Riomouse911
Member
When one of our peers reports a less than great time shooting, we almost all say that a bad day at the range is better than a great day at work (or a variance of the sentiment 
). 99 % of the time that’s probably true.
I finally had one of those 1% days where I literally got so fed up I poured the rounds I had set out into my backpack, tossed my targets back into the carrying tube and split after a few shots were fired.
I didn’t have a huge amount of time today, so two hours at the range would be my max before I had to leave. When I got there at 10 am it was empty. They had reopened all lanes for the first time in a year... but even 15 minutes after opening it was still deserted. ( I regularly shoot here and always earplug and ear muff because sometimes it can get loud inside when guys bring AR or AK rifles to shoot.)
I got placed in lane 9 of 10, unpacked my stuff and fired 50 through the Glock 44 I picked up last week. One Aguila 36 gr hp didn’t fire, but did on the second go-round. 20 more of the Sterling Cross 40 gr LRN fired with no issues. Rounds were hitting where I wanted them, all was great
.
The S&W 4” Model 18-3 I shot next fired beautifully. The trigger pull was much improved after my work on the gun and 5 cylinders each of the Aguila and Sterling Cross rounds all fired without a hitch. This gun also was putting rounds right where I wanted them to go.
Then the wheels fell off.
The range put a couple of guys in lane 8, right next to me, which has never been an issue as I shoot indoors all the time. They fiddled about a bit then sent out a target to about ten yards. I didn’t pay much attention as I put away the 18-3, pulled out my S&W 48-4 (that also got resprung last week) and loaded a cylinder of Armscor 40 gr JHP .22 WMR rounds. I fired maybe one or two rounds... and the guy in the next lane touched off a shot that just about shook the teeth out of my mouth.
These guys were “sighting in” a 16” AR...indoors...with a lateral-port brake on the rifle...from about four feet to my left
.
After about three shots that made me literally wince after each one I glance past the barrier as the shooter was fiddling with the sights. I can literally see straight through the side ports on the muzzle of the rifle to the far wall. Great!
I emptied the cylinder and set the gun down, stepped back and asked the guy who was giving sighting-in instructions if they had a lateral port comp on that thing. (I’ll freely admit I didn’t sound too happy when I asked.) The guy said no with an irritated tone, which was total bs because I saw it. I said out loud it was rattling my teeth and went back to try and shoot the 48-4 and the three other S&W’s I’d brought to function check.
I lasted about one more cylinder, and three more shots from that gun, before I pulled my target in, packed up my crap and left. I left the range through the door, dropped my target holder on the desk, flipped my visa card down to pay for the $15.00 range fee and told the kid behind the counter that their comped rifle was too obnoxious to keep shooting around so I’m out. I’m enough of a regular that I could see he was surprised, so he charged my card and I turned to leave.
I saw three other guys that were signing the waiver and were getting ready to pay at the counter. I told the kid to put them on the far side of the range and said to the guys “Good luck today, shooting next to that comped rifle in there is just ridiculous.”
Went home, wiped my guns down, threw away about six targets that I ruined I’m my haste to leave and went about the day.
Sometimes... rarely...it is better going to the office than the range. This was one of those times.
May you all have more fun this weekend behind your guns than I did today.
Stay safe.
). 99 % of the time that’s probably true. I finally had one of those 1% days where I literally got so fed up I poured the rounds I had set out into my backpack, tossed my targets back into the carrying tube and split after a few shots were fired.
I didn’t have a huge amount of time today, so two hours at the range would be my max before I had to leave. When I got there at 10 am it was empty. They had reopened all lanes for the first time in a year... but even 15 minutes after opening it was still deserted. ( I regularly shoot here and always earplug and ear muff because sometimes it can get loud inside when guys bring AR or AK rifles to shoot.)
I got placed in lane 9 of 10, unpacked my stuff and fired 50 through the Glock 44 I picked up last week. One Aguila 36 gr hp didn’t fire, but did on the second go-round. 20 more of the Sterling Cross 40 gr LRN fired with no issues. Rounds were hitting where I wanted them, all was great
.
The S&W 4” Model 18-3 I shot next fired beautifully. The trigger pull was much improved after my work on the gun and 5 cylinders each of the Aguila and Sterling Cross rounds all fired without a hitch. This gun also was putting rounds right where I wanted them to go.
Then the wheels fell off.
The range put a couple of guys in lane 8, right next to me, which has never been an issue as I shoot indoors all the time. They fiddled about a bit then sent out a target to about ten yards. I didn’t pay much attention as I put away the 18-3, pulled out my S&W 48-4 (that also got resprung last week) and loaded a cylinder of Armscor 40 gr JHP .22 WMR rounds. I fired maybe one or two rounds... and the guy in the next lane touched off a shot that just about shook the teeth out of my mouth.
These guys were “sighting in” a 16” AR...indoors...with a lateral-port brake on the rifle...from about four feet to my left
. After about three shots that made me literally wince after each one I glance past the barrier as the shooter was fiddling with the sights. I can literally see straight through the side ports on the muzzle of the rifle to the far wall. Great!
I emptied the cylinder and set the gun down, stepped back and asked the guy who was giving sighting-in instructions if they had a lateral port comp on that thing. (I’ll freely admit I didn’t sound too happy when I asked.) The guy said no with an irritated tone, which was total bs because I saw it. I said out loud it was rattling my teeth and went back to try and shoot the 48-4 and the three other S&W’s I’d brought to function check.
I lasted about one more cylinder, and three more shots from that gun, before I pulled my target in, packed up my crap and left. I left the range through the door, dropped my target holder on the desk, flipped my visa card down to pay for the $15.00 range fee and told the kid behind the counter that their comped rifle was too obnoxious to keep shooting around so I’m out. I’m enough of a regular that I could see he was surprised, so he charged my card and I turned to leave.
I saw three other guys that were signing the waiver and were getting ready to pay at the counter. I told the kid to put them on the far side of the range and said to the guys “Good luck today, shooting next to that comped rifle in there is just ridiculous.”
Went home, wiped my guns down, threw away about six targets that I ruined I’m my haste to leave and went about the day.
Sometimes... rarely...it is better going to the office than the range. This was one of those times.
May you all have more fun this weekend behind your guns than I did today.
Stay safe.
