7 types of people at Ranges

[Savago]

Fun video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFxo4uCFWhY

Which type is you?
 

[Bighead]

Savago Listen to Colion he is a very smart guy and makes a ton of sense. People cant understand why he supports the NRA as a black man.  he is an AMERICAN not a black American but an AMERICAN.

[Jess from VA]

I look at it more like two types.  The competent and safe, and the incompetent and unsafe.

It is the latter ones that make me not want to go to ranges at all.

I had the opportunity to talk to many old gunners over the years at various indoor and outdoor ranges, who had a lot to offer and a lot to talk about once they figured out you were competent and safe.  Now, I've become one of those old gunners, but I prefer to be left alone.

I'm especially not fond of folks who come three to a single shooting position, helping one of them learn.  There's a lot of yelling (with muffs on), and gun handling, and reaching in, and I don't want to be near them.  

And remember this:  Since most folks are right handers, the safest place on any range is the far right shooting position because it the least likely place to have others point their guns at you.  That position is usually not the best lit or cleanest, but it's the safest.  And lookyloos and jaberwalkies are less likely to bother you there.  And if a left hander does throw a round down the line, there's a good chance it hits someone else before you.

The NRA range in Farifax VA is one of the nicest ranges you could ever hope to visit.  And they make you take a short safety course, to shoot there.  But they let anyone shoot almost anything, and having a guy next to you with a 300 Win Mag is no fun at all (indoors).  Even with muffs, the explosions are more like artillery than gunfire.

[..]

At an outdoor free gun range a couple dressed in full on Terminator gear. She has a grip handle shotgun and is turning 90 degrees to face her husband which of course meant the gun traversed 90 degrees as well.

People yelling at them and they HAD NO FRICKIN IDEA what they were doing wrong.

[old2soon]

       The 3 ranges I've been to with my Brother in Illinois Not one of them allows or will put up with rapid fire. The range safety officers at al 3 say You WILL be bounced and maybe banned doing rapid fire. And knock on wood-so far no flagrant rules breaking at any of the 3 when Ross and I were in attendance. -And with all the newby gun owners Anyone here goes to their favorite range watch out fer yerselves cuz the newbies won't!  RIDE SAFE and SHOOT SAFE.

[Crackerborn]

I will take a newbie to the range on occasion. One on one only, if there are more in the party, they get their own lane. The ranges I frequent have strict handling rules. Three strikes and you are out with no refund or exception and if you are obviously breaking the safety rules, you can be banned for life. One range has an urban pop-up area that is used primarily by LEO's but is available to the general public by reservation. This same range will allow rapid fire if you notify the RO beforehand and will only be allowed while the RO is behind you. That limits both the duration and number of individuals allowed to rapid fire.

I generally will start at the pistol range with the CCW then progress through the other handguns I brought to fire. I will finish with the CCW using the off hand. At no ranges that I frequent can one attempt to draw a firearm from the body, the gun will be pointed down range at all times until secured in a case. The trap stations are more fun with three people, one at each station and the third working the machine. We set a shot limit then rotate positions so everyone gets to shoot. When the son, SIL and I go we will go through about 5 cases of clays and too many shells to mention.

On the long gun ranges I agree with Jess that it is no fun being in a lane next to that guy shooting the .300 Win Mag but that guy could well be me. If I have the large calibers out that day I will try to have a few empty lanes between me and the next person. If it is a busy day (usually the case), I may stick to the .308 and smaller until just before I leave to limit the jump factor for other shooters. I have noticed that even the Remington 742 in 30-06 will cause the shooter next to you to jump at times.

As far as my personality at the range? I am there to improve my pattern so I will listen to advise from the RO's, and the few I know that are there as competitive shooters. I try to ignore the talkers and go about my business until the session is complete. At target break, I may have a conversation with the person in the lanes next to me as we walk down to replace targets. If I go with another shooter, we will critique each other using the spotting scope but tend to stay in our own world. Unless I arrived with you, NO ONE handles my firearms. I am more than happy to discuss technique, stance, breathing, reloading in general (or specifics), favorite round and even more once the firearms are back in the truck.

[0leman]

Haven't been to many official gun ranges, and those I have been to were not that packed with shooters.  When I lived in WY, our Rec Center had a NRA 25 meter shooting range.  Nothing more than 44mg.  only 22 rifles.   It was always empty when I went to shoot.  

There were three outside ranges, only one was an official one.  The other two were old military ranges that were abandon.  Lots of folks shot at these two, especially in the fall.  Usually wait till the shooters left before you went in.  The official one was setup  with 300 yard and 100 yard shooting places. Had 10 shooting bays with tables to shoot off of.  It did have a range manager there most of the time.   No rapid firing, just hunters getting ready for hunting season.

Since I left WY haven't shot much.  There are no official ranges in our basin.  Just a few abandon rock pits.  

[Jess from VA]

Growing up, there were always lots of safe places in the outdoors to go and shoot.  There were also a few ranges that were inexpensive, rarely crowded and pretty safe.

In the military, I was usually able to use the base ranges, and took multiple classes (space available), even though I had qualified expert on them before.

Now where I live, there are no places outdoors anywhere near close-by to shoot, and the few ranges available are expensive and nearly always crowded to the point you don't want to be there.

[MAD6Gun]

 I belong to the Fort Wayne Rifle & Revolver club here in NE Indiana. We have a nice outdoor range east of town. The fee is $60 a year to be a member. Members have the combination to the gate lock. Only members or people with members can shoot on the range. To be a member you have to be sponsored by a member in good standings. After you open the gate you drive about 200 yards to get to the range.

 My brother,a friend and I were at the range one day when this guy and his wife walked up. That's strange why would they walk up if they were members. I looked and found their car outside the gate. I approached them to ask them for their ID cards. As I was walking up the wife was going up to the firing line with a 22 rifle. Mag in and bolt closed. Just as I got to them she turns and points the rifle at me. I slowly pushed the barrel down range. She had no clue what she was doing. Needless to say they didn't have a membership but he was being sponsored by a current member. He was told by his sponsor that he could just go out and shoot. No you can't without your sponsor. He left.  I got his name and the name of his sponsor. I went to the next club meating to let the officers know what happened.  Needless to say his membership was denied and his sponsor was talked too. I think he should have been kicked out but I'm sure if he was.

[Chrisj CMA]

I fit none of those categories. When (infrequently) I ever show up at a gun range, I don’t go there to socialize or prove anything. I wait my turn. Shoot what I came to shoot and leave. Now when they let me shoot the .500 it draws a crowd. But when they see my goupings they go away because most poser shooters can’t hit anything with a S&W 500 and they know it!

[..]

I've been fortunate to have visited several WMA ranges here in the SE.

If I see someone with an interesting firearm I will ask them about it.

This has led me to being able to fire a few firearms I would never have had the opportunity to.

The 2 most memorable are a .45 street sweeper automatic. It looked like it was made from pressed steel and had a vertical magazine. Had to push the barrel down to stop it from rising.

The other was a "trapdoor" loading rifle. I don't remember how old it was but it went BOOM!

https://images.gunsinternational.com/listings_sub/acc_372/gi_100950240/U-S-SPRINGFIELD-MODEL-1884-TRAPDOOR-RIFLE_100950240_372_7BD4F2EBC10F1BE5.jpg

An old Mauser was another.

[RP#62]

We go out in the desert.  No range master, no time limit, the forest service only has two rules - don't leave your junk in the desert and don't set the place on fire.

-RP

[Serk]

I'm spoiled, I accept that.... Have my own private range. I decide who goes there. If I wanna mag dump, that's my business. If I wanna set up 30 pounds of Tannerite? That's my business.....

I've gone to a public range 2-3 times since I got my own range, and I'm terrified of the idiots on either side of me the whole time.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPJlNHhPzr8