I work for the POA, just heard it's closed because a bullet left the range and hit something. No real details, just that and it may be closed for several months. I guess an email to POA members is coming.

Sucks, now I have to find another place to shoot.

Okay here's from an email.



...The POA was recently notified of a stray bullet believed to have been fired from the direction of the Highlands Sporting Complex (Pistol and Rifle Range). A home was struck by the stray bullet; fortunately, no one was injured. An investigation completed by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office indicates the likely origin of the bullet was from the Highlands Sporting Complex. The POA takes this situation very seriously and made the decision to temporarily close the Pistol and Rifle Range. During the closure, the POA will partner with industry experts to conduct a full safety assessment of the Pistol and Rifle Range, with the intention of making all reasonable improvements. While the POA will work as efficiently as possible, it is likely the Pistol and Rifle Range will remain closed for several months. The Skeet and Trap Range will remain open during this time. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this closure, and we thank the Membership for their patience and cooperation....

CRAP.
Another black eye for the shooting sports.

If you look at google maps there seems to be only one house due south of the rifle range... the one at the end of the access road that parallels I-49... I don't know how to scale a distance on google maps but it would be interesting to see how far the next set of houses is.
The RO told me they don't have room to increase the berm so it will probably be closed for a long time...  I've never been to the Neosho range but that is the closest 100yd option I know of (besides Hobbs-which I don't think I'll go to)... after that its Harrison/Berryville or Ft.Smith area... anyone know of anything closer?

Google earth shows it it is a 1.4 mile distance from the back of the range to the house.  :(



ETA: Second set of houses is just under 2 miles.

Thanks... somehow I couldn't figure that...  I also wondered about the 2nd set down by the county road.
Can you get Google Maps to show a distance, or is it only with Google Earth?
1~2 miles... Isn't that well within the range of say, a 223?

I had to use google earth to get a distance tool.

ETA:
1-2 miles is within the range of a .223, if someone had a neglent discharge and the weapon was angled up.

Think about how much you have to dial up when shooting distance, my 6.5 needs around 9 mils of elevation at around 1000 yards. Normal shooters at Bella vista would not have came close to the house due to the range backstop and normal bullet drop due to gravity.

Someone had a weapon angled up 45deg or so and popped a round off, that is if the round truly did come from the range and wasnt from someone screwing around in the fields by the house.

They could have been turned around and accidentally fired a round through the parking lot into one of those houses across the street too.

Doesn't seem like that would take much investigating but the email really doesn't have a lot of details. I'm pretty sure that happened once before, many years ago.

That's a damn good point, I assumed it was a downrange house.

I'm pretty sure it was a house south of the range - last week they had an orange construction fence running down the #14 bench line... to keep targets aligned to the left. I asked the RO what was go'in on, and he told essentially me someone complained that a bullet hit their house. He said there are a few shooters who set their targets way over to the right of the #14 metal target frame... where there isn't a good berm. (the range doesn't have enough area to build more berm up due to the distance needed for the angle of repose of piled dirt.
I also noticed a Lake Ranger sitting in a lawn chair watching everyone...

IIRC the maximum distance range for any cartridge is at 35*.  I don't think someone shooting at 100 yds is gonna come close to that unless they intentionally aim over the berm. I think the problem is people shooting at 50 or 25 yds because the target frames are pretty tall and with the stands at close range, especially to the far right, it would be pretty easy to shoot over the low berm and not realize it.

There are a lot of ways they could mitigate the issue, but I don't have my hopes up any solution will be a good one for the users.

Thanks for the added info. I've got my fingers crossed they figure out a good fix and get it open again. It sees a lot of use and a lot of crusty old guy POA members will be pissed if it closes so that's got to help.

I figure with the new interstate and the development that's sure to come the ranges days are numbered tho either way.

Company Christmas party is this coming Tuesday. Tom Judson, head POA guy will be there.

I'm sure someone will ask about it, I'll post any new news.

Another longshot (pun semi-intended)... maybe the projectile didn't come from the range- it is hunting season after all and there is a lot of open land down that way...

Could have come from these