The Haines Sportsman’s Association is planning a facelift of its Mud Bay Road rifle range.
Board member Shane Horton said the group will start construction on two concrete bunkers to house machines that toss clay pigeon targets.
The new bunkers, which are partially underground, will shift shooting direction north to eliminate a problem with setting sunlight shining in shooters’ eyes. The change also will allow bullets to hit a dry hillside, avoiding possible lead contamination in nearby streams.
Board members Shane Horton, Janis Horton, Will Hickman and Rocky Hickman – in the absence of two members – voted at a meeting April 11 to apply for grant funding from Friends of NRA, a national grassroots fundraising organization, to help pay for range projects.
Janis Horton said the group has awarded other shooting ranges $50,000 to $100,000 for improvement projects.
Plans include moving the clubhouse to a location that is safe for the new shooting direction, connecting the range to the power grid, adding concrete floors to shooting stations for a more stable platform, replacing targets and putting a new roof on a shooting shelter.
The board also discussed raising awareness about the safety hazards of shooting rifles outside of the designated area.
“If people shoot at the shotgun range with a rifle, there’s no backstop,” Shane Horton said. “It’s just not proper and safe procedure.”
He said he also found rifle shells left on the ground, as well as broken glass and other trash. “Every time someone damages something, it just costs the club money,” Horton said. “It’s just disrespectful and a lousy way to treat people.”
Sportsman’s Association members pay a $35 fee for using the site, which includes a $25 membership fee and a $10 key to the range gate. Members are allowed to bring one nonmember to use the range.