The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The North Corral > Lock and Load: Live Fire Exercises

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old October 22, 2001, 01:50 PM   #1
OkieCruffler
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 9, 2001
Location: Denison Texas on the banks of Texhoma
Posts: 1,556
Range report from hell (rantin N ravin)

I have a story about my range trip today that I just have to pass on. Before I start, let me assure you that I did not make this up.

After a really bad night at work I thought a quick range trip would do me some good, so I threw my shotgun, a case of shells, some clays and my thrower into the trusty subaru. Since I was off to the local public range and there isn't always room to bust clays, I also packed my favorite Mosin, Enfeild, and Mauser. I got to the range and as it often is this time of year, it was crowded, but I got a free bench and unpacked my rifles (no clay busting on this trip ). I gave up on putting my targets out after the three young men at the far end of the range ignored all three of my request to hold fire and instead continued to send a barrage of .22 fire down range from several small pistols. I gave half of my bench to a man who showed up with his 10 year old daughter and her new .22 Henry lever action. Seemed like the neighborly thing to do, and my butt is not yet quite so wide that I need the whole bench. I then proceeded to shoot at various dirt clods and clay pidgeon chips at the 50 yrd backstop in front of me. The man to my left was trying out what appeared to be a really old Hi-point pistol that jammed every other round. Each jam was followed by a string of vulgarity that would have made any sailor proud. The man sharing my bench cringed with each word, especially when the word "C*NT" made its way around, which it did with great frequency. I hoped in vain that his daughters ear protection filtered out those words. The two young men to my right began moaning about "those people", said while casting a gaze in my direction, who bring there modern rifles and ruin the range for the black powder shooters. Both of these purest were shooting in-line magnum rifles that I'm sure put my old bolt actions to shame. The final straw came when I looked to my left again, only to find myself looking down the barrel of the Hi-point pistol as the man tried to clear a jam of some sort. I packed up my toys and came home.

Man, I miss living in the country.
__________________
John A. Monroe, Never Forgive, Never Forget, Blood Pays Blood
OkieCruffler is offline  
Old October 22, 2001, 02:24 PM   #2
Dead
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 5, 2000
Location: AoW Land, USA
Posts: 1,968


That last part is just too much. There are some real morons on the range sometimes. If someone ever did that at the range I goto, they would be kicked out, for the day. If they do it again, they are would most likely not be welcome back ever.

The only good thing, is that the people that dont know how ot respect guns are a very very small minority
__________________
Dead [Black Ops]
www.therallypoint.org
Dead is offline  
Old October 23, 2001, 01:57 AM   #3
blades67
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 22, 1999
Location: Chandler, Arizona, USA
Posts: 6,014


Bummer range visit.:barf:
__________________
Guns cause crime like spoons cause Rosie O'Donnell to be fat!

I hunt, therefore I am.
blades67 is offline  
Old October 23, 2001, 01:26 PM   #4
OkieCruffler
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 9, 2001
Location: Denison Texas on the banks of Texhoma
Posts: 1,556
Problem with this place is that its an outdoor rifle range on a public hunting area. From time to time the game ranger will come down and take a look, but this time of year he has bigger fish to fry with all the guys walking around during primative deer season with their 30-06's. I'm sure to start something with this statement, but when I was a hunter, it's been over 10 years ago now, it seemed like we were a more polite and friendly bunch. Granted, my experience the other day was the worst by far, but it wasn't the first bad experience I've had. Maybe I'm just so used to having my own place to shoot that I'm over sensitive. Regardless, I can't wait until next summer. When it gets hot I pretty much have the place to myself. MY wife has decided that we're moving to Texas next year. I told her she could move anywhere she wanted, but if I can't shoot clays off the back porch I ain't going. I've had enough of this urban living.
__________________
John A. Monroe, Never Forgive, Never Forget, Blood Pays Blood
OkieCruffler is offline  
Old October 24, 2001, 03:40 AM   #5
biganimal
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 5, 2001
Location: south carolina
Posts: 435
okie
that sure was a lousey day for ya. You are a gentleman. I'm sure things would have gone a tad bit different had I been there......

I am sure that I could have convinced the squirts with the 22's that they should stop long enough for me to set targets without violence.........I'm 5'9", 275 lbs, bald, and I have hands the size of hams!!!
Plus I"m uuuuuugggly.
I also carry a large revolver to the range. This combo tends to make folks behave around me.
The potty mouthed fella would have had a short talk with me and he would have seen the error of his ways. when I'm around nop-one talks like that around a kid!!!
I also carry a cell phone and won't hesitate to use it.
I moonlight as a bar bouncer and have had very few guys want to trifle with me. Not braggin, just fact.
The gent with the gun pointed at me would have seen my mag pointed his way in self defense, cuz its reflex.....here I may have used a few choice words myself!!!!
__________________
Other than That, Mrs Lincoln, How was the play?
biganimal is offline  
Old October 24, 2001, 11:01 AM   #6
OkieCruffler
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 9, 2001
Location: Denison Texas on the banks of Texhoma
Posts: 1,556
There was a time in my younger days when I would have confronted the bunch. I'm 5'9'' ,270, tattooed, and an uglier man has yet to walk the face of this earth. I also used to run security for heavy metal and punk bands in the area. But I'm older now, much of my 270 has moved from my chest to my waist while I wasn't looking. Can't hear out of my right ear, and have a constant ringing in my left from the heavy metal music. Had to have my gall bladder removed and an umbilical hernia repaired 2 weeks ago, and that has taken some of the spunk of me. And in this day and age, I'm slow to be confrontational to an armed group. I've coded too many gunshot victims who had done much less. I guess I'm finally getting old, my wife will be happy to hear it. On a happier note, just got back from the same range. Still crowded, but I managed to get off 20 rds from my mosin and my enfeild, and then daydreamed as I wasted a half a brick of .22. This topped off my day after I ran a sucessful code on a 58 year old woman last night, who if her luck holds, just might get to spend the holidays with her grandkids. Sometimes life is a pain, sometimes it's wonderful, but it always beats the alternative.
__________________
John A. Monroe, Never Forgive, Never Forget, Blood Pays Blood
OkieCruffler is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:17 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.04666 seconds with 10 queries