Range Courtesy Question

Status
Not open for further replies.
P

parsimonious_instead

Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2010
Messages
791
My local range is a pretty friendly place - people look at, ask questions about and even shoot each other's stuff all the time.
I do make it a habit, when someone is kind enough to allow me to fire their gun(s), to utilize my own ammunition, even to the point of bringing calibers of ammo for guns that I don't even own so that I'm using my own stuff, and not theirs.
Just curious - does anyone feel that there is anything wrong with doing this, as long as I'm not being pushy about the whole "temporary swap" thing?
(Final thought - when someone else tries my firearms I never ask them to use their own ammo.)
 
If you shoot my guns you use my ammo, I have no idea if you brought your Friday night reloads in the factory box in your bag. Also to expect an exchange or to ask is somewhat rude. If offered to shoot a fellow shooter's firearm the that's ok but to ask is sometimes childish and rude.
 
Yeah, I don't ever ask to exchange. If I am interested in their gun, I will simply ask them how it shoots and how's the trigger, if they offer to let me shoot it, I will let them shoot mine too.

I would let them know what ammo I am using, and see if it's okay to shoot it in their gun.

I always always use my own ammo, because they are nice enough to let you shoot their gun, so I am not going to hurt their pocket by shooting their gun (Unless they want you to use their ammo for their own reasons). Also I take slow shots with it first, I would never try to BURST the gun.

I had once offer a person my gun, and he refused. But as he was leaving, he asked if he can shoot it, I let him. But he was out of ammo already, and he took 10 rounds from me and BURST it all down range, not sure if he hit any crap... but I didn't like that at all.
 
If someone offers to let you try their gun, and the expectation is to fire about a cylinder/mag full, then I think the expectation is to use the owner's ammo. Or, somtimes, they load it with 3-4 rounds and say "Here try that." Or they load a mag full and say "Here try that." I do the same when I offer my gun to someone. Takes the guesswork out of it. If the idea is to shoot more than that, and they are OK with it, then I think it's appropriate to use your own ammo. In this case, you should verify that the ammo you propose to use is OK with them. You should also endeavor to retrieve and return all their brass.
 
I have 22, 20ga, 12ga, 9, 40, 45, 38, and 357 in my locker at the range for just such an occasion. Most of the times the other party will load a mag for me and I'll just do the same and let them shoot mine.

However if someone wants to shoot a little more then normal I don't mind if they use their own ammo as long as it's not some crappy reloads. And besides...I get to shoot theirs for longer too :)
 
I don't let people shoot my guns unless they're friends who I know very well. I've had people in the past toss my shotgun down on the counter causing a nice scratch in the park finish and idiots doing the "Hollywood wrist flip" with my revolvers amongst other things. At this stage in my life I have what I want and am not interested in shooting other people's guns. I find strangers who interrupt me while I'm shooting to be obtrusive.
 
If I'm letting you shoot my gun I don't mind the cost of 5-10 rounds. Heck, I often offer up a rimfire pistol to the nice lady who is "learning to shoot" from some [strike]asshat[/strike] misguided husband/boyfriend who brought along his loudenboomer for her first shots, and I just pass the pistol over with a big handful of bulk ammo and a super-basic safety summary, plus a warning that I gave them cheap bulk ammo, so malfunctions aren't their fault, but the gun's ... and if they like it I'll often pass over some better ammo.
I'm not sure if I'd do that with ammo that was over ten cents a round, I've never gone past roughly one hundred rounds of rimfire as a mercy for the victim of the shooting lesson.

Centerfire I'll offer up a magazine-full, sometimes hoping for a chance to try out something interesting on the other person's table, sometimes just to show off my toys. Again, if I'm offering, I don't mind the cost of a handful of ammunition ... and I surely don't expect anyone to have extra calibers stocked in their range kit.
 
Dunno, maybe I'm just unfriendly, but I don't offer my guns for shooting by strangers. If I see someone really struggling, I may offer some assistance - but they have to be REALLY struggling and doing down right stupid things.

If someone starts a conversation at the range, I'll talk a bit with them but I believe that range time is personal time. I'm there to practice and have down time for myself. On the rare occasion that I actually say something to someone, it's usually no more than - "hey - that's a handsome...pistol/revolver...etc."
 
The way I work it is I'll shoot a magazine full through my friends gun, then he'll shoot a mag out of mine. I have not been asked by a random person to shoot anything I have.
 
Generally people are very friendly at the range, most people are there to have fun and sometimes to see stuff they don't see all the time. You can tell if a fellow wants to chat it up or just be left alone.
If someone shows interest I'll let them shoot my gun. I'm a target shooter so they usually just get 5 shots to try. If they are a really good shooter, I'll load another 5 rounds so they can get a real feel for the gun. I don't expect to shoot their gun in exchange, I'm usually concentrating on my shooting and just prefer to shoot what I brought.
If you pick up my gun and run a quick clip through it, you better have all the shots in one little hole or you might catch a little flack. Something like "Once you learn to shoot you might really like it". My guns and loads are target shooters, if you don't know what target guns are for, you'll need some more time to learn........

Thanx, Russ
 
If someone is nice enough to let me shoot their gun, I take it as a supreme compliment, but it doesn't always mean I will let them shoot mine.
If I do let someone shoot one of my guns, I insist that they use my ammo and magazines.
DD
 
Last time I was at the range with my mini-14, I had a Dad and Junior next to me learning how to use a .22. Apparently Junior liked the 'sound' of my .223 better and Dad asked if he could try it. I gave them the small mag with 5 rounds in it. Junior seemed so enthused that Dad offered to 'trade for a bit' so that I could use their .22. I declined. Junior had a temper tantrum, but thanks to my ear protection I didn't hear most of it.

Kind of soured me a bit about 'trading' at the range.
 
Last time I was at the range with my mini-14, I had a Dad and Junior next to me learning how to use a .22. Apparently Junior liked the 'sound' of my .223 better and Dad asked if he could try it. I gave them the small mag with 5 rounds in it. Junior seemed so enthused that Dad offered to 'trade for a bit' so that I could use their .22. I declined. Junior had a temper tantrum, but thanks to my ear protection I didn't hear most of it.
Click to expand...

After reading this, I don't think I'll want to let other people shoot my gun anymore.
 
My shooting buddies are very close friends. We shoot each other's guns and reloaded ammo quite frequently in a very informal setting at a casual outdoor unsupervised range.:)
 
I have no problem loaning a gun to a fellow shooter at my range. The range is owned by the local hunting club and we have to be members to shoot there. I may not feel that way at a public range.

My gun = my ammo, always.
 
Using someone else's gun is like going over to someone's house...

Wait until someone gives you an invitation. Never invite yourself to someone's home or to the use of another person's gun.
 
I let people shoot my guns. If they are not acting like a moron and show an interest I often ask if they would like to try it. I supply the ammo.
 
Most everyone at my range is friendly as heck. If I admire someone's guns, 9 times out of 10, that person will offer a few rounds through it.
Likewise, if someone admires one of my guns, I will offer a mag of ammo through it.
I've offered a .22 to folks that were struggling with a bigger caliber, and kids.
One time, I was shooting an M1 Garand, and noticed an old Asian man standing behind me, watching me. I smiled and said hello, and he commented in broken English, that an M1 had been the rifle he'd been issued in Vietnam. I offered to let him shoot it, he declined.
 
Asking...

about a firearm someone else is shooting is always the start of an adventure--and you never know what kind of adventure when you start it!

I belong to a private club, so all the other shooters are members or guests, which is a screening of a sort. But at a public range there were good experiences there, too.

If someone is shooting something interesting, I'll go over and look at it from a respectful distance, or make comment when they're in between strings of shots. Sometimes that strikes up a lengthy conversation. Sometimes there is just "Unh-huh." in reply and I leave well enough alone. Sometimes it results in an offer to shoot the firearm. The most unusual was a Civil-War-era Ballard (IIRC) carbine which took a conical blackpowder cartridge set off by an ordinary percussion cap. A fascinating transition piece between muzzle-loaders and complete cartridge firearms--was grateful to have that experience!

I have some slightly unusual firearms myself, and get asked about them occasionally. Sometimes I'll offer to let the asker shoot a few rounds, but frankly I'm very selective about this. Nobody who has taken up my offer has ever done anything abusive or stupid with the firearm in question.

As to ammunition, it would seem that the owner of the firearm who is offering to let you shoot it is offering you a few rounds of his ammunition. Should you have something comparable for ammo, it'd be manners to offer to replace those rounds, but often enough you don't. (If it's unusual enough to attract attention, it's likely to use an unusual cartridge.)

The one time I felt a little funny about this whole area, was at a Vintage Military Rifle match--there were 3 collectors clustered around me and my rifle, discussing my rifle as if I weren't even there! (But even then, they weren't handling the rifle, just looking at various proof marks, etc, and pointing. I never felt so much like a piece of meat in a butcher shop!)
 
I'm more than happy to let someone with an interest shoot my guns. But, I'm going to stand there and supervise, and you're going to use my ammo. More than once I've helped a lady or a youngster out with a .22, at the cost of a chunk out of the brick. I accept it as the cost of doing so. If I shoot someone's gun, I offer to let them shoot whatever I have with me in return.

The only exception to this rule is my brother. We share guns regularly, for extended periods at the range. Neither of us has ever used the others guns without the owner present. If it's an extended borrowing, we supply the ammo for the gun. AFTER verifying that it's acceptable. We don't use reloads in each others guns. Alternatively, we'll sometimes shoot the others ammo, but we then buy them a box of whatever it was we shot up.
 
On Sun I was very kindly offered a saiga 12ga and given two rounds to fire, very nice of the guy. He was also sharing an SKS with someone else. But I'm kind of territorial, I don't like or want someone else firing my guns. With the exception of my Dad, but he declines most of the time.
 
Pretty much anything I am shooting I will let another at the range try out. I will qualify this by saying this offer is only extended after observing the individual using their own firearm and verifying that they are doing it with care and safely first. I will offer up a reasonable amount of ammo and tell them that it is reloaded when it is. They then have a choice of doing it or not. I am proud of my firearms and enjoy the wonder of others trying something that they may never be able to own or shoot otherwise. My MAC 10 is always a favorite.:D
 
Last time I was at the range with my mini-14, I had a Dad and Junior next to me learning how to use a .22. Apparently Junior liked the 'sound' of my .223 better and Dad asked if he could try it. I gave them the small mag with 5 rounds in it. Junior seemed so enthused that Dad offered to 'trade for a bit' so that I could use their .22. I declined. Junior had a temper tantrum, but thanks to my ear protection I didn't hear most of it.[/QUOTE

vikinggirl, that was very nice of you to let a stranger shoot your Mini 14, but it only goes to prove that "no good deed goes unpunished."
Click to expand...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

K
  • Locked
Range courtesy question
Replies
13
Views
1K
Kael
K
D
  • Locked
Business courtesy?
2 3
Replies
52
Views
3K
kingpin008
K
K
  • Locked
Has anyone been stopped by a leo before
2 3 4 5 6 7
Replies
157
Views
9K
kalash
K
J
  • Locked
Tenoroc Shooting Range
Replies
5
Views
2K
JimJD
J
T
  • Locked
Rockcastle Shooting Center, KY, info wanted
Replies
2
Views
416
Tallbald
T
Back
Top