Why do people not like range officers

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1. Some people have trouble with authority figures, they don't like cops or anybody else who enforces rules.
2. My mother once referred to "people who can't spend more than 10 seconds a day thinking about anybody but themselves." The phrase I heard in my family was "You're not the only pebble on the beach."
3. It would be a good idea if someone made a training video for range officers similar to the ones I have seen on range safety and etiquette.
4. I agree that in a civilian setting the "DI chewing out the recruit " approach is not that effective and generally uncalled for.
 
1KPerDay said:
Perhaps, but in this case it's patently obvious the intent is derogatory, and so is the widespread usage of the term "Karen." To claim it's just a name for a middle aged woman without considering the CURRENT ACCEPTED MEANING is absurd.
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Oh, I never claimed that. Quite the opposite, I said it was a stereotype that applied specifically to middle class women of a certain age who are behaving in an unseemly fashion in public. If you don’t want to be described that way, just don’t act that way.

That’s the point. It is different in a fundamental way from terms like “boomer” because you don’t have a choice of your age, but you do have a choice of how you behave in public.
 
I've met some ridiculous ROs. I had one scream that he thought I was shooting tracers, he got in my face and told me I had to leave. When I asked him why he thought was shooting tracers (which I wasn't and there is no posted sign that says you couldn't anyway) , he said he saw a flash at the berm and it was near my target. I politely showed him my ammo and told him if he was kicking me off the range that I was going to have a talk with the powers that be.
He allowed me to stay, just dumb dumb dumb.
That same RO was feeling friendly a couple years later and offered to let me try his 41 mag revolver, which I did and he got upset and said I was shooting the target holder, when the range went cold I showed him my 6 shots in the middle of the paper in a tighter group than he's made in his life, what a Turd.

One other run in I had with an up tight RO was at an indoor range. Shooting on the rifle range (up to 308 allowed) with a 454 casull revolver he told me I was damaging the backstop and I couldn't shoot that gun there. I stared him in eyes just long enough for both of us to feel uncomfortable , laughed and gathered up my things and left, never went back.

It's a power trip thing, most are ok . others are just basement dwelling mouth breathers who need something to feel powerful.
 
BLACKHAWKNJ said:
5. There is the problem of "adhocracy", people making up rules as they go along, citing non-existent regulations, SOPs, etc. A good range will have clearly written and easily understood range rules posted where all can see them.
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Do you really think all people actually obey the rules? Heck, I wonder if they can ever read. Yea, there might be a few bad RO's, but why shoot all the dogs because one has flea's. If you do not like the RO then leave. Free Country. Write your congressman, protest. For myself, I am just happy to be able to shoot. We might not have that freedom in the future.

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The short answer is testosterone !

I can say this . The first day I was a RSO was incredibly stressful . We had a full range which is 30 lanes and maybe 50+ shooters with only two range officers . The immense responsibility that was quickly realized was almost too much to deal with .

Had my head on a swivel that day we had a few families with young children under 10 shooting , crazy stress and everything went smooth really but in my head it wasn’t haha .

It gets easier but that first day , wow

Last time I went ( none rso day ) my buddy brought a drone and the leade RO came up and asked If we new the rules on drones . We all didn’t actually know so made up some rules on the spot . No drones down range when range is hot even at altitude ( 100ft ) , no filming shooters at close range , no filming of adjacent ranges where the military was shooting .

My buddy wanted to use the drone as a spotting scope and have it hover above his target , we said no haha .
 
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One of the outdoor ranges I used to shoot was/ is unsupervised. Unfortunately. Nice range but a very, unsafe place to shoot.

I have seen more stupid behavior at ranges than on the roads driving to work. And that's saying something. At least while driving you normally have a vehicle around you. At the range there usually isn't anything, for the most part, between you and Mr. 60 I.Q.
 
whughett said:
What’s up with this “Karen” nonsense. Run across that a bit lately. Is it a label, derogatory name, some internet BS. Someone’s mother sister wife or family member may be named Karen. Curious.
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OK, Boomer.

lol just kidding:p
 
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Good question about why some shooters don't like Range Officers. I say it is because we never forget bad range officers and the good ones seldom have a kind word said about them. The next time you are at the range and had a safe and good time, I recommend telling the Range Officer "Thank you" as it helps to encourage good Range Officers and lets them know you appreciate their service.
 
bummer7 said:
Good question about why some shooters don't like Range Officers. I say it is because we never forget bad range officers and the good ones seldom have a kind word said about them. The next time you are at the range and had a safe and good time, I recommend telling the Range Officer "Thank you" as it helps to encourage good Range Officers and lets them know you appreciate their service.
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:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
 
there is a need for rules . mostly for safety .all rounds must go into the berm. no shooting at anything on the ground ,no shooting just to destroy target supports and posts. no cannons. no tanneite . during sight in days when more people are around only one cartridge in the gun at a time .all guns must show empty . its not that much to ask ,is it ?
 
Jack Ryan said:
Range Officer is a pretty thankless job, except for the other pretty ACTIVE members of a club. Normally it is a job only the most active and "invested" people who frequent a range are interested at all in doing. I never heard of one who received any significant compensation other than the opportunity to go to the next step involvement in shooting, shooting sports, and his own local community of shooters.

May be because the RO given the responsibility of seeing the facility is run safely and in the manner desired by the people most invested in maintaining it is also a little more concerned about it than the average first timer most concerned where he can rip off a mag or two in a hurry and the cheapest. May that might be a reason a few people don't like them. People want to use a range like it is their own back yard and the RO wants them to use it like they are guests at a PUBLIC facility shared by other people.
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This! And:

Reasons people get expelled and or ranges get shut down:

Noise that upsets the consciousness of the average person ie. rapid fire, auto fire
Rounds that leave the range ie. ignoring berms or baffles
Lead contamination/exposure ie. eating, drinking on the line or inside the indoor range
Death or injury of any kind
Horseplay/safety violations ie. guys on lane 1 acting stupid and reported by the guys on another lane

I shot my first match in 1957! I've been on the BOD, RO/RSO/Match Director of at least 5 clubs/ranges in 2 states. I've personally seen 5 ranges shut down for the very reasons listed above. One of the clubs I currently belong to is under scrutiny by the EPA and OSHA for poor lead mitigation/management! People not following best practices! Other ranges in the area are likewise under scrutiny for lead mitigation issues.

Keeping ranges open is a delicate balance of "having fun" and public perception! All it takes is one person highly motivated to pursue closing down a range and they will prevail or cost the club/range thousands in litigation expenses!

Granted there is no excuse for "range Nazis" but put yourself in the RO/RSO/Match Directors shoes and imagine the responsibility they have to the property, membership and public!

Have fun be safe and volunteer and introduce kids to the shooting sports!

Smiles,
 
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my private outdoor range has no officers. If someone is being crazy unsafe or impolite in a way I simply can't tolerate I will say something to them. They usually get butt hurt and leave.

I appreciate being able to shoot without having some range nazi brow beat me about how frequent my shots get thrown. I am 54 years old, have never harmed myself or anyone else with a firearm, and by God if I want to dump a magazine downrange I'm going to. My son says he's been places where the RO will light on you if you exceed a shot every 10 seconds. I wouldn't have the patience for a place like that.

I'm fortunate in that Monday is my usual day to shoot. At my range that either means I have the range all to myself, or it's me and one other guy sitting at a rifle station pulling the trigger about every 10 minutes while I go John Wick on the pistol range. I love the place and most of the members are respectful of what a great place to shoot it is and clean up after themselves.
 
When I was growing up in So Cal in San Gabriel Valley there was one range officer named Edsel at Fish Canyon that used to scream at me to get behind the line.

I was already behind the line. In fact the only way to not get him to freak out on kids was to get off the concrete pad altogether that the line was painted on. The same concrete pad our fathers and older brothers were standing on. For the most part my dad thought it was funny, but after a particularly bad freak out he went and talked to him and he quit freaking out as bad.

I grew up and that old man could never figure out why I hated his guts as an adult.

For me it stemmed from there.

Most RSO’s are fine. They’re necessary. You get one every now and then who thinks he’s a benevolent dictator though
 
whughett said:
Someone’s mother sister wife or family member may be named Karen. Curious.
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My mom, stepmom, and daughter all named Karen. Only my daughter is a true Karen. Mom and stepmom where the nicest folks. My daughter is a turd.
 
Once I had an RSO accuse me of stealing for policing up my own brass. I haven’t spent a dime at that range since so I guess I stole their future earnings.
 
Goose , yep some think the range’s property or perceived property is there own and act like you are taking it from there own back yard . Never understood that .

Our policy is once it’s in the brass bucket it’s the range’s brass and we do stop people from taking it out . Me , I’ll let them take a few if they want but it’s the guys that try to dump the whole bucket into a bag and leave , those guys get a firm talking to . You almost here immediately from them oh sorry I didn’t know . Bull crap there are LARGE signs right at the sign in desk with ALL the rules . You not reading them is not an excuse.

I have to say that is one thing that gets under my skin . Guys breaking basic rules that are printed all over the place for reference. That just makes me think they don’t give a crap or they think they are safer then everyone else so some rules can be ignored.

Interestingly enough we RSO’s are not immune . I had the lead Care Taker the other day come up to me and tell me I was breaking a rule . I had to pull out the SOP to prove to him I was not . He had to read the paragraph several times to convince himself he was mistaken . I was also there one day shooting not as an RSO so the guys on duty didn’t even know I was one . And although I was being safe I was testing a brass catcher on a pistol and was not actually aiming the firearm down range . I was just looking at where the brass was going as it ejected which resulted in some of the bullets bouncing off the ground before hitting the backstop 100 yards away . One of the RSO‘s came over and told me if I can’t shoot without bouncing them off the ground and I was gonna have to stop shooting . To him it just look like I couldn’t shoot a firearm .
 
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Russell13 said:
If all the ranges I’ve been to I’ve never had a problem with any range officers. But I hear stories and read tons of complaints about them??
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A fair number of people are pretty much control freak a$$h0135 and given even a tiny amount of authority use it to be a major PITA. Normal people do not like being treated this way.
 
Never had any problems with a RSO. the one time i got spoken to was my fault. He address his concern and then moved on. (I was trying to sight in a friends AR10 that had the wrong gas tube in, and i raised the muzzle once with eject the round)
 
Metal God,

one look at the overheads tell me RSOs are essential. I’m still curiouswho shoots them but don’t want to be there when that guy is around. In the instance I mentioned I was cleaning my immediate area of brass i ejected. It wouldn't have bothered me if he just said make sure you only pickup your own brass. It was the attitude so I just spent money down the street. The RSOs at the ranges I go to now have always been reasonable guys.
 
I have never seen a RSO.

My clubs don't have them. Other nembers are pretty quick to point out safety violations.
 
Interesting thread since I just passed the CMP Level 1 course and am now one of my club's ROs starting this Sunday. Technically I was one before when I was on the BOD, but other than standing behind the line and eyeballing people, I didn't really have to do anything.

The folks at my club are, by and large, very careful and conscientious shooters, with only a few newbies and the rare idiot showing up. Other than the local PD putting holes in the baffles during their training sessions, there isn't a lot of excitement where I shoot, but it's enlightening to read about some of the experiences others have had.
 
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