXACT number of shots to be fired at certain targets.If a target is to be engaged with a specific number of rounds and the shooter fires additional shots, the worst scoring hits will be counted.5.1.1. In the case of pass throughs from other targets, the target will be scored to the benefit of the shooter if the RSO is able to determine that the correct number of shots were fired. I.e., if 3 holes are present on paper but the RSO only saw 2 shots fired, the two best hits will be scored, and the 3rd hole will be disregarded.
6. Procedural penalties will be determined by the stage description OR by any specific rules of the match that day.6.1. Procedural penalties may include but are not limited to: shooting targets out of the prescribed order, magazine changes not allowed within the stage description, and incorrect or insufficient equipment for the match.
   1. 6.1.1.  Magazine changes are allowed at the shooter’s discretion, regardless of the condition of the magazine being changed (i.e. tactical or administrative reloads are allowed). Shooters may retain or discard their changed magazines unless otherwise dictated by the stage description.
   2. 6.1.2.  Certain stages may mandate magazine changes at certain positions OR prohibit them at other positions. In this case, the stage prescribed procedural penalty will be given.
7. Participation without scoring (AKA Just for Fun)
   1. 7.1.  If a shooter wishes to participate in the match but does not want their scores recorded in thematch standings, the RSO may provide the shooter with their score privately, if the shooter sowishes, but the score WILL NOT be posted.
   2. 7.2.  If a shooter wishes to participate for their own enjoyment but feels unable to complete aparticular course of fire due to the equipment they possess or their physical abilities, they may, within reason and with the permission of the Match Director and/or RSO, modify the course and complete it to the best of their abilities. No score will be recorded in the match standings but can be provided to the shooter.
   3. 7.3.  In order for a shooter to place in the overall standings, they must complete all Stages, without modification.

DIVISIONS AND EQUIPMENT

1. All firearms, accessories and equipment must be in compliance with all applicable Federal, State, and Local Laws.
2. Unless otherwise specified, all matches are open division.
   2.1. Matches may be broken down into specific divisions based on equipment considerations suchas caliber, capacity, and accessories. Such divisions will be distributed to the shooters at least two weeks prior to the match.

3. Stages that require the use of a handgun, must use a handgun. Large format pistols, such as (but not limited to) those based on AR-15 and Kalashnikov pattern rifles, DO NOT count as handguns for the purposes of these matches.
   3.1. The Match Director shall have the ability to disqualify any handgun deemed unsuitable for astage or the entire competition.
4. Pistol Caliber Carbine may be used in place of a handgun at the discretion of the Match Director andon a case by case basis. However, Section 2 of the Divisions and Equipment Rules still applies.

PRIZES
1. THERE ARE NO PRIZES.