PONTELAND RANGE SAFETY BRIEFING - Tyne Valley Rifle Club

Ponteland Ranges

Tyne Valley Rifle Club | 2026 Issue 2

READ THIS FIRST. Every person attending a shoot at Ponteland — whether shooting or not — must read this brief and sign the attendance register on the day. A short summary will be given on-range no later than 15 minutes before the published start time.

1. Before You Arrive

Parking and access

Park only in the allocated car parks.
Ponteland is on a military facility, but it is not a secured site. Keep valuables out of sight and locked away.
Always close the gates on the access track behind you, even if you found them open.
The car park gate is secured with a bicycle lock. The code is 0000. Re-lock it after passing through.

Sign in

On arrival, every shooter must sign the attendance register and note the lane number they have been allocated.

No tobacco

All Ministry of Defence land is tobacco-free. Smoking and the use of any tobacco product is prohibited everywhere on site, including outdoors.

2. Course of Fire

Shooting takes place from designated firing points between 100 m and 600 m, depending on the range. The distances used on a given day are confirmed on-site or published on the website Shooting Calendar.

What you need to bring

Your own firearms, ammunition and targets.
Club firearms and ammunition can be booked in advance, but availability is limited and priority is given to new members under instruction.

Detail timings

Each shooting detail lasts approximately 20 to 30 minutes. After each detail, shooters are cleared by the RCO before going forward to check, patch or change targets.

NOTE. Civilians are not permitted to use humanoid targets.

3. Firearms and Ammunition

Permitted limits

Maximum muzzle energy: 7,000 J (5,130 ft/lbs)
Maximum muzzle velocity: 1,000 m/s (3,280 fps)
Calibre, chambering and bore diameter: no maximum.

You must be ready to submit your ammunition for a chronograph test, or to provide load data, if asked by the RCO.

High Muzzle Energy (HME)

A firearm and ammunition combination producing more than 4,500 J (3,319 ft/lbs) is classed as High Muzzle Energy.

If HME ammunition is to be fired beyond 200 m, the HME zeroing procedure applies.
The RCO must be informed whenever HME firearms or ammunition are in use, regardless of the distance being fired.

Muzzle-loading firearms

Muzzle-loaders may be used, subject to the RCO holding the relevant qualification.

Long-barrelled pistols and revolvers (LBR / LBP)

LBRs and LBPs may only be handled and fired by the person whose Firearm Certificate they are held on, or by a Registered Firearms Dealer (RFD).

4. Prohibitions

Ammunition not allowed

Monometallic / monolithic bullets — any bullet made from a single type of metal other than lead. These have different ricochet behaviour and may leave the danger area.
Tracer ammunition.

Only lead, or copper- or steel-jacketed lead-cored ammunition, is permitted.

Firearms not allowed

Shotguns, except smooth-bore guns held on a Shotgun Certificate (SGC).

Familiarity rule

You must not handle or fire any firearm or ammunition you are not qualified to use safely. The only exception is when you are receiving instruction under the direct supervision of a person authorised by the RCO.

5. Duties and Responsibilities

The RCO is in charge

FINAL AUTHORITY. The Range Conducting Officer (RCO) is in overall charge of the range, including everything and everyone on it. The RCO has the final decision on everything that happens — or does not happen — on the range.

The RCO may be supported by RCO assistants. Assistants carry the RCO’s authority and may act as they see fit to ensure safe and orderly conduct.

Your responsibility as a shooter

Each shooter is personally responsible for:

Conducting themselves in a safe and responsible manner on the range.
Ensuring their firearm, ammunition and kit are safe and fit for purpose.
Being fully familiar and confident in the safe use of their equipment.
Bringing the tools needed to make a firearm safe so it can be removed from the range after a malfunction. For muzzle-loaders, this includes the means to remove an unfired charge.

IMPORTANT. The RCO and assistants are responsible only for the safe operation of the range. They will not assist with stoppages, malfunctions or breakages unless not doing so would create a safety risk. Sorting out problems with your own equipment is your responsibility.

6. Range Layout and Design

Ponteland Ranges consist of two gallery ranges:

A Range — 12 target lanes.
B Range — 15 target lanes.

Both are Limited Danger Area ranges.

Danger area

A danger area is enforced extending:

1,830 m beyond the stop-butt (bullet catcher).
350 m to either side of the stop-butt.

This area is designed to contain bullets that strike the ground short of the stop-butt, and any bullets, fragments or debris thrown out of the bullet catcher by following shots.

The mantlet

The raised earth mound in front of the targets — the one displaying the lane numbers — is called the mantlet. It protects the target gallery and anyone working in it from the firing line.

Public bridle path

A public bridle path crosses the danger area. Sentry points are positioned at the north and south points where the path enters and exits the danger area. These are manned during shooting. Sentries will contact the RCO so that firing can be stopped until the path is clear.

Access to the butts

Use the paths on either side of the range, not directly down the middle. The RCO may require only one path to be used if conditions demand it.

7. On the Firing Point

Setting up

Range staff will allocate you to a lane.
Do not step onto, or place any kit on, the firing point until the RCO or an assistant gives permission.
You may have only one firearm, with its ammunition and related equipment, on the firing point at any one time.

Loading and firing

Do not load or fire until told to do so by the RCO.
Hold all firearms horizontally and pointing at the target when loading, unloading, dealing with misfires or having them inspected.
Only shoot at the target allocated to your lane. There must be no cross-firing.

End of detail

Raise your hand to have your rifle cleared by the RCO or an assistant.
Each firearm must be checked by the RCO or an assistant before it is removed from the firing point. You must ask the RCO for permission before moving any firearm — this lets the RCO track what firearms are being moved around the range.

Failure to fire

If a round fails to fire:

Do not open the bolt for at least 30 seconds.
Keep the rifle horizontal and pointing directly at your target.
Raise your hand to attract the attention of the RCO or an assistant.

Hearing and eye protection

Hearing protection is mandatory on or near the firing point and in the butts. Eye protection is strongly recommended.

Going forward of the firing point

You may go forward of the firing point only when authorised by the RCO. Stay behind the gravelled area until the ‘Clear To Shoot’ command has been given.

8. The 70 Mil Rule

CRITICAL SAFETY RULE. On Limited Danger Area ranges, no firearm on the firing point — loaded or not — may have its muzzle elevated by more than 70 Mils. That is only 4 degrees.

A 7.62 / .308 bullet fired at an angle greater than 70 Mils will pass over the stop-butt. Its potential maximum range is over 4,000 m, well beyond the range danger area.

It is your personal responsibility to make sure your scope or other sighting arrangement is correctly aligned (bore-sighted, in the case of scopes) so that no shot can pass over the stop-butt.

NEW SIGHTS. Anyone shooting a rifle with a recently fitted sight of any type must make themselves known to the RCO before commencing shooting.

9. Moderators and Muzzle-Brakes

If you are using a moderator or muzzle-brake, position the rifle on the firing point so that the moderator or brake extends beyond the gravelled area — that is, beyond the firing line. This stops blast (or debris from a damaged moderator) affecting other shooters.

10. Handling Firearms Behind the Firing Point

Do not handle or uncase a firearm without the RCO’s permission. Permission is normally only given on the firing point.
If you need to handle a firearm behind the firing point, ask the RCO or an assistant. They must supervise until the firearm is cased or back in its slip.
Any uncased firearm behind the firing point must be visibly unloaded and safe. The RCO may require a breech flag to be inserted.

11. Emergency Stop

EMERGENCY STOP CALL. If firing must stop in an emergency, the call “STOP! STOP! STOP!” will be issued. Anyone who sees a serious safety threat must also make this call.

When you hear the emergency stop call:

Stop shooting immediately.
Keep rifles pointing at the target.
Do not unload.
Do not move from the firing point.
Wait for further instructions.

Red flag on the mantlet

If the red flag on the mantlet is raised, stop firing and bring it to the attention of an official immediately.

Reporting hazards

If you see anything that may be a safety hazard, bring it to the attention of the RCO. For a serious threat to safety, call “STOP! STOP! STOP!”

12. End of Firing Day

Once the RCO has inspected and cleared your firearms:

Pick up all litter and brass from your firing position, including non-reusable cases such as rimfire.
Check that targets have been patched and any staples removed.
Return targets to the target shed.

Questions?

If anything in this brief is unclear, ask a member of range staff before shooting starts. We are happy to explain.