Range etiquette question

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coyote_jr

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So I'm at the range yesterday by myself. I was waiting for a friend to show up. He calls me and says he will be delayed for about an hour. So while I'm waiting I decide to get all the targets ready and what not, get all set up, anyway I'm just sitting there relaxing and a few more show up. They start to shoot and while I'm sitting there I decided to pick up my binoculars and check out how some of them are doing. I stayed at my position on the line, I didn't walk over to any of them to watch. Nobody said anything but I'm sure they noticed that I was just sitting there and not shooting for almost 45 minutes. The woman next to me was having difficulty with her rifle, something to do with the magazine like it wasn't feeding the ammo correctly I think. She was getting pretty frustrated and someone with her was looking at it and what not, and I started to wonder if my casaually looking at her targets downrange plus sitting there on the line was making it worse or embarrasing her.

So my question is this. Do you mind if people watch you shoot? Is it bad etiquette to sit on the firing line and not shoot for awhile? (The place was nearly empty, I wasn't keeping anyone from shooting) Has anyone ever had this experience before, someone a few places down the line or behind you watching your targets as you shoot? If so, did it bother you at all? If not, would you care?
 
So my question is this. Do you mind if people watch you shoot? Is it bad etiquette to sit on the firing line and not shoot for awhile? (The place was nearly empty, I wasn't keeping anyone from shooting) Has anyone ever had this experience before, someone a few places down the line or behind you watching your targets as you shoot? If so, did it bother you at all? If not, would you care?
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Wouldn't bother me provided they are not fiddling with their weapons behind me...watching is OK...shooting me is bad. :uhoh:
 
Personally, I wouldn't mind if they're watching 'the shooting' in general, but if they're specifically watching me, and pretty much just me, I'd find it a little creepy.
 
I wouldn't mind as long as the person watching doesn't make any comments or gestures
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Nope not one word.

Wouldn't bother me provided they are not fiddling with their weapons behind me
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Didn't touch my rifle once until my friend finally showed up.

I wouldn't mind if they're watching 'the shooting' in general, but if they're specifically watching me, and pretty much just me, I'd find it a little creepy
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I was only looking at targets downrange, back and forth between three people.
 
I have 4 rules for anyone who wants to watch me shoot:

1. Don't touch any of my guns or equipment without asking.
2. Don't talk to me while I'm aiming and preparing to fire, unless your an RO.
3. Don't stand in front of me while the range is hot. ;) (no kidding, right?)
4. Don't stand on my right if I'm shooting an automatic (if you do, you might get dinged in the face with hot brass).

Other than that, watch all you want. I don't believe it's bad etiquette to sit and watch. Everyone's got their personal reasons for showing up to the range.
 
Modesty has no place at a gun range, peeking at the other guys targets shouldn't be equated with etiquette in a public restroom. (heehee)
 
bout the only time someone sitting on the line and not shooting for an extended period of time was if the range was busy and I was waiting for a place in the line to open up.

Other then that sitting on the line or watching me shoot doesn't bother me in the least.
 
Well I get a lot of watching since I shoot my .50BMG a lot at the public range. So far everyone has been cool. They just ask questions when I am not shooting.
It was a little crazy the first time I took it to the range, cause those were my first shots with a .50. The whole damn range walked over to watch. lol, took about 4 mins. before I pulled the trigger. But I don't mind if someone wants to watch, go right ahead. It is a public range and all.
 
obviously putting glass on my targets, eh, I don't give a hoot one way or the other. Staring at ME through your binos or spotting scope, that is just creepy.
 
Because I shoot Bullseye there is downtime and I spend it looking around and seeing how people are shooting.

When I am shooting I don't care one whit. I notice others sometimes but my score is my score and if they want to take a gander, sure, not a problem.

have a great day
cavman
 
coyote_jr said:
The woman next to me was having difficulty with her rifle, something to do with the magazine like it wasn't feeding the ammo correctly I think. She was getting pretty frustrated and someone with her was looking at it and what not, and I started to wonder if my casaually looking at her targets downrange plus sitting there on the line was making it worse or embarrasing her.
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The answers you're likely to get on a gun forum may not apply to the situation you're describing.

If the lady in question was a beginning shooter (and not just a female - I mean any new shooter) then she may very well have felt kind of insecure about where she was, what she was doing, and how she was doing. Their first few times at the range, people are always scared to death that they're going to screw up something. That fear only gets worse when they know people are watching them.

It may not be against some kind of unwritten code of range etiquette, but a little sensitivity goes a long way.
 
It probably did make her nervous, but that's not your problem. You did nothing out of the ordinary or wrong.

pax
 
Taurus 66 pretty much summed it up.
you look at my targets, I look at yours. We don't laugh.:what:

If we take a break together we may or may not talk.
I'm a very solitary kind of shooter but it's ok to say hello.:eek:

Sometimes I do get talkative. Not often but sometimes.

AFS:neener:
 
Just don't watch over my shoulder or tell me what I'm doing wrong, otherwise knock yourself out.
 
No problem

Personally I can't see a difference in what you describe than if you were to do a similar process at a bowling alley, driving range, golf course, etc.

Common courtesey only requires you not interfere, be quiet and not disturb the others around you. Of course there is the added responsibility to not do anything that might endanger someone.

Your actions shouldn't be a problem in any of those circumstances.

RDF
 
I have no problems at all with people watching me. And if by you watching someone else makes them so nervous that they can't get there act together and fire as if no one was watching them, then i hope they never get in a real stress situation were they are being shot at, or any other of the many factors that could hender someone for real. they would really be in a bad way!:)
 
You payed your range fee. You could spend an hour between shots and it wouldn't matter, you still payed for your lane. I normally shoot 100 rounds of whatever gun I have on hand and then leave. Some people shoot 5 rounds, some people shoot 1000, who cares? When I am new to a particular type of gun (revolver vs. semi-auto for example) I'll ask someone on range who is shooting a similar gun if they mind if I "observe" them so I can gain technical pointers. Think of them as T.A.'s to the range's shooting instructor :)
 
I actually enjoy people watching me shoot

I used to take my original Contender with a .22LR MATCH chambered barrel to the range and shoot (make) very nice "smiley" faces on my targets at 50 yards.

One of the DNR range officers used sign (witness) my targets then hang them up as "...motivation for other shooters". One of the other range officers didn't believe his fellow range officer that I really did shoot the target at 50 yards. The latter one used to stand watching me thereafter (I guess he thought I was a cheat). Even that didn't bother me because several of the other shooters who came to know me would come over to see what kind of trick-shoooting I was going to shoot that day.

It isn't a big deal. If someone else is insecure about their shooting, they simply need to practice more.

Doc2005
 
Well thanks for all the responses. I feel better about minding my own business and occasionally watching where other shooters' shots go.:)
 
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