Santa Margarita Gun Club

COVID-19 Protocols

SMGC Range Protocols specific to COVID-19 – Until otherwise noted

Thank you all for your continued support of our club.  Our shooting emphasis, specifically supporting Marines maintenance of marksmanship skills in 2020 during the first round of COVID pandemic has been key to our continued operation.  We have established goodwill and improved relations with the base and seek to maintain and improve in those areas.

To resume our normal operations and provide a safe environment for all competitors and military personnel on base, we are implementing the following protocols at our competitions.  Just like gun safety where every shooter is responsible for calling out a cease fire in an unsafe firing conditions, we are all responsible for calling out unsafe activity in the COVID protocols also.  Please be respectful and polite, whether you are sending or receiving the information – failure to follow these guidelines, just like range safety, will result in you being dismissed from the competition.

So here are the RULES:

  1. If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19, or if you have been told that you have been exposed to COVID-19, please DO NOT come to the range until you have been cleared to do so by your medical provider.  We will gladly refund your match fees.
  2. If you or anyone in your household is having any of the following symptoms, please stay home.  We will gladly refund your match fees.Fever/chills
    • Cough
    • Shortness of breath/difficulty breathing
    • Muscle/body aches or fatigue
    • Headache
    • Loss of taste or smell
    • Sore throat
    • Congestion or runny nose
    • Nausea or vomiting
    • Diarrhea
  3. Masks are required for all competitors.  You may remove your mask once preparation time has started AND you have moved to your firing point.  Please replace your mask when you get up from your shooting position for any reason, including if you get up during your firing string.
  4. The only people authorized to not wear masks on the firing line when not in a shooting position are the RSO and OIC. Clarity of communication is absolutely critical for safety. If they have to communicate with a specific shooter, they will don their mask for the discussion and maintain a 6 ft distance.
  5. Please maintain social distancing of 6 ft minimum.  We will utilize every third target in the firing line so there will be plenty of available space for setting up and no need to be huddled together when shooting. When your firing point is setup, leave your gear in-place until the match is completed.
  6. When your firing is completed back away from the firing point and provide adequate room for the next competitor to approach his firing point and prepare for his string of fire.
  7. We will be using electronic scoring with the e-targets so you, the shooter, are responsible for your scoring, bring your own smart phone or tablet. Score keepers will not be used.
  8. We will not have any shade structures during this period of time – as they tend to collect people and minimize social distancing.
  9. Hand sanitizer will be available for cleaning your hands as needed.  Please use it.
  10. Range setup and tear down will be conduct by designated individuals only (their match fees will be comped as they are doing everyone else’s work).  While this will slow us down, it is a necessary step to minimize everyone’s exposure.  Anyone may volunteer, we hope everyone volunteers, but the match director will designate specific individuals for the purpose. They will be the only people going down range and setting up targets and range flags.
  11. We encourage all to stay for the acknowledgement of the various match winners.  Please maintain social distancing while the scores are being tallied.
  12. Match registrations will be limited to 30 shooters maximum.  All signups must be thru PractiScore, with online payments.  No walk ups or pay at the range can be accommodated at this time.  If you do not signup with PractiScore and receive approval, you will not be permitted to shoot. 

We will evaluate each activity and its ability to maintain spacing and safety. We may at times allow more shooters where we can squad people and keep them properly separated.  However this will be the match director and medics decision.