ERGC Range Information
Location
Address:
4020 Rocky Branch Road
Cantonment, Florida 32533
GPS Coordinates:
30.674261, -87.299846
Driving Directions:
From Pensacola – Take Highway 29 through Cantonment. Turn right on to Highway 95-A. Turn right onto Quintette Road. Turn left on to Rocky Branch Road.
From Pace / Milton – Take Highway 197 (Chumuckla Road) or 197-A (Woodbine Road) to Quintette Road. Turn right on to Rocky Branch Road.
Hours & Info
Range hours are Tuesday through Sunday.
CLOSED on Mondays (except Mondays that are Federal Holidays), Easter, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. See the ERGC calendar for special events.
The range will close at 5 pm on the second Thursday of the month in June and August to enable the RSO to attend the ERGC Board of Directors and General Membership meetings.
April 1 to September 30
8:00 am until 6:30pm
October 1 to March 31
8:00 am until 4:30 pm
Cease Fire begins 15 minutes prior to range closing time.
A Range Safety Officer is on-duty at all times the range is open.
Range Rules
Last Revision: August 2011
ERML is a private range for its members and accompanied guests only. Members are responsible for their own actions and those of their guests.
- Membership cards must be displayed on person and/or in plain view.
- Any unsafe practice or failure to obey ERML’s range rules can result in the membership being revoked.
- No intoxicating beverages allowed on the range.
- It is the responsibility of the member to become informed of any rule changes.
- No smoking within 25 feet of the firing line.
All members are expected to help enforce the range rules and must be prepared to issue range commands for all shooters on that range. All shooters must acknowledge range commands.
Range Commands
- Hot Range
- Before calling the range HOT, verify no one is down range.
- Eye protection is REQUIRED within 25 feet of the firing line and ear protection is strongly RECOMMENDED.
- No part of the body can be extended beyond the firing line when the range has been declared HOT.
- Firing may commence. Firearms on the shooting bench, but not being used, must have muzzles pointed down range, visually insure that actions/bolts are open, magazines removed and/or safety flags inserted into chambers.
- No firearm is to have live ammo in chamber or a muzzleloader be capped or primed until the shooter is on the firing line.
- All firearms not on the firing line must be made safe by having magazines removed, actions open, and/or safety flags installed, or in closed cases.
- Cease Fire
- If any unsafe condition occurs, this command can be used by anyone on the Firing line.
- Firing must cease and shooters on the range will wait for further commands.
- Cold Range
- All firearms will be placed on the shooting tables, unloaded and actions/bolts open, magazines removed and/or safety flags inserted into chambers. Every muzzle must be pointed downrange.
- No handling of firearms when range is cold.
- Members may proceed downrange only after these safety conditions have been met.
Safety Rules
- Always keep the firearm pointed in a safe direction. Never allow your firearm muzzle to point at or sweep another person.
- All bullets must impact the intermediate or rear berm. Always shoot down-range, never cross-range.
- Targets must be placed at a height that is appropriate for the distance of the target and the position the shooter is using, e.g. prone, bench or standing, so as to have the bullet trajectory insure impact on one of the downrange berms. Members provide their own targets and target stands. No glass of any kind, metal cylinders (soda cans or similar cans are allowed), or plastic bottles will be used as targets. Members are responsible for cleaning up their targets when finished, no matter what the target composition is.
- As an exception to the rules listed under Range Commands above, handguns may be carried loaded as long as they are safely retained in a holster and not handled anywhere behind the firing line.
- No fully automatic or rapid-fire devices are allowed on the range. Firing any weapon in a manner that may be mistaken for fully automatic fire is prohibited.
- 50 BMG weapons are not allowed to be fired on the ERML ranges.
- Mechanical devices, such as clay target launchers, must retain all factory installed safety guards and must be under the owner’s control at all times while at the range. Only shot size 7½ or smaller will be used for aerial targets, and no aerial targets will be fired upon while higher than the back berm.
Muzzleloader Rules
- Muzzleloaders will be either staged on shooting tables with muzzle pointed down range, or staged vertically in the notches on the back bench.
- While moving from one position to another, rifles will be carried vertically with muzzle higher than the head of the tallest shooter.
- While staged vertically in the notches on the back bench, barrel cleaning/swabbing is allowed during both Cold and Hot Range.
- No open containers of gunpowder on the firing line. No smokeless powder will be mixed with black powder or Pyrodex at any time.
- Flintlock shooters must say “Flint Up” prior to firing during a Hot Range. This protects shooters shooting next to flintlock shooters from flint and powder splatter.
Range Guest Policy Summary (See full Guest Policy on the right)
- Each Member is allowed a maximum of two (2) guests per range visit. Guest fee is $10.00 per guest. Exception: Match Directors of the various shooting disciplines, special or sanctioned matches will collect a guest fee from non-ERML attendees in the amount of $10.00 and forward to ERML. Spectators (no shooting at all) and minors are not charged a guest fee.
- Member and Member’s invited guests may utilize only one shooting table. An exception can be made during non-busy times and if requested and approved by the Range Manager on site. Member and guests may not shoot at the same time since Member must serve as Safety Officer while guest(s) shoots.
- It is the responsibility of each ERML member to ensure that any guest brought to the range properly completes and signs a Waiver of Liability, whether he/she is a spectator or participates in a shooting activity. If the guest is under 18 years of age the form must be completed by a parent or guardian. The forms and a container for completed forms are available at the Range Manager’s office.
ERGC Guest Policy
This policy is current as of August 2011 and supersedes all previous guest policies.
ERGC members are welcome to bring guests with them to the range. However, there are important points to be aware of as well as established rules to be followed:
Definition of a Guest
A “guest” is defined as a person who is not a member of ERGC and who is also neither the spouse nor minor child (under 18 years of age) who lives in the household of an ERGC member. Any child of an ERGC member who is 18 years or older is considered a guest unless they themselves are a member of ERGC. All Guests, without exception, will be required to complete a Waiver of Liability form upon entering the Range.
Definition of a Spectator
A “spectator” is defined as a person who is at the range to simply observe the activities and who does not do ANY shooting. For example, they are there just to observe one of the shooting disciplines, or, with the approval and oversight of the RSO, briefly observe the activities currently going on at the range to consider joining ERGC. “Spectators” are “guests” but will not be charged the “guest” fee. They will still be required to complete a Waiver of Liability form or be covered under the disciplines waiver of liability policy.
Guest Fee
Currently, a ten (10) dollar fee will be charged for each guest. This fee covers the entire day — a guest may leave the range (e.g. for lunch) and return without paying another fee. However, the guest MUST advise the Range Safety Officer (RSO) of their intention.
Guest Limit
Each member is allowed a maximum of two (2) guests per range visit.
Guest Procedures
Members will sign-in with the Range Safety Officer upon arrival at the range and also sign-in their guest(s). Guest fees will be paid to the RSO and the RSO will issue guest badges to the guests. The guest badge will be a stick on chest label type that will be completed by the RSO and dated for that day only. Member and guests may utilize only one shooting table. An exception can be made during non-busy times and if requested and approved by the RSO on site. Both the member and guests may NOT shoot at the same time as the member must serve as a safety officer while their guests shoot.
Exception to Guest Fee
Minor guests (17 or younger) will not be charged the guest fee. However, they will still be considered guests, and require a completed Waiver of Liability form, signed by the minor’s legal parent or guardian (see section titled “Waiver of Liability” for additional info). Any guest who completes an ERGC Application for Membership during their visit to the range that day, will have the $10.00 guest fee refunded for the purpose of applying it to the membership fee. Spectators will not be charged a guest fee. They will not do any shooting and still need to complete the Waiver of Liability form (see Definition of Spectator, above).
Guests and Shooting Disciplines
Any individual who participates in one of the ERGC shooting disciplines (e.g. IDPA, Cowboys, Ladies, Muzzleloaders, etc) and who is not a member of ERGC will be considered a guest. However, they do not need to be accompanied by an ERGC member when they arrive at the range. They will be considered “guests” of the discipline’s match director (who must be a member of ERGC). This is the only situation that is excluded from the two-guest limit. The discipline’s match director/administrator will be responsible for collecting the $10.00 guest fee for each non-ERGC member and return those guest fees to the ERGC Treasurer. Discipline guests will still sign in at the trailer, but will list the discipline name, e.g. “Cowboy”, “IDPA”, etc, in lieu of the word “Guest”. This is IMPORTANT for the RSO’s guest fee accounting purposes.
Waiver of Liability
It is important to note that guests are NOT covered by ERGC’s insurance. Therefore, it is the responsibility of each ERGC member to ensure that any guest brought to the range properly completes and signs a ERGC Waiver of Liability, whether he/she is a spectator or participates in a shooting discipline activity as a guest. Match Directors have the option of controlling the execution of Waiver of Liability during their match sign in procedures. Waivers of Liability forms, along with a container for completed forms, are available at the bulletin board area on Range 2. They may also be obtained from the RSO. The guest(s) must complete and sign the form, the member must also sign the form, and the completed forms are inserted into the container at Range 2. RSO can/will sign the form for any spectators of general range activity. If the guest or spectator is under 18 years of age the form must be completed by a parent or guardian. If members wish to bring minor guests who are not their legal dependent, they can download the waiver form by clicking here; have the minor guest’s parent/guardian complete and sign the form, and the member can sign and bring the form with them to the range during the guests’ visit.
Range Safety Officer
The Range Safety Officer plays a key role in helping manage guests at ERGC. The RSO has final authority over the admittance of guests and spectators and oversight of members/guests/spectators while they are at ERGC. Most importantly, the RSO is available to answer any questions that members, guests and spectators may have and to assist them while they are enjoying their time at the ERGC range.