Henry Rifle Forums

I'm thinking I should buy a red range flag for my backyard range. Does anyone besides the military use these anymore?

Our club uses a red range flag that you are required to put out whenever anyone goes downrange to pull targets. Sure can't hurt for you to use something of that nature while shooting.

It is my understanding a red flag means the range is in use. It is raised by the first person who arrives at the range and must be out anytime a firearm is uncased. It has no special meaning during a cease-fire and doesn't indicate the range is safe. It is taken down by the last person who leaves the range.

Anyone at my club puts up the flag appropriate to the activity. Archery, Range, Hunting (which takes precedence over the others). The first for that activity logs in and puts the flag up, which is on a big sign listing the rules. It stays up until the last participants log out.

Your intention is to keep the unwary from crossing your firing line while you are shooting, especially since the pellet guns are so quiet.
I would put an eye bolt on the back stop, and make a stand for your firing line with a matching eye bolt. Get an appropriate length of bright yellow (ski rope?) line and put snap hooks, caribieners, etc on both ends...

Then you can stretch the line across the path, and put a sign on the line saying, stop: target shooting in progress. The clips make it easy to take the line down when you aren't shooting. Not everyone knows what a red flag means, most folks know you don't cross a yellow barrier line at waist level.

BrokenolMarine wrote:Your intention is to keep the unwary from crossing your firing line while you are shooting, especially since the pellet guns are so quiet.
I would put an eye bolt on the back stop, and make a stand for your firing line with a matching eye bolt. Get an appropriate length of bright yellow (ski rope?) line and put snap hooks, caribieners, etc on both ends...

Then you can stretch the line across the path, and put a sign on the line saying, stop: target shooting in progress. The clips make it easy to take the line down when you aren't shooting. Not everyone knows what a red flag means, most folks know you don't cross a yellow barrier line at waist level.

I'm thinking the same thing as there are already two points where I could put the eye bolts.

Since I don't think I will be able to add my 100 yard range as I had planned by running the new range off 90 degrees from the existing 50 yard formal range, and adding a new berm. I can move back to about 85 yards on my current range by building a platform in the edge of the woods and use the existing berm. This would allow me to give the long guns a better workout. I was concerned, as I would be shooting across our "farm drive" back to the old horse barn and lower pasture. It's rarely used, but it only takes ONE mistake... and I wouldn't be shooting pellets.

If, .... ... if I went that route. I planned to stretch a rope across the farm road any time I was using the platform to shoot:
twenty yards on both sides of the shooting lane, with bright orange streamers hanging off the rope. The area in question is in the middle of the property, but... ... why take a chance.

Plus.. as an additional safety factor, the platform would have me shooting OVER most everyone anyway... ... but why chance it.
Come spring, i'll decide. 100 yard range might happen, do nothing, or build the platform.

Our club has a red flag and tall pole for range in use. You run the flag up when get there and down when you leave.

RanchRoper wrote:Our club has a red flag and tall pole for range in use. You run the flag up when get there and down when you leave.

I like the idea of a red flag and rope tie off. The chances of someone "walking through" is not high but still moderate.

About the red flag, I was explaining to my BIL the other night how the yachts in harbor years ago would run up various ensigns or small flags which would indicate any number of things, such as cocktail hour (the origin of out discussion), whether or not the owner was aboard, or the crew was having it's meal, or whatever the case may have been.

I would like to think those things still go on, though somehow I doubt it. Probably all digital now

So fly the flag SirH

Our club uses red/yellow flags as wind indicators. Just about every high power range I've shot on uses them.

snell wrote:Our club uses red/yellow flags as wind indicators. Just about every high power range I've shot on uses them.

Our range doesn't use them. Instead they have a switch that activates flashing lights and a very loud buzzer.

Red flags are ubiquitous at our range – there's one on the flagpole at the gate and also one on any range that's in use (archery, trap, rifle or pistol). Everybody's attuned to looking for them and they do they job they're intended for.

The key here is it's a home range. The difference is that at a formal range "most" know the discipline and recognize the range flags for what they are... in fact we look for them as we enter the ranges without even registering that that we do it. It's habit, second nature.


On a home range, it's a less controlled environment, never know who might show up and wander thru... neighbor, UPS or FEDex with goodies, meter reader, or friends or family unannounced. They could be non-shooters knowing nothing about ranges or range flags. BUT, we all learn at an early age a rope at waist level....

Safer for all and easy enough.

^^^ This ^^^

A little mini version of "Boot Hill" near the entrance would work too....