Shooting Range Issues

[IUKalash429]

Public ranges are pretty much the only place and time I allow myself to almost wonder if the RKBA should be so widespread.

Almost.

 

[bwframe]

ALL of us need to concentrate on helping solve this problem, rather than the name calling and such!

Ask yourself WTF you can do rather than being the best finger pointer.

A little reminder here. We all fell down a lot learning how to walk. When we did learn to walk, it was with assistance and instruction, correct?

Work on your approach and delivery. Be the wise seasoned gun handler that helps solve this problem, before the problem solves the rest of us.

 

[Slonsteady]

This requires more labor/time from the business

A Heck of a lot more time, plus the RSO is too busy telling jr. Rambo to quit handling their piece during a cease fire. This crap happens, where a shot is fired while a person is down range because dumbo cant understand basic instruction to not touch. Been there, scary as hell.

 

[Trapper Jim]

ALL of us need to concentrate on helping solve this problem, rather than the name calling and such!

Ask yourself WTF you can do rather than being the best finger pointer.

A little reminder here. We all fell down a lot learning how to walk. When we did learn to walk, it was with assistance and instruction, correct?

Work on your approach and delivery. Be the wise seasoned gun handler that helps solve this problem, before the problem solves the rest of us.

Yep. This. Lost count on how many I've turned.

 

[OurDee]

Last time I was at the Atterbury Shooting Complex I had to call a cease fire. I was shooting 100 yard when the pistol guys decided to just walk out and change targets. I know that there is not enough information shared with new shooters.

 

[Winamac]

I shoot at the Winamac FWA range. I have never had a bad experience there. Maybe lucky I guess?

 

[NHT3]

ALL of us need to concentrate on helping solve this problem, rather than the name calling and such!

Ask yourself WTF you can do rather than being the best finger pointer.

A little reminder here. We all fell down a lot learning how to walk. When we did learn to walk, it was with assistance and instruction, correct?

Work on your approach and delivery. Be the wise seasoned gun handler that helps solve this problem, before the problem solves the rest of us.

I honestly admire your idea but I've learned from my time in RSO land that some people will not admit they don't know and flatly refuse help. You would think a rational person would welcome help with a potentially dangerous tool. I've encountered a huge number of people that actually get pissed off when gently asked "would you like me to show you how to grip your pistol to avoid the bloodshed you just inflicted on yourself. Of course we need to help anyone wanting to learn and I'm all for that. There are too many with the mind set, just as one lady expressed to me, I don't need no lesson, I just want to shoot.

 

[bwframe]

I honestly admire your idea but I've learned from my time in RSO land that some people will not admit they don't know and flatly refuse help. You would think a rational person would welcome help with a potentially dangerous tool. I've encountered a huge number of people that actually get pissed off when gently asked "would you like me to show you how to grip your pistol to avoid the bloodshed you just inflicted on yourself. Of course we need to help anyone wanting to learn and I'm all for that. There are too many with the mind set, just as one lady expressed to me, I don't need no lesson, I just want to shoot.

My friend, we all know you are right, with a small handful of folks. Some are just "too smart" to learn.

That said, we all owe it to ourselves to not become so jaded that we no longer try to help the dangerous among us. Besides the fact that some among "us" are dangerous and make our ranges unsafe, these same folks contribute to those who would remove the 2A all together.

We ALL as safe gun handlers need to stay on our game to educate those that will be. We need to find ways to effectively communicate that unsafe gun handling is NOT OK. And yes, make it clear that unsafe gun handling won't be tolerated, if not from ourselves than from the management of the range.

While lot's of us gun owners are stubborn folks, even the most steadfast of us can get that there are only so many warnings before there is penalty. We need to be the seasoned smart shooters on the range that can help the stubborn among us learn what is acceptable and what is not. It may not sink in the first time. After a few warnings from others on the range, even the worst can begin to understand the problem just may be them?

It's simple and smart to leave the range when it's not safe to be there. However, if we keep doing this and turn our heads to the problem people, their numbers will grow. Eventually, ranges will go out of business, due to liability. As the Second Amendment falls by the wayside, because we allowed a few bad apples to paint the rest of us.

 

[DadSmith]

My local range/gun shop Dave's in Holland set this out today. Anyone else seeing these issues? This is why we can't have nice things!

Range Changes​

"Due to continued excessive abuse of the facility combined with the skyrocketing cost of lumber, we can no longer offer singe-use range passes. We are currently only allowing annual range members to shoot. We hate this for those of you who have been respectful of the facility, but can no longer afford the maintenance cause by those who continue to shoot up the framing and tables."

What kind of people shoot the tables? For a few idiots a lot of people have to pay the price. Probably wouldn't hurt to put up cameras find who is doing it then send them a bill, and ban them from coming back to the range.

Always some idiot ruining it for everyone else.

 

[Bill2905]

What kind of people shoot the tables? For a few idiots a lot of people have to pay the price. Probably wouldn't hurt to put up cameras find who is doing it then send them a bill, and ban them from coming back to the range.

Always some idiot ruining it for everyone else.

I always assumed that where there is damage in places that make no sense, it was probably caused by an accidental discharge. Those events are more dangerous to other shooters than bad aim or improper sight adjustment downrange.

 

[DadSmith]

I always assumed that where there is damage in places that make no sense, it was probably caused by an accidental discharge. Those events are more dangerous to other shooters than bad aim or improper sight adjustment downrange.

But to destroy a table would take a lot of shots in the right places. So there must be a ton of stupidity.

 

[ECS686]

But to destroy a table would take a lot of shots in the right places. So there must be a ton of stupidity.

There is that "Challenge Accepted " crowd. I've seen a lot on Agency as well as publi ranges. From naive to suppose to know what they are doing folks.

I especially like the ones that "I, my Dad, Uncle etc was in the National Guard in 1970. Uncle Sugar gave them, they gave me etc all the training I need" (as they sweep everyone and have so much antiquated handling skills you have to go to TCM to find an old movie that bad)

 

[Mgderf]

What kind of people shoot the tables? For a few idiots a lot of people have to pay the price. Probably wouldn't hurt to put up cameras find who is doing it then send them a bill, and ban them from coming back to the range.

Always some idiot ruining it for everyone else.

This was my thoughts too.
I understand it would be an expense to install cameras, but if it ultimately stopped, or even just significantly reduced the damage, they would pay for themselves eventually.
In the mean time, the weeding out of the undesirables would improve the safety and the shooting experience for those following the rules.

 

[BigRed]

A young guy who I work with told me a few years ago that he bought a brand new budget AR-15 with no sights and took it to a range. He was a complete newbie and wasn't aware that you need sights or an optic and just started shooting. He said the range officer had to stop him because he was hitting everything but his target.

Good grief.

 

[Bill2905]

But to destroy a table would take a lot of shots in the right places. So there must be a ton of stupidity.

Yeah, destruction of a table is certainly an intentional act. I was speaking more of the random bullet holes that appear in strange places.

 

[printcraft]

I shoot at the Winamac FWA range. I have never had a bad experience there. Maybe lucky I guess?

I like the Winamac range, when I feel like taking a little drive it's where I go.

 

[Hardscrable]

This was my thoughts too.
I understand it would be an expense to install cameras, but if it ultimately stopped, or even just significantly reduced the damage, they would pay for themselves eventually.
In the mean time, the weeding out of the undesirables would improve the safety and the shooting experience for those following the rules.

I belong to a private club and still have “issues”...some down right scary. During the process of becoming a member ALL rules, regulations, etc. are discussed. Safety items are stressed to the utmost. It doesn’t eliminate fools, idiots, and those that just plain don’t care. I conducted orientation for new members for a number of years. I lost track of how many times 5 minutes after completion a new member would state or ask something that I had just covered...in 1 ear and out the other. We have 1 rifle range for center fire rifle calibers. Quite common to find .223/.556 brass on handgun bays or ranges. On Indoor range holes thru lights, ceiling, walls, etc. are common. Framing for target holders shot up and destroyed. A few years back a round went thru wall - 90* to rear of firing line, 180* from target - and thru clubhouse meeting room and lodged in exterior wall. We have finally installed security cameras everywhere except a couple ranges too far from clubhouse. There we are in process of putting up trail cams. We have caught several violators already. 1 warning. Second time will result in expulsion. You cannot fix stupid.

 

[NHT3]

What kind of people shoot the tables? For a few idiots a lot of people have to pay the price. Probably wouldn't hurt to put up cameras find who is doing it then send them a bill, and ban them from coming back to the range.

Always some idiot ruining it for everyone else.

My assessment would be at least 50% of the people at a public range are fully capable.. No shortage of ignorance in a shooting range.

 

[Engle086]

Joined a range that is also part of a park , no kidding. The fee is $39 for the season and the distance to my house half that of the range I normally shoot at. But the gate to the park is always open so I'm sure non-members go out to shoot.

Had a guy start walking down range when I have a loaded 357 in my hands. No "I'm heading down" or "Can I get a cease fire?" I packed it up and left.

I was hanging targets at the 25 yard line recently and these guys start firing at 50 yards. These weren't young guys by any means either. I ended up having some choice words later.

Near the end of last year there was this very nice impact crater in the concrete that was not there the time before.

Anyway after this year I'm done there .

This place have the initials FMP?
Place went downhill after some nice upgrades (covered benches) and I think a "changing of the guard".
What you get access to for $39 is great but that range has become a bastion of stupid the last couple of years.

 

[littletommy]

When I was in the range business, we had a guy come in and ask for his military discount, which he received, and then proceeded to go into the range and destroy a $4000 target carrier while shooting his AR at 15 feet with an optic. Literally shooting 24 inches high and had no clue until the RSO stopped him. Wasn’t long after that that I decided the range business wasn’t for me, for every one like that that WILL take instruction and learn from their mistakes, there’s probably 100 more that already know everything there is to know and will tell you to eff off if you interrupt their range time with instruction. That Guys military discount didn’t apply to the damage he did and was making monthly payments on when I left.