Cops, sports shooters soon without Jamestown gun range due to 'a couple of idiots'
By Keith Norman / Forum News Service Today at 11:05 a.m.
JAMESTOWN, N.D. - Shooting sports enthusiasts will be without a range to shoot here after July 1. Bob Martin, manager of Pipestem Dam for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said the rifle range located west of the dam will close on that date due to safety issues.
“The safety concerns started popping up eight years ago,” he said. “There have been additional buildings adjacent to the down-range area. Outbuildings there have three or four (bullet) holes in them.”
The outbuildings are on property next to corps land and were likely struck by bullets not fired at the targets either intentionally or accidently.
Martin said one target on the edge of the range nearest the buildings being struck was removed this spring. Other targets were lowered to reduce the chance of stray bullets, and signs with safety messages were added.
The range met safety codes, passing an inspection by a member of the United Sportsmen of North Dakota Jamestown Chapter who was certified by the National Rifle Association as a shooting range specialist.
However, the problem continued with another incident of a bullet striking a building about a month ago, Martin said.
“Within two weeks there was another incident,” Martin said.
Range users who limit their shots to the defined targets are not the problem.
“Between careless, inexperienced and just being stupid,” Martin said, referring to the source or sources of the stray bullets. “If you are shooting at the proper targets, it’s impossible to shoot off the range. But you know they’re not just shooting at the targets by looking at the (damaged) signs.”
Larry Kukla, secretary of the Jamestown United Sportsmen, said it was unfortunate the range had to close.
“It is a sad day, but for safety reasons we have to close the range,” he said.
Martin said United Sportsmen had been instrumental in keeping the range clean and operational over the past years.
“The United Sportsmen put a lot of time and money into the range,” he said. “Members came out every other week to clean up the garbage and keep it usable.”
Local shooting enthusiasts are unsure where they will be able to shoot in the future.
“It is nice to have a place to come out and shoot,” said Scott Nordstrom, Jamestown, who was at the range for the third time this season on Tuesday. “A facility like this is important. Finding a landowner that will allow you to shoot is difficult.”
John Schaller, Jamestown resident who was at the range Tuesday for the fifth or sixth time this year, said the nearest range could be as far away as Casselton.
“Where do we go to shoot?” he said.
Local law enforcement officers will also need to find another range for practicing and testing.
“It’s huge,” Jamestown Police Chief Scott Edinger said about the range closure. “It leaves us with no place to train.”
Edinger said the police department had been using the Pipestem range for about five years since its own shooting range was shut down for safety issues. He said the department was reassessing options it had explored previously.
Kukla said United Sportsmen would likely attempt to locate another range for public use, although the club had not met since the range’s closing was announced.
Roads leading to the shooting range will be closed beginning July 1, and anyone caught driving in the area will be fined, Martin said.
Nordstrom said the entire situation was unfortunate.
“It just takes a couple of idiots to ruin it for everyone,” he said.
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