Is it safe going to public ranges ???

[crazydog]

I was reading thru the forum and I saw several forum members having problems or accidents on public shooting ranges, is it safe to go?

Thanks,

[cslinger]

In my exp. it is more dangerous driving to the range then spending any time on the range.

Chris

[106rr]

In California, the freeway is far more dangerous than any public range. We are the most liability conscious state in the union. You can get sued for anything here. No range would be able to stay open if it was a public hazard. You cannot make a profit by injuring your own customers.
That being said, I have and will walk off the range if someone is unsafe. On indoor ranges, I simply ask to be moved to another bay. If no other bay is available I go home. It's part of the cost of shooting safely. I avoid the most crowded times due to lead pollution and safety. I also seek out the most quiet time because I don't like the noise of so many people shooting at once.

[ewb45acp]

I do lots of shooting at a public range (state land, no ROs, at your own risk, etc...) I've seen some real characters over the years, but rarely do I see unsafe gun handling. But I'm always amazed at the number of people who shoot without ear protection.

[10-Ring]

I don't go when the range is busy...I'll sit back & wait for things to calm down but I can only shoot at public ranges. So to answer your question, YES :D

[hillbilly]

It is absolutely too insanely dangerous to go to any public range at any time.

In fact, in order to do you an enormous favor, you should just forget going to any public range ever, and just box up your guns and send them to me.

I'll even pay for the shipping........Just tryin' to help out:neener:

hillbilly

[foob]

I love my indoor range. I usually go during weekday work hours, and I'm the only one. But even when there are others, everybody minds their business. Can choose any bay, no restrictions on shooting from holster or rapid firing or type of ammo. Woot.

[esheato]

Public ranges safe? Of course...as long as you stay away from the public. They're dangerous.

;)

Ed

[RustyShackelford]

The posts I've made about the free/open use/public ranges are meant to be a guide for any other shooters who want to use these places. Keep these points in mind;

1 Know all the rules/laws/policy of the public range before you use it.
2 Be helpful and considerate of other people on the range(s). Follow all safety rules and let other range shooters know where you are and what you are doing to avoid problems.
3 Police up your trash/brass/etc and leave your area clean for the next shooting group, ;) .
4 Have fun and stay safe!

Rusty :D

[psyopspec]

I've seen some unsafe acts on public ranges, but I've seen some of the same acts in shooting tournaments run by private organizations, and in the military.

I'll leave if I see something ridiculous, but just in case the first unsafe act leads to something I didn't see coming, I still wear a vest in cooler seasons. It's leftover from an old job I had, and during the winter it adds a nice cozy layer of insulation.

[Soybomb]

I'm sure there are some that are unsafe and that should be apparent pretty quickly. At my usual range I've only seen questionable practices once, all the other times its been quite safe. This last weekend I spent some time on the bench watching the people I was with shoot and observing others. There were 2 pairs of guys and their lady friends, a leo, a man and woman with a kid who was learning to shoot the 10/22, and what I would guess is a guy from the local air force base. Even with what I imagine is varying experience levels everyone was quite safe.

[C-grunt]

Well on the news the other night they said that last year 40,000+ people died on the nations roadways. I have never heard a statistic on range fatalities, but Im pretty sure its a lot less.

The worst I have seen was a guy put a 9mm into the ceiling at the range. I also showed up right after the ambulance took a guy away after he almost blew his hand off shooting his rifle to clear an obstruction in the barrel. Thats over about 12 years of shooting.

[lawson]

i've been going to public ranges for years, and i've only seen a handful of incidents that really made me nervous. boatloads of annoyances, but only rare occasions that made me feel geniunely unsafe. the range officers do a pretty good job of enforcing safety rules at the ranges i've been to.

i prefer shooting out in the informal ranges that have been used for years in the desert out here, but recent zonings have made this much harder.

someday i'll have my own private range at home, but not anytime soon.

[Lucky 7]

Between Marine Corps ranges and civie ranges I've seen some weird/odd/dangerous violations of the 5 basic weapons safety rules. However, my range experience has been positive for the most part. If I saw something I'd be tactful and try to correct it by apporaching the shooter and then the RSO if that didnt work.

My two worst experiences:
Basic Security Guard School, Chesepeake, VA last summer- firing prone, behind barricades the shooter (to my left) fired his M9 into the ground to the immediate right of himself. Gravel spat up and nailed me above my left eye. I carry a small scar that reminds me of this experience each time I put in my contacts.

Bullseyes Range in Jacksonville, FL, Feb of 2006- My friends and I no sooner enter the range before we have a gun pointed at us by some big black dude in dreads. He's laughing, talking to his buddy in the next lane, then he's confronted by 3 very pissed Marines. He gets agitated and starts yelling. I grab the RSO and get him ejected from that range.

Regards and Semepr Fi!
-L7

[P0832177]

I have experienced less that stellar gunhanding at both public and private ranges. It matters not the location, if it involved human and firearms well that is concoction for some differing views no matter what.

I was at an indoor range Mpls. in the early 90's. I was transitioning from the range to the shop area via the double doored range entrance. I got a face full of ETOH or like substance. This was 10am. I went to the range officer, and I expressed my subjective opinion that man entering the range was impaired. Slightly disheveled in appearance, blood shot eyes, and his breath wreaked of ETOH. The range officer looked at me with a deer in headlights look, and I said you really ought to go question the fellow. He then called a cease fire, and then he approached the guy. The guy packed his stuff up and promptly left. Then, a few weeks later the guy then told me tha Police came to the range, and they expressed that the fellow had been arrested after shooting up his significant other's vehicle.

I go to a few private outdoor ranges, and the ranges are both run on the honor system of sort. One is small enough to just require agreement that there will be cease fire, and the rule people down range equates to actions open and shooters step away from the benches or guns with no gun handling!
The other there is RO by default, the first shooter acts as a range officer to control the firing line. It ranges from 25 to 300 yd. This place is the worst for people not stepping away from guns during a cease fire.

Both places require the member to sign off on acknowledging that they have read and understand the rules. Oh well, obvious they do not!

Being vigillant is the best practice no matter the rules of any range! RO's or not Safety is everyone's job!

[poppy]

It's probably more dangerous to go to a gun show then to a public range.

[cavman]

I've been to the two ranges near Richmond, Va on a number of occasions and they are pretty well run by the folks that are there (i.e. you and me). Everyone is watching everyone and not afraid to point out small grievances of something improper, mostly out of ignorance rather than willful disregard.

have a great day,
cavman

[Diomed]

If a public range is what you can use, then your choice is, do I practice, or not? The odds are pretty long that you'll get injured by the negligence of others at the range, so don't be overly concerned (i.e., don't worry about abstracts, be worried about bad practices you actually see).

In central Virginia, public ranges are about all that's available. So, I make do.

[miko]

When I go to a range, I usually see a whole bunch of holes in the places where none are supposed to be...

miko