Incident at Wilbur Wright

[VUPDblue]

I have never been to the range mentioned here, but at my range, there is no prohibition of loading mags while the line is cold. You just cannot handle your firearm during a cease-fire

 

[E5RANGER375]

I have never been to the range mentioned here, but at my range, there is no prohibition of loading mags while the line is cold. You just cannot handle your firearm during a cease-fire

as long as everyone obeys the rules there then thats ok. but hopefully you go to a range where not just any bum off the street can just walk up and start blasting. on a DNR range if someone just walks on and sees other people at the firing line loading a mag, he might not even look down range to see if its clear before he shoots because he might assume its safe since others are on the line loading a mag, he just sees them on the line and doesnt know if they are loading a mag or a pistol. a lot of people go to ranges just to spray and pray. i still stick by what i said before, no one is on the line reloading at a PUBLIC range i participate at. but thats just my personal comfort and safety preference and everyone is free to have their own.

 

[VUPDblue]

If that's the rules, then they should be obeyed. I personally have not been to a range where loading/handling mags during a cease-fire is not allowed. I'd like to see that rule in writing for that range, but my Google-fu seems to be weak, or they don't post the rules online.

 

[WIZZO499]

If some of you guys have ever been out on private land, all by yourself, shooting, you'd never want to go to another public range. I grew up shooting on our farm. Gone to an honest to goodness range 5 times in my whole life. I'm very safe, but I don't like any RO watching over me. Shooting on the farm is very therapudic and I can really focus on my shooting. Public range, not so much.

I spose everyone doesn't have this ability, but I have to drive 4.5hrs back to IL to shoot on our farm. I still haven't bothered to find a range here to shoot because I don't like shooting around others.

 

[AuntieBellum]

It's common practice at Jasper-Pulaski to load mags during a cease-fire from the shooting benches. However, it is also common practice for the shooters to call their own cease-fire; the DNR doesn't get too involved in the particulars unless they feel like hanging out at the line or they're keeping an extra close eye on someone - they usually watch from their truck so they can drive back and forth along the ranges (they're nicely spread out and parking is right along the benches - great for bring your guns out one at a time or switching out gear, taking a break, etc.). I remember being quite shocked my first time (ok, only time so far) at Kingsbury since all I'd known up to that point was JP. But even at Kingsbury you can load mags behind the line (as GhostofWinter pointed out).

I realize that at public ranges anyone could walk up, but I've only encountered very helpful, friendly, and seemingly conscientious people at JP. Now, maybe Wilbur Wright is set up more like JP in that there aren't any tables besides the shooting benches, so a more strict range master might have different rules. And while you can't be too safe, I've always thought a cease-fire to be the perfect time to load up multiple mags at 7-17 each to take better advantage of the time between cease-fires.

 

[Squatch]

I can say that I've never been to a public range before so I'm curious about some of this. If you are not allowed to load a mag on a cold range because it would be too easy to load a gun from there, do you have to unload your mags when a range is going cold at places that follow these types of rules?

Shane

 

[eirish2001]

You gotta' remember we're talking about a public range where any goof can walk in there and start banging away. The next step after loading a magazine is to slap it into a gun and who knows if the guy loading the magazine is trained, untrained, or a total idiot who just bought the gun 30 minutes ago and has never been to the range in his life. There are several ways to get yourself in deep trouble with a gun. One is to assume that you are always 100% safe and you don't need no stinking rules. Another is to assume that ANYBODY else at the range is safe!

This happened one time I was at Atterbury before they had any ROs. There was only me and another guy shooting. He calls clear and I give him the all clear. While the guy is down range a third man walks up and just starts shooting.

 

[steinway]

I went to Roush Lake in Huntington, In Yesterday for the first time and I was very impressed. They also did not let you touch your guns during the time people went down range to change targets, could not load during that time. I really enjoyed that range and the experience there.

 

[NWIeng]

i know its upsetting but their are rules they go by to. so i would just leave it alone

I second this. I'm not trying to say anything about the OP at all.

I've been to Willow Slough only, but I'm sure their rules are the same at all DNR ranges. If the line is cold, everyone is supposed to be behind the line, away from their weapons. Not doing anything until those hanging targets are back.

Safety first. If the RO was arrogant, I'll err on the side of caution and give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

[darinb]

I would not call DNR since he would tell his side which IMO would sound like you were in the wrong. He probably saw you messing with something and assumed it was your weapon and acted. He should not have been arrogant and forceful but we dont know what was going through his mind at the time.

 

[birdhunter55]

One thing for sure. If you do not take it up with the range or the DNR, then nothing will change. Therefore, they become more right each time it is done and no one questions them. Personally, I would speak up about it, but then again, I don't shoot at public or private ranges. I do most of my shooting on private land.

 

[6birds]

I believe those are the rules at the DNR ranges. Check the posted rules or the sign in card, I could be wrong. In fact at a lot of ranges you may not touch anything to do with the guns and stand behind a line as long as someone is down range.

So some people CAN read the rules, all right!!

 

[ThePope]

People would be AMAZED at the crap that goes on in/at a public range, multiple times been swept, too many to mention.....assorted dangerously handled hand-guns, by experienced and noobs alike, people shooting each others' targets from opposing corners of the firing lines, guys nearly taking there faces off because of the need to look into the barrel of a loaded pistol with finger on triggers...etc...etc....ad-infinitum.

Worst case in my eyes was a couple folks enter, a father and son, dad is shooting in the next station from me, son at the far end.

The son loads up a round of shot-shell ammo into his gun, and immediately chambers said round, points it RIGHT AT ME with his finger on the trigger....

I tell him in LOUD, and no un-certain terms to disengage his finger from the trigger and point that firearm DOWN RANGE...just like the signs all over the place say to.

His dad got in my face, briefly, until I explained the situation to him, then dad made his boy un-load and leave the firing area. And then he thanked me for yelling at his boy....

Point is, even though both had read, and signed a card explaining the rules, and the rules are posted in various spots at the range, the kid didn't follow the rules, and could have killed me BY NEGLIGENCE.

I 've seen experienced, very experienced people do similar things, and worse....so safety is always welcome, to me....

I am OuT ....

 

[1032JBT]

I have been to that range before, but not since the early 90's and can say I have seen some very unsafe things. I personally have no issue with that rule there based on those things I saw. With that being said though, if the RO is still the same old coot..........he is a d*** and could really benifit from some interpersonal skills.

I have also trained on many many hot ranges. I prefer hot ranges but just because the "skill" level is supposed to be better doesn't mean it always is. I have heard horror stories from military guys that were on hot ranges with "expierenced" shooters and unsafe stuff still happened.

Bottom line for me is know the rules of the range you are on and follow them. If you don't like those rules, find somewhere else to shoot.

 

[E5RANGER375]

i remember atterbury before it was all built up, they use to just have a little shack where a guy sat and mostly just made sure no one had any full auto stuff. it was cool back then. i too hate public ranges because i hate shooting around people i dont know.

i remember years back a sherriff deputy shot himself in the leg at atterbury with his own gun. LMAO

 

[buzzard pickins]

In the era of Roman dommination,Christians would draw a simple fish in the dirt as a way to signal another they were among friends.I noticed your rotating avatar,I assume the reason is somewhat the same.
Therefore, why not apply CHRISTIAN values in this case?
Turn the other cheek. Witness to the new couple about INGO
and what a great comunnity this is.

 

[shibumiseeker]

i too hate public ranges because i hate shooting around people i dont know.

I haven't shot at a public range in many, many years in part because I got my own land but also in part because of having seen too many incidents at them. I got tired of being an RO and having idiots get nasty with me when I would politely correct them when they were violating range rules. While I don't condone it, I can understand why some of the ROs can be abrupt after dealing with that kind of crap all of the time.

I am about to start occasionally shooting at the Rockcastle Shooting Center in Kentucky occasionally, but that's only because they'll be putting in a 2000 yard range and I need somewhere to shoot my .50s, and I'm friends with the owners

 

[tom1025]

Just let it go. You should be thankful someone is watching. You never know when it will be you at the end of the range placing targets and someone else is on the fire line foundling things.

I remember when Atterbury didnt have anyone watching it. We never went down range unless atleast one of us stayed back at the firing line to watch our stuff. I also never went down range without a loaded side arm just in case someone decided to start firing down range.

 

[Rotor Talker]

I would complain to DNR, they deserve it.

This sounds like they moved that jerk from up north that gave that guy trouble here last year, grabbed his pistol while he was shooting a rifle, something like that, far as I know nothing happened there.

Wilbur Wright has always been a weird place, I have never had a good experience there, I stay clear of it.

If you got the guys name, report him, if you don't he's only going to get worse, yeah it may be in their rules, but there is no reason to come off like that, except being a Range Nazi on a power trip. This is the biggest problem for us who try to be "professional" ( behavior, not profession, like Volunteer Firefighters are professionals) acting range officers, are fools like this guy.

As always, YMMV

 

[Dtruck260]

+1 for Roush, I shoot there every Sat,

I dont know about many other people, but when I am down range and look back, I like to see no one touching anything!!

On a side note, I saw a guy go ballistic on Bob (RO) one weekend after he was fiddling with his rifle and Bob (sternly) told him to stop (He then got vacated).

I think on some level when addressing issues like those, you have to get your point across and it shouldnt be sugar coated, someone could die because they felt like they needed to check there gun during a cease fire.

My father was a DI for many years and ANYTHING having to deal with safety (especially guns safety) was quick and TO THE POINT and I will tell you that I remember everything that he told me.

To sum up, I dont mind hearing a Stearn RO when I am the one downrange