Absurd sh!t you hear at a public range

[lwt16]

I’ve seen so much stupidity at police, commercial, public, and private ranges that I will not set foot on one without a well stocked trauma kit. I have on the job saves using TacMed gear, was a department TECC instructor, currently a STBleed instructor, CPR etc.

Won’t. Set. Foot. On. One. Without. Gear.

Some of the worst I’ve seen was on PD ranges.

I took a 2 day class once and at the hour long safety briefing, the instructors passed around 8x10 glossy prints of real GSWs. That class was the safest one I ever attended.

[Lex Luthier]

OK, not absurd sh!t I heard, but a public range story nonetheless.

At a now-closed outdoor public range in Northern California.

Guy sits down at the bench next to me with a scoped rifle. Soon as he uncases the rifle he starts pointing the muzzle all over the place- RO spots it and scolds him over the PA. That must've rattled him because as soon as he started shooting, holes began appearing in MY target rather than the one he'd placed downrange. I waited for a break in the action and said "excuse me sir, I believe you are shooting at my target. Yours is the one to the left of the one you've been shooting at."

Guy gets all huffy, immediately cases up his rifle and stalks off, no doubt to go tell his friends what a bunch of @ssholes they are down at that range.

I wasn't sad to see him go.

For the record, it was one of the cleanest, nicest, best-managed ranges I've ever been to, with overall great and friendly folks.

And there were just a few bullet holes in the roof over the benches.

Castro Valley? That was a nice range.

[Suvorov]

Castro Valley? That was a nice range.

Yep. Good old Chabot. Of course it had to be shut down……..

[Lex Luthier]

Yep. Good old Chabot. Of course it had to be shut down……..

May the perpetrators of that evil deed suffer lifelong incurable pubic boils.

[Clusterfrack]

Yep. Good old Chabot. Of course it had to be shut down……..

Chabot was awesome.

[Rex G]

I guess that I have disremembered stupid things I have heard at gun ranges. I did learn that I had to have a thick skin, and infinite patience, when I walked into a gun shop, while in police uniform. If I were not being asked for advice, because police know everything, I was being given advice, because cops don’t know sh!t.

I do appreciate the warning, that I should not shoot cup-and-saucer-ish, left-handed, at a range, when my gimpy right hand is having a bad day. I might find myself being detained by the cup-and-saucer police! Perhaps I will be OK if I apply a splint or bandage?

[Clusterfrack]

I guess that I have disremembered stupid things I have heard at gun ranges. I did learn that I had to have a thick skin, and infinite patience, when I walked into a gun shop, while in police uniform. If I were not being asked for advice, because police know everything, I was being given advice, because cops don’t know sh!t.

I do appreciate the warning, that I should not shoot cup-and-saucer-ish, left-handed, at a range, when my gimpy right hand is having a bad day. I might find myself being detained by the cup-and-saucer police! Perhaps I will be OK if I apply a splint or bandage?

If you are not attractive and female, your chances of being offered unsolicited advice are pretty low.

[DMF13]

If you are not attractive and female, your chances of being offered unsolicited advice are pretty low.

Steve Anderson used to joke on his podcast that female shooters will get lots of unwanted, and genrally bad, advice, and the more attractive they are the more advice they'll get.

I was at the range a couple months ago, and while I was getting ready to shoot, a girl I recognized from some local matches showed up. I have never spoken with her, but remembered her, because the month before she made A class, and lots of her friends were congratulating her during cleanup. She's mid to late 20s, and pretty.

At the time it I got to the range, it was only a couple tactical timmys sharing a lane, that girl, and me. Before she could even fire a single round, the two tactical timmys started offering her shooting tips. I was highly entertained when she told them, "I'm pretty sure I can shoot way better than either of you guys. So would you mind just leaving me alone?" They walked away, clearly butt hurt, and soon after she began shooting they packed up and left, as she was correct in her assessment of their relative skills.

I normally try to ignore other shooters, but I was glad I got to see that.

[Duelist]

Steve Anderson used to joke on his podcast that female shooters will get lots of unwanted, and genrally bad, advice, and the more attractive they are the more advice they'll get.

I was at the range a couple months ago, and while I was getting ready to shoot, a girl I recognized from some local matches showed up. I have never spoken with her, but remembered her, because the month before she made A class, and lots of her friends were congratulating her during cleanup. She's mid to late 20s, and pretty.

At the time it I got to the range, it was only a couple tactical timmys sharing a lane, that girl, and me. Before she could even fire a single round, the two tactical timmys started offering her shooting tips. I was highly entertained when she told them, "I'm pretty sure I can shoot way better than either of you guys. So would you mind just leaving me alone?" They walked away, clearly butt hurt, and soon after she began shooting they packed up and left, as she was correct in her assessment of their relative skills.

I normally try to ignore other shooters, but I was glad I got to see that.

That’s awesome!

Years ago, my young wife and I were at an indoor range, and a young woman came and took the lane next to us with a stainless 4” Kframe.

Her shots were … all over the silhouette target. Literally, like feet between some hits. She started looking around after every shoot, covering her mouth. I was working on my DA trigger pull on my own Kframe, and taking turns with my wife (shooting my MKII Ruger), so I left the lady to her business.

Young lady leaves, and comes back with a range guy. He looked at her gun, dry fired it, fired a live round, says, “It’s fine,” like she had asked him if there was something wrong with her gun. Looked at her like she was dumb, and left.

We were done by then, and had started packing up. Young lady, meantime, shoots a few more rounds, and I paid a bit of attention. She would aim very, very carefully. And then yank through the whole long DA trigger pull all at once - muzzle whipping all over.. After another cylinder full, she pulled her target back, and looked just frustrated, mad, ready-to-cry mad.

“Would you like some advice?” I asked. She nods, my wife sits down to wait.

I unzipped the bag my old M10 was in, showed clear, and said, “This works just the same as yours, it’s just not shiny, ok?” Then I showed her how to roll through the DA trigger, and had her practice that dry about a dozen times.

She drilled all the next six inside the 10 ring. Happy smiles.

Range guy could have done that.

[Borderland]

Jeff Cooper said that all males, by virtue of being born that way, think they are expert at firearms, driving and ....

I'm not an expert driver or shooter, but I do know a few things about sheep.