vjor 2 Posted October 2, 2004 Report Share Posted October 2, 2004 I was wondering how things are at other shooters ranges, were I shoot not the best range on the world but people are courteous must of the time I let other shooter try my rifles and other shooters let me try there rifles and pistols, specially that weird looking AK (saiga), I have more guys stop and ask me questions and try it that any other gun that I have, and for 5 to 10 rounds of cheap 7.62X39 that they try, I have try from 50 caliber barrets to 454 casulls pistols to antique black powder guns, I guess life is simple, be nice to people and people is nice to you. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
KySoldier 2 Posted October 2, 2004 Report Share Posted October 2, 2004 Some of the guys I run into are cool with swapping guns for a few rounds. Had a guy on different occasions let me bump his AK, fire his M1, and fire his .30 cal AMT pistol that he makes his own ammo for. Other guys are cool too, one guy let us shoot his .454, and of course, I let them shoot my saiga-12 and whatever I've got with me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gaddis 1,689 Posted October 2, 2004 Report Share Posted October 2, 2004 I have no problem letting someone try my stuff, but how come I always seem to get the "cowboys" (the ones who insist on wearing those scratchy 12" diameter rodeo belt buckles (the ones with the 3D relief steer horns on them) or the ones who insist on wearing those 200 carat Superbowl rings with the fifteen rinestones encrusted on them), especially on days when I decide to bring my favorite stocked rifles or handguns I don't necessarily want all scratched up? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Verson 0 Posted October 3, 2004 Report Share Posted October 3, 2004 (edited) Most of the people at my range are pretty cool. There are a few that I talk reg. and a few that I usually see who I've spoken to. I know the range marshalls pretty well, they have helped me out on several occasions. I have stated before I met a really nice guy who showed me some handgun pointers. Improved my shooting 100%. As for bad........ I can only think of one time. When I was trying to figure out what I was doing wrong with my saiga and clay shooting. My friend and I stopped by the range way in the back with the only shotgun spread stand. There was one guy and his son there, as well, sitting on a bench under something like a car port cover. I didnt think they were shooting, thus I set up my target (the only one on the far left) which was pretty close the guy and his son. On the way back they guys was like "What are you doing?" with a not so nice tone. I said "I'm just planning to shoot a couple of rounds to pattern my shotgun". "Cant you guys go somewhere else?" . "No this is the only range open to pattern on". "well do you mind if we finish?" So I aggreed. As it tuns out this guy has the whole range shut down because this kid is shooting a target 2 feet away at the 50 yard line. This kid had to have been like 5, and what was only going to be a few minuets turned out to be much longer that that. They were using like a .22 or something which I thought odd. Our range has an INDOOR with A/C air gun range, so WTF? He wouldnt let me fire like 5 shots and leave?????? Thus after 20 mins or so of standing in the Sun I just left. I ended up just shooting more clays another day, and found what I was doing wrong with my point of aim. But that guys was in "un cool" list. I dont have a problem with parents teaching their kids even at that young age. But to have the whole range closed down, and why not pratice with an air rifle???? *shrug* I dunno maybe its just me. Edited October 3, 2004 by Verson Quote Link to post Share on other sites
KySoldier 2 Posted October 3, 2004 Report Share Posted October 3, 2004 My range is an outdoor one...I like it pretty well, it started out as just shotgun shooting and they added a part for rifles/pistols. Shotgun still remains the members' favorite, I went down there today, to shoot my newly converted S-12, and other things and they had the place packed for a shotgun shooting tournament or something. We also get the occasional guy that wants to shoot .22 all day and therefore doesn't want to stop to let us put up targets and doesn't like my loud guns, etc...(screw them too) Finally, there is one guy and his son sho occasionally come out, last time he came out there my friends and I were already set up, he watched us for a while and left...he doesn't like us and doesn't think we are safe I guess. We were trying to fix a jammed gun while his son was downrange one time, he got mad and said we shouldn't do that....we stopped...but there was no danger..I had the bolt in my hand (out of the gun). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chris410 0 Posted October 3, 2004 Report Share Posted October 3, 2004 I got to say I'm pretty lucky, the range I go to is almost always vacant and the few people I have run into have all been real cool. One day I went to go shoot some clays, a couple guys were on the shotgun range, I waited for a few rounds and then they suggested we all just shoot together, ended up goin through about 300 clays that day, had a blast, it was my first day out with my 12guage (mav88) and I was lightin em up-- good time. One more thing, its actually a free range, could you believe it!! And on the safety tip, I was taught never to even handle or load a weapon while another man is downrange, and it is a bit anal, but with liberals overstating accidental shootings we have to deny them any opportunity to make us look bad. "god forbid this country ever be 20 years without a rebellion, from time to time the tree of liberty must be refreshed with the blood of young patriots and tyrants" Thomas Jefferson Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bvamp 604 Posted October 4, 2004 Report Share Posted October 4, 2004 my range is private land my family owns. I do have some buddies of mine that go there with me and do an afternoon or a couple hours, and I would say more than 1/2 the time a local will show up and check out what we are shooting with. here and there they actually hang around and do some shooting with us, but for the most part, I do basically what i feel like. Im looking at local public and membership ranges now though, because I need a spot to fire out to a couple hundred yards, and a longer trap throw. most guys ive spoken to talk down to me or are just rude when i approach them, so i havent found a place that I like yet. I dont care for hanging around a bunch of assholes, for any reason, if ya'll get my meaning. there are a lot of ranges here, so Im sure Ill find one that I like sooner or later. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Verson 0 Posted October 4, 2004 Report Share Posted October 4, 2004 well, at my range when the line is "cold" and we all have our open bolt indicators in our gun we are allowed to go down range. We cant touch the gun or any ammo. As soon as everyone is back we go "hot" and then you can do whatever. Personally I like this method, and it makes sense. Personally I dunno, if I'm down range I like the fact no one is messing around with the gun or ammo. I did go though a close call at the "Action" range with a friend and a shotgun. We were messing around with some buckshot. My friend had fired some rounds and let his brother hold his shotgun. I was standing next to them talking to them about the p2000. Will the dumb ass was holding the shotgun pointed in the air and was kinda in a relaxed state. Some how the gun slipped, the barrle pointed our direction a bit (a little less towards me and more so to Peter and Ben) and he tried to catch it again and some how pulled the trigger. Guess what, the gun was loaded, it went off into the air, but it was still scary none the less. Needless to say we have not asked Paul to go back with us. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Siagalova 0 Posted October 4, 2004 Report Share Posted October 4, 2004 We all meet at spots in the middle of the forests. There are only a few ranges around (in the city), and I'm really not paying attention anyway. when you guys say ranges, I invision a gun club type, organized, partitioned ranges. we designate spots in the woods, and the city kids use word of mouth. the rules are so many miles out of the metro area, gov. land, so many feet away from public roads. shooting into gravel piles and into embankments is highly recomended. so depending on what side of the river, word of mouth designates which shooting spot you go to - there's two heavily wooded areas west twards the coast, and east twards the mountain range. Killer, scenic, very pleasing to the eyes - very green and awesome reverent places!!! I love it. the unlogged wooded areas are beautiful! most of the time, everybody's pretty cool. I get along with all kinds of people, and the saiga turns heads! most people mistake it for a sk. mostly the old timers. The best times we have are when everybody loostens up and the beer gets shared, and the like. What the most common scenerio is when some of the younger kids come up with there 4X's and the tail gait goes down with an aresenal of guns get laid out! most people I run into have 20+ different firearms. we're all pretty friendly, even the cops that come and ckeck in. I always bring more rounds than I use for the sole purpose of trading plinking time. yesterday I got to fire these kid's Colt ar-15 in a 7.62! that I REALLY didn't get! they liked just fireing the thing. they really didn't know how to aim it. I had to show off a little and let them know that an ak could hit stuff - we were both razzin' each other's rifles! everyone lines up and we YELL "clear" and everyone responds vocally. I like to make EYE contact down the row, and get a nod or something. we share oil and so on................. the prisoner cleaning crew goes up there evreyonce in a while, those guys are dicks..........end up waiting, 'till they're gone. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
oldskoolfattieg 0 Posted October 5, 2004 Report Share Posted October 5, 2004 i live in a small town in az and the nearest range is like 60miles away so me and friends go out to the desert and shoot skeet and the guns and stuff we found a really nice spot where there is a watering hole trees and stuff you go in to the trees doesnt even look like arizona anymore we always clean up our spot of shells and stuff too Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bvamp 604 Posted October 5, 2004 Report Share Posted October 5, 2004 (edited) years back, sitting at a friends house with one other friend (3 of us), the guy that lived there is showing me part of his gun collection. well, he THINKS that just racking the bolt with the gun on safe is adequate. well, sure enough its the classic "yeh i aint cleaned that in years, and i keep it loaded usually..." routine with a ruger 10/22. now, the guy DID rack it like three times hard even with no mag in it. well, as usual, i VISUALLY checked and there it was. a live round. i held the bolt open, looked up, the gun is pointed in a manner so as to maybe (probably in this case) ricochet, if it went off, into the buddy that was also there, off of a fireplace mantle. I just looked up, and the friend that had handed me the gun saw, when i turned the gun into the fireplace that was there and showed him the open bolt with the round stuck LIVE in the chamber, what was up, and he pretty much realised someone almost got maimed for life or killed. wakes you right up. he does that visual inspection that I did for each and every single gun he handed me, and each and every gun someone else hands me, AND each one that I am shooting ever since. You have to always SEE the action and chamber is clear to be sure. no excuses. Anyone on a range that doesnt check thier gun visually, out of respect for others, EVERY TIME they unshoulder the weapon or safe it, I wont shoot with, simple as that. anyone that wants to be an idiot to me after that, i wont shoot with guess im screwed in NY aint I? Edited October 5, 2004 by Bvamp Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Siagalova 0 Posted October 5, 2004 Report Share Posted October 5, 2004 Any one I go with, I tell them after they hear the gun click - before they even turn for the car, I tell them the breech the bolt and look at the barell. Then just in case they don't know what a chambered bullet looks like - I make them fire off the hammer down range. and don't come back with the clip in the gun!!! I left the range sunday because, there was a newbie right next to us that didn't know how to work his bolt rifle. swingin' it this way and that, and couldn't figure out what was goin' on. and my kid and his brother were with me. we wanted to go fishin' anyway. I'm so cautious, because I was playin' with my buddies .25 when I was a kid. and we both forgot about the chamber!! lukily the gun wasn't pointed anywhere!!!!! when that gun went off my heart skipped a couple beats!!!! never forget that! I went out with my father in laws wife, and she wasn't pulling her semi-handguns back very forcefully, and they weren't chambering right - I ended up explaining a protocall, and being the watch dog!! every time she picked up a gun my eyes were glued to what she was doing! and a couple of times got up from my seat and had to check her out. she wasn't watching where she was pointing the gun when she had problems! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
G O B 3,516 Posted October 5, 2004 Report Share Posted October 5, 2004 I'm shure most of us have horror stories! It helps to share,maybe someone can learn from our experience! I once set my AR7 down in the truckbed ,it was on safety but slipped and landed on it's left side. total fall maybe 6". Damn thing went off! Luckily only an air mattress was harmed, but talk about PUCKER FACTOR! (the safety was still on) Now everything is kept with EMPTY chamber, and stored with a bright orange dummy in chamber.(after cleaning) Just a little extra insurance against old eyes and short term memory ummm,er, what was I talking about...? As far as NICE people--it seems that shooters as a breed are more friendly than the average. I shoot some trap at the county facility, and everyone there is easy going and friendly! Maybe it is just impossible to hold on to agression after shooting 25 or 50 12-ga. shells!! G O B Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Coastie 0 Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 There's an old slate pit over by where I live that they've converted to a shooting range. It's out in the country a wee bit and not alot of people know about it. It's a great location to go to cause there is rarely anyone there. I agree with most of you on the whackos you find on most ranges . They're disrepectful in the fact they think they own the range or disrepectful in the care and handling of their firearms. That's why its so nice going over to the old slate pit. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stonyhat 0 Posted October 14, 2004 Report Share Posted October 14, 2004 You have to always SEE the action and chamber is clear to be sure. no excuses. Perfect point. With 18 years in the service myself, I have an established protocol with weapons that is now automatic. This weekend, I had taken the 308 to sight it in, two mags, and about 60 rounds. I am in the habit of running trough 3-4 rounds then checking the target for accuracy. On one of my runs, I shot the 4th round, instinctively dropped mag, and pulled bolt back to verify "clear" and here comes a round ejecting. For some reason, I loaded that mag with 5 rounds. If I assumed that the gun was clear, I would have been down range with a round chambered and pointing my way. You MUST verify clear!!!!!! Repeat after me ......"Safety, magazine, camber, safety." Repeat untill it becomes second nature!!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bvamp 604 Posted October 14, 2004 Report Share Posted October 14, 2004 perfect point, yer damn right. I can name a handful of specific occurances when this held true, one or two when it would not have been done, someone or something would have paid the price..... your gun does not unshoulder according to my knowledge, loaded, and only then when you are ready to shoot. this only will bypass this rule in/during combat, as far as I know..... NO EXCUSES! it will save you one embarassing ordeal! or WORSE! bolt back with loaded mag in it? no f'n way Im letting you walk to the target with that on the bench...sorry....this isnt a warzone. there is no excuse to put anyone in jeapardy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
G O B 3,516 Posted October 14, 2004 Report Share Posted October 14, 2004 Always check twice! Drop mag check chamber clear-check chamber clear! SAFE G O B Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bvamp 604 Posted October 15, 2004 Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 the expression "ready ready" has worked its way into normal routines of life for me because of the visual inspection/clearing habit. go figure. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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