Idiots at the range...

[Raskolnikov]

Originally Posted by lockhart_13

Well, being female I tell a story on you boys. I was at the local range happily minding my own business. I was shooting my STI Trojan in 9mm, basically just having fun making one hole in the paper. Three guys show up and park themselves in the lane next to mine. One is trying really hard to be the Alpha male and the other two guys have clearly never shot before. They begin shooting a 45 ACP and are not achieving anything remotely resembling a group. Their Just spraying lead all over the place. I felt kind of bad for the beginners, because that’s not how you start off a new shooter. After a while one of the newbies points at my target and asked the Alpha Male why I can shoot like that too. The Alpha said it was because I was only shooting a 9mm and not a real gun like them. So I put my 9mm away, got out my 45 ACP (a Spartan) and made another ragged hole. Smiled at the guys and went back to minding my own business.

Alpha males always seem to go to the range in threes... Last month I was out at our local (outdoor) range and three guys came up to the bench next to mine. Very similar situation - one guy was the one who owned all the guns and was showing his friends how cool he was; he had the obligatory Glock .45's with all sorts of weapon lights and lasers and holographic sights (as he was taking all of these phallic substitutes out, I was waiting for one with a pistol bayonet) as well as a Bushmaster .223. They kind of snickered at me because I'd just taken out my KelTec .380 and was starting to practice with it, I heard the word "peashooter" more than once. I'm not that great of a shot, I was doing okay that day getting most of my shots in a 6" group at 25 feet.... But watching those three knuckleheads burn through box after box of .45 rounds I didn't feel so bad. One of the guys was firing as fast as he could and hitting the dirt ten feet in front of the target; I think there were holes in the paper from rocks getting kicked up, but I doubt any came from bullets. The leader kept talking about his guns and how great they were but his friends were looking at my target and my little bitty gun.... Finally he said "So, um... you guys wanna go over to the rifle range now?" and they silently packed up their Glocks and scurried off to waste more ammo.

I went back to the range last week. The grass still hasn't grown back from where they pumped many, many rounds into the dirt. Fundamentals of marksmanship, anyone?

[StrangerDanger]

I'd rather go to the dentist then go to a public range.

[lockhart_13]

I was got trapped with a group of frat boys and sorority girl types who were so besotted by the fact that they were shooting guns they got out full size cameras with flashes and started taking pictures of themselves shooting said guns. Of course, they carried these cameras past a sign several feet square in bright red that said 'NO PHOTOGRAPHY'. I ratted them out to the range master.

[human]

This might sound stupid but i have a 'bullet proof' vest that i use at the range. Goes under my shirt so no one knows. I'm not trying to look like a bad ass or anything. But i have had guns pointed at me.

[Tard]

KILL EM ALL!

[carhartt]

I was at a very informal outdoor pistol range once. The range was set up so that you have a 4wd road that runs North past the range and the range is set up (just some concrete tables in the desert) to shoot into a mtn. while facing NE. This guy shows up with his wife and two kids. He proceeds to get out his 9mm uzi look-alike and load up the 25 rd mag. I looked at him and told him I was going downrange (at this point it was just the myself and them). About two minutes later (as I am setting up my target) I hear shots firing. I wheeled around hand on my gun and he didnt even notice me. Turns out he was firing NW (towards a road) with gun at about a 45 deg angle upwards. No aim, just a mag dump I guess.

I let him finish his magazine (while I got back to the line), and stopped him when he was reloading. I told him not to do that again, to correct his aim, and get some targets. He just stood there like I had said nothing, then his wife steps up and repeats everything in spanish. Then he looked at me like he knew it all already, and gave the gun to his kid (maybe 13) who proceeded to sweep the range and line.

I told his kid this time and the kid acted like he had never heard this info before and thanked me. I later heard his mom say, " We talked about this at home, you know better than that." Long story short, this guy was from Cali. and, while I dont have a problem with Californians, didnt know the safety from the barrel. I left when they continued firing whenever they wanted, but they were shooting over the exit road at one point in time.

[Duchess xd9]

We joined a local range/club because of idiots. We used to go target practice at a public walk-in area. We did this for quite some time (@1 year)& it was ok. Everyone used to be safety consious & there wasn't any problems. A lot of families & such. Apperently word got out about it & everyone was showing up. It was public, so ok. Right up until the day my husband & I were shooting with another couple. My friend & I informed some new ppl that we were going out to set up new targets further out for some rifle practice. As her & I were walking back we hear shots & bullets wizzing past us. They were shooting about 5ft to the right of us at NOTHING !!. So shocked my friend & I stopped still, too shocked/scared to move, I believe we didn't know which way to go. ( I know the heck out of the way, but we really wern't sure which way they were going to fire next.)Our husbands were yelling at them to stop. Once they stopped, We got our buts in gear and got out of the way. Next thing you know they are shooting at the target we had just put up. Knowing our husbands are about to open up a can of whoop-ass on them, my friend & I just satrted packing our guns & gear.Told our husbands we wanted to get out of there "Right Now". Left the target stand she & I had been placing. (No way in hell I was going back out there to get it! Home-built, we can make another one)Went to lunch, discussed what had happened. Right after lunch we drove over to the private club, promptly joined and have never had any problems yet. Outside, pretty well maintained, good safety burms. Have seen some idiot moves (but I can admit I have made some myself)there but nothing directly involving safety issues, just morons & "Alpha male" types.

[white_russian2]

To date, the dumbest thing I've encountered at the local outdoor range was on the pistol only range. Typical set up; benches surrounded by meshwire. I wear -37db Browning ear protection but can pretty much tell the calibers being fired around me.

One day I was at the third stall (21') from the end, the end being a building that separates the LEO only range. I was really concentrating on targeting when KABOOOOOOM!!!!!! goes off next to me. Put my pistol down and stepped back off the line. The two idjuts that had taken up the adjacent last 2 spots were shooting short barrel with .12 gauge slugs!!!! They even argued with the ranger - they're slugs therefore pistol ammo?!?!?!?!?

Needless to say the rangers and LEO's escorted them off the property.

Craig

[40CalJoe]

The range the wife and I go to, has two very good range officers. I stopped going to indoor ranges, mainly because there are no RO's.

One of us shoots while the other stands behind and watches for barrell sweeps or other unsafe practices. 1 tap on the shoulder is our sign to stop firing and step of the line.

[carhartt]

This one happened today, though it was at the store and not the range. I was a pretty popular sporting goods store (local not chain) and they guy is going to show me the new xd9 he has in the display. He took it out, pointed it at me pulled the trigger and then handed it to me.

I could tell it was unloaded, but I cleared it and gave it back. Still not really impressed with that store...