Dumbest thing you've seen at the range?

[Cosmoline]

A few years back at the public outdoor pistol range I saw a novice calmly set down his pistol, action back as required, pointing forward as required, take up his targets and move to put them up on his target downrange. All fine and dandy. Except that the range was hot and dozens of others were actively shooting on either side of him!! When we saw what he was doing several started yelling cease fire. The guy didn't seem to notice until he heard the yells. Thankfully everyone was on target that day and he didn't get hit.

 

[mcdonl]

I have a new one... Saturday morning I was at the "range" with my 13 year old daughter. It is a struggle, with the snow... lugging my shooting box, folding table, a carbine, 10/22 and a target stand but you know... you have to get out and do things that are hard sometime or you will never appreciate the easy stuff...

So, we stop and get a coffee and hot chocolate first because that is what we do...

While fishing out targets, I see hot chocolate all over the target... I tell her to be careful, she gets defensive... you know... father - teen interactions at their best... Then I see hot chocolate on the table, gun case... all over... I get ready to yell at her (Sorry... I do yell occasionaly...) and she points at my hand and says... maybe you should stop bleeding all over the place before you give me more crap about my hot chocolate... lol

Turns out, I cut my hand and the cold (18 degrees wind chill of sub zero.....) made it so that I didn't feel it. It was a nice vein cut as the blood was dark in color and oozing steadily albeit slow....

 

[thorazine]

^^^

Nothing dumb about that.

Instead a great story of a range trip with father and daughter.




Now you make me want a hot chocolate.. yum.

 

[chuwee81]

well, how about crushing your left thumb with the heavy duty stapler thingee. I was out hanging targets but it was windy. after juggling the targets, stapler and muttering: "i got you now you dirty son of.....Whack !!" right hand iron grip style to the lever resulted in an almost cracked nail of the left thumb. Hurt so bad i couldn't even shoot right. It was a brief visit. Still mad about it.

 

[Yoda]

Quick Draw...

I took an office co-worker to the range for the first time, explaining to him how real gun enthusiasts are always safety conscious.

So what happens?

The only other guy at the range is shooting a cap-and-ball revolver, and he walks up to us and tells us that he has discovered how the guy in the old west were able to draw and shoot so fast. The secret, he said, was to pull the gun out of the holster with the finger already inside the trigger guard, since this would save time inserting it later in the draw.

Before my friend and I could say anything to this utter stranger about his new discovery, he gives us a demonstration, drawing his revolver out of his holster AT A RIGHT ANGLE TO THE FIRING LINE...AND THE GUN WENT OFF AND BLEW A HOLE IN THE DIRT ABOUT THREE FEET IN FRONT OF HIM!!!

The damn fool almost shot right into US!

He started to explain something about having the hammer back but being sure not to put too much pressure on the trigger during the draw. I don 't know what else he said, because we left.

- - - Yoda

 

[halfded]

I was trying out the pistol range at the outdoor range I've started going to on occasion. I was one of 2 people on the firing line and chose a lane away from the other shooter. As I'm loading my revolver, he moves down to the lane right next to me and starts reloading a mag for his Hi-point auto. I'm not a gun snob by any means (I was shooting my Taurus) and had never seen a hi point in action.

The line goes hot and I start shooting, watching the guy next to me during (my) reloads. He must've been a new shooter; watching me out of the corner of his eye as he tried every kind of grip I've ever seen, proper or improper. He wasn't shooting badly, but consistently pulling to the right.

I finished my string and was waiting for cease fire while watching him shoot. I'm not real big on throwing advice around so I just watched quietly, hoping he would say something that would open the door for a few helpful pointers. He said something to me I don't remember and I commented that he was consistently hitting to the right and should maybe adjust his trigger finger a bit. Then the gun jams (Side note: This was the only malfunction I saw this gun have through a box or 2 of ammo and 5 or 6 somewhat limp-wristed grips) and he sets his firing hand on the bench, finger in the trigger, and looks at me dumbfounded. I tell him to take his finger of the trigger and rack the slide to dump the dud. He decided at this point to wait for cease-fire as well so I took the opportunity to ask if this was his first gun. He told me how good a deal he got on his Hi-point ($150) and said he had another smaller gun that he carries for self defense.

*I'm not calling this guy dumb for trying to learn how to shoot i.e. his grip. Here comes the dumb part..*

He has a plastic shopping bag on the bench next to him tied with a neat bow at the top. He carefully unties it, sorts through his ammo boxes and stuff and pulls out a raggedy, dollar store fanny pack. After having a bit of trouble unzipping the fanny pack, he pulls out a Chromed Jennings .380 and proceeds to tell me the good deal he got on that one ($200) and how he carries it "so no one messes with him while he's at the range".

Cease fire was called and I beat a hasty retreat to get my targets and get out of there. BTW, this guy was rocking a John Travolta-from-Grease style leather jacket and sunglasses, so the chrome .380 kind of fit the bill.

Not as dumb as some have posted, but I don't go to the range all that often. I'm a shoot at home kind of guy.

 

[NinjaFeint]

Guy, while at the line, took a different gun out of his bag, checked the chamber then started loading the magazine while people were downrange during a cease fire with the lights flashing and all that. He was asked to leave and argued. He couldn't grasp the concept that he could have forgotten that gun was loaded when it was in his bag and that he could have been checking the chamber of a loaded gun pointed downrange while people were down there. He said since it was unloaded it was fine. He eventually left but it was still the dumbest thing combining the act with the arguing.

 

[spittle8]

It was my first time to a range, and I was not firing but watching through glass from inside the gun shop. Some gangsta was rapid-firing a short-barreled shotgun from the hip. I was watching his target, which was about 10 yards away, and I noticed he was hitting it with slugs. His accuracy was terrible and half the shots apparently missed entirely. I saw one punch clean through about half an inch below the metal clamp that holds the target up!

I LOL'd, pointed, and told my friend he (the shooter) was an idiot.

My God was that thing loud though!

 

[Flash!]

Other people have mentioned the fools who start going downrange when the range is hot.... I once saw a guy go downrange while everyone is still shooting, then stop about halfway, turn around and call for a cease fire..... My guess is he figured out his mistake.....

 

[thelaststand]

My range is mostly NRA so there are not many idiots shooting there but...

Recently I was shooting at the pistol range from 25 yards which also happens to be just in front of the gun tables and I don't shoot fast when I'm working on trigger control. 3 new people showed up and as I was shooting one guy just walks out to put up his target without calling a cease fire but I caught him from the corner of my eye and disarmed my gun and put it down. No one noticed so when they came back I informed them of where I was shooting from so they'll know not to walk out again while I'm shooting.

Another time I saw a guy standing about 5 yards further back than another shooter. One was at 10 yards and the other guy at 15 yards both shooting.

Nothing big but still a little stupid.

But the good thing is my range is going 100% NRA soon so no more newbies I hope.

 

[Mags]

I was shooting at the city range when the RO calls for a cease fire. The cease fire had been going on for some time and all the ROs had not checked the line. Well, the RO with the microphone says "you are not clear to go downrange". I, seeing no one was at the line and having my hearing protection on hear "you are now clear to go down range" and go on happily to cehck my target before I get one foot down range I am swarmed by ROs yelling at me like I am an idiot. I mean come on, who says "you are not clear to go downrange" I work on the flightline sometimes and we are not allowed to say anythin resembling "all clear" over the radio unless a plane is allowed to make a movement. But I should have been paying more attention at least it was during a cease-fire.

 

[ranger335v]

This question made me remember, once upon a time, long ago at the Titusville, FL, range a friend of mine was firing his then new Ruger .44 Black Hawk.....

A tee-shirt wearing local yokel was there. Fasinated by the big gun, he asked if he might fire it a few times. Allowed to do so, he placed the pistol over the elbow of his left arm for support, left hand grasping the right forearm. That put the gap of the cylinder just above the exposed skin and the hammer was only inches from his forehead. My friend quickly told him not to shoot that way and got back, "It's okay, this is the way I fired pistols in the ARmy" before it went off. That one shot was plenty.

He handed it back, said "Thanks", pulled out a hankerchief, wiped the blood off his forehead and powder burned arm and left. It wasn't funny at the time, he was hurting even if not seriously but it was dumb got funny in the telling!

 

[gunnutery]

My Dad and I ere at the range one time while a young couple were shooting two tables to the left of us. Neither looked old enough to buy a handgun but I just figured they were borrowing a parent's pistol. My Dad and I were at a break in shooting when I noticed the kids had a jam and were trying to fix it. I watched carefully and sure enough in the kid's frustration he had shifted his fixing the jam and was pointing the gun right at us. I gave a quick yell and pointed down range. He quickly realized his mistake and pointed it in the right direction. He was quite consciencious from then on.

I have another one to share but have not the time to post it right now.

 

[ByAnyMeans]

Was at a State Game land range in Pennsylvania. I usually only go during the week when it is empty and this reminded me why.

People were at the 50, 100, and 200 yard line. Everybody goes down on a cold range to set up targets and most are back expect the guy at the 200 yard range. As he is walking back an idiot on the 50 yard line grabs his shotgun and fires all seven rounds as fast as he can.

Everybody is yelling to stop and the guy down range hits the dirt. An old guy shooting next to him grabs the gun and everybody goes to check the situation out. The guy says "I was shooting buckshot, It would never reach him at 100 yards". (illegal to shoot anything but slugs) He also proceeded to tell us he was an "expert shot" and their was no need to worry.

Everybody was trying to be cool except the guy downrange who was fuming. Eventually as everybody is trying to get the guy to understand the problem he says "well if he didn't take so long it would never happen". That was it, the guy downrange went after him, restrained by his friend. everybody else made it quite clear that he was packing up and leaving right now. He bitched the whole time but packed up very quickly.

 

[Dokkalfar]

Well luckily I haven't had any bad range experiences yet, the outdoor one I go to is pretty good at enforcing safety rules. Worst thing I do sometimes is forget to put the safety on after I've emptied the magazine. After reloading I'll get set to fire, and the safety's already off. Makes me feel like an idiot

 

[Werewolf]

Worst thing I do sometimes is forget to put the safety on after I've emptied the magazine. After reloading I'll get set to fire, and the safety's already off. Makes me feel like an idiot

Soooo what!

As long as the safety between your ears is engaged where's the problem.

 

[NinjaFeint]

The range I was at is 100% NRA but if you otherwise qualify they sign you up and add the fee to your membership. I think the issue is that a lot of the older members were not coming or were paying a reduced rate, so they may have relaxed their standards. Now it is a bit harder to get in.

The state police range is free to all on weekends but is a nightmare. I have seen guys that are a foot over the line on the range and shooting.

 

[content]

Hello friends and neighbors // 2 guys --a box of .22lr ---and a .22 magnum rifle.

After 15 min minding my own business. I told them the .22lr would never work in the .22 mag, that they were two different rounds.
They thought they had been ripped off by seller. Then they decided seller was a nice guy and the "barrel must have been stamped .22 by mistake."

I gave up lol. You can never underestimate how little someone might know about any given subject. /// Even after it has been explained to them.

 

[eric.cartman]

Dumb **** gang banger wanna be checked if his pump action 12ga is loaded by backing out of the lane, pointing it at me, and racking the pump action.

A guy handed me his loaded 9mm high point and in the process pointed it at my chest.

 

[Officers'Wife]

As long as the safety between your ears is engaged where's the problem.

There is no such thing as having too many safeties with a firearm.

 

[Ex-MA Hole]

This thread frightens me.

 

[wilkersk]

My range is mostly NRA so there are not many idiots shooting there{snip}..............

Are you sure?

{snip}...................But the good thing is my range is going 100% NRA soon so no more newbies I hope.

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Big game hunter, big magnum rifle + big$$ scope, big ego = AD while cease fire is called. 'nough said!

 

[Ester IX:XVI]

Not at a range but my neighbor and 5-8 of his friends often spends Saturday afternoons shooting skeet. one day he invited me down and said "yea, its great, I have some chick coming out to run the thrower and there will be all the beer an weed for everyone" glad i live beyond shotgun range.

 

[Chemistry Guy]

no target

It has gotten cold, so I went to an indoor range close to where I work. I was shooting for about 20 minutes when a young guy comes in to the lane to my right with a 9mm Glock. I was waiting for him to hang his target when he starts shooting. I thought for a second he was shooting at my target, so when he stopped to reload I told him, nicely, that I think he might be making a mistake. He said he didn't want to mess with targets and that he was just shooting the gun. :banghead: He went through about 20-25 shots (rapid fire) before he left. When he was gone the guy to my left(who was shooting at a 20 yard target), told me that one of the aspiring marksman's errant shots had hit HIS target. I told the guy at the range counter when I left, and he told me the guy had just rented and then bought that particular gun. Also, targets start at $0.25. My brain hurts trying to explain that stupidity.

 

[Stuntman_Mike]

jmr40,

You're story made me laugh so hard that I used the funniest lines from it in my signature. I literally laughed loud enough that my wife from the other end of the house asked me what my deal was...Good stuff...