Range horror. I hope you're sitting down for this, I've never seen anything like it.

[hso]

He needs to be removed from the board and ousted from the club. If anything had happened to him or his daughter the range would have been as dead as they were.

 

[BBQJOE]

I never shoot with strangers, or at public/private ranges.
I am living proof that I've never been accidentally killed.

 

[Ranger Roberts]

GCMkc

Good thing he didn't walk out there with his child.

Sorry, I might have described it wrong. He definitely had the child with him. She was standing right next to him the whole time.

45 auto

You must not go shooting very often. I've personally seen something similar happen at least half a dozen times in the last 20 years. Since I only average maybe 3 or 4 hours a week at a range, I would imagine that it also happens quite a bit when I'm not there.

About 10 years ago I gave up on all public ranges. The particular range I was at is private and usually not crowded at all. In fact I've never seen anyone in the shotgun area except for myself and my family. I have a range on my property and that's where I do 99% of my shooting. If I had my way it's where I'd do 100% of my shooting!

 

[shaggy430]

I've seen people walk out on hot ranges twice. I've been downrange when someone fired once. I saw a lady look down the barrel of her derringer after a misfire. After the last one, I gave up on the local public range.

 

[Texan Scott]

Those of us that have seen an adult hysterically rocking the body of a child might like to impress upon this man in the strongest terms that he is a fool.

 

[95XL883]

Wow! A total lack of common sense. Maybe he would listen to the possibility of losing insurance resulting in shutting the range completely. (Obviously that would be a drastic step but if that behavior continues it is just a matter of time before it happens.) I'm just trying to offer a different approach to getting the guy to listen to reason, however unlikely it seems. And to take a child into that danger. Sheesh!

As far as shoot straight, I have a revolver where the timing is off a little. (I won't shoot it again until I get if fixed.) Some shots will be spot on but 1 of 5 can be off by 2 feet at 7 yards. Saying shoot straight is relying on man and machine and both can fail. Sheesh, what a "non-High Road adjective".

I pray he doesn't learn the hard way how stupid that was.

 

[Drail]

As a former NRA instructor and Range Officer I have seen this happen more than you would believe at numerous ranges. People today don't seem to have much common sense and most of them will react badly if criticized. The last club I belonged to had so many members it was hard to know everybody. Anytime I saw an unfamiliar face show up at the range I always stopped what I was doing and watched them for a while. Eventually you get to where you expect this sort of behavior from the new folks. The thing that I always found bewildering was the attitude of "Oh, just go ahead, you're not bothering me by shooting right past me while I am walking around on a hot range." They just don't get it. We had a backpacker walking around between the 200 and 300 yard rifle berms oblivious to the fact that he had stepped onto a live range (warning signs were posted everywhere). We finally had to send some ROs down range in a truck to get him off of the property. When you are at a range, public or private, watch everyone around you including the Range Officers (if present). Some of them have no idea how dangerous a live range can be unless EVERYONE knows and follows the rules.

 

[r1derbike]

CHILD STANDING NEXT TO HIM! He should be fired before the next board meeting. An emergency meeting should be convened immediately. You can't fix stupid, but the reckless endangerment of the life of a child?

Flummoxed, speechless, and ashamed that we have those in the sport who have gotten so irresponsibly comfortable with stupidity that it will kill them some day.

Are there any laws that would apply to give this BM (I don't mean bowel movement) a lesson with monetary forfeiture and endangerment?

Is he senile, have cognitive issues, early alzheimers? This is a shake-your-head moment for the guys shooting.

Only good here? Nobody was hurt.

 

[Chris-bob]

All that said, I think it is completely uncalled for to inform child protective services on the guy. I wouldn't do that to my worst enemy. Besides, by the way the OP described it, he didn't endanger the kid... just himself.

Even if the kid followed him out on a hot range, I could never call CPS and potentially ruin the child's life(and possibly siblings if any) without first having the Board sit the offender down for a nice long chat.

 

[Certaindeaf]

/As far as shoot straight, I have a revolver where the timing is off a little. (I won't shoot it again until I get if fixed.) Some shots will be spot on but 1 of 5 can be off by 2 feet at 7 yards..

A little off? It sounds like you're experiencing a chainfire. lolz. seriously

 

[stumpers]

The average gun owner is likely leaps and bounds less responsible than the average member of THR. I would guess I could get along at a range with most people here, but some others I've come across keep me away from ranges.

I have had people shoot downrange while I was hanging targets a few lanes over. Aside from being in fear for my life, then irate, then calm enough to say something - I was met with shoulder shrugs and "so whats?"

Call the police - I did. It resulted in arrests and criminal charges.

There are few "accidents", firearm deaths and injuries are usually deliberate or negligent.

 

[Keb]

Gunnison Rec Dept stunt about 1996

I was a member of the gun club there when there was a local Fat Tire mtn bike rider issue to get to an obscure trail that was blocked by the Club range property.

The County Rec Dept guy literally opened a bike trail along the east edge of the rifle range on club land. After the Club told him their plan was unsafe and illegal trespassing, the County guy published a trail access map that was widely distributed, ezpecially to the local mountain bikers. Right thru the range. We would be shooting, then spot the bikes coming through the sagebrush.

Quite a squak was made, but after a month or two the County backed off.

But talk of stoopid!

 

[Ryanxia]

I feel bad for his daughter.

 

[Blackstone]

The man clearly has no sense of self-preservation, for his life or that of his daughter...

 

[481]

Wow, that is an amazing example of reckless disregard for himself and his daughter. Perhaps the board will present him with a Darwin Award just prior to his dismissal.

 

[monotonous_iterancy]

Hearing of such wild irresponsibility and lack of safety dismays me. Anti-gun people think that most people aren't able to be trusted around guns, and people like this individual give them ammo to say that they're right.

This reminds of a thread I started.

Outside of a public range once or twice, I've never been on a proper range. From your experience, what is the ratio of unsafe vs. safe people?

 

[oneounceload]

He probably had a couple bandaids in his pocket.

Or a couple of beers under his belt

Here is a picture of a Swiss range:


Notice the entrance driveway on the right where cars come in, even as the range is hot. They serve beer and wine and food after shooting - yet they have no issues

 

[Potatohead]

hey, it wouldnt be a bad idea to have a sticky (or thread or whatever) to let us new folks in on range etiquette/protocol. i mean, i know the generalities of course but i never see many rules posted other than stuff like "paper targets only" and that type stuff. it sounds elementary because it is i guess, but i'm a newb and not afraid to say that i dont really know ALL of the range etiquette and would like to. (i do know not to walk out and mess with targets while the line is hot). i know to have your mag ejected and your frame locked back when you're cold, and i know not to fire while someone is downrange-things like that. i guess most of it is just common sense but i wouldnt have known about locking the frame back if someone hadnt told me on the way to my first range trip a few months back.

 

[oneounceload]

When I lived out West, we had a city park rifle/pistol range with no RO. It was customary if you wanted to go change targets and folks were still shooting to move away from the bench and sit on the back ledge of the overhead cover. After a few did the same, folks were courteous enough to stop and call a cold range.

Another sore spot with me - at this same range, we had 32 covered benches - I was there by myself early one summer morning on the very end. Some guy shows up and sets up right next to me and then pulls out a Springfield M1A with a muzzle break - the blast was so bad I moved to the back and waited for him to finish.

Awareness, courtesy and respect go a long way - whether young or old, new or experienced

 

[Potatohead]

true.

 

[Jcinnb]

Maybe he was going for the Darwin Award! He should at least place.

 

[Lex Luthier]

I have a question.

Should this grown adult who showed purely idiotic judgment be removed of his 2A rights? Where do we draw the line?

1) He was an idiot.
2) He endangered his own child.
3) He was a moron.

 

[vamo]

Should this grown adult who showed purely idiotic judgment be removed of his 2A rights?

No, but he should at the very least be required to take a firearms safety class. Preferably the same one they make kids take to get their first hunting license.

 

[76shuvlinoff]

I am lucky, I shoot at home.

 

[SSN Vet]

Wow!

You can't fix stupid