J.S. Sooner, SASS #73526 Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 I just took over as match director for a local club this year. I ran two matches last season and we have shot one match this season. Club politics has created some issues with the different shooting disciplines over the years. Cowboy actions, IDPA, Steel challenge, Bulls eye, High power rifle or small bore are the different shooting sports active at the club. The board is mostly new, the president and vice president positions are occupied by casual shooters; they are not involved in any of the shooting sports held at the club. Some have complained about the Cowboy’s leaving shotgun wads on the range after a shoot. We have grass ranges and the mower usually chops them up eventually. On most bays we use, the regular members can shoot shotgun without any requirement to pick up their wads, we find wads on the range when we set up the cowboy match. One or two bays we use; the regular members are restricted from using shotguns on these ranges. The board thinks that if members see wads left from a cowboy shoot, they will think it is ok to shoot shotgun there also. Has anyone run into this problem? If so, how do you clean them up? We can rake them up or use a leaf blower to get them into a pile or pick up. Does your club require the cowboy shooters to clean up all of their shotgun wads? Thank you, JS Sooner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Kneestone SASS #14851 Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 We pick up as many wads as possible after every one of our cowboy shoots. This seems to satisfy the powers that be who objected to them lying around. We use the "Gopher" type pickup tools like everyone uses to pick up brass. Two or three of us can pick up expended wads in about ten minutes or so. Keeps the range looking a lot cleaner. I carry them off the range with our trash each shoot. Kid Kneestone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.S. Sooner, SASS #73526 Posted May 1, 2013 Author Share Posted May 1, 2013 Thank you for the reply, I am going to clean up what I can with a rake the first time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cowboy Junky Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Leaf blower......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Branchwater Jack SASS #88854 Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Leaf blower......... And people don't complain about the noise? :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosegow Hank #21444 Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 We shoot on the Sherriff's range and have to pickup all of our shotgun wads. We have a small tractor for mowing and moving our big targets. We purchased a leaf sweeper to pull behind the tractor and it picks up all of the wads which we put in their dumpster. They are about $270 online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackrabbit Joe #414 Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Upon finishing the shoot for the day all wads are raked up and disposed of by the club members at Ben Avery Range in Phoenix, Az. Probably only takes maybe 10-15 minutes raking a stage with couple big rakes. Most shooters also help in tearing down targets/props from the stages as well. Hope this helps: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace_of_Hearts Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Hmmmmmmm...... I wonder would a cheap electric lawnmower with a bag work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake Eye Alger, SASS # 3939 Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Yep, we rake them up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.S. Sooner, SASS #73526 Posted May 2, 2013 Author Share Posted May 2, 2013 Well, it took 4 hours to clean off 5 ranges with the gopher grabber, by hand sometimes and the rest with a rake. We have grass in PA, if the bays were hard sand a rake would make quick work of it. The club did get a leaf blower but some were embedded in the grass and some were pushed down into the soil. A blower would work if the grass were low enough or worn down where the air stream would move them well. I do have a lawn sweeper but the clubs mower is a larger zero turn and some bays are not too wide, you need to make wider turns than normal with a zero trun while towing the sweeper. Has anyone tried a push type sweeper like this one. http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/202638942?productId=202638942&storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&ci_sku=202638942&cm_mmc=shopping-_-googleads-_-pla-_-202638942&ci_gpa=pla#.UYGwAUpLnpc This size would fit into our storage shed much better than a tow type sweeper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace_of_Hearts Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Has anyone tried one of these? http://www.ammoupusa.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Boy Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Does your club require the cowboy shooters to clean up all of their shotgun wads? No Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Coffinmaker Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Lucky I guess. None of the ranges I shoot at care about wads <}:-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rio Brazos Kid Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Easiest way to pick-up wads is with a leaf rake/sweeper attachment pulled behind a lawn tractor or a 4 wheeler. Get the kind with the rotating broom in front of the catch bag, and get the one designed for pine straw. It will clean them up in short order. Cost between $250 and $300. We use one to clean up a full fledged shotgun range, (Skeet and Trap range), and it does a great job. RBK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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