Shooting ranges open again from 8 June

The national security council has decided that all indoor sports activities will be possible again from 8 June. As a result, all indoor shooting ranges can also reopen, of course provided that all known measures (hand hygiene, keeping a distance, etc.) are observed.

Shooting is an individual sport, the shooters stand on separate shooting ranges that are shielded from each other. As a result, it is very unlikely that the SarsCov2 virus can spread during shooting. There are situations where the distance is difficult to respect. We are thinking, for example, of training of shooters, guidance of holders of a provisional marksman’s license, practical tests, … In such cases, the use of mouth masks and gloves will be recommended.

Queues also pose a possible risk, it will be important to take measures here to maintain the safety distance. It is up to each shooting range to determine its own regulations that take into account the specificity of the shooting range, the infrastructure, the disciplines offered and the health measures.

Of course, everyone is looking forward to being able to practice their hobby and sport again after almost three months of hiatus. There is a risk that in the first few weeks a lot of shooters will suddenly want to go back to the shooting range. That is why most clubs will probably take measures to control the crowds by, for example, limiting the duration of shootings, working with a reservation system, adjusting opening hours, … Here too, we ask everyone to understand the measures taken by the operators. In this way, the situation will probably return to normal within a few weeks.

End of special regulation for marksmen’s licences

Earlier we reported that the Flemish government decides that all marksmen’s licenses that expire within one month after the end of the closure of the shooting ranges may be declared valid by the federations, even if there were insufficient shootings.

Now that the shooting ranges will reopen from 8 June, this means that this special scheme will expire on 8 July 2020. So if you have a marksman’s license that expires before July 8, 2020, you can have it validated even if you have insufficient turns. It is not necessary for these shooters to rush to the shooting range to still get turns.

For those whose marksman’s license expires on July 9, 2020 or later, the situation is different. These marksmen will have to prove that they have participated in 12 shootings spread over at least 2 trimesters. Those who have not yet started shooting during the current validity period of their marksman’s license will therefore not be able to apply for validation since their shooting sessions are not spread over at least 2 trimesters.

However, those who have already started shooting and still miss turns, and whose marksman’s license expires after July 9, must ensure that they still reach the necessary number of shootings in time. After all, when validating as of 9 July 2020, the federations must take into account, as before the corona period, the conditions included in the marksmen’s decree.