North Fork Wolf Creek Recreational Shooting Lanes

[Member 34319]

With some delay, kicking off last Saturday . . .

I talk too much, thanks for the video!

Update:

We had a meeting with a specialist and the Oregon Department of Forestry on Monday.

We reviewed a lot, and learned tons. The specialist is with a firm that works to minimize environmental impacts of recreational shooting within shooting ranges. Our "dispersed shooting lanes" were designed very well from the beginning per the specialist, and he was very surprised by how well they are being used.

He gave us some pointers to utilize for the North Fork Wolf Creek 2.0 coming soon!

We brought him to the longer range spot as well and he liked or ideas for making it into a golf coarse like dispersed shooting lane.

Lastly, we showed him an area that could ultimately become a public range. Yes, range, not dispersed shooting lane. This project would be much much larger than a small dispersed lane here or there. We are talking a ten to fifteen year project. However, the beginning process is now, and keeping the ball rolling is really what we will need to do to keep the project alive.

 

[E4mafia]

I have a question/concern,


The last few times i've been up at wolf creek (mostly in lane 1 or 2) there have been a ton of ricochet sounds coming from what I can only gauge as lane 3 (possibly 4?). For the most part they don't seem to be impacting in the prior ranges or where some would be travelling on road but hearing tons of THWANGS and VEEERRRUUU's while shooting in the first two lanes coming from 3 or 4 is sort of concerning. Not 100% sure what folk may be using to practice with but of my last 3 trips its been a common sound.

Would hate to have an accident cause a case.

 

[Member 34319]

I have a question/concern,


The last few times i've been up at wolf creek (mostly in lane 1 or 2) there have been a ton of ricochet sounds coming from what I can only gauge as lane 3 (possibly 4?). For the most part they don't seem to be impacting in the prior ranges or where some would be travelling on road but hearing tons of THWANGS and VEEERRRUUU's while shooting in the first two lanes coming from 3 or 4 is sort of concerning. Not 100% sure what folk may be using to practice with but of my last 3 trips its been a common sound.

Would hate to have an accident cause a case.

While I'm not saying it isn't impossible, this was brought up in the initial design of these sites. The geometry of the lanes locations and landscape of the mountains should prevent a ricochet from lane 3 landing or ending up in lane 1 or 2.

Bullets do do some crazy things though so I'm not going to say something crazy can not happen. However I feel as long as the sites are being used correctly with rounds being fired in the direction of the impact zones these things are drastically reduced.

Attached is a picture of the birds eye view. It doesn't do a whole lot of justice as it doesn't show the mountain and it's elevation changes.

I would say shooting at lanes 1 and 2 are as safe as shooting at any range with multiple bays would be.

These lanes will also become safer with the improvements that will be implemented soon.

We will be reworking the backstops with better materials to better assist capturing projectiles.

 

[E4mafia]

While I'm not saying it isn't impossible, this was brought up in the initial design of these sites. The geometry of the lanes locations and landscape of the mountains should prevent a ricochet from lane 3 landing or ending up in lane 1 or 2.

Bullets do do some crazy things though so I'm not going to say something crazy can not happen. However I feel as long as the sites are being used correctly with rounds being fired in the direction of the impact zones these things are drastically reduced.

Attached is a picture of the birds eye view. It doesn't do a whole lot of justice as it doesn't show the mountain and it's elevation changes.

I would say shooting at lanes 1 and 2 are as safe as shooting at any range with multiple bays would be.

These lanes will also become safer with the improvements that will be implemented soon.

We will be reworking the backstops with better materials to better assist capturing projectiles.

View attachment 460873

Yeah going with your image that would paint about a rough sketch of what I assume the ricochets to be flying vaguely as that line represents where I have heard the sounds primarily. Ricochets are one thing, hearing a SWOOSH by you and feeling it is the one im kinda worried about hearing sometime. I know there are also people up in the area who target practice not utilizing the lanes set up, hear it all the time off in the distance.

As far as safety measures to come. I am curious but would it at all be feasible to install hesco barriers? (same stuff we used on deployments to stop random rockets and bullets from coming right at us and I hear they are cost effective since its pretty much wire and a gunny sack with the earths dirt as the filler to form a wall.

In case a reference is needed for what a hesco barrier is Hesco bastion - Wikipedia

 

[Koda]

Is it possible someones improvised target setup could cause such a ricochet?

 

[E4mafia]

Is it possible someones improvised target setup could cause such a ricochet?

Yes it can and i've seen it happen before. There is also natural factors to take into consideration such as rocks in the dirt, excessive metal fragments and other bits and pieces concentrated in an area can lead to a type of deflection on impact depending on caliber used as can the natural/unnatural angles slopes of terrain. Types of fragmenting bullets flying off targets or other "explosive" materials used or that can rupture such as aerosol cans or propane tanks etc.

 

[Doublesunder]

There's always a certain amount of risk doing any activity especially shooting sports. While it's best to practice safety within reasonable means it's not always economical or feasible to be 100% risk free.

There is a big difference between an actual shot fired in your direction from people practicing poor gun safety, that's a totally different situation. With that being said, I've had ricochets off of well prepared backstops as well as steel.

I would say this is common occurrence with the amount of rounds one usually fires at ranges.

 

[Geardo]

I talk too much, thanks for the video!

Update:

We had a meeting with a specialist and the Oregon Department of Forestry on Monday.

We reviewed a lot, and learned tons. The specialist is with a firm that works to minimize environmental impacts of recreational shooting within shooting ranges. Our "dispersed shooting lanes" were designed very well from the beginning per the specialist, and he was very surprised by how well they are being used.

He gave us some pointers to utilize for the North Fork Wolf Creek 2.0 coming soon!

We brought him to the longer range spot as well and he liked or ideas for making it into a golf coarse like dispersed shooting lane.

Lastly, we showed him an area that could ultimately become a public range. Yes, range, not dispersed shooting lane. This project would be much much larger than a small dispersed lane here or there. We are talking a ten to fifteen year project. However, the beginning process is now, and keeping the ball rolling is really what we will need to do to keep the project alive.

View attachment 460557 View attachment 460558 View attachment 460559

Is the longer range spot legal to shoot on currently?

 

[Timbertodd]

I heard several last Saturday while shooting at lane 2 after the cleanup. I wasn't concerned about safety, but they sure put off an eerie sound while wearing electronic earmuffs.

 

[E4mafia]

There's always a certain amount of risk doing any activity especially shooting sports. While it's best to practice safety within reasonable means it's not always economical or feasible to be 100% risk free.

There is a big difference between an actual shot fired in your direction from people practicing poor gun safety, that's a totally different situation. With that being said, I've had ricochets off of well prepared backstops as well as steel.

I would say this is common occurrence with the amount of rounds one usually fires at ranges.

Oh I am quiet well aware of the difference between a shot bouncing off and one intended for you, played that game many times.
Was mostly curious if others had reported similar issues and since this thread seems to be a rolling update to features in the wolf creek lanes figured i'd chip in 2 cents of a "possible" future implementation because lord knows if there ever was an incident at the range and it got attention that it too would be closed down quickly and that would really suck.

 

[Legs]

My guess would be the ricochets are generated off the top of the short "pistol" berm on range three. I am to understand that berm was originally twelve feet tall, but is now reduced to just about six feet tall. A ricochet off the top could easily rise over the crest of the back drop hill.

 

[Doublesunder]

I've also have heard ricochets from 3 while I was on lane 4. My total guess is you probably would hear them from every lane if you were situated right.

Maybe lane 3 is more prevalent since it's centrally located ?

 

[Member 34319]

Is the longer range spot legal to shoot on currently?

Yes.

Oh I am quiet well aware of the difference between a shot bouncing off and one intended for you, played that game many times.
Was mostly curious if others had reported similar issues and since this thread seems to be a rolling update to features in the wolf creek lanes figured i'd chip in 2 cents of a "possible" future implementation because lord knows if there ever was an incident at the range and it got attention that it too would be closed down quickly and that would really suck.

The information is definitely appreciated. I will review it with ODF.

Right now there are no design implementations considered for the firing positions to further the safety.

We have looked into Hesco Barriers, likely we wouldn't use them due to their size.

We hope to reduce as much of the unsafe aspects of these sites as we can moving forward.

 

[teflon6string]

Donated money just now. Glad to find the link a few pages back. Thanks for posting.

Everyone who shoots outdoors should contribute in some way! Why?

Although I was born here, I spent several years in SoCal last century. And I saw a number of really deluxe shooting sites shut down, fenced off with barbed wire and signs - thanks to all the morons who left trash, refrigerators, gas grills, computers, furniture, mannequins and TVs. Without conscientious stewardship, we will suffer identical losses here.

Can't afford dollars? Bring a couple trash bags to fill up and take home. Help keep the sites clean and safe.

Now if we could just get those vote whores in Salem to trash no state...

 

[Cogs]

Donated money just now. Glad to find the link a few pages back. Thanks for posting.

Everyone who shoots outdoors should contribute in some way! Why?

Although I was born here, I spent several years in SoCal last century. And I saw a number of really deluxe shooting sites shut down, fenced off with barbed wire and signs - thanks to all the morons who left trash, refrigerators, gas grills, computers, furniture, mannequins and TVs. Without conscientious stewardship, we will suffer identical losses here.

Can't afford dollars? Bring a couple trash bags to fill up and take home. Help keep the sites clean and safe.

Now if we could just get those vote whores in Salem to trash no state...

Thank you, Teflon! I just got the donation notice. Very much appreciated!

Bill

 

[Cogs]

In our meeting with the range consultant, Scott, he pointed out that bullets can skip off the ground and angle upward. The clay dirt we have there is likely assisting with that. We are planning to resurface with material to prevent or minimize skipping. The upward angle, however, would most likely send a bullet into the hill. I think it would depend on if you were shooting at a ground target close to the firing line, in the middle of the lane or a target at the end of the lane.

Still, it could very well be target setup, angle, and a few other combinations.

 

[coyoteman5]

Going there tomorrow to try out my new hiperfire 24c trigger

 

[Cogs]

Going there tomorrow to try out my new hiperfire 24c trigger

Please report back on if there are any other 'Noe-Nazi' publications stapled to the sign boards or not. I took them all down last weekend and hope they have not come back. Also, check lane 4 for the spray paint on the rocks. Let me know if they have been removed or are still there. One rock says *F*** Love, and the other has a 'Star' symbol. I had hoped they were both removed by now.

Thanks, Coyoteman! Have a great time!

Pics if you can!!!

 

[Alan12013]

Please report back on if there are any other 'Noe-Nazi' publications stapled to the sign boards or not. I took them all down last weekend and hope they have not come back. Also, check lane 4 for the spray paint on the rocks. Let me know if they have been removed or are still there. One rock says *F*** Love, and the other has a 'Star' symbol. I had hoped they were both removed by now.

Thanks, Coyoteman! Have a great time!

Pics if you can!!!

I'm heading up tomorrow as well. I will be there sometime before noon (shooting for 9am) and with any luck whatsoever I will be able to pull myself away before 5pm. I will keep my eye out, bring spray paint, cleaning supplies, etc and report back.

 

[Cogs]

I'm heading up tomorrow as well. I will be there sometime before noon (shooting for 9am) and with any luck whatsoever I will be able to pull myself away before 5pm. I will keep my eye out, bring spray paint, cleaning supplies, etc and report back.

Thank you, Sir!