Use of electronic targetry on MOD ranges now banned

[Alpha1]

As far as I am aware nothing has changed we have booked electronic ranges six month in advance the same ranges we were using last year.
Except that this year I have been informed by my Club Secretary that we are not allowed to use the electronic targets and to bring stick in targets but to not go over 100 yards with the stick ins.

I started this post its now 23 pages long and I am still none the wiser. Our Club has been told that we are no longer allowed to use the electronic targets.
You have all debated the point received emails sent each other emails I still don't know why we are not allowed to use the electronic targets.
23 pages people 23 pages.

[John MH]

So are you still not allowed to use the SARTS targets? Yes or No?

It's your problem not mine, a simple yes or no is all I need at present and there is no commitment or guarantee that any enquiries I make will have any influence on the decisions of the local authorities in your area; its their range and their rules.

[Alpha1]

No No No we are not allowed to use the electronic targets.

It's your problem not mine, a simple yes or no is all I need at present and there is no commitment or guarantee that any enquiries I make will have any influence on the decisions of the local authorities in your area; its their range and their rules.

If its my problem then I am willing to try and sort it but if you wont share your information with me then I am stumped.
(Your words you will only pass the information on to the NRA)

The NRA up to know have had nil input. Just how am I supposed to deal with this problem.

You or any body in the NRA are welcome to email me phone me I will drop in and talk to you if you are local. I am asking for help and guidance here so I can deal with the problem 23 pages soon to be 24 pages and I am still at page 1.

If you are not willing to share information if the NRA can not offer any help then stop giving me false hope. Just say it its my problem and you can not help stop pussy footing about and I will try a different avenue.

[John MH]

OK, I will confirm to the contact in the MoD that you are still not allowed to use the electronic targets at Catterick. What I am not going to do is pass on his details or the content of the email to a third party that I don't know out side of the NRA.

I have quite clearly asked if there is any MoD, DIO or DTE policy with respect to Civilian Clubs use of SARTS and am waiting for a answer. So far all I have is that Civilian Clubs "should be able too but would have to pay for a Range Warden to operated the SARTS" as a general reply to a MoD Range wide question.

Specific rules at Catterick may still be down to how the RSO there wishes to run their Range Complex and that may remain a problem for you even if there is no MoD wide policy.

The information I received from SO2 Targetry was was passed to the NRA yesterday.

[dromia]

An update from the NRA on progress or otherwise through club secretaries would be would be very helpful. It is 3 1/2 months now since this issue was brought to the NRA's attention with still no formal NRA response on the situation.

[Alpha1]

OK, I will confirm to the contact in the MoD that you are still not allowed to use the electronic targets at Catterick. What I am not going to do is pass on his details or the content of the email to a third party that I don't know out side of the NRA.

I have quite clearly asked if there is any MoD, DIO or DTE policy with respect to Civilian Clubs use of SARTS and am waiting for a answer. So far all I have is that Civilian Clubs "should be able too but would have to pay for a Range Warden to operated the SARTS" as a general reply to a MoD Range wide question.

Specific rules at Catterick may still be down to how the RSO there wishes to run their Range Complex and that may remain a problem for you even if there is no MoD wide policy.

The information I received from SO2 Targetry was was passed to the NRA yesterday.

Ok fair enough thanks for trying to help any way.

[Ginger]

I can agree with Dromia on this one, it has been weeks since IainWR returned from abroad and I know is presence on here is unofficial but a response would be good please.

[John MH]

Received another email this morning from SO2 Targetry after asking for clarification on Policy;

it may be down to individual Regional Commanders who are responsible for the Safe Place

So it appears that there may well be regional variations in how ranges are run by the DIO and quite rightly it is the person responsible for safety who makes the rules based on local circumstances and differences between ranges.

Therefore, as its a local issue your best bet will probably be for your Club Officials to seek a meeting with the RO at Catterick to try and resolve it to both your satisfactions.

The RO's address is:

Range Officer
HQ CTA
Wathgill Camp
Downholme
RICHMOND
North Yorkshire
DL11 6AH

[dromia]

Is this a formal statement and advice from the NRA?

[John MH]

No, as you know I'm not an NRA spokesman. This is the result of research from information available from various JSPs, Range Orders and DIO Publications plus a discreet enquiry to the chap at Warminster who is responsible for Targetry. That chap is unaware of any central policy on civilian use of SARTS.

What seems to be difficult for some to swallow, or understand, is that it is the RO for the Catterick Training Area that determines the Range Regulations for his Range, its not the DIO, the DTE, the MoD in London and certainly not the NRA.

If he does not want civilians using SARTS Targets then the only person that can change that decision is him, it appears to be a local issue that will probably have to be sorted out locally, with NRA help if it’s available but I can’t speak for the NRA.

And I will not be making any further enquiries or research on this subject other than to say I was given local training on SARTS on Sunday so am now qualified to use it when acting as a Military RCO and its pretty easy to pick up in just a morning.