About lost it at the range!

[MrO17]

I am blessed to have a close friend who enjoy's shooting as much as me. This is where we play.

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af276/jmrosek/IMG_0293_zps1jbntjfw.jpg (http://s1015.photobucket.com/user/jmrosek/media/IMG_0293_zps1jbntjfw.jpg.html)

[Badger-1-1]

I stopped going to the range after some kids on the pistol range thought it was funny to lob some rounds at me on the rifle range... PTSD is a mofo! Luckily no one got hurt. I agree though, no more public ranges for me!

[bigcheese920]

It just really sucks that a select few have to make it a bad experience. It would be a dream if I had a 600 yard range in my backyard but the most I have is 100 and even that it's a bit of a stretch because I'm shooting from the ditch in the front yard

[yobuck]

Yep, that would be the ultimate.

I have belonged to a number of shooting clubs around the country and have witnessed some bad behavior. A few of those observations are as follows:

The guy who brings his dog to the range and lets it run loose, including out in front of the firing line.

The guy who’s too lazy to put up a target at 300 yards so he shoots his Mosin-Nagant at a rock on the berm, frequently shooting over the top.

The guy who shows up with a .50 BMG caliber rifle and blows multiple holes through the steel gongs.

The guy who goes down range to change his targets, and then runs out of sight behind the target berm to take a pee.

The two guys who showed up drunk and burned up all their ammunition attempting to sight in, and failed. Then they got mad at the gun complaining that it was a piece of junk.

The guy who attempted to open his frozen bolt by beating on the bolt handle with a big rock, and broke the rock.

And my personal favorite...the “Bench Hog”. This is the guy who thinks that he is entitled to do anything he wants and spreads his stuff out on two or three shooting benches, no matter how busy the range may be. This is also the guy who becomes irritated when other shooters request to go down range.

These are my observations over many years of membership at a number of clubs. 99 percent of the members have been good common sense folks with just that 1 percent making things unpleasant or difficult at times for the rest of us. I suspect it’s that way in most anything we do in life.

Well whats wrong with using a rock if you forgot your hammer lol?

[Johnny]

Got to love the "Bench Hog".
I go to the range today and there are 10 tables and 4 guys, no room for me.
Guess I'll try again tomorrow.

[barrel-nut]

Got to love the "Bench Hog".
I go to the range today and there are 10 tables and 4 guys, no room for me.
Guess I'll try again tomorrow.

Somebody would have to move. That's ridiculously rude on their part.

[fgw_in_fla]

Wow.
Reading some of these stories are a bit frightening.
At the public range I go to, lately I notice many wanna-be's, mall ninjas and plain 'ol scary people that I believe should be allowed to be in the same county as a gun, let alone shoot one.
Sometimes it's difficult to focus on the shot when I'm trying to make sure I don't GET shot.
The RSO's at the place are a great bunch of guys. Some day's they all look like they need a stiff drink by 1030hrs.

I recall one of them getting into an argument with a know it all that carried his loaded rifle to the set up area - even though there's signs everywhere stating loaded weapons on the firing line ONLY. I had a hard time keeping a straight face when the RSO told the guy "if I wasn't working right now I'd knock you on your a**" with his boss standing there.
The know -it -all was told to pack up & leave & don't come back.

Just one of the many reasons I like my own private place to shoot.

[Texan79423]

The range scares the dog poop out of me. Ninja want'a bees seem to rule. Lucky to hit a target at 25 yards but got all the toys!
In my area we went for 12-15 years without a rifle range then a local dealer built a darn nice range. Of late I stared getting into bench rest shooting. On Thursday mornings about ten AM there is a group of well healed fellow old farts who get together, They are hand loaders, chronograph equipted, serious shooters. They are really knowledgeable, nice, helpful and fun guys. I told them to watch out for me I'm not worth a flip at this. They said sit down gear up and we will instruct you and help in any way we can. GREAT bunch of guys for sure.

I have gone out on a few Saturdays I sit and watch the line/benches in shock and awl. I watch all then find the experienced guys and sit in. A couple of times I have gone paid admission and never unloaded my gun just ask for a rain check and return on Thursdays AM. Thanks god for those old guys with experience, knowledge, and patients.

[bloodstone]

I was at the range this spring. When I pulled in two guys were shooting at the 600 yd. benches. The gun they were shooting was rocking the roof. 300 weatherby maybe. It was loud. I was playing with some loads for my fcp-sr in 308. I got set up, and strapped on a Magnettospeed 2. One of the guys comes over asking about it. I gave him the specifics about. During the talk the other guy walks over, and says Magnettos are scrap for every reason you can think of. Ok what ever. They walk back to the other end of the range where Mr know it all pulls out a standard chrono. He asks for a ceasefire to set it up. The slope at that end of the range is way too steep, but that didn't stop him. After he's done he calls all clear, and I fire a few rounds. He lets go with the elephant gun, and the round goes straight through the instrument pack on the chrono. Plastic everywhare. His buddy takes one look at me, and busts out laughing so hard I thought he was going medical attention. Mr know it all glares at him for a second or two, then looks at me and screams "don't you say a f*****g word." All I could do was smile. You can't buy that kind of amusement. Be safe all.