THOSE People At The Range

[44caliberkid]

I usually go to the outdoor range on week day mornings because I’m the only one there. There are a few other older guys I’m acquainted with and will still shoot with them, but when someone I’ve never seen before shows up I pack up and go home. I never go on a Saturday or Sunday.
We had a few warm afternoons last week and I went out at about 2 PM. First day I was alone. Second day another old gentleman was there, we were both shooting.22 pistols and he had a rifle too. After about 45 minutes a car drove in and unloaded a husband and wife couple with a boy about 15 and another boy about 4. The other man I was shooting with immediately started packing up to leave. I wanted to shoot a few more rounds as I was testing a new pistol for accuracy and sight alignment.
First the 4 year old started screaming and crying because his dad went down range to post targets and the mom was keeping him back. The teenager was unpacking some black plastic 9mm pistols at their station, and handling the weapons while his dad was down range. The dad came back and they started loading guns. The little kid was still crying. I was hoping they weren’t going to let him shoot. I was trying to get off two more cylinders full of a different brand of ammo, then I was going to flee. The teenager starts shooting first, his brass flying over and hitting me on the head and shoulders. While he was reloading and the dad started shooting, the mom told them their brass was hitting me. They didn’t say a word, no sorry or excuse me. I scooped up my stuff and got out of there. As I left, took a glance at their human silhouette targets hanging at about 15 feet away. Bullet holes everywhere, nothing like a group or even a cluster. When I retrieved my target it had a 9mm hole in it and I was three spaces away from them. I drove away glad I wasn’t wounded, the 4 year old still crying.

[Pahoo]

I usually go to the outdoor range on week day mornings because I’m the only one there.

Great idea and when you go to a public range, there is lack of discipline and courtesies. In short, you picked a bad time. .....

You really cannot control what others, say, think and do, only what "you" say, think and do .... !!! (Gees, I'm starting to talk, like Kamala!!

Be Safe !!!

[Double Naught Spy]

Oh goodness, you mean the range was noisy and you got hit by some brass, and you don't like the groups other people shoot. That does sound horrible.

[44caliberkid]

Not a public range, and membership must be sponsored by a member.

[stagpanther]

Not a public range, and membership must be sponsored by a member.

Then bring it up at the next meeting lest the entire membership is potentially liable for truly negligent behavior.

[tangolima]

Similar thing happened in our club. I called the master RSO and he took care of it.

From time to time I have this thought in my mind; those people shouldn't be allowed to handle firearms. It took me a while to see the fallacy of my thinking. They have the same rights as I do till they are prohibited by laws or disallowed by other rules and regulations, even though I don't like what they do. It is perhaps the price for our freedom.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[DaveBj]

Fortunately, that would never happen where I shoot. RSO would take care of that immediately. For starters, the 4-year-old would never be allowed.

[Aguila Blanca]

Some parents/people simply don't have a clue.

I shoot at an indoor range. The lanes each have a counter (for lack of a better term -- it runs wall-to-wall between the dividing partitions, so not really a "bench") that's probably 42 inches above the floor. Comfortable height for most adults -- too high for little kids.

I was at the end of a session one day, so I walked down the line to get the broom and dustpan to sweep up my brass. Several lanes over was a father and son. The kid was maybe eight years old (possibly a small ten). The his eye level was about the height of the counter. So his father went out into the outer corridor and found one of those plastic, nesting patio chairs (yeah, the ones with the legs that buckle if you look at them cross-eyed), set it up behind the counter, and had his kid standing on the wobbly chair while he was shooting.

YIKES!

I'm an NRA chief range safety officer, but I've never worked as an RSO at that range. I did that day -- normally if I see an issue I'll go grab an employee and them handle it, but that one I had to stop right then. The father was not a happy camper.

SHEESH!

[Skans]

Take out the snub-nosed 44 magnum and start blasting. Or, the 308 bullpup.They'll clear out soon enough.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Originally Posted by Tangolima

It is perhaps the price for our freedom.

Really, it is the price of unmitigated stupidity more than freedom.

That is to say, stupid should hurt... and it no longer does.
I don't mean (just) physical pain but the much more effective societal pain.

People who did stupid things used to be ostracized by the community. Kids were raised with standards and if they didn't abide by them, the parents were *rightfully* embarrassed... and the kids punished.
Parents who raised kids without standards were known and to anyone with sense, it was embarrassing and a strong incentive to not be stupid, or let your kids do stupid things, or to embarrass your parents.

Certainly, this system was not always perfect, or even right, but it was effective, and it no longer exists.

[oldmanFCSA]

I currently live in Wisconsin moving here after 27 years in Minnesota and many growing up years in NW Iowa, Jefferson, Ames, Huxley, Cedar Fals, Washington, all in Iowa.
I've shot at many a range, some controlled by an RSO, mostly not as at a public range.
I've packed up and left many public ranges before I was done shooting for the same reason the O.P. stated.

Once I had a "kid" next to me with a nice rifle - while I was down range putting up a fresh target, he fired a shot while range was "cold" stating that his lane was not cold. He did this several times even after being told not to. The last time he shot while I was down range, the shot was very close to me. I walked back to him and asked to see his accurate rifle. After making sure it was unloaded, I grabbed it by the barrel and slammed it onto the conrete bench shattering the stock and crushing the scope and bolt handle. The I stated " NEVER AGAIN FIRE WHILE PEOPLE ARE DOWN RANGE!" and I left quickly never to return.

Back when I was young and dumb (maybe 40 at the time).

Now days when I setup my 50BMG target rifle I let others shoot it and keep a fired casing. I am very courteous to others on the range to not let my muzzle blast affect them. I also act as an RSO at all times training others to be acting RSO's to keep everyone safe so they are having fun.

[ghbucky]

I found a great public range near Louisville, KY. They have an RSO running the range at all times.

They have a line painted down the firing line about 3 feet behind the shooting positions.

When the range is cold, unless you are downrange setting targets and such, you have to be behind that line. And the RSO is on a mike and will instantly berate anyone who approaches their firearms.

[Scorch]

while I was down range putting up a fresh target, he fired a shot while range was "cold" stating that his lane was not cold.

Yeah, no.

You know the saying, "don't be that guy".

Had a guy fire once when the range was cold and I was downrange posting targets. He got one of the best USMC-inspired cussing outs I have ever given. Got him kicked out of the club, people were saying "he's old and doesn't have anything else to do than come to the range". Tough. I'll be damned if I'm gonna travel around the world just to get killed 5 minutes from home.

[Mike38]

I have voluntarily limited myself to range visits after 8:00pm on Friday nights because more times than not, I am the only person there. Occasionally there is a guy that shows up around 9:00 but he doesn't spend much time there. He shoots a box of 9mm, packs up and leaves all in about 15 minutes. Then the range is mine again. Best thing about it, I pick up all his once fired brass.

[603Country]

I’d have packed up and left like the OP did. I don’t want to be around idiots with guns. I used to shoot at two ranges in North Houston, and I don’t remember any dangerous idiots. There were some inexperienced folk and maybe an idiot or two, but I never felt in danger. Well..one time there was this guy at the next bench shooting a 460 Weatherby Mag with a muzzle brake. Every time he cranked that thing off, all the stuff on my bench got relocated.

Got my own 100 yard range here at the ranch, so I only shoot with people I trust and know to be safe.

[stagpanther]

Public ranges are tricky things--and there are almost always a very broad range of experience in shooters who show up. That's just the way it is.

I learned a long time ago that if I go to a public range--and there is no range officer there to command/control--that I will take over and do that myself. I'm hardly an intimidating person--but I have just enough interest in not being around when/if someone gets blown away and enough "inner Ahole" to put it out there. I've never once had anyone challenge my doing this, and usually everyone follows my calls, I think the majority of people are happier when someone is calling the shots.

[reddog81]

Originally Posted by Double Naught Spy

Oh goodness, you mean the range was noisy and you got hit by some brass, and you don't like the groups other people shoot. That does sound horrible.

Yeah, other than the one errant round I'm not sure what the problem is. If anything it sounds like they should be visiting the range more often. Brass can fly off in any number of directions. New shooters usually have no idea where their brass is going.

People show up and shoot at the shooting range. That's what happens.

[WmMunny]

After complaints to both the RSO and the owner of what used to be a pretty nice range in my town didn't put an end to repeated unsafe behaviors by clueless newbies as well as over-testosteroned hot dogs, I cancelled my membership.

[jonnyc]

"Yeah, other than the one errant round I'm not sure what the problem is."

WTH!!! So you're OK with people handling guns AND shooting while someone is down-range at the target butts??? Anyone who thinks that's OK should turn in all their guns and move to CA or NJ!

[stagpanther]

WTH!!! So you're OK with people handling guns AND shooting while someone is down-range at the target butts??? Anyone who thinks that's OK should turn in all their guns and move to CA or NJ!

I've seen worse--including someone arriving while the range was hot and almost every lane was actively being used with the live fire; and a guy walked right out into the field of fire and started collecting brass (a metals scavenger).

[zeke]

Originally Posted by reddog81

Yeah, other than the one errant round I'm not sure what the problem is. If anything it sounds like they should be visiting the range more often. Brass can fly off in any number of directions. New shooters usually have no idea where their brass is going.

People show up and shoot at the shooting range. That's what happens.

If you fire while someone is down range at our club, you would be mighty lucky to ever shoot there again. If not arrested.

[Paul B.]

One day at the range there were two of us. I was at the extreme right hand bench that the other shooter was at the extreme left hand bench, a distance of about 35 to 40 yards, possibly a little more.

The range was called cold and I was putting up a new target when, "BANG!" a shot goes off. Then another. That idiot at to other end decided he could start shooting because he though I was safe from his shots. I informed him he was grossly in error. I told him that if he wanted to argue the point I would go to the office and have the range master decide. I already knew what the outcome would have been if he's wanted to dispute it. You see the range was self governed at the time. Senior club member was more or less the acting RO. Probably 90 percent of the time that was me. I spent a lot of time there after retirement. Then , they hired a couple of retired corrections officers to be regular ROs. One guy is pretty good but the other? We're supposed to be allowed to set up a chronograph but this one RO will not allow it. The club said it was his call regardless that club rules allowed it. I complained long and hard but to no avail. After that he would harass me in one way or another. Constantly checking my gun, picking them up without asking permission. Finally, I said to hell with it. I was at the point where it might have looked like the OK corral was a Sunday school picnic. The sad thing as most of that were long time members complained about his antics and the powers that be refuse to get rid of him. He ruined what was one hell of a nice place to shoot.
Paul B.

[44 AMP]

The outdoor range near me is a good one, its not even opened without an RO present, and when the range is called cold, NO ONE including the RO touches an uncased gun. You can carry gun cases from your car to the shooting bench but you can't open them (or unholster a worn pistol) until the range is called HOT.

The RO calls the range cold, or hot, NO ONE else, and its ALL the shooting lanes, together. There is no "one lane hot" when the range is COLD. Period.

Break any safety or range rule and you are ejected. No excuses, no argument, no exceptions.

Its really easy to follow the rules, and anyone who can't or won't isn't welcome to shoot there.

[SIGSHR]

Damaging someone else's equipment is not a good way to "win friends and influence people."
I shoot only at indoors ranges-New Jersey. At one-with RSOs-an inexperienced shooter back out of his lane past the safety line with a loaded AR-15, I was on him in a flash. The RSOs kept an eye on him after that. At another with no RSOs but a window that allows the front counter to observe the range I have helped new and untrained shooters, the owners have thanked me for that.
Don't like careless and inconsiderate shooters anymore than I like careless and inconsiderate drivers,inconsiderate and irresponsible parents but an approach other than the DI chewing out the recruit works better IMHO.

[Loupgarou]

Originally Posted by Brian Pfleuger

Really, it is the price of unmitigated stupidity more than freedom.

That is to say, stupid should hurt... and it no longer does.
I don't mean (just) physical pain but the much more effective societal pain.

People who did stupid things used to be ostracized by the community. Kids were raised with standards and if they didn't abide by them, the parents were *rightfully* embarrassed... and the kids punished.
Parents who raised kids without standards were known and to anyone with sense, it was embarrassing and a strong incentive to not be stupid, or let your kids do stupid things, or to embarrass your parents.

Certainly, this system was not always perfect, or even right, but it was effective, and it no longer exists.

^This. Sums it all up.