Range Idiots...

[kdbutler 563]

<snip>

 

Hubris is such an ugly thing, Indy. But we love ya anyway. Nice range you have there. If I'm ever in NY (not likely, I'm afraid) I'll have to look you up.

 

Its great to see shooters enjoying the hobby without being hassled...by assle's!

Damn, I'm a poet and didn't know it!

[1mile50 102]

I know all about Range Idiots. When I go to the range, and I break out a .50 BMG rifle, if there is an idiot I will know who that is, inside of 5 minutes. I'm not talking about those who are merely curious, I'm talking DOLTS.

"Can you hunt with that thing?" Me-"You could, but a hunting rifle would be better for hunting." Them- Puzzled look. Me- "Would you go to the grocery store in a drag racer?"

"What did you get that for, are you going to take out a Tank?" Me- Flat look, then "Are you serious, this would barely scratch a Tank."

"Is that one of those $1000 specials?"

"What do those bullets cost, $10 a round. Me- "No, I got a deal on these projectiles, .98ea, $2 a round loaded." Them "What's wrong with them, are they out of round?"

The list goes on and on, but the all time favorite- "You can shoot down an airplane with that, can't you?" Me-"It's highly unlikely, little more so than a standard rifle." "But why would I want to, even if I could?" Them, utter disappointment!

 

The best way to counter an idiot when shooting a .50 is ignore them and shoot it. Usually they stand in the brake wash. I've blown guys hats off their head. They invariably walk away after the 3rd round.

[IndyArms 10,186]

I dont EVER get those idiots asking me them kinds of questions when I break out my .50 BMG... I almost wish I did... would be amusing for me to insult them so subtly they would not even realize it was happening!! LOL

 

 

 

[Jpanzer 1,265]

I'm at the point now where I think I'll just go back to my original range and pony up the $250 they want for a years membership. At least I know the owner will be putting the money into range improvements and not just his back pocket.

 

$20 bucks a month doesn't seem to bad compared to the frustration of dealing with idiot know-it-alls and a range master who doesn't know when to STFU and has to tell me about all the competitive shooters he knows personally and how he used to do things back at his range in Washington State....

[longhorn03 10]

My range isn't too bad. Worst thing I've had to deal with is sighting in my rifle before deer season so the place was full, I forgot my electronic ear protection at home so I just had the soft foam ones. I've been shooting for about 10 minutes, then the guy next to me leaves, the other guy in line takes his spot and proceeds to take out a massive rifle, at least a 300 win mag, with a equally massive muzzle break. Suffice it to say I could barely shoot one more time as it was like having no ear protection at all. And I aabsolutley hate knowing my ears are about to start ringing, but I had to get off a couple more shots so I couldn't put my hands over them. Almost glassed myself in the eye because of his shots.

 

I know it's my fault not bringing the best ear protection, but damn, that really really sucked.

[CPF 80]

My range isn't too bad. Worst thing I've had to deal with is sighting in my rifle before deer season so the place was full, I forgot my electronic ear protection at home so I just had the soft foam ones. I've been shooting for about 10 minutes, then the guy next to me leaves, the other guy in line takes his spot and proceeds to take out a massive rifle, at least a 300 win mag, with a equally massive muzzle break. Suffice it to say I could barely shoot one more time as it was like having no ear protection at all. And I aabsolutley hate knowing my ears are about to start ringing, but I had to get off a couple more shots so I couldn't put my hands over them. Almost glassed myself in the eye because of his shots.

 

I know it's my fault not bringing the best ear protection, but damn, that really really sucked.

 

I hear you man. I had to deal with that my first ever time at the range. I was trying to get my shooting technique and steadying the sights down on my lever action 30-30 while standing up and some guy with a 300 Winmag and some other bolt action takes the spot to my left. Suffice to say, I had to time my shots between his, otherwise my aim would be jumping while I shot. All this with crappy ear protection that didn't stay in my ears very well.

[CFOofEVIL 8]

Most of what has been recounted in this thread, is why I avoid "public" ranges or paid membership clubs. I'm a very easy going person, and when I go shooting, I like to do just that - shoot. I've got a "rod & gun club" about ten minutes away from me at most, but I refuse to go there. Waiting 10 minutes for someone to tape new targets down range really just doesn't constitute "shooting" to me.

 

Thankfully, living in southwest Texas has its perks: plenty of empty desert to shoot at by ones self, however one see's fit. My favorite place to go is just over the stateline into NM, only a few miles from the border. Takes about 40 min to get there from my house, but it's a well know "range" that folks have been shooting at for a long time. Plus, there is a CBP station not 2 minutes away from it should and accidents occur. There are generally two areas to shoot at there - both are pretty much the same: shortish range desert landscape shooting into very tall natural berms. They're only seperated by a road, and have ample room for plenty of shooters. I've been pretty lucky with this place and haven't had a whole lot of negative encounters happen there. Here are the few I can recap though:

 

A few months backmy buddy and I were out just having fun with a whole variety of weapons. We had just finished up with some trap, and thus had accumulated a good amount of empty hulls on the ground next to us, when this gent rolls up in his late model crown Victoria with blacked out windows. Now, I've been shooting out there for a few years and I've seen this guy on many occasions before but never interacted with him before. He seems like the pretty hardcore type of shooter whom likes to practice his thing and be left alone, so i've always given him his room. What does that mean? If I show up to the range and he is on one side, I'll just use the other side of the range so he has enough room to do his thing safely. I should mention he runs some type of Fully Automatic G3/CETME type battle rifle (which to me, is a good reason to give him plenty of room for safety reasons). So my buddy and I start putting up our shotguns, and the guy pulls onto the side of the range we were occupying. Kind of odd, considering the other portion of the range is completely empty. I figure "Well, he must just really love this side."

 

I was expecting him to come over and ask if we were done, ask if we could make the range cold for him so he could setup, etc. Instead he just starts pulling his kit of his car, piling it onto his closed trunk and proceeds to just lean against his car and stare us down. I have to admit, it was pretty uncomfortable being stared at like that by some "elite operator" looking kinda guy, so after a few minutes of drinking some water and relaxing, my buddy and I call out to him that we were just about to rap our session up and that he could setup his stuff if he liked. He didn't really reply, but rather just yelled back at us something about "a mess". Neither myself or my bud understood him so we asked him again what he had said and he replies in a very rude and bullyish sounding tone "you are cleaning up that mess right?" While motioning to our pile of empty 12ga hulls. I replied that we sure would, but that we hadn't gotten around to it yet.

 

Now, I'm not one of those jerks to totally trashes a range by leaving my trash behind. My buddy and I have specifically devoted time before each range session to picking up all of the random crap people have left out there and cleaning the place up. Needless to say, his tone got to me. I understand that he has no way of knowing that we were "clean" shooters, but his attitude wasn't necessary. We only had one last gun to shoot at this point, a SKS, and went to setup an old PASGT helmet as a target downrange, as the other guy just sat and stared at us. We set it up, made sure our operator friend wasnt down range (he was still leaning on his car) called out "range hot" and five rounds later we we're done and cleaning up after ourselves. Only when we started cleaning did he budge from his car and go to setup his targets. Five minutes later we were leaving, and I tried waving at him and telling him "have fun" through my rolled down care window and he just gives me the same blank stare. Sheesh.

 

I don't know, maybe he was having a bad day. But c'mon... he couldn have used the other side of the range so that he could have done his own thing unhindered, or at the least dropped the "cool guy" attitude. Irrtating.

 

Lesson learned? I'm going to continue to give him his space - lord knows it seems like he needs it.

 

One more: the same buddy I was shooting with in the above story was with me on the same side of the range a few years back. Now, since its just an unregulated piece of desert where folks shoot, I can imagine a few diots use it to do stupid things. Because of this, either CBP or the local sheriffs department like to cruise out to make sure everything is kosher from time to time.

 

Well, we're right in the middle of practicing some pistol drills when out of nowhere 3-4 ATV's come rushing up on us from three sides (every side but the direction of the berm we were shooting into). They came up so fast we barely were able to lower our pistols before they came to a stop. Turns out they were just the sheriffs dept checking for the above mentioned kosher-ness. Still though, how dumb do you need to be to drive onto a hot range and scare the crap out of two shooters? I was pretty nervous after that and was constantly making sure that we werent being snuck up on by ninja-deputies riding ATV'S, lol! I think they realized this wasn't exactly safe idea, as ever since then they've only shown up via their patrol vehicles on the access road. Never a good idea to startle someone shooting!

 

Anyway, sorry for the long post. I mainly just am happy that most shooters i've had to deal with out there have either:

 

1. Kept to themselves (lol).

2. Been very considerate of their fellow shooters. After all, I know that I want to be treated with respect when I enjoy my hobby.

[paprotective 362]

 

so his kid is there too and he wants to fire his AK, so he tells him to start shooting, not at his targets, but at MY targets and the fucking noob fuck just magdumps a bunch of stupid shit on my board! and to top it off, after we go to check our targets this motherfucker has the balls to start rubbing in how awesome his AR is at 50 and how my shit is garbage at 100, after his kid just ruined my entire thing. we set up new targets, i practice my groupings again, and then HE starts shooting at MINE and then claims all MY shots, and then tells me how my shit is garbage.

 

 

This (with me) would be a problem for THEM..

Edited June 14, 2011 by YWHIC

[Wade Wilson 1]

I go to a small indoor range for pistols only, there is an outdoor range by my location for long rifles but its always to busy and I have never felt safe or comfortable there. I go to the pistol range on weekdays at obscure times, like 2 in the after noon, try to be the only person there. One time I went to the pistol range and was shooting and could sense someone behind me, unloaded gun and turned around and surely there was someone behind me watching me. I looked at him and grinned uncomfortably, he then REACHED over my shoulder, picked up the Glock 23 that I just emptied without asking and said "What kind of gun is this?", I replied "What are you doing?" took my gun back from him and left.

 

I don't like ranges, I own a 700 acre alfalfa farm with a safe backdrop and I do most of my shooting there by myself. I understand this is a rare luxury but sometimes ranges just don't seem worth the trouble. There is always an idiot, gun snob, or just a general loud mouth to make you feel uncomfortable or ruin your day.