Safety Policies & FAQ

SAN LEANDRO RIFLE AND PISTOL RANGE SAFETY POLICIES

The following Policies are ALWAYS in effect at the range:

1. Safe direction

o Always keep the gun (muzzle) pointed downrange or in a safe direction.

o Firing or pointing a loaded gun in any direction (floor, ceiling, etc.) other than directly at an approved target (bulls-eye, silhouette, or cartoon drawings only. No photographs) are grounds for immediate removal from the range, revocation of range privileges, and liability for damage.

2. Finger off the trigger

o Keep your finger off the trigger (out of the trigger guard) until your sights are on your target and you are ready to fire.

3. Action open

o All actions must be open when the firearm is not being fired unless the firearm is cased.

4. Understanding

o Shooters must understand range commands issued in English or have an interpreter with experience with firearms with them at all times while in the shooting area.

5. New shooters

o People who have never fired a rifle or pistol (or persons unfamiliar with firearms they intend to discharge) must be accompanied by and coached by an experienced english speaking shooter or instructor.

6. Handling of firearms

o All firearms entering the range property must be cased.

Casing and uncasing of firearms must be done on your shooting bench.

o Firearm loading and unloading must be performed on the firing line only with the firearm pointed down range. Do not load/reload firearms anywhere behind the firing line.

o There will be no handling of firearms behind the firing line, during a cease fire, or when anyone is down range.

o Loaded firearms are not to be left unattended.

o If you have more than one shooter and only one gun, leave the gun at the station and change shooters. Do not pass the gun from one station to another.

7. Eye and ear protection is required by all shooters as well as spectators within the vicinity of shooting activities. Ear protection may be removed during a cease fire.

8. Uncontrolled shooting

o Rapid fire is not allowed. One shot every two seconds, maximum.

o Cross-firing or diagonal shooting is not allowed.

9. Shotguns

o Only shotguns firing 2 3/4 inch non-magnum lead slugs and equipped with a full shoulder stock are allowed. No exceptions.

10. Holsters are not allowed

o Exceptions: civilian law enforcement & steel shoot.

11. Ammunition not allowed

o Tracer ammo

o FMJ, STEEL-CORE, and Magnetic bullets are not allowed on the 100 yard rifle range

o All Pistol ammunition over 454 Casull. (454 Must be lead only)

o .50 caliber or above except for Black powder firearms

o Magnums other than .22 on inside range

12. No live ammo or miss-fired ammo is to be placed in the trash cans.

13. Disruptive behavior

o Anyone participating in horseplay or language that is considered to be loud, abusive, or profane will be asked to leave the premises.

14. Alcohol or illegal drugs are prohibited at the range. Persons believed to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs will be refused use of the range.

15. Children anywhere on the property must be supervised by an adult and wear hearing protection in the vicinity of shooting activities.

16. Smoking is prohibited indoors and on the outdoor firing line.

17. Dogs (other than service dogs) are not allowed outside of vehicles on range property.

18. Black Powder

o May not be stored on range property.

o May not be carried into the building.

o Containers must be sealed on the firing line.

o Smoking is prohibited within 15 feet of a black powder shooter on the firing line.

o Black powder firearm must be charged from a separate measure, not directly from a flask or powder horn.

19. Young shooters

o No one under 12 years old may shoot (except rifles in the junior club). Over 12 years old must have a signed consent from parent or guardian, stating that the range is not responsible for any accidents they may have while shooting.

12 through 15 year olds may only shoot 22 rifles, and only while under direct adult supervision.

o 16-18 years old: No one between the ages of 16 and 18 years old is allowed to shoot handguns unless accompanied by a parent, grandparent, or legal guardian.

o 18-20 years old: To shoot a handgun, must be accompanied by a shooter 21 years or older.

The Range Safety Officer has final authority and may inspect any firearm or ammunition on the range.

Your firearm is required to have some sort of aiming device on it, otherwise you cannot shoot that firearm at this range.

A government issued Photo ID is required for all shooters regardless of age, as well as anyone else who is going into the shooting areas of the range.

If the Range Safety Officer sees that you are unable to hit the paper target or are causing damage to the range, you will be asked to leave the premises.


Misconduct or violation of range rules may result in your being removed from the range

Not allowed on the Indoor Range

No Black Powder Firearms

No Rifles allowed except for the Junior Optimist Rifle Club

No Magnums except .22 Magnum

NO 10 MM pistols

No 5.7X28 centerfire pistols

No center fire .22 pistols.

No Rapid firing. One shot every 2 seconds maximum

No Shotguns (except qualified law enforcement classes)

No Holsters (except law enforcement with ID displayed)

No Smoking

No food or beverages


Allowed on Indoor Range

Pistols of non-magnum pistol calibers up to 45 ACP

Not Allowed on the 50 Yard Outdoor Range

No .460 caliber and above

No .50 AE

No Handguns chambered for rifle calibers

No AR-15 type pistols

No rifles except 22 LR, 17 HMR or non-magnum pistol calibers

No Shotguns with only a pistol grip. Must have full shoulder stock

No Holsters

Allowed on the 50 Yard Outdoor Range

.30 Caliber Handguns and .30 caliber carbine only

Maximum,.454 Casull with soft point lead ammunition only

Rifles chambered for pistol ammunition IE; .22, .25, .38/.357, .44, .45 long colt

All black powder revolvers and rifles

Shotguns shooting rifles slugs only. No bird shot, No buckshot.


Not allowed on 100 yard Outdoor Range

No .50 caliber Barrett

No AR-15 type pistols

No Shotguns

No Holsters

No Smoking

No Full Metal Jacket, incendiary or Steel-Core Ammunition


Allowed on the 100 yard Outdoor Range

All standard hunting and target rifle calibers under 50 caliber.

Scoped revolvers and pistols of .44 caliber and above.

.17 and .22 Rimfire rifles

All black powder rifles


Frequently asked Questions (faq) asked by new people on the range

What is a Firing Line/Shooting Station? The Firing Line or Shooting Station is the bench where Firearms are shot. It is where all handling of Firearms is to be done as well as casing and un-casing. In short, if your firearm is out of the case, it MUST be at the Shooting Station/Firing Line ONLY. NO EXCEPTIONS!!!

What is Down Range (downrange)? Down Range (downrange) is where the Targets are placed. If a person is Down Range, there is to be no one at the shooting station or firing line. All actions are to be open, and all magazines are to be removed from the firearm. RSO'S will then inspect the Firing Line and Shooting Stations, Once they determine everything is clear, you may proceed downrange to your target for inspection or reposting.

What happens during a Cease Fire? A Cease Fire is when the Range Master Calls for all shooting to stop on the range. This can be done at normally scheduled intervals or can be called in an emergency, such as someone wandering onto the range. The Range Safety Officer will call over the loud speaker “Cease Fire, Cease Fire”. At that point you are to stop shooting and listen for further instructions. Cease Fires can also be called out by anyone using the range (regardless if they work here or not) if they see something dangerous or hazardous like an animal runs out onto the range. Just remember to be as loud as you can about it as everyone is wearing hearing protection out there. Also, pranks will not be tolerated, and pranksters will be immediately ejected from the range without refund.

What is a Safety Line and what is it for? The Safety Line is a yellow line painted down the middle of the concourse on all ranges here at the San Leandro Rifle and Pistol Range. During Cease Fires, it is imperative that everyone stays behind that line and away from the Firing Line/Shooting Station until a Range Safety Officer clears the range for shooting. This is how we keep things safe when people are working with targets or retrieving items.

What is a Steel Shooter? These are people that, as far as this place is concerned, meet here and shoot at steel targets out on the 100-yard range. To facilitate this, the outdoor ranges are closed after 5:00 pm on Saturday.

What is an AR? Contrary to popular belief the AR does not stand for Assault Rifle. It stands for Armalite Rifle. Armalite is the company that originally came up with the design.


What should I do if my firearm misfires? If a misfire occurs, you should continue to hold the firearm aimed at the target downrange for at least 30-45 seconds in case of an unintentional discharge. Call an RSO for assistance if needed, then open the bolt/action carefully, ensuring that your hand is not behind the bolt/action, and that no-one is standing behind or beside the rifle/pistol. Check that the cartridge comes out complete with the bullet. Do not put the round back in the rifle/pistol, keep it separate from your other live ammo and then hand it in or put in the red bucket for disposal.

Download Range Policies (PDF)