Your most embarrassing moment at the range?

[Darth Ruger]

Several years ago I was shooting my flintlock rifle at the range, standing and shooting off-hand at 100 yards, doing okay but not as good as usual. I was the only one there with a muzzleloader that day, everyone else was shooting centerfires and rimfires.

At one point, I got powder and ball loaded, but wasn't able to prime the pan and take the shot when the next cease fire was called. I informed the R.O. that I had a load in the rifle, so they made everyone put their hearing protection back on and wait while I finished priming and fired the shot before anyone would be allowed to go down range.

As luck would have it, I had a misfire. The worst part is that as the powder in the pan went POOF, I leaned forward and dropped the muzzle by a good 6-8" at least. I had no idea I was flinching or anticipating the shot that badly until that misfire happened. It wouldn't have been so bad if all 50 or so people on the line hadn't been standing there watching me, and all of them started laughing.

It also took me two more tries to get it to fire (bad flint). :banghead: I couldn't have looked more incompetent if I had been a caveman trying to play the piano.

On the plus side, I learned the value of dry-fire practice that day.

Anyone else brave enough to fess up your most embarrassing moment?

 

[RUBZERK]

showing up with a S&W sigma:banghead:

 

[Monkeyleg]

I've had many embarrassing moments. Usually just shooting is an embarrassment.

Worst one, though, was back in 2002 when I was taking Massad Ayoob's LFI-I course. During one of the timed courses of fire, I let a round off before he said "fire."

The man has a way of just looking at you that makes you feel about three inches tall, without saying a word.

 

[freddd]

+1 on the Sigma mistake

 

[Chipperman]

Firing my P7M13 during a force-reload drill at an indoor range. The drill was something like, engage target with one round in gun and no mag. After firing reload, and engage other target as fast as possible.

Well, I'm lefty. I just happened to rack the slide while my right index finger was pressing down the takedown button. As I slingshot the slide, it literally flew forward about 6 feet downrange. Had to ceasefire all 10 lanes so I could go retrieve it. Everyone thought it was hilarious.

I did not think it was that funny when I saw that the rear sight had been knocked to the side from the impact on the concrete floor.

 

[TrapperReady]

After making a gun-switch between rounds of trap, I shouldered my gun and prepared to call for the bird....

and shot the top left corner of the trap house. :banghead:

There are lots of reasons why I did it, but no excuses. I just plain messed up.

 

[doggscube]

I think it was my first trip to the range with the .38 we inherited. I knew the safety rules but not well enough, apparently. I had my finger on the trigger, hammer cocked, as I lowered the muzzle toward the target. Shot the ceiling. There was no damage, and no one noticed. But I felt 3" tall.

-Jeff

 

[Spot77]

I shot somebody else's target at an outdorr range.....at 100 yards, I neatly put 20 rounds into a decent sized group.

It looked pretty bad when I went downrange and saw no holes in my target and the fellow next to me was really proud of himself.

The lanes were really narrow and we had to set up three target frames per lane. Looking through the scope I guess I got tunnel vision and locked onto the first target I saw.

 

[bobaloo]

We have a great gun club just a couple miles from my house. Right after I joined I went, got my stuff out of the car, laid my pistols out on a bench and got ready to hang targets. An older fellow walked up and very nicely said something along the lines of "you're not planning on shooting those are you?"

I gave him a dumb look and he explained that the range is closed 8-noon the first Saturday of each month for work parties, that's why there's the big sign at the entrance that says "RANGE CLOSED UNTIL NOON". Gave him another stupid look and said "sign?"

Sure enough, big sign, not seen.

He was nice about it, but I felt awfully stupid, especially as I drove by and saw the big sign at the entrance.

 

[AmbulanceDriver]

only one "oops" that i can think of

Indoor range, 25 yards. Had a little Marlin 60 .22 rifle that I'd picked up for 50 bucks. Was shooting from sitting, thought I'd fired it to where the bolt had locked back (but I didn't check). As I was standing up, I wasn't paying attention to my trigger finger. I slipped off the trigger guard and bumped the trigger just hard enough to send the last round in the gun into the ceiling about 10 yards away.

No serious damage, just a slightly red face....

 

[Warren]

I have one that I've never mentioned to anyone else till now.

1. I was just starting out, this even before I took my CCW class. I was shooting poorly that day for some reason so I went and got the instructor who is also a counterman at the range and had him come down and correct what I was doing. So there we are in the stall together I was in a Weaver and he was to my right correcting my stance and where my arms were.

He was talking and when he said "so when you fire I..." when he said fire I did. The spent casing missed him by about three microns.

I was mortified but he could not stop laughing which did not make me feel any better.

 

[BozemanMT]

Oh, who hasn't shot their neighbor's target? that can't be embarrassing. (or maybe I can't be embarrasssed. )

I'm not sure what mine is.
But I know what my wife's is:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=2400266#post2400266

 

[Hemicuda]

i have been known to shoot my neighbors target (it was a buddy)... he was working SO HARD at being accurate, and not getting there... having a bad day... so, his last string of 10 (from a 10-22) i shot from the next lane, and put a tight (dime sized) group on his target, right over the little X...

he was so proud, showing our other friend... it wasn't 'till we got to his place, and he showed his wife, that she pointed out how much it looked like one of "Tims" groups... (I'm Tim)... and i was a jr. smallbore shooter from about age 5... .22 accuracy is my thing!

took all the wind out of his sails... (I wasn't gonna tell him!)

 

[Billy Sparks]

My wife and I took a DTI basic pistol course one state over one time. To prepare I picked up a case of brand new factory fresh 9mm. We have never had more failures to go bang than that weekend. I felt so sorry for my wife as she struggled with misfire after misfire. She must have learned something because at the final shooting qualification she placed the fastest female time.

 

[craig]

not really embarrassing, but a nice fact to know.
if you slam a s&w 908 magazine into a springer 1911 it gets stuck and the gun will NOT fire.

 

[MadMercS55]

I had a Kel-Tec P11 9mm. I liked it, figured it wasn't bad for a low-cost second gun. Put 200rnds through it with no issues, went to the range with a few friends and one was real interested in getting a P11 for himself. I told him what i thought of it and that I thought it was a good value for the money, etc, etc. Well, after about 75rnds it broke. Slide locked back, inserted fresh magazine, released the slide and whoooom. The whole slide assembly flew forward off the frame and clattered across the floor, and discharged the chambered round when it hit. Thankfully no-one was injured. Needless to say, the interested party did NOT buy a P11 after seeing that.

 

[dawgtraxx]

while in highschool...i lived in alaska..kinda cool but riflery is an elective course that can be taken..in the basement of the highschool they have a pretty nice range....22 caliber target rifles (dont remember the brand) anyway..the range is set up that there are metal plates angled back at the base of the targets to catch the lead that slides back down from the backstop..i was actually a decent shot...had the instructor standing over me..(shooting prone)..last shot i caught the top edge of the lead trap ..shattered the bullt and proceeded to shred my target along with the persons next to me...instructor just shook his head and walked away :banghead:

 

[DevLcL]

When I was just starting out I went to a high-powered rifle match to qualify for the ability to buy an M1 Garand from the CMP. So I get to the range and explain that I need to borrow an M1 to compete. They (all older guys) kinda laughed a little and said sure and handed me an M1. So after a little on-site training we all take to our positions and get ready to fire our first round, which was shooting 8 rounds, not timed, from the prone position. I line up my shot as best I can with my irons but I can barely see the target 100 yards away. Anyway we start shooting and I do my best to at least stay in the big black circle. They call a cease fire and we all go down to check the targets. Begginers luck, I hit the 10 all 8 times. The old guys agreed that it was begginers luck, they were still laughing a little. Second round, sitting position, 8 rounds, rapid fire. I hit the 10 all 8 times once again. The old guys wern't laughing anymore. Third round same thing... At the end of the day I out-shot all these old guys who were sitting high and mighty before I showed up. These guys were all veterans of war as far as I could tell from their hats. I was embarrassed because I look up to veterans and respect them very much. It was as if I showed up just to make them look bad, and that didn't make me feel good. I must say tho, when everyone was packing it up, some of the guys came over and bid me a job well done. That made me feel good.

Still havn't got that M1 yet.

-Dev

 

[Nortonics]

Blasted the right rear support off my chrony while measuring handloads (which happens to everyone sooner or later). Diffuser dangled like a wet noodle with just the left support holding it up until cease fire was called, at which time I got to go down range and and show everybody just whom did it. In retrospect it was kinda' funny because everyone was like "oh God, sorry man..." like I had just shot my first born or something...

 

[Pilot]

I had just bought a new gun, a Beretta 94FS .380. Of course I couldn't wait to shoot it. Typcially, I clean the gun at home before going to the range, but the range was close to the gun store.....so I cleaned it at the range.... in the lane. Big mistake. I field stripped the gun and SPROING, the recoil spring and guide rod go flying. I looked everywhere behind me and in my range bag. No luck. I had to get the range attended as I was convinced it flew down range. They shut the range down and everybody looked. Again, no luck. Finally I checked my range bag for the third time and voila, the spring and guide rod were stuck under an internal flap. Duh! I was embarrased but at least got to shoot that damn Beretta.

 

[AndyC]

I had an upcoming night-shoot at the local range where I was an RO and was desperate to at least have my existing front-sight all glowing and spiffy (I didn't have the cash for a whole new set), so the local gunsmith was nice enough to drill a hole in the right place and insert the tritium capsule and do whatever arcane stuff it is that 'smiths do.

I checked the glowing of my new toy, pronounced myself very happy and went off to the range a few hours later just before sunset. We proceeded with the shoot and the first round went great - man, I just can't miss with this thing - happy joy-joy time. Chatted with some of the guys while waiting to shoot the next round and everyone is beaming at me because I shot so well and my jokes are funny and I'm beaming back confidently - and life is just perfect.

Next round, I draw and aim and...my little glowing friend is AWOL. The sight must be coated in propellant residue or something, so I finish the round and wait till my weapon is declared safe so I can wipe off the front sight with my thumb. No glow - bugger, where's it gone? Look closer - nothing but a gaping great whacking hole in my front sight - what the heck...?

Ah, well - I'll chew the smith out tomorrow. Carry on with the shoot, doing ok but not as good as the first round, but man - I'm the life and soul of the party when I'm not shooting; standup comedians must feel like this when they're having a great night up there.

Pack up, go home, get home, get undressed and showered, turn off the lights, almost in bed when I remember to brush my teeth, go back to the bathroom and...there's a lovely green glow coming from between my two upper front teeth.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

Shooting IHMSA Silhouette many years ago, was starting the second stage (pigs) with my unlimited gun, a Wichita 7mm Int. I had cleaned the chickens and I was feeling good, nice weather, good day and I was in the zone.

Chuck, the match director, gave the command "Shooters to the line.", then "LOAD". I settled in, bolt not quite closed, and got a sight picture. Everything was perfect, it was a zen moment. I closed the bolt, and marveled at how perfect this shot was going to be, and fired. CLANG, perfect shot!

Chuck looked at me, grinned and said: "FIRE!"

 

[Kharn]

I got to the range and thought I was going pretty good, I had my sandbag, spotting scope, target frame, cardboard, guns, mags, ammo, stapler, staples, etc. Only to assemble the target frame, clip on the cardboard and realize I'd left my targets at home. I'd taken them out of my range bag when I was digging in it to put new batteries in my Peltors. :banghead:

Luckily, I had a pack of 1, 2 and 3" orange stickies for handgun shooting, so I was able to slap those on the cardboard and continue on, but at 100yds, the orange stickies and light brown cardboard blended together, so my groups were absolutely horrible (quarter-sized and right on center at 25yds, pie plate sized and 6" high at 100yds with my AR).

Kharn

 

[armedandsafe]

I was in the basement range of the Armory, firing for effect under the tutelage of the First Sergeant, who was a Camp Perry competitor many times over. I was shooting a little Winchester semi-auto .22 rifle. He knelt next to me to watch my form and I proceeded to pump three empty, hot, spinning .22LR casings into his open mouth. I didn't laugh until I got home, and that was hard.

Pops

 

[LoadedDrum]

It was a week ago. I brought a few friends out to the club for the first time and while I made sure they had eye and ear protection, I did not realize I was not wearing eye protection my self until I looked thru my spotting scope too easily.