A little while back I went to the range and there was one guy shooting his rifle from the bench. As I was setting up to shoot he came over and started telling me about a guy he just ran off(we are both on the board of directors). They had just started shooting at 100 yd targets after going down range and putting up fresh targets, when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. The other guy was about 50 yds down range while my friend was shooting. HE stopped shooting, cleared his rifle and went after the guy. When he got through explaining the situation to him the guy calmly told him that since he was such a good shot that he wasnt worried about getting hit. I think this set my friend into a near fit. I dont know about you guys but I dont want to go down range while anyone is near a bench, much less shooting at a target 2 lanes away.
Dangerous People
- Thread starter quick68
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Travis McGee
Member
I'd say it's a no-no. "AMF."
Rafter-S
Member
I've been looking through my scope, in the process of squeezing one off, and suddenly the back of someone's shirt appeared. A guy walked directly into my lane while the range was "hot."
I went ballistic, to say the least. He got expelled from the range and lost all his privliges. It ruined my, otherwise wonderful, day. I packed up and went home.
The moral: you have to watch everyone when you are on the range. It is not just the range officer's job to keep it safe--it is everyone's.
I went ballistic, to say the least. He got expelled from the range and lost all his privliges. It ruined my, otherwise wonderful, day. I packed up and went home.
The moral: you have to watch everyone when you are on the range. It is not just the range officer's job to keep it safe--it is everyone's.
blades67
Member
That guy probably thinks cruise control is the same thing as auto-pilot.
Standing Wolf
Member in memoriam
I've seen the same thing. Maybe it's just one guy who goes from range to range to give us the willies and help keep us humble.
Wouldn't care for the job, frankly.
Wouldn't care for the job, frankly.
PATH
Member
Happened to me. An old fella who looked like father Christmas was shooting at the range with his son. There were a bunch of shotting when out of the corner of my eye I see the old fella walking out on the range to change a target. I start screaming for a cease fire. There is much consternation and ado. We are talking to the son, we now have eyes and ears off, when father Christmas lets loose with a high caliber blast. Mind you we are shooting from a range house and the noise leaves that distinctive wah wah wah in the ears. The son starts screaming at the old man. Discretion being the better part of not getting arrested, I was that angry, I packed and left as did my shooting companions.
It happens more than you know. I just shake my head at the downright stupid things people will do at a range.
It happens more than you know. I just shake my head at the downright stupid things people will do at a range.
dfariswheel
Member
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2002
- Messages
- 6,653
Maybe the worst case I ever heard of happened at my old gun club.
One night after dark, the club president got a call from a neighbor of the range, telling him that somebody was shooting on the range, IN THE DARK.
The pres jumped into his car and rushed over.
He found two NON MEMBERS (read trespassers) on the range. They had climbed over the fence to sight in their 338's. Since they were leaving for Colorado the next morning and had just mounted new scopes on their rifles, they thought they'd just use our range.
When the president arrived one man was shooting at a 50 yard target, WHILE THE OTHER STOOD BESIDE IT HOLDING A FLASHLIGHT ON THE BULL.
The president proceeded to "have a baby" when these two Clarabells just couldn't understand why he was so upset. It wasn't like they were hurting anything, and they intended to join the club someday.
The closest call I personally ever had, was when I was at a conservation agency open range shooting a new hi-cap 9mm Springfield P9.
There was some guy running around looking for brass to sell as scrap.
I was blazing away when I saw something out of the corner of my eye, just as I stopped the squeeze on the trigger, this walking suicide stood up directly in front of my muzzle.
He had been creeping around behind me picking up MY brass, and stepped forward to get a couple in front of me.
If I hadn't seen the movement I'd have put one dead center of the back of his head.
He too could not understand why I was yelling and screaming. After all, it was a public range, and he had as much right to be there as I did...........
He was also rather surprised that I was unhappy that he was stealing MY brass.
One night after dark, the club president got a call from a neighbor of the range, telling him that somebody was shooting on the range, IN THE DARK.
The pres jumped into his car and rushed over.
He found two NON MEMBERS (read trespassers) on the range. They had climbed over the fence to sight in their 338's. Since they were leaving for Colorado the next morning and had just mounted new scopes on their rifles, they thought they'd just use our range.
When the president arrived one man was shooting at a 50 yard target, WHILE THE OTHER STOOD BESIDE IT HOLDING A FLASHLIGHT ON THE BULL.
The president proceeded to "have a baby" when these two Clarabells just couldn't understand why he was so upset. It wasn't like they were hurting anything, and they intended to join the club someday.
The closest call I personally ever had, was when I was at a conservation agency open range shooting a new hi-cap 9mm Springfield P9.
There was some guy running around looking for brass to sell as scrap.
I was blazing away when I saw something out of the corner of my eye, just as I stopped the squeeze on the trigger, this walking suicide stood up directly in front of my muzzle.
He had been creeping around behind me picking up MY brass, and stepped forward to get a couple in front of me.
If I hadn't seen the movement I'd have put one dead center of the back of his head.
He too could not understand why I was yelling and screaming. After all, it was a public range, and he had as much right to be there as I did...........
He was also rather surprised that I was unhappy that he was stealing MY brass.
Justin
Moderator Emeritus
I've had three things like this happen, all at public ranges.
1) A bunch of us are shooting when some idiot decides that it's fine to just walk down range to set a target up. A ceasefire is immediately called, and everyone on the line stares intently at this particular moron until he walks back downrange.
2) Doing a bit of shooting with a friend when an obviously incompetent twit shows up. He sets up an oversized human silhouette target at 25 yards and proceeds to blaze away at it. The target was the safest thing on the range, as he proceeded to aerate the ground anywhere between 10 and 20 yards in front of him. Between each of his attempts to slaughter the local earthworm population, he loads a mag, inserts it into the gun, and proceeds to cover everyone on the lane by stretching his arms. He did that twice before I went over and had a few words with him. He decided to shoot off the bench after that.
3)At the range with another friend. Just him and I, and a yokel with his wife and an AK clone. We call a ceasefire, he agrees, and my buddy and I head down range to change targets. I glance back and see him loading a mag. No problems. Then I see him insert the mag into the gun and rack the bolt.
My friend and I yell at the top of our lungs to put the rifle down, NOW!
He does so.
But he's obviously a raging idiot.
I hate idiots.
I hate idiots who handle guns in an unsafe manner even more.
This is why I'm willing to shell out the money to belong to a private range.
1) A bunch of us are shooting when some idiot decides that it's fine to just walk down range to set a target up. A ceasefire is immediately called, and everyone on the line stares intently at this particular moron until he walks back downrange.
2) Doing a bit of shooting with a friend when an obviously incompetent twit shows up. He sets up an oversized human silhouette target at 25 yards and proceeds to blaze away at it. The target was the safest thing on the range, as he proceeded to aerate the ground anywhere between 10 and 20 yards in front of him. Between each of his attempts to slaughter the local earthworm population, he loads a mag, inserts it into the gun, and proceeds to cover everyone on the lane by stretching his arms. He did that twice before I went over and had a few words with him. He decided to shoot off the bench after that.
3)At the range with another friend. Just him and I, and a yokel with his wife and an AK clone. We call a ceasefire, he agrees, and my buddy and I head down range to change targets. I glance back and see him loading a mag. No problems. Then I see him insert the mag into the gun and rack the bolt.
My friend and I yell at the top of our lungs to put the rifle down, NOW!He does so.
But he's obviously a raging idiot.
I hate idiots.
I hate idiots who handle guns in an unsafe manner even more.
This is why I'm willing to shell out the money to belong to a private range.
JPM70535
Member
AFAIK it is imossible to guarantee that the other folks using the range will have or exhibit common sense. The best you can hope for is that the only damage they will do is to themselves. Whenever I run into one of these mental giants, I quietly pack my gear and exit stage left as rapidly as possible.
Having said that, I have to admit that watching the antics performed by the above individials would be worth the price of admission if not for the obvious danger. Watching them sweep each other, look down the barrel of their weapons, and proceed to hit everything down range except the target, and proclam every excuse except the obvious.
Having said that, I have to admit that watching the antics performed by the above individials would be worth the price of admission if not for the obvious danger. Watching them sweep each other, look down the barrel of their weapons, and proceed to hit everything down range except the target, and proclam every excuse except the obvious.
gunsmith
member
wow,I am surprised
you guys didn't have heart attacks,some of those stories are scary...
I have one.
Remember when you were in Basic Training?
I was learning the fine art of advancing on a target with
a partner.
one person lays down some cover fireSTOPS and yells for his partner to advance (I last did this in 1977 so I don't remember the exact command)
anyway McCreary yells for me to begin firing then runs right in front of me and my M16a1 .I yelled for a cease fire before the drill Sgt did (thank GOD) the drill had seen the whole thing and McCreary had to do a bunch of push ups and crawl half way back to camp.
I tried to explain to McCreary that I wasn't the only guy firing down range and saved his life...but he never understood...he always believed I was trying to get him in trouble
you guys didn't have heart attacks,some of those stories are scary...
I have one.
Remember when you were in Basic Training?
I was learning the fine art of advancing on a target with
a partner.
one person lays down some cover fireSTOPS and yells for his partner to advance (I last did this in 1977 so I don't remember the exact command)
anyway McCreary yells for me to begin firing then runs right in front of me and my M16a1 .I yelled for a cease fire before the drill Sgt did (thank GOD) the drill had seen the whole thing and McCreary had to do a bunch of push ups and crawl half way back to camp.
I tried to explain to McCreary that I wasn't the only guy firing down range and saved his life...but he never understood...he always believed I was trying to get him in trouble
Worst Yet.
My son and I were changing targets down range on a Cease Fire. While bending over stapling the new targets up, the target next to me grows a new hole. I had my personal best groundhog imitation that day. One of my good shooting buddies snatched the rifle out of the shooters hands and gave him a quick dental examination (he did have a few loose teeth) before the range officer suspended his membership and banned him from the range. Needless to say I wasn't much of a shot the rest of the day.
My son and I were changing targets down range on a Cease Fire. While bending over stapling the new targets up, the target next to me grows a new hole. I had my personal best groundhog imitation that day. One of my good shooting buddies snatched the rifle out of the shooters hands and gave him a quick dental examination (he did have a few loose teeth) before the range officer suspended his membership and banned him from the range. Needless to say I wasn't much of a shot the rest of the day.
Legionnaire
Contributing Member
I've never seen anything quite so boneheaded as what ya'll have described here ... and hope I never do. But then, I don't shoot at public ranges very often.
Worst thing I've experienced (that I know about) is having to grab the barrel of a .22 rifle pointed at my midriff by a stranger who was sighting in on one of our public sight-in days. We were on a cease fire so targets could be changed, so I wandered down the line greeting folks and fell into conversation with this guy. Asked him about his gun, how he liked it, etc. He picks it up (not supposed to handle guns on the line with folks downrange) and swings the barrel toward me (sweeping the line in the process) to show me the action. I had both hands on that barrel before he knew what was happening. Barrel went up, around, and downrange again, and I didn't let go until he did. I managed to stay calm and explain to him the various rules he had just violated. To his credit, he was embarrassed and humbly apologetic (he was a newbie, who'd gotten out on the range with no instruction). Hopefully, he learned a lesson.
I hate sight-in days. Lots of stupid, even if not dangerous, stuff. Like guys wasting lots of ammo trying to get on paper at 100 yards when we have targets set up at 25 and 50 ... stuff like that.
Worst thing I've experienced (that I know about) is having to grab the barrel of a .22 rifle pointed at my midriff by a stranger who was sighting in on one of our public sight-in days. We were on a cease fire so targets could be changed, so I wandered down the line greeting folks and fell into conversation with this guy. Asked him about his gun, how he liked it, etc. He picks it up (not supposed to handle guns on the line with folks downrange) and swings the barrel toward me (sweeping the line in the process) to show me the action. I had both hands on that barrel before he knew what was happening. Barrel went up, around, and downrange again, and I didn't let go until he did. I managed to stay calm and explain to him the various rules he had just violated. To his credit, he was embarrassed and humbly apologetic (he was a newbie, who'd gotten out on the range with no instruction). Hopefully, he learned a lesson.
I hate sight-in days. Lots of stupid, even if not dangerous, stuff. Like guys wasting lots of ammo trying to get on paper at 100 yards when we have targets set up at 25 and 50 ... stuff like that.
VaughnT
Member
I'm lucky to have never been in a situation like described herein! The only thing I've seen to date is some really bad shooting (mostly by cops), and some really cool guns (.475 Linebaugh).
I hope it stays this way.
I hope it stays this way.
bogie
Member
Heh - sight in days...
I can get a bolt gun on paper without firing a shot. And I can get it zeroed in two (and the second is just to confirm).
So I just LOVE watching Bubba and a buddy blaze away, putting 2-3 boxes of storebought downrange, while they crank on their scopes... Coupla years ago, my range hosted the NBRSA nationals. Coupla members wanted to sight in, but the main range was closed for the event, so they went over to the pistol range. After watching 'em for 15-20 rounds, I wandered over, and offered to help 'em (to get on paper at 25 yards...), but they emphatically declined. Made me wanna buy stock in Remington...
I can get a bolt gun on paper without firing a shot. And I can get it zeroed in two (and the second is just to confirm).
So I just LOVE watching Bubba and a buddy blaze away, putting 2-3 boxes of storebought downrange, while they crank on their scopes... Coupla years ago, my range hosted the NBRSA nationals. Coupla members wanted to sight in, but the main range was closed for the event, so they went over to the pistol range. After watching 'em for 15-20 rounds, I wandered over, and offered to help 'em (to get on paper at 25 yards...), but they emphatically declined. Made me wanna buy stock in Remington...
Mikul
Member
I was shooting outdoors on our club's 50-yard range when another member comes in and sets up about 7 yards IN FRONT of me, albeit a little off to the left. I politely told him that we all need to shoot off of the same line and he told me that he didn't want to shoot from that far away and he wasn't worried about me hitting him.
Duncan Idaho
member
As prez of our local club, the things you all have described are what my nightmares are made of. Thank God we don't seem to have the same caliber (caliber...get it?) of morons that you poor folks seem to have in your neck of the woods. Thank you God!
[knock wood]FWIW, we instituted a range master class (mandatory for all new members wishing to use our range) in 1998. So far, so good. [/knock wood]
GAAAAAAAHHHHH!
[knock wood]FWIW, we instituted a range master class (mandatory for all new members wishing to use our range) in 1998. So far, so good. [/knock wood]
I have been to a few ranges around the Austin, TX area and have never seen anyone behaving badly. I'm not going to say that I think nothing unsafe has ever happened here, but the range I go to in Manor, TX has a group of folks that range from the intensely knowledgable to the plinkers with their simple SKS, .22 or Savage bolt gun. There is an old range hand there, but I've never seen him have a problem with anyone behaving unsafely. Some people have to be shown what to do sometimes, but they have good instincts and don't do anything really stupid initially.
That would make me mad as hell or mess my pants, one or the other, if someone fired a round while I was down field, or walked into my field of fire. That's inexcusable.
That would make me mad as hell or mess my pants, one or the other, if someone fired a round while I was down field, or walked into my field of fire. That's inexcusable.
Chupacabra
Member
I've thankfully only witnessed one bonehead mistake over the past year and half at the local indoor range.
A couple of total n00bs rented a Glock and one of the range officers was giving them basic lessons on pointing and shooting. The first guy, after sending a few bullets downrange turns to say something to his buddy while at the same time sweeping everyone to the right of him with is FINGER ON THE TRIGGER! The range officer grabbed his arm and had a few choice words with him.
My friends and I left soon after.
A couple of total n00bs rented a Glock and one of the range officers was giving them basic lessons on pointing and shooting. The first guy, after sending a few bullets downrange turns to say something to his buddy while at the same time sweeping everyone to the right of him with is FINGER ON THE TRIGGER! The range officer grabbed his arm and had a few choice words with him.
My friends and I left soon after.
BerettaNut92
Member
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2002
- Messages
- 9,723
I'd rather have someone walk downrange while I'm shooting than someone shooting while I'm downrange 
Some people...
Some people...
An idiot is just half of a second away from being a genius.
No one realizes that their range has a better or worst class of morons till after that split second. Also unfortuantely most violations go unreported.
Just something to think about.
SodaPop
member
Last weekend I lectured someone guy for not checking with me before changing the "ALL CLEAR sign to CEASE FIRE". He just walked up to the sign and switched it to "CEASE FIRE" and drove down to the 500yd target in his truck. Everyone at the range saw him do it but me. It was a good thing I saw the truck when I did because I was just about to load up my Mini 14 and make sure the windage was correct at 300yds.
You gotta make sure people always follow the rules FOR THEIR SAKE and YOURS!!
You gotta make sure people always follow the rules FOR THEIR SAKE and YOURS!!
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