Calgary and District Target Shooters Association

Note: CDTSA membership and range use is conditional upon acceptance and adherence to the following rules. Each member’s signature on their membership application/orientation acknowledgement form is considered a personal guarantee that these rules will be followed. Failure to observe these rules will result in ejection from the range and/or immediate cancellation of membership.

Shepard Range General Safety Rules

• Members must sign in with their membership number before using the range. Family and guest shooters’ safety and conduct are the direct responsibility of the full member.
• Member ID card or guest pass must be available to be presented while shooting.
• Persons present on the ranges or in common areas must wear eye and ear protection.
• When shooting, minors, family members and guests must be under immediate supervision by a full member. The full member may not shoot or otherwise be absent from his/her direct supervisory duty when guests/minors/family members are shooting.
• There is no restriction on age of minor shooters. However, the full member responsible for the minor must exercise diligence in ensuring the firearm to be used by the minor is of a type and calibre within the minor’s capabilities and physical limitations.
• Range entrance gate is to be kept closed and locked at all times, except during scheduled events.
• The range may only be used between the hours of 9:00 am to 9:00 pm; or from 9:00 am to sunset, whichever occurs first. No exceptions.
• Range safety flag use is mandatory. The green flag must be flown to indicate a ‘cold’ range, where persons may safely move down-range to post targets. No handling/loading/firing of firearms under green flag. The red flag must be flown to indicate a ‘hot’ range, after ensuring that there are no persons present forward of the firing line. Firearms may be handled, loaded and fired under a red flag.
• Targets permitted for use are paper targets posted on the range backboards. Items not originally intended for use as targets (i.e. household items, old electronics, etc.) are not permitted.
• No ‘binary’ or otherwise explosive targets, no tracer, no armour-piercing and no incendiary rounds are allowed at any time.
• Presently, the Shepard rifle, pistol, and archery ranges are open for general use.  The shotgun range is open for scheduled events. 
• The rifle range is approved for all restricted and non-restricted centerfire and rimfire handgun and rifle calibres up to, but not including, the .50BMG round. 
• Prohibited firearms which fall in the approved calibre range, and are legally permitted for transport and use, are also permitted. 
• Shotgun slugs may be fired on the rifle range.  Bird shot may be discharged into the berm to the left of the backstop on the pistol range.
• All shooting on the rifle range must be done from the benches, and through the tubes.
• Simultaneous firing is permitted on all open ranges, all ranges operate independently of each other. A ‘cease fire’ order on one range applies only to that range.

• After a ‘cease fire’ order is made prior to hoisting the green flag in order to allow safe movement of persons down-range, all firearms must be unloaded, made safe and either racked/holstered/cased accordingly. Long arms must be placed in the provided racks unloaded with actions open, and where practical, with magazines removed. Handguns must be unloaded and holstered, or unloaded and cased, and where practical, with magazines removed. This condition must be maintained, with no handling of firearms, for the duration of the ‘green flag’ period. Only after the red flag is raised, may firearms be handled, loaded and fired.
• The rifle range has shooting benches/positions identified for 50-metre, and 100-metre distances.
• Children and pets must be under direct adult control at all times while visiting the range. All persons must wear eye and ear protection while on range property. Pets are to be either caged or on-leash. Pet’s droppings must be cleaned up by their owner.
• Some ranges may be closed to casual, drop-in shooting during scheduled match events. Please check the match events calendar on the club website to avoid disappointment.
• Shooting under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicating drugs is prohibited.
• Safe muzzle direction and safe firearm control must be maintained at all times. Your muzzle must be pointed safely down-range when loading or firing. This means your muzzle must always be pointed at,  and never point above, the range backstops.
• A cease-fire must be ordered whenever farm equipment/vehicles are visible on adjoining property, or whenever requested by the equipment operator.
• Range cleanliness must be maintained. No glass containers on range property; pick up and dispose of all spent shell casings, remove and dispose of all used targets.
• CDTSA members must comply with all current firearms laws and regulations regarding legal ammunition magazine capacity, authorized transport and authorized firearms, and all other firearms-related requirements under law.
• Hang-fires/’duds’ (where a round fails to discharge when fired) must be kept pointed safely down-range for a period of 30 seconds before opening the gun’s breech and clearing the bad round. Bad rounds may be disposed of in the designated red receptacles on each range.
• The archery range is open and located beside the pistol range. No firearms may be discharged on this range.