Long guns being transported to or from a line/bench position at a populated (1 or more other persons) range should be done so as cased...all the way up to the line/bench position. To be uncased for direct inspection and thereafter the chamber opened and locked as such while out and in use between shots of fire.
As for handguns they should be on body holstered or cased if not carried in a container (not by hand). Same rules apply toward their actions being kept open at the line/bench.
This is just basic firearm safety sense.
As nedgr noted people do show up stupid and do stupid unthinking things like transport firearms that have been stored loaded and 'forget' that they are loaded.
Also you don't want to be the club that has an errant round as fired up into the air that arcs and catches wind to land on some persons head far outside the range. It's a public relations nightmare for your facility and the personal legal and financial liability is steep.
Police: target shooter may have hit NASCAR fan
Man fired 5 or 6 rounds near rifle range five miles from speedway
updated 2:38 p.m. ET, Mon., Nov . 3, 2008
FORT WORTH, Texas
Police: target shooter may have hit NASCAR fan - Motor Sports- nbcsports.msnbc.com
All of this really should be a no brainer.
- Janq
"1. ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction." -
The National Rifle Association