First time this happened to me at the range

Well, you got it off your chest here, but if you didn't get his license number or know who he is, you can't report him to the range staff very well. I'd let it go, unless you can identify him later.

That is the exact reason my carry gun remains loaded and in it's holster on my belt when at the gun range. If someone was down range and he started shooting, things could have ended tragically - not necessarily for the people downrange.

Once in a while someone will start shooting without announcing their intentions but very seldom.

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As you admit, it happens.

I always go during the week when the least amount of shooters are there.

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Presumably, this is your choice because you know that at an unsupervised range, not everyone observes common courtesy.

When I see another shooter arrive, I keep an eye on him and am seldom surprised or unprepared when he starts to fire. Failure to practice common sense in the absence of common coutesy is equally culpable.

I always go during the week when the least amount of shooters are there

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btg3 said:

Presumably, this is your choice because you know that at an unsupervised range, not everyone observes common courtesy.

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btg3 said:

When I see another shooter arrive, I keep an eye on him and am seldom surprised or unprepared when he starts to fire. Failure to practice common sense in the absence of common courtesy is equally culpable.

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+1.

NavyLT said:

That is the exact reason my carry gun remains loaded and in it's holster on my belt when at the gun range. If someone was down range and he started shooting, things could have ended tragically - not necessarily for the people downrange.

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........while murder may be the ultimate cure for stupidity, I doubt that it is an acceptable practice in our society. Over the years at the local unsupervised range, I have seen many unsafe shooting incidents.....including someone shooting at targets at the berm while others were still downrange. Was it unsafe and discourteous? Yep, but was it a legitimate reason to shoot the offender?

I agree with everything you said Navy but what good would having your carry gun handy in this set of circumstances? Drawing down on someone at a range seem somewhat imprudent

NavyLT said:

That is the exact reason my carry gun remains loaded and in it's holster on my belt when at the gun range. If someone was down range and he started shooting, things could have ended tragically - not necessarily for the people downrange.

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Just for you oldfalguy, I carry a pistol at the range for the same reason.

The ranges at our club are unsupervised. There's a red line that runs the length of the range about 5' behind the shooting stations. And there are switch activated red lights and buzzers on the ranges. If you're done shooting you step behind the line. When everybody agrees to go downrange all the guns are unloaded, actions locked open, and are on the bench. The first person going downrange turns the buzzer on. Nobody goes forward of the red line or touches any guns until the last person back shuts off the buzzer.

Eons ago there was a LGS that had an open outdoor range. I think I went twice, and each time it was like a free-fire zone. No RO, no safety line, nothing. I'm really surprised nobody ever got hurt or worse.

That's honestly sorta scary! Sounds like he was venting...

It appears as if the number of rude and selfish people in this world is increasing at a rate that outpaces the population growth. Sad but true. :

Well, all's well that ends well.

BUG stays with me if firing primary.

Primary on holster ready to go when firing BUG.

Both at the ready when firing rifle.

I wear plugs and muffs ... leave the plugs on all the time.

Hearing is precious.

I shoot on public land, BLM land, way away from everyone else. I usually have a buddy with me but sometimes I go alone. I ALWAYS carry a loaded handgun everywhere I go on the range--well not really a range, it's an open area about 300 yards to a clay bank. But I'm always armed. I also keep an extra mag for any rifles I take out.

I have seen some somewhat scary dudes drive up sometimes when I'm shooting. Frequently they stop and start shooting, sometimes stop, look, and decide to go elsewhere, sometimes just stop and watch for a while. I never feel comfortable without some kind of protection with me. I guess that's the price we pay for a (somewhat) free society. I'll add I've never had a problem with anybody but there's always a first time.

At the range where I shoot you are not allowed to have any gun loaded when someone is downrange,holstered or not.

Free unsupervised public range, well taken care of, and I always go early morning during the week. One reason is the safety aspect, the other is walking away from expensive stuff that might be difficult to replace. I may start carrying my rifle at sling arms when I go set up targets...
I have had stupid people do stupid things at the range - I leave when they demonstrate their stupidity the first time.

You haven't lived until you have seen someone walking downrange to change targets while you are shooting. Happened to me twice before they fenced the shooting area and hired a RO.

The public range where I sometimes shoot has three staggered berms at 25, 50, & 100 yards. I had a guy ask me if he and his young son could walk up and shoot from short hand gun distances at the 100 yd. berm while I continued to shoot at the 25 yd. berm. He figured they would be safe enough since the 50 yd. berm would be mostly between us. I declined his offer and took a break while he and his son shot at the 25 yd. range.

It appears as if the number of rude and selfish people in this world is increasing at a rate that outpaces the population growth by about 10,000% per generation.

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There, fixed it for you.

A few months back me and some buddys went to the range. While I was shooting there was a older man that would walk up range while hot and everybody was firing to check his targets at 100 yards. He would only fire about 5 rounds and he was back cecking the targets. Every 5-6 minutes he was wandering out on the range. He could usually jog up to 15-20 yards befoe anyone seen him and called cold. Pissed just about everyone off and everybody that was smart left.

We were at one end of the range and he was at the other, by this time it was just us and him. After being scalded SEVERAL tims he stopped running up there every couple of shots and waited for cold. I figured I was OK not watching him like a hawk. SOOOO I'm looking down my acog at my target not paying attention to much except for the paper, I look up, and he is at the 100 yard mark taking down his target!

GREAT!!! he is leaving!!!

Turns out he was a brass collector.

He packed his guns up and came back with some bags. Stayed about a half hour picking up loose shells. Figured I was safe to shoot. By this time my buddys had ran off somewhere doing god knows what and I was alown. I am looking down a scope, I start to squeeze the trigger and all of a suddon it turns BLACK. The DUMB SOB had his HEAD infront of my rifle picking up MY brass!!!!!:banghead:

This was the LAST time we went to that range.

Wow. Murphy, Darwin and the Grim Reaper were working well together on that one.

At any kind of informal range, I don't shoot all of my guns or all of the ammunition.

It sounds very peculiar to me. I don't really know what to tell you about it. Hopefully, it was an isolated incident and he'll learn some better safety skills before returning to your range.

I don't see much wrong with this. Sounds like the only thing the guy should have done was to make sure the range was "hot". You should always wear your hearing protection while at the range...I can see slipping the muffs around your neck while walking to/from the targets but otherwise they should always be on, that was your mistake.

Perhaps he just did a spring modification, was trying his gun for functioning of new re-loads, or wanted to see if some new SD ammo her purchased would cycle. I don't see anything scary about this.

I did a simlar thing at the 100 yard range with a small 5 shot revolver...just wanted to make sure the first 10 rounds of practice ammo I loaded up was tame enough to be able to practice with it a lot....it was and I went home and cranked out a lot more of it. I was a member at the range, and it is unsupervised as well. I'm sure I got some weird looks also.

The Rod and Gun club I belong to uses "self supervision" as well. Yet repeated incidents of damage to the target stands, holes appearing in the walls, etc... have lead to the club officers setting up a new "toll booth" style gate.

Everyone now has to pay a one time $10 fee and get a photo I.D. / swipe card. This card must be swiped to get the entry gate to open, and the system logs you in.

Previously, access was via. a padlocked cable across the drive (with hill and ditch on either side). But even though the combo. was changed every year (have to be current on dues to get new combo.) I think there was still a lot of unauthorized access.

The gate may also take a photo of the car/driver/plate.... I'm not sure.

At least this way, the club officers can know who was on site and pull the string when incidents happen.

I've heard way to many similar stories to this one by the OP, and am inclined to keep my shooting to private land.

"Unsupervised range!"