Retard at the range

[Dr. Dave]

I was at the range yesterday shooting my guns on the plinking range. An older man showed up with two or three young children. He set up some targets not more than eight feet in front of the bench resting against one of the small berms, then handed a fully loaded Colt SAA replica to a kid that couldn't have been more than 8 years old. The kid couldn't even keep the gun pointed level, and was waving it all around while the older man told him several times to keep it downrange. He fired several shots into the ground, many of which were off at what seemed like a 45 degree angle, not more than five feet in front of the bench. I grabbed my rifle, case, and cleaning kit in one swoop and literally ran back to my car. Scared the hell out of me.

A similar incident happened to me about six years ago. A guy brought his young daughter to the range. He set her up at her own bench with a fully loaded Ruger Single Six, then turned his back on her to shoot his own gun. She was pointing it all over the place, and even had it pointing almost directly at me at one time. She couldn't have been more than six. He finally started paying attention to her and told her several times on separate occasions to keep it pointed downrange. As if that's going to do me any good after she puts a slug in my brain or spine.

What is it with these people?

 

[MTAA]

Yeeep! Had a guy next to me instructing his son how to shoot the other day. They were using human silhouettes. Dad kept congratulating son whenever he pulled off a shot to the nuts or the head. Kid was all over the place with what looked like a 8 inch barrel S&W. Too distracting, felt sorry for the kid.

 

[PRIDEFANS]

Well, at least you have to give him credit for trying to educate them while they're young, although that wouldn't mean much on your tombstone.

 

[Dead]

Why didnt YOU say or do anything??? Just be nice about it.

 

[HankL]

Dr. Dave, You really needed to have a polite discussion with the older gent. I do not know anything about public ranges but at our club or on my private range this kind of behavior would cause a serious discussion.

 

[Jamie Young]

I have walked off of ranges before because I was absolutely horrified but some people. One day I went shooting with my Uncle and an older women was posing for pictures with a loaded SKS. She did not look like she knew how to handle the weapon very well and she was looking at the camera and not looking at other people. Well at one point right before here son took a picture of old Grandma she smiled and unloaded 10rds from the gun on a 45degree angle. Needless to say that 45 degree angle was in the direction of houses and not down the 100yd range. My Uncle Yelled at her so loud and I couldn't believe it actually happened. Another time I went to a very secluded rifle range and I was there by myself for about 2hrs. Then suddenly a van full of people my age early to mid 20's got out there van with loaded Semi-Auto 22's and a 12 gauge shotgun. They carried a partical board cut out of a 6ft human target and put it at the 25yd range. Then they backed away from it about 10yds and started shooting it. I swear they must have been planning for a bank robbery or something. I packed up my stuff and left the range Immediately.

 

[Mike Irwin]

The ones that really bother me...

are the "fathers" who show up with their barely hunting age kids, sock a hard kicking rifle into their hands, and then scream at them because the kid is afraid of the rifle and isn't shooting well.

 

[KP95DAO]

Range Safety

The thing everyone must remember is range safety is EVERYBODIES BUSINESS. I go to a public privately run range. There is a sign at the entrance which requests that you report any unsafe actions. Because I know the person who runs the range well, I don't bother him with it, I handle it myself. The response has ranged to an "I'm sorry I didn't realize" to them getting mad (because they were corrected) and picking up their stuff and leaving. I try to be as nice as they will allow me; but, still make my point so they are not likely to forget it anytime soon. There was only one time when I left. That guy was SCARY!!! He looked as if he belonged in a nuthouse and he acted like it. He was firing a sks at a target five yards away. I talked to others there and we all had the same opinion. SOOO, I left. Even a gun on the hip doesn't beat a sks in the hands.

 

[Hal]

Then again,,,

Earlier this past year I was shooting my Marlin Cowboy II on the 25 yard range. A father and his 2 youngsters, I'm guessing they were between 8 and 11, setup next to me. The kids both had single shot .22's and a box of CCI's to share between them. The rifles were obviously older, and though used hard, judging from the wear, they were fairly well cared for, ie: wear, but no rust or pitting, immaculate bolt,,what some folks would call an honest tool, used but not abused. Dad set the boys up, stapled the targets up for them, then proceeded to leave them by themselves while he walked about 25 yards away to the 50 yard range to shoot his own rifle. I was kind of torn between saying something, and not saying anything. Since the kids had uncased their own guns, opened the actions and laid them on the bench taking great care to keep the muzzles pointed downrange, in what appeared to have been an act they had done often before, and with extreme caution, and absolutely no horseplay, I figured Dad might know his kids best. To make a long story short, the kids were two of the most courteous and conscientious people it has been my pleasure to share range time with. The safety and firearm knowledge they displayed was above reproach. These young fellas were having a good time doing something they obviously enjoyed, and I was glad I didn't say or do anything to put a damper on their day. I see a few goofballs from time to time, people shooting at the 4x6 posts that hold the plywood target hangers, or the goofs that stick an empty 12 ga box on the target carrier and shoot at it with the last 12 ga shell from the box. Macho guys showing their girlfrind how *bad* a .44Mag is. Stuff thats not really unsafe, but shows a definate lack of good sense. Seeing a couple of kids like this really makes my day though. It's infuriating then to realize how ostracized these kids would be as shooters, and how thier dad would draw some major jail time for child endangement in some areas. The world is a sick place, when two young kids show more common sense and judgement than an entire administration has demonstrated. God willing and the river don't rise, kids like this will be in charge someday, and not the goofballs.

 

[falconer]

I have seen my share of idiots at the range. Typically a 20-something shooting the biggest, shiniest handguns he could find. The few times I have seen younger people at the range, they showed more respect for the firearm and what they were doing than all the idiots I've seen combined. My father taught me to shoot when I was about five. I grew up having a heathly respect for firearms and knew when I was allowed to handle them and when they were off limits.

 

[Oatka]

I've been lucky - haven't run into any those bozos lately.

Since I attend a pretty tightly-controlled range (Lee Kay in Utah), I haven't had much chance to use these, even though I carry them just in case.

No, not armament, but NRA firearm safety booklets, some in Spanish. I would think that with a little tact ("I see your kids are interested in guns, and I thought they might like to read . . .") you could hand these out, in some, but certainly not all situations.

You have to be an NRA member to buy, but check out
NRA ONLINE STORE
Prices for these handouts "Shooting for Safety" (#40810 ES 11540), "Parents Guide to Gun Safety" (#40810 ES 12851), and "Smart & Safe - Handling Your Firearm" (#40810 ES 11532) for instance, run 10c, 10c and 35c each.

Ten bucks worth would get you or your club a bunch of stuff - money well spent. Maybe some could even be donated to your favorite gun store (you can probably afford the bucks better than him). A win-win for every one and maybe help our image with the fence-sitters.

While I'm on a roll, they also have "Safe Schools Safe Students", a guide for School Administrators, Teachers, etc. (40635 RR 12800) at no charge.

 

[Artimus]

Not really about idiots at the range, but a neat story nonetheless. I have my own range behind my house, I actually shoot off of my reloading bench. I don't make many trips to the public range, but I go there a couple of times a month to hobnob with other firearms fans. At any rate, there was this button buck that hung around the range, you'd be busy sighting and shooting and you'd feel something nudge you from behind. It was this little deer wanting something to eat! Little guy had no fear at all, he was like a big, friendly dog. You'd pull up to the range and there'd be 3 or 4 of `em downrange, the others would bolt, but this guy would come at you at a trot. His presence there was (i think anyway) a testimonial to the caliber of people that frequented the range. He hung around for about 6 months and nobody shot him. One day he wasn't around anymore and I asked the Ranger if he knew what happened to him, he told me that they relocated him for his own good to another area of the park, and they (The rangers) visited him everyday and fed him treats. Probably a good thing they did move him, I'm sure eventually some idiot that was not a range regular would have shot him.

 

[M1A1John]

When at a public range, do not be afraid to tell a stranger they are being unsafe, this is no place to be shy, I have had to call people down for sweeping me with their guns, the latest thing that happened was concerning hearing protection:
I was set up and firing my 308 , a young couple with a young child, maybe 4year old, got on the next position next to me with a 10-22. I noticed Mom and Dad had hearing protection, but you guessed it, the child did not.
I politely mentioned to the parents that the range provided free ear protection, the Mom told me the child did not like to wear them. ( what is wrong with this picture)
I looked her in the eye and said: if I start to shoot this thing ( M1A) your child will receive hearing damage.
She did not say a thing, just went to the range office and came back with ear muffs for the kid.
I felt awkward talking to a stranger that way, but heck, for a kid's sake, what the heck.

http://www.geocities.com/m1a1john/

 

[Dr. Dave]

I would've said something, but I've found that some people get really agitated when you do this.

This reminds me of another story from when I was shooting in CA. This retard had a shooting box full of S&W revolvers. He loaded up a .44 magnum M29 with a full cylinder, took maybe three shots, cocked it one final time, then changed his mind and set it down on the shooting box. It was cocked and ready to go, and it was balanced on the edge of the box with the entire grip, and part of the cylinder hanging off in space. That REALLY scared me, and I went to the range officer immediately... He was a "gangsta" type, which is why I did not confront him.

It would have gone off for sure if it had fallen.

 

[PKN]

Now I'm Glad I Have My Own Range....

Not more than 50 yds out the backdoor. Anybody who wants to shoot gets instruction, and somebody right beside them(me or my Dad) to make sure everything goes well.

 

[Jeff, CA]

I'll add my latest story to the list.

I was at a public range with a compadre. We were sharing a table, me on the left, him on the right. To our right was a guy in his 50s with a boy about 8 or 9. My compadre had his back to them whenever he turned toward the table, so I had my eye on them. Boy fired off a magazine from their pistol, then turned toward Dad, who had been standing over boy's left shoulder. Muzzle swept me, and my compadre's back, and ended up pointing at Dad's belly button. Dad didn't say anything, so I called out to them to watch where he was pointing. They either didn't hear me, or didn't understand or whatever. No response. I walked over and told Dad that son had the muzzle pointed at Dad. Dad seemed surprised, and then gave a half-hearted, "Oh. Oh, yeah. Watch where you're pointing the gun" to the son. Son didn't know what Dad was talking about, so I had to explain it to him.

 

[JonShaKel]

There were no retards at the range today, but my boys 11 and 8 got a thrill of a lifetime. After they had finished shooting their new 10/22's as we were getting ready to leave, the range owner asked me if they would like to fire a machine gun. He brought out his full auto M16, which he legally owns, and let them fire off a magazine full. They could hardly contain themselves on the ride home and they can't wait to go back. They also want me to sign them up for the CMP Jr. program.

He even let me shoot it.

 

[Gopher .45]

I most often have issues with other shooters when they are instructing a newbie or playing show and tell with a new gun to their friends. This seems to be the time when I get swept the most. One guy and his newbie girlfriend managed to sweep me twice and I explained both times that I would appreciate it if they kept the gun pointd down range. On the third time, the guy got agitated with me and told me that I had nothing to worry about because the gun was not loaded. I politely assured him that my gun was loaded and that I considered having a gun pointed at me to be a threat. They left, the guy cursing.

If public range isn't busy when I arrive, I try to make sure I meet everyone in the pistol shooting area. If I am the first there, I greet those that come in after me. I seem like a nice guy, but what I am really doing is sizing up the people as they come in, establishing contact, and hopefully getting a little bit friendly so that I won't, or they won't feel weird about commenting on issues of safety. While I initially started this because of my lack of trust of other shooter's abilities, I have found that it doesn't hurt to have good communication and to have someone nicely tell you that you have screwed up...and I have done bozo things in my time, especially when I was new. The biggest benefit, however, has been the friendliness of the shooters, getting to handle guns that I would not otherwise get to handle and even shoot a few. With good contact, people will volunteer a lot of good information about what they shoot, why the like it, troubles they have had, etc.