Practicing at an outdoor range- awareness

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thedeal

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I prefer to shoot outdoors so long as the weather permits. I'd rather have the flexibility to set up my own targets and not be inhibited by distance restrictions. I'm fortunate to have a few outdoor ranges available to me- they are all open, with no "supervision." They are in very rural areas.

When I shoot at these ranges, whether it's pistol, shotgun or rifle (or all of the above), I always keep a loaded handgun on my hip. Even if I'm training with my EDC, I always maintain a full magazine for reloading when I reset my targets, etc...

I'm reminded of the shooters from the 1986 Miami Dade shootout- months prior, the bad guys of the '86 shooting murdered a man shooting at an outdoor range, stole his car and began their bank robbery spree. I live in an area that has plenty of "underground" drug activity and while generally a safe area overall, it's also an easy place to perpetrate criminal activity as it is so rural.

Situational awareness isn't just necessary in public, densely-populated, busy areas. It's necessary wherever you carry.
 
A few years ago, in Wilson Co. ,Tn, a man was shooting, alone, at a gravel pit range. He didn't come home. He was found dead...shot. His guns had been stolen. You are wise for doing your best to protect your self. I even do the same at our club...even if there are other shooters. Bad stuff happens every where.

Mark
 
thedeal wrote:
Situational awareness isn't just necessary in public, densely-populated, busy areas. It's necessary wherever you carry.
Click to expand...

I would echo that with the change that "Situational awareness isn't just necessary in public, densely-populated, busy areas. It's necessary wherever you are." Whether you are carrying or not.
 
I do almost all my shooting in remote gravel pits. I too, like the OP always carry a loaded handgun and never leave any gun on the tailgate of the truck if I walk down to reset a target or staple up a new one.I also lock the cab and have the keys in my pocket. I'm not going to set any records running back the 100 yards and pulling a Chuck Norris on anybody. I've never had a problem,but there have been a couple times where another truck pulls into the pit looks around and then leaves. Maybe just another guy looking for a place to shoot, or shovel some gravel into his truck, but ya' never know. I have met some real nice people at the pits though. Best to keep on your toes a little bit.
 
One of the reasons that I always try to go shooting with a trusted friend. One that I know will watch my back as I watch theirs. You can never be too careful when firearms are involved for sure. And yes I will keep a loaded pistol/revolver on my person at all times when out shooting "just for giggles".:thumbup:
 
I always kept a loaded gun handy when I was lucky enough to find such places to shoot.

I do still do a lot of local wilderness hiking and solo fishing in isolated areas. The same principles apply, and I am always armed.
 
Navy Seal Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield were also gunned down at an outdoor range in Texas. Though they were both armed at the time. Both found dead with 1911's unholstered, safeties still on.
 
Mn Fats said:
Navy Seal Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield were also gunned down at an outdoor range in Texas. Though they were both armed at the time. Both found dead with 1911's unholstered, safeties still on.
Click to expand...

That situation was unique. Kyle and Littlefield were there helping a fellow soldier who had serious PTSD. They were murdered at close range by somebody they knew and were trying to help.
 
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Read a story about a guy shooting at a public range.
He went to check targets and when he was 200 yds away some guy grabbed all his guns, jumped into a waiting truck and took off.
He ran back and was going to chase them down but they had slashed his tires.
Around here the open places to shoot are more than likely being used by illegals and gang members so I avoid them.
 
I carry when at my private club/range. We have over 100 members and i only know a few. I always use the outside benches this way i can see or hear (electronic muffs) someone walking up on me. I always lock the swing gate behind me too.
One time i was down putting targets up and had the gate closed and had one of my bosses from work with me and walking back he says someone's here and the guy is standing there looking at my ammo and targets. I said can i help you with something and he says No! I said are you a member and he says sure is. I said let me see your member I.D. he says he left it at home and that's why he's parked outside the gate and crawled under the gate to get in. When he finally told me his name i knew he was a member.

Another time i showed up and the gate was open and a guy i know was there and then another car pulls up and a guy and woman get out. No I.D card showing which is the rules but if you've been there along time the rules don't apply to you. Well my buddy leaves and asks if those people are with me and i said no, why? He says they didn't sign in so i waited a little while and asked them if they are members and they said yes for a year. I said well I'm leaving would you mind signing in so it shows I'm not the last person here incase something happens and the guy packed up and said well we are going to leave too and scribbled on the sign in. He felt right at home there but come to find out they kicked like 40 people out for not paying dues.

And then there is the neighbor! NO shooting until after noon on Sundays and its not posted anywhere just a hearsay thing. So i shoot at 11am and the neighbor comes over with his dog screaming at us about no shooting on Sundays until noon and calling us A-holes about 15 times and asking to see I.D cause he's calling the sheriff. I told him to leave it was private land or i would have him arrested he got more agitated and came at calling me an a-hole. he's constantly calling the cops, twp, etc and causing problems for us.

I carry my service 9 with full mag covered up just incase someone gets the drop on me they don't know I've got something. Also I take all bolts out of the guns and they go with me down range and rifle in the car or hidden in the shoot shack.
 
thedeal said:
When I shoot at these ranges, whether it's pistol, shotgun or rifle (or all of the above), I always keep a loaded handgun on my hip. Even if I'm training with my EDC, I always maintain a full magazine for reloading when I reset my targets, etc...

Situational awareness isn't just necessary in public, densely-populated, busy areas. It's necessary wherever you carry.
Click to expand...

Situational awareness is necessary regardless of whether you are carrying or not. You don't take it off at night with your EDC. It is the first line of defense we have against most any threat to us, not just bad guys. One thing most motorcycle riders realize is that your situational awareness needs to extend farther out and towards more scenarios than when driving a cage. Every other vehicle on the road is a risk to you as is even small road hazards that one would think twice about in a car. Limiting situational awareness is one reason new motorcycle riders are more prone to accidents. Every day I see folks oblivious to what's going on round them. They have their eyes glued to their cell phone or are lost in a cloud with their earbuds in. Even having a gun on them is not going to help when someone sneaks up easily from behind them. This is what I see more often than not. Folks think that by strapping a gun on, they no longer have to pay close attention to what's happening around them. This pertains to not only in areas where 2 legged predators are the threat, but where 4 legged predators are present. Since they have a .44 mag strapped to their hip, they no longer need to worry about getting in a situation that may expose them to a bear attack. Not only are those folks focused on their cell phone screen while listening to music susceptible to being attacked, they also are prone to walking off curbs, into traffic or slipping on a icy spot on the sidewalk. Or letting that stray dog get behind them unnoticed. When shooting handguns alone at the range, more than once, I have had folks walk up behind me and scare the bejiggers outta me when I take my earmuffs off, and they weren't trying to be stealthy or sneaky. I have learned to set up where I can(more easily on outdoor ranges as described in the OP) where I can see the parking/approach area outta my peripheral vision. While I now think of this every time I shoot, the first time I woulda been a easy target if those folks that walked up on me woulda had bad intentions.......even tho I was heavily armed.

The old saying goes, that if we knew when we were going to be mugged, we would only need to carry that day. Since we don't, we carry everyday. That also pertains to being aware of what's going on around you, whether or not there's a gun strapped to you..
 
http://pikespeakgun.club/

My wife and I are members at Pikes Peak gun club. It's just East of Colorado Springs on State 94. They have Skeet, Trap, Rifle (200 yards), Pistol and Archery. The pistol and rifle ranges have overhead cover, concrete flooring and provide target stand and a few steel targets. Most of the people there are decent folks.

We've never been there when it was dead empty but my wife and I make a habit of always having a loaded gun on each of us and only one of us is down range at a time. We normally only take 2 or 3 guns with us to the range so there's generally nothing on the bench too steal.
 
thedeal said:
I prefer to shoot outdoors so long as the weather permits. I'd rather have the flexibility to set up my own targets and not be inhibited by distance restrictions. I'm fortunate to have a few outdoor ranges available to me- they are all open, with no "supervision." They are in very rural areas.

When I shoot at these ranges, whether it's pistol, shotgun or rifle (or all of the above), I always keep a loaded handgun on my hip. Even if I'm training with my EDC, I always maintain a full magazine for reloading when I reset my targets, etc...

I'm reminded of the shooters from the 1986 Miami Dade shootout- months prior, the bad guys of the '86 shooting murdered a man shooting at an outdoor range, stole his car and began their bank robbery spree. I live in an area that has plenty of "underground" drug activity and while generally a safe area overall, it's also an easy place to perpetrate criminal activity as it is so rural.

Situational awareness isn't just necessary in public, densely-populated, busy areas. It's necessary wherever you carry.
Click to expand...

I always have a full size pistol in CCW mode at the range. I shoot everything else, If I leave a rifle at the bench to check targets, I take the bolt with me.
 
I've never had a criminal problem on an outdoor range (apart from kids trespassing to ride dirtbikes).

I have had moron trouble on ranges.

Once while I was in the Army, a friend and I were on the Ft. Knox public range when a couple of townies showed up.

We called a ceasefire to change targets, which they acknowledged.

While downrange, we started hearing the familiar "crack - thump" of rounds passing us.

We immediately hollered for a ceasefire AGAIN and double timed back to the firing line.

The two townies were handling firearms and had been firing while we were downrange.

We rounded on them and demanded to know what the **** they thought they were doing.

They replied, "We wasn't shootin' atcha. We was shootin' PASTYA!", to which we replied, "Do it again and we'll shoot THROUGH you."

We then secured firearms and made a beeline for range control, who were none too happy with the situation. By the time we got back with the range officer, Larry and Daryl were gone.

From then on, we made it a point to be at the range EARLY so that we were gone before the slack jawed yokels started showing up.
 
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thedeal said:
That situation was unique. Kyle and Littlefield were there helping a fellow soldier who had serious PTSD. They were murdered at close range by somebody they knew and were trying to help.
Click to expand...
They actually didn't know him. At all. Neither of them did. Just like I don't know the guy next to me at the range. For all I know he could have a disorder too. Like someone else said, situational awareness is key. Unfortunately for two seals who practiced that for years, the killer blindsided them like the coward he is.
 
I never go shooting at an outdoor range alone; always have another family member or good friend with me. We take turns resetting targets while the other one stays behind to watch the guns and equipment. We're also always carrying while we're there.
 
Here I am just trying to contain my jealousy of all these empty ranges you folks are coming across. If I can get a lane at the one outdoor range near me without having to wait long I consider it a good day.
 
95% of the time I shoot out in the woods somewhere. Rarely is it an actual organized "range". 50% of the time I am shooting alone. Fortunately my hearing is pretty dang good and I can pick up an approaching vehicle even with chain saw rated earplugs in. I also park in a wide open field where it would be pretty dang hard to sneak up on me.

I always have a loaded sidearm on me. If someone shoots me from a distance with a rifle in order to rob me, my handgun isn't going to be much good anyway.

I believe in situational awareness at all times. I avoid most contact with others on general principle. But it's just my personality type. People cause problems.
 
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