Stones River TWRA Range

[srhecmanager]

Range safety officers seem to be eveyones number one complaint about Stones River. I know we have a few RSO that have clashing personalities with alot of people. But those same RSO are here so you will be safe. They are here for you. The average age of our RSO is over 70. Most of them are retired. They don't have to come here and volunteer but they choose to do so. Some drive long distances to get here. I sat down with them not long ago and ask them why they keep coming and volunteering? The consensus answer was so Stones River will be a safe place for people to come and enjoy the shooting sports. That is what drives these people to do what they do. I ask them if they have fun volunteering here? The answer was [b]no[/b] it is [b]not[/b] fun. They said it used to be fun when we had more RSOs and fewer shooters where we could interact with the shooters and help them. Now the range is so busy all we have time to do is police the range (enforce the rules) and there is little time to spend being nice, helping or just talking to the shooters. So the relationship between RSOs and shooters has diminished to the point that shooters only see RSOs as deciplinarians. So you see as the manager of this facility, I have a problem. The customers coming here hate the workers who are volunteers and the volunteers don't have fun being here so my question is, how much longer can we keep going like this? TWRA has already said there is no way they can staff the ranges.

Now that I have covered RSOs, let talk about you the shooter coming to the range. All day long everyday I sit and answer the phone and talk to you. I get twenty calls a day with the same questions. Are you open today? How much does it cost? What time do you close? This range has been here for over nine years. It has had the same schedule since it opened. The fees have increased one time from $4.50 to $5.50. The range used to close 30 minutes before sunset but no later than 6pm. That seemed confusing to me so I set the closing times and it is constant for summer hours and for winter hours. There is a sign on the gate and it is on our website. These times are set and have not changed for more that 7 years now. I believe that people call and ask what time we close then wait until five minutes before and show up wanting to shoot. Then there is is all the questions why about our rules. Why does everybody think they deserve an explaination about every rule they question? As I have stated before I HATE RULES. Let me give you an example. I hate wearing a seatbelt. Does me not wearing a seatbelt harm or bother anyone else? My Ford truck will complain by dinging until I am so annoyed that I comply by putting it on. Do I like it? No but I comply. Does my complaining change anything? No. I would just be better off to put my seatbelt on and go along than complaining. Same thing here at the range. You will have a much better experience if you just go along with the rules rather than complain and get your blood pressure up because you are not going to get your way and change the rules for you. I have people call on days that are raining. Are you going to be open today? Yes sir. This is the answer I get. OOOOOkay I guess I will see you in a little while. Just like they are forced to come to the range. You come here on you own free will. It is your choice. The rules are already in place. I don't make them up on the fly to catch you making a mistake. This is not a speed trap. There is no reason people shouldn't know what the rules are. If you don't know ask. I will be glad to provide you with your own copy to take home. What I am trying to say is don't come here and try to change the system. Go along with the flow and you will have a much better experience.

Then there are those of you that have posted about Stones River before that have no business being at a public range because nothing will make you happy. If you are one of these people, do us all a favor and stay away. There are plenty of people that like to come to Stones River. I don't need someone here that dislikes everything and everybody. Again, it is your choice whether to come here or not. The range shooter base is growing 12.5% percent a year. I think we can survive without the few bad apples.

SRHECMANAGER Edited December 3, 2012 by srhecmanager

[mikegideon]

Tim,

Thanks again for your posts. I've had great interaction with the RSO's, even the "crabby" ones. I wonder how some of the complainers would handle that job. I know how many inexperienced shooters show up on the weekends. I actually had to load magazines for a shooter and his brand new Glock.

It's a high stress job. Just to add to it, the RSO's have to communicate over everybody's hearing protection and other gunfire on the line. I'll defend those folks every chance I get. I try to show them a little sppreciation when I'm there too. They don't get enough of it.

I showed up there one Friday with a buddy, a couple of my AR's, and somewhere over 500 rounds of Wolf already loaded in mags. With the exception of a few cool-down periods, we shot until we ran out of ammo. The RSO's got a kick out of it, even one of them that tends to be pretty terse. Seems like once they identify you as a shooter, they lighten right up

[monkeylizard]

I learned to shoot at SRHEC and am thankful for it being there and for the work put in by the volunteers. When it's busy (aka not 40F and raining) I stay out of the RSOs way as much as possible and overlook any "gruff" behavior I might notice. When it's slow (aka it [i]is[/i] 40F and raining) I have always found the RSOs to be nice and I like to shoot the bull with them. They gave me a few tips to change my stance or my grip that resulted in better shooting when I was a n00b.

[QuietDan]

[quote name='w0lfattack' timestamp='1353870522' post='850491']
It's funny you mention that. I was just at a local range last weekend and I was out changing my target at the rifle range when some kid started shooting. I didn't even KNOW until I came back to the bench and the father started apologizing profusely. I wasn't even angry but now my girlfriend won't let me go shooting there anymore. Too bad she can't stop me, lol.

Not very long after this I was sitting down at the bench zeroing my new hunting rifle when these two black guys took, of ALL the open benches, the one on my left. I didn't let that bother me until I nearly went deaf when this.... person.... started popping off rounds RIGHT next to my ear with his AK pistol and nailing me with his brass. He was so close I didn't dare move until he stopped shooting (YES, THAT FKN CLOSE). His muzzle was literally one inch forward on the line in front of my head and one foot to the side. Some people are EXTREMELY inconsiderate (or perhaps his way of showing off his new AK).

It was an awful day.

[u][b]Word of advise: Take your ear plugs out if you're downrange and make sure parents are watching their kids.[/b][/u]
[/quote]

So, shoot a semi-auto upside down to spit the brass left into his half-mast pants? Wait till he's ready to rip off a string and fire your Barrett .50? If all the other benches were empty, perhaps he was getting some back on 'the man.' Tell 'em: "Hey, have a nice day! A few benches over next time, ashwipe!" Edited December 3, 2012 by QuietDan

[broox]

For the past two years, Stones River is the only range I have shot at. I love it. It is very reasonably priced and close to my house. I see these people who have a problem with the RSO's, but I think they are just looking for something to complain about. I do not want some meek, timid person making sure someone does not shoot me in the butt while I am changing my target. I want a loud mouth ball buster doing that.

SHRECMANAGER: Thanks so much. Tell all your RSO's thanks. Keep up the good work! Edited December 3, 2012 by broox

[mikegideon]

[quote name='broox' timestamp='1354570152' post='854396']
For the past two years, Stones River is the only range I have shot at. I love it. It is very reasonably priced and close to my house. I see these people who have a problem with the RSO's, but I think they are just looking for something to complain about. I do not want some meek, timid person making sure someone does not shoot me in the butt while I am changing my target. I want a loud mouth ball buster doing that.

SHRECMANAGER: Thanks so much. Tell all your RSO's thanks. Keep up the good work!
[/quote]

Yep. If I'm gonna get shot in the butt, I prefer to do it with my own Glock

[dunndw]

Shrecmanager I have a question. What are the requirements for the ROs? Is it something like the NRAs RSO course or does the state look for something more

[mikegideon]

[quote name='dunndw' timestamp='1354579815' post='854477']
Shrecmanager I have a question. What are the requirements for the ROs? Is it something like the NRAs RSO course or does the state look for something more
[/quote]

Fun disposition. NO Democrats

[srhecmanager]

The requirements to be an RSO is simple. You must have come to shoot at Stones River Range at least five times. After that we do all the training ourselves. There are several videos to watch and it takes about 20 hours to get all the training. After that we give you increasingly responsible positions on the range. We evaluate your progress and when you feel comfortable you become a RSO. Pretty simple stuff. Main thing is that you have time to volunteer and love the shooting sport.

We need help. The number of RSO have decreased in the last couple years. If you are interested, we are interested in you.

SRHECMANAGER

[Nashville Slim]

Maybe I should be more clear about my info about this range. 

 

1) I read many negative comments about a certain female Range Officer there and I wanted to post someting positive about her.  She knows what she is talking about and was very helpful with many of the shooters there. 

 

2) Some of the "rules" of the range are not expressed on the website nor on this message board, and wanted to share the info.  That was the main point of the thread.  Not sure how that would confuse or anger some folks. 

 

3) Some of the non-range officers were rude and crabby.  Hence my comments about a private range.  I get that this range is busy, and I get that safety is paramount, but I saw a mom get yelled at for trying to bring coffee into the range.  No need to be an asshole, and a  simple private conversation would have taken care of it.  This is something I feel needs improvement.  If you disagree with this, then it's cool.  I just know that at Montgomery, you dont get any of this bad attitude.   

Edited September 17, 2013 by Nashville Slim

[viscero]

This is the range my wife and I go to almost every time we go to shoot except in the really cold winter months.  We have been going there for about 4 years now at random intervals.  To me the only two issues that really have ever stuck out to me was the cash/check only method of payment and the refusal to let patrons use their own targets that they already own.  That being said I get the reason about taking cash/check only and its a minor inconvenience at most.  The target thing, even though the ones they allow(and sell) are very cheap, still bugs me a little.  Its just one of those things that I don't understand why they care if someone wants to shoot at a sight in target of their choice or a zombie clown or a silhouette. I just don't see why that makes a difference at all.  If it can be pinned easily to the backer boards on the target stands it ought to be good to go.

 

Other than that we have always thought the facility was very nice; and it looked like they are building an expansion the last time we were there.  The RSO's have always been fair and nice to us.  The last time we went out was my wife's return to the range after about a year of not having practiced with her carry gun while she was pregnant.  To say the least she was very rusty.  The female RSO who is almost always at the pistol range noticed that she was having some trouble hitting the target and working the cobwebs out and came over and spent probably about 30 minutes with her giving 1 on 1 instruction.  By the end of the session she was hitting bullseyes again and feeling very confident overall.  The first couple of times we went to this range the way the RSO's would enforce the rules felt a bit harsh to me.  I mean I've been around firearms almost my whole life and feel like am pretty safe with them; the whole common sense thing.  But then I realized its just the way it HAS to be delivered so that people that have NO business handling a gun get it and don't do something stupid.  After those first couple of trips I realized it was my ego that was making me feel like they were being overbearing.  Since then I have taken trips there where the point of the trip is all about someone else learning to shoot or practicing and I'm just there to assist, load magazines, give any advice I can, sweep up their brass, and just in general offer any support I can.  I also try to help them navigate the rules and policies of the range so that they don't do something that get's them scolded unexpectedly.  During those trips I also happen to observe what all is going on around me and I have seen what I would assume are veteran shooters make very bad safety mistakes.  The RSO's jump on them the same as anyone else but you can definitely tell their pride is hurt pretty bad when it happens.  I've also seen the RSO's ask some novice shooters to leave when they broke the rules too many times.

 

I guess I've only really had two instances of an RSO being an issue.  Once, on the rifle range, one of the older volunteers was assigned the duty of handling the intercom and the poor guy just didn't have any volume to his voice at all.  The other RSO's keep hounding him to SPEAK UP because no one could hear the range commands.  I kept thinking to myself why don't you give him something else to do instead of making him feel like crap over and over?  The other time, again on the rifle range, I had an RSO get very annoyed that my AR was ejecting spent casings a good distance as they had assigned me to the center bench on the left side so there wasn't a net to really contain the ejected casings.  I simply said "sorry" and "don't worry I'll clean it up" instead of opting for the "well no shit" response that was just urging to be uttered.  Maybe that RSO had had a long day or something.  I tried not to let it bother me but that one instance does still stand out to me.

 

The only other thing about the facility as a whole that I don't like is the inability to shoot shotguns with anything other than slugs.  I have had tons of friends of my wife(other women) end up getting a shotgun at some point for home defense and want somewhere safe where they can take it and practice a few times with it.  Sadly I've never been able to suggest this range to them.  Now that Nashville Armory is open and allows shotguns I've been suggesting they go there.  I'm not sure what all would be involved for this range to allow buck/bird shot to be fired from shotguns at targets but I really wish they would look into it.  Many people, myself included, have a shotgun somewhere in their home defense plan and usually they get very little practice with it if they don't own or have access to private county land.

 

I love the fact that you guys do rent things like spotting scopes and lead sleds, etc now.  One day I hope I can help pitch in and start volunteering there when I have more time to give you on the weekends.

[monkeylizard]

The target thing, even though the ones they allow(and sell) are very cheap, still bugs me a little.  Its just one of those things that I don't understand why they care if someone wants to shoot at a sight in target of their choice or a zombie clown or a silhouette. I just don't see why that makes a difference at all.  If it can be pinned easily to the backer boards on the target stands it ought to be good to go.

 

srhecmanager (their top dog) mentioned in an old post that there are 2 reasons for it. One is that their target stands are too narrow to accomodate the full-sized silhouette targets. Sure you can stick one on there, but it causes more people to hit the wooden frames than with a single small target. Second is because it's a state-run range that caters to all citizens and (IIRC) has as part of its mandate to introduce new shooters to the sport. It's detrimental to that mission to have parents take their kids there for a fun day shooting only to have the kids see others shooting targets of POTUS, creepy zombies, zombie POTUS, or just plain old bad guys. Most 6-year olds aren't capable of understanding why the person next to them is shooting at a "person" but they're being told repeatedly in every safety talk to never point the gun at a person.

 

 

Now that Nashville Armory is open and allows shotguns I've been suggesting they go there. I'm not sure what all would be involved for this range to allow buck/bird shot to be fired from shotguns at targets but I really wish they would look into it.

 

I wonder if they charge you $10 for every pellet that hits above their magic line. "Thanks for coming in today, sir. That'll be $237.50"

[Joseg]

Okay, I've shot there quite a bit when ammo was plentiful and cheap, all my kids have shot there and some friends as well.. There's only been one time and one time only that I decided to walk away from going there:

 

I was given a playing card by a RSO, was/is a Metro PD, to shoot (it was a slow day), so I shot at it, just like she did, no problem, right, another RSO (younger guy) comes in and starts to go off because of the card even after I told him the one of the RSOs had given it to me. So the TWRA officer was called in to speak to me about it, the results, I stopped going and I've been back twice once in Oct of last year and once this year. Apart from that incident everything was good till that point, great to see silhouettes for the pistol range (small but hey it's great)..

 

SROs there are great and yes shooters!! I brought my M1Carbine last time I went and few even talked to me about an issue with the last round in the magazine (really old magazine that needs replaced).. No complaints there or the range just that one RSO that ruined it for me.. 

 

Everyone needs rules and the rules are great at SRHEC, I just need a place to shoot while having my AR slung and run different drills/reloading/malfunctions, not just about hitting the 10 ring on paper. 

[mikegideon]

I had a long talk with Tim (the manager) last week. Even though it's a very well equipped range, almost 100% of the manpower is volunteer. It's also the busiest range in the state. To top it off, he has some folks retiring, and isn't sure where he'll get replacements. They barely have enough staff to handle RSO duties. So, they're a little picky about letting folks shoot up their target stands (and walls) for a very good reason. Somebody has to build new ones, and he's short on somebodies.

 

I'm pretty protective of that place, because I've taken the time to put myself in Tim's shoes. Tough job. He's looking for some folks that are cut out for RSO duties. He's picky about that too :)

[viscero]

srhecmanager (their top dog) mentioned in an old post that there are 2 reasons for it. One is that their target stands are too narrow to accomodate the full-sized silhouette targets. Sure you can stick one on there, but it causes more people to hit the wooden frames than with a single small target. Second is because it's a state-run range that caters to all citizens and (IIRC) has as part of its mandate to introduce new shooters to the sport. It's detrimental to that mission to have parents take their kids there for a fun day shooting only to have the kids see others shooting targets of POTUS, creepy zombies, zombie POTUS, or just plain old bad guys. Most 6-year olds aren't capable of understanding why the person next to them is shooting at a "person" but they're being told repeatedly in every safety talk to never point the gun at a person.

 

 

 

I wonder if they charge you $10 for every pellet that hits above their magic line. "Thanks for coming in today, sir. That'll be $237.50"

 

Well - I've seen their target stands on lots of different occasions and believe me - the smaller targets don't seem to do anything for preventing a shooter hitting the frames.  Bad aim/control is bad no matter the size of the target and the evidence is out there in the form of chewed up frames all the time.  Sure you want to minimize the impacts they take but I would think that most people don't aim for the wrist or shoulder section of a silhouette target.  I'm sorry I just simply don't believe in the second argument here about young shooters and parents having to provide parental guidance to their children.

 

On the second point about the armory and shotguns.  I don't believe that is the case at all.  I know they are on the board here so maybe they can chime in to clarify but I'm only going off the discussion I had with their staff on one of my visits there and they did not say anything that would have lead me to believe that a patron would be in danger of racking up a big fee for shooting a shotgun with buck shot on their shotgun range.  

[mikegideon]

One thing good about Stones River. They stay somewhat overtaxed because of the huge volume of shooters. When somebody comes off with the "I'll take my 5 bucks somewhere else" attitude, there's some relief in that.

[Dustbuster]

SR is a great family range, I worked as a volunteer RSO there @ 9 years ago for a bit when i was working nights, Its not easy herding cats sometimes,however,SR is safe, they promote good core values, while promoting safety. If you wanna run, roll,fast draw  shoot car targets and cross draw there's other places for that.

If you wanna bring girls in lil tank tops to take tube shooting vids or pics theres places for that,not SR

Charging a smaller fee may bring in more of the masses but i think overall the place has sustained well with minimal drama and minimal to zero injuries. I remember the noise complaints that kept coming from some neighboring geniuses that decided to move next to a gun range....SR still manged to survive.They also don't charge per hole over a line which is great for the kids (and some of us older folks) and maintain their targets well.

 

Every range has its ups n downs but I've brought my kids to SR having minimal fear of anyone getting nailed.I also like the fact that no one can shoot Saddam, zombies and osama out of interest in preserving good shooting morals if you will.

FWIW If you're into shotgunning, no sweat, try Nashville Gun club, but just wanted to openly say thanks to SR for being there and surviving for everyone,cool thread

[monkeylizard]

Tim explains why some of the rules exist in post#21 of this thread. He talks about single targets on #7 so it was about the angles rather than just chewing up the target stands. I must have misremembered that. He doesn't talk about the content of the targets on this thread. I know there was another thread in ye-olden days about that and I know that unacceptable/offensive target content was a concern. It's what gave Tim the idea to provide the silhouette targets that they have now. Before that thread you couldn't even have those.

Edited September 17, 2013 by monkeylizard

[mikegideon]

Personally, I hate Barney, and will bust a cap in his ass without batting an eye. I can see why Tim doesn't want the kids to see us shooting up their favorite cartoon characters.

[Joseg]

I understand and I'm happy for the change and stated it;s a great place to go shoot, it's with in a reasonable driving distance. The Range is great and you definitely can't take that away from them.

 

BTW, I'm not interested in Barney, zombies, or anything like that, so please don't take it that way.

Edited September 17, 2013 by Joseg