General Safety Rules:

1. This match is a “cold range.”  Firearms may only be handled at the red safe tables or during the course of fire under the direction of the RO.
2. NO AMMO may be handled at the safe tables.  Bags, etc. with ammunition may not be placed on the tables.
3. Rifles must be carried with care to not point the muzzle at anyone.
4. Rifles that are not enclosed in a case must have a chamber safety flag installed at all times (except during the course of-fire, and under the direction of the RO).
5. 1.Alternatively, rifles may be cased when the shooter is not under the direction of the RO.  Shooter must ensure that the rifle is pointed downrange when it is placed in and removed from the case.
6. The muzzles must remain pointed in a safe direction (up, down, or at a berm) At all times.   This applies regardless of the perceived chamber safe condition.
7. 1.Rifles that are transported in a cart must be carried to and from the cart in the same orientation as they reside in the cart.  If the rifle is muzzle up in the cart, it is carried muzzle up to and from the cart. If it is muzzle down in the cart, it is carried muzzle down.
8. Long guns may be carried slung from the shoulder with the muzzle down and the firearm reasonably vertical with a chamber safe flag properly inserted, with no magazine inserted.
9. Handguns will be worn in a holster, hammer down, slide forward, and with the magazine-well empty.
10. All persons attending the match, shooters and spectators must wear eye protection at all times on the Leath Action Range.  Hearing protection must be worn in and near the bays.
11. Any shooter who breaks the 180 will be disqualified from the match.
12. 1.Certain stages may designate muzzle safe points that extend the arc beyond 180 degrees.  Pointing the muzzle inside the muzzle safe points is allowed.  Pointing outside the muzzle safe points will result in disqualification.

Accidental discharges impacting within 10 feet (3 meters) of the shooter, while reloading, between shooting areas, or in a direction deemed unsafe by the RO will result in disqualification from the match.

Control must be maintained over firearms at all times. A shooter who drops a firearm during a course of fire (between the commands "Make Ready" and "Range is Safe") and not in/at a designated retention device, shall receive a match disqualification.

1.If a shooter drops any firearm, at any time during the match, the shooter must not touch the firearm.  

2.If it happens during a course of fire, the RO who is in control of the stage will retrieve the firearm, clear it, and return it to the shooter to holster or flag/case.  The RO must maintain muzzle discipline.  If the muzzle is not pointed in a safe direction when it lands, the RO must instruct anyone in the direction of the muzzle to move out of the line of the muzzle before picking up the gun.  The shooter will be disqualified.

3.If a shooter not on the firing line (under the course of fire) drops a firearm an RO must retrieve the firearm, clear it, and return it to the shooter to holster or flag/case.  The RO must maintain muzzle discipline.  If the muzzle is not pointed in a safe direction when it lands, the RO must instruct anyone in the direction of the muzzle to move out of the line of the muzzle before picking up the gun.  In this case, since the person who dropped the firearm was not under the control of the RO, the gun must not be loaded.  If the RO determines that the firearm was loaded when it was dropped, the shooter will be disqualified.  If the RO finds the gun to be unloaded, the shooter will not be disqualified.

All shooters, not just the Range Officers, are responsible for safety. If you see anything unsafe it is your responsibility to speak up and act. 

Bays 1 may not be used for this match per club rules.

When shooting from inside buildings on bays 2, 4, 6 and 7 shooters must not fire a shot through more than one opening (doors and windows).  All shots passing through a door or a window must be fired within six feet of the opening.  The six feet are measured from the shooter’s toes.  

Falling steel, such as pepper poppers and steel placed on platforms, must not be driven down.  Double tapping this steel could cause the second round to ricochet off the range.

Divisions and Equipment:

In this match, the shooter will have both a pistol and a carbine/rifle.  The pistol will be either semiautomatic or a revolver chambered in a centerfire pistol cartridge or 22LR.  The rifle/carbine will be semi automatic and chambered in a centerfire pistol cartridge or 22LR.

Divisions will be defined by the firearms used.

Open Division:

A participant will be entered in the Open Division if his or her equipment has an optic.

Irons Only Division:

A participant will be entered in Irons Only Division if both his or her equipment does not have an optic. 

Rimfire Pistol & Centerfire Rifle

Centerfire Pistol & Rimfire Rifle

Centerfire Pistol & Centerfire Rifle

Rimfire Pistol & Rimfire Rifle

OPEN Rimfire Pistol & Centerfire Rifle

OPEN Centerfire Pistol & Rimfire Rifle

OPEN Centerfire Pistol & Centerfire Rifle

OPEN Rimfire Pistol & Rimfire Rifle

Firearms chambered for FN 5.7 ammunition are not allowed.

Firearms may be equipped with aiming lasers, however they must not be used during the match.  They do not affect the participant’s division.

There are no restrictions on the number of magazines a participant may use/carry in a stage.  There are no restrictions on the capacity of magazines.  Magazine capacity does not affect the participant’s division.

Holsters must be safe and serviceable and about the waist.  Shoulder and chest holsters are not permitted.  Crossdraw holsters are not permitted.

Range Commands:

Before shooting, it is the shooter’s responsibility to understand the course of fire.

When it is the shooters turn, the RO, will invite the shooter to the starting area.  The first command is:

“Make Ready” – This is the instruction for the shooter to prepare him/her self, and firearm(s).  This instruction also begins the RO’s control over the shooter and begins the course of fire.  The shooter may take sight picture(s).  This is the time for the shooter to load the firearm(s) if required for the starting condition of the stage.  When a firearm is removed from a case, it must be pointed downrange as it is removed from the case.  The shooter may open the case and verify the muzzle direction before removing the rifle.

“Are You Ready?” – The RO is asking if the shooter is ready to begin.  The RO will wait for the shooter to prepare and generally settle in before asking.  When asked, a shooter who is ready need not respond.  However, if the shooter is not ready, the shooter must tell the RO so.  In other words, if the shooter is ready, the shooter may indicate so, or not; no reply/reaction from the shooter indicates readiness.  

“Standby” – The RO will wait for approximately one second after asking “are you ready” to give the shooter time to reply.  If the shooter indicates readiness, the RO will say “standby” to prepare the shooter for the start signal.  The RO will wait 1-2 seconds before giving the start signal.

The start signal is an audible tone from the RO’s timer.  This begins the shooters actions for the stage.

“STOP” – The RO may give this command at any time during the course of fire.  If the RO gives this command, the shooter must stop firing and stop moving.  The shooter must then wait for and follow further instructions from the RO.

“If you are finished, unload and show clear” – When the RO believes that the shooter has finished, The RO will give this instruction.  If the shooter is finished, he/she will unload the firearm(s) used in the course of fire.  The shooter must show the RO that the gun is empty: there is no magazine in the gun and the chamber is empty.  The RO must visually inspect the firearm to see that it is clear.  REMEMBER, if both pistol and rifle are used, both must be cleared.  The RO may dictate the order in which they are cleared.  

“If clear, slide forward, trigger.”  “If clear, close cylinder.”  “If clear, flag or case.”

For semi auto pistols, the shooter will close the slide, point the firearm at a berm and pull the trigger and then holster.

For revolvers, the shooter will close the cylinder and then holster.

For PCCs, the shooter will insert the chamber flag into the chamber and close the bolt if the gun is flagged.  If the gun is cased without a flag, the shooter will close the bolt, point the muzzle at a berm and pull the trigger and then case the firearm.

“Range is Clear” – After the shooter has cleared all firearms used in the course of fire, the RO will announce that the range is clear.  Persons may then go down range for scoring and reset.

Stages and Scoring:

All targets on stages will be steel.  

Static, hanging steel may used as “hard cover.”  This steel will be painted black.  Striking this steel will count as a miss.

Stages will be scored as time plus penalties.  This will be the raw time from the start signal to the last shot plus added time for penalties.

Penalties will be:

Misses: 3 seconds each

Procedural Error: 3 seconds each

Procedural errors include failures to follow stage instructions. These include but are not limited to:

Failure to shoot with strong hand only or weak hand only.  (One error per shot)

Failure to shoot a target from the specified position.  Position may mean location, such as from a shooting box or the shooter’s stature such as kneeling or prone.  (One error per target)

Stages may also include bonus plates and stop plates.

Bonus plates must be painted a color other than white, black or red.  The stage description or match brief must inform the shooters of the color used.

Shooting bonus plates is optional.  If the shooter does not shoot at the bonus plate, there is no effect on the shooters score.  

If the shooter chooses to engage the bonus plate, the shooter has only one chance to score a hit.  If the shooter takes more than one shot at the bonus plate, there is no bonus or penalty assessed for extra shots.

If the shooter’s first shot at the bonus plate hits the plate, 5 seconds will be deducted from the shooter’s time.

If the shooter’s first shot misses the bonus plate, 5 seconds will be added to the shooter’s time.

Stop plates will be painted red.  

If a stage has a stop plate, it will be the last plate that is engaged.  As soon as the shooter hits the stop plate, the stage is finished and no other targets may be shot.  If the shooter shoots the stop plate prematurely, any plates that have not been engaged or hit will be scored as miss.

A stage may have one or more stop plates.  If there is more than one stop plate, hitting any one of the stop plates will stop the stage.

All steel used on stages must be placed in a manor that protects all persons.  Steel must be at least 7 yards from the shooter and any other persons when it is shot.   Steel targets should never be presented at an angle greater than 45 degrees.

Unless specified in the written stage briefing, pistols will start loaded and holstered and, rifles will start in the low ready position, muzzle pointed down at approximately 45 degrees, eyes over optics/sights.

Anyone uncomfortable with these options for safety reasons may ask the match director or RO for a reasonable change.

Any shooter who is physically unable to complete all of the actions in a course of fire will receive one procedural error per action.

Multiple Firearms

This match will require the participants to use both a pistol and a rifle/carbine during most stages.

The stage description will indicate both the starting position and condition of the firearms.  Unless specified in the written stage briefing, pistols will start low and ready and, rifles will start in the low ready position, muzzle pointed down at approximately 45 degrees or at cone, eyes over optics/sights.

When the shooter transitions to the second firearm, the first must be abandoned in the specified manner:

Pistols will never be holstered during the course of fire.

Buckets and/or barrels will often be used to “dump” the first firearm. 

Pistols placed in a bucket:  Unloaded and cleared.  If the pistol has a safety, it must be engaged before abandoning.

Rifles placed in a barrel: muzzle down with the safety on.  They do not need to be unloaded.

Pistols and rifles may also be abandoned on top of tables and windowsills.  If so,

Muzzles must be pointed downrange.

Safeties must be engaged, except for pistols without safeties.

THE SHOOTER AND RO MUST NOT GO DOWNRANGE OF THE MUZZLE!

The stage must be designed so that neither person is required to go forward of the muzzle.  

A shooter may never retrieve a firearm from a bucket or barrel until the RO instructs the shooter to.

All persons other than the RO and shooter must stay out of the shooting area until both firearms are cleared.