Jerk at the range

[Curator]

"a gentle answer turnith away wrath" Proverbs 15:1. I am always amazed at the attitude displayed by some shooters. A month or so ago I was returning to the firing line after changing targets at the 100 yard range and was greeted by a fellow club member with: "do you think you could walk any slower?" I just laughed and shook my head in disbelief. Range-jerks love it when you you accommodate them with any response.

 

[David E]

"mind if we go cold, I need to hang some targets!" I don't look up to acknowledge him or his statement,

YOU don't acknowledge in any way the guy who's asking you for your permission to hang targets, but he's the jerk?

Anyway, the guys yells that and I go to lock the bolt back,

You've been messing with the gun since you got there, but this guy is somehow suppose to know you're now locking it back for him to hang targets? All without you acknowledging his request in any way whatsoever?

and not 2 seconds after he yells about getting a cold range he yells, "you ain't gonna answer me partner??!!"

That should be a clue even a blind man would see. "Oh, sorry, I'm trying to make the gun safe so you can hang targets."

I finish with the bolt, not much time at all, but my first priority is not him and his targets but the safety of my gun and making sure it's good.

Maybe you should move "common sense" and "courtesy" higher up on your priority list...

I suppose I'm thin skinned at times.

And rude.

 

[jbrown50]

nosmr2,

It's always good to have verbal acknowledgement especially pertaining to safety issues. You locking your bolt back and laying the gun down is a good indicator but it alone can be misinterpreted. You also verbally communicating your intent to go cold removes any doubt.

Assumptions can get people killed and sometimes do.

 

[Zeke/PA]

Sounds like the situation could have been handled better by both parties involved.

My sentiments exactly!
Personally, I expirence more courtesy at my club/range than most other places.

 

[gym]

Once you leave the sanctity of your own home, you are walking into the unknown. Be prepared for the unusual.

 

[CoRoMo]

What David E said.

It's interesting, these type threads; so often it turns out that the unmannerly shooter is actually the one here complaining about someone who was doing nothing at all imprudent. Yet the other person is the 'jerk at the range'. I can't find a single jerky moment in the OP's description of the gentleman he encountered. The guy yelled... which is what everyone ought to do at a shooting range. The guy didn't appreciate being ignored... which also means safety was being ignored... which is what everyone ought not appreciate at a shooting range.

 

[bigdaa]

I have to go with DavidE on this one.

When somebody asks me to hang em up, I say "You bet" or "let me finish this string" or SOMETHING!

Read these replies and look at it as a way to improve communication between like minded people. No animosity, just use it all as food for thought.


Good luck with the FTE's on your rig, amigo.

 

[WardenWolf]

The usual "Range jerk" is a guy with an AR15 that has an overzealous ejector, and who stands to the left raining hot shells on you. He knows he's doing it, but he just doesn't care enough to set up a screen or install a brass deflector. I've seen one that threw brass 3 tables down. The guy to my right looked at me, thinking it might have been me. I just pointed my thumb at the jerk.

I'd rather deal with a verbal jerk than an ejection jerk any day.

 

[Ryanxia]

Range officers? Rules? Doesn't sound like my kind of range to begin with. Oh well, maybe he was having a bad day, I know I've been snappy sometimes when things just aren't going my way

 

[Certaindeaf]

Yea, it's always a good idea to ignore people yelling at you at the range.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

You admit that he asked permission to go downrange. You admit that you neither looked up or acknowledged him. You admit that you don't give a rat's a$$ about him or what he's doing when you said "my first priority is not him or his targets."

And he is the jerk.

Alllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll righty then.

 

[Sam1911]

All right, all right. I'm invoking the "dog pile" rule here. If the OP wants to clarify or really needs to hear another 35 posts saying the same thing, he can send me a private message and I'll reopen it. 'Till then, let's call this one answered.

 

[Sam1911]

Opened for a clarification from the OP.

 

[nosmr2]

I guess what I did not clearly convey in my original post was that he asked me if we could go cold, I picked up my pistol to pull the bolt back to lock, and before I could think about what to say or look up in conjunction with making my pistol safe for a cold range, in less than 2 seconds, he was already yelling, "you ain't gonna answer me partner!!" and not real friendly about it. 2 seconds is 2 seconds and that's not much time for me to give a satisfactory answer.
I will assume the action of both parties wasn't warranted as rude or inappropriate, since the RO didn't say anything to either of us at the time.

Long story short, if you are going to ask me something, gimme a little time to respond before you get short with me.

But as someone above mentioned, if that's the worse thing that happened to you yesterday, you had a pretty good day. And I did.

 

[gamestalker]

Honestly, I feel you should have given him a verbal acknowledgement, that can be done while you are securing your firearm, yes? I think it is also completely prudent to show acknowledgement between individuals when at a shooting range, it's all about safety and shouldn't be taken with contempt. Tempers or emotions don't go well with firearms, ever.

I have seen the same type of scenario play out at the range in the past. I have had personally walk over and ask if a shooter heard me. I'm sure not going to go waltzing down range without a definitive acknowledgement from all shooters on the line.
GS

 

[il.bill]

All right, all right. I'm invoking the "dog pile" rule here. If the OP wants to clarify or really needs to hear another 35 posts saying the same thing, he can send me a private message and I'll reopen it. 'Till then, let's call this one answered.

A great reminder of why I like and respect the THR Forums so much. This is a nice place to visit - thanks!

 

[readyeddy]

Sounds ok to me. You made sure your bolt was locked (very important), he got impatient, you let the guy know that you were busy locking your bolt, and he just grumbled a little and walked away. A peaceful encounter, just a little noisy.

 

[newfalguy101]

takes but a millisecond to acknowledge the other guy, so he KNOWS you are NOT going to be shooting while he is downrange..............seems reasonable to me

 

[shaggy430]

Between this thread and the epic "Canoe Poking" thread, I think there are some people who could probably learn a thing or two about good old Southern hospitality and not searching for confrontation where there is none to begin with.

I probably would have said the same thing if you ignored me. A shooting range is a place where communication is important.

 

[12many]

Working from the fact that it was only 2 second, I would respond to everyone that 2 second is not that long before the other guy starts in with a rude comment.

This other guy is basically shutting down the range for his own benefit and because the OP does not respond "fast enough" within this 2 second time frame, he is going to make a rude comment. Maybe the OP is an older guy,or maybe the hearing ain't so great as is common with shooters, or maybe the guy is just busy putting the gun in safe mode and is concentrating and not going to talk while making the gun safe. When I am clearing a gun and makeing it safe, I am not shooting the sh_t with my buddies, I am concentrating. Maybe the other people have ears (protectors) on and don't hear much.

The other guy could have and should have restated the request for asked for confirmation with out the smart langague or could have walked down the range to check with people and say hi.

When you are shutting down the range, for your own benefit, and making everyone stop shooting then you can at least give a person more than 2 seconds to respond. So if the OP does not jump to attention and say "Yes, Sir safe mode" then he gets called out. That is not very high road, IMO.

The other dude needs to relax a bit. There is no fire. If someone asks people to do something and then rides their arse if I don't respond within 2 seconds, all while the person is doing the task, that would make a crumby boss and a crumby person to be around.

Heck it takes me 2 seconds just to stop what I am doing and processing the info, let along formulate a response. Count to 2, it not a long time.

Are you all really saying that because he did not respond in 2 second, the OP is in the wrong? The problem was the other's smart arse comment. If the other guy would have said something nice or nice second reminder there would be no issue.

 

[clutch]

Assuming events match rendition, going irritated in two seconds is rather rude.

A shooter wearing plugs and muffs with bad hearing might not even hear the request to go cold.

I bring a kindle with me to fill the time if it is busy with people wanting to go down range.

Most gun enthusiasts are great people to be around but there are a few that I wish would take up golf instead.

 

[silicosys4]

much ado about two people absorbed in their own activities meeting each other on a range, imo. I got angry at someone yesterday for cutting me off, then I kept on living. The older I get the less interested I find myself in participating in other people's bad days.

 

[nosmr2]

It took him 2 seconds to get irate and smart off. Had he followed up his initial question with, "say man, mind if we go cold?" or "excuse me, can we get a cold range here" it would have been great and we would not be having this discussion for 2 pages. The point I attempted to make initially, pre-dogpile, was that a firing line is no place for smart comments, short tempers and total lack of patience. I had no idea my 2 seconds of silence could be perceived to be so rude by so many, including my buddy at the range.

Sam1911, please put this dead horse back down where it belongs.

 

[Sam1911]

Done.