You never know what you'll see at the range

[Shanghai Jack]

I love listening to the people at the range who tell me I'm going to blow up my gun when I'm breach seating. Then on the other hand, I've seen people hammering a bolt down to get the round into the chamber.

[Recycled bullet]

So as I was practicing shooting I happened to turn around and look at the floor and saw splotches of blood. Bright red splotches, completely unmistakable with anything else. This was concerning so I looked around and I saw in the lane next to me was a young man maybe in his twenties and an older gentleman in his mid-60s. They were taking turns shooting some old pistols. I saw he was bleeding from his hand and it was leaking on the floor. I saw this and I asked him if he needed help? Does he need to call a ceasefire?? Does he need medical attention, is everything okay? Why is there blood pooled on the ground all around his shoes leaking from his obviously cut hands -to which he replied "NO I'm not bleeding" and put his hands behind his back like a child hiding a candy wrapper.

I ended up talking to the younger man when the older man went to take a bathroom break. The problem was is the older gentleman was crossing his thumbs over each other and when the slide reciprocated it was cutting him badly.

[Recycled bullet]

Another time I was shooting and the guy in the next lane was obviously very new and inexperienced. I'd estimate he was in his 50s or 60s. I watched him do some Strange Behaviors. First he loaded the magazine, put it in the gun, cycle the slide to charge the pistol, remove the magazine set the pistol down on the bench, then he picked up the pistol and as he was picking it up with his finger touching the trigger he bumped the trigger with his finger and it startled him so bad when the gun fired I couldn't tell if he forgot the gun was loaded or if he just was unable to comprehend firing cycle of semi-automatic pistols. He also couldn't understand how removing the magazine still allowed the handgun to fire. He did this twice and so I asked him if he needed help, and I explained to him that removing the magazine does not unload the barrel, told me no he has an instruction manual and he'll just practice reading it and I'll respect the willingness to read that but at the same time I'm not going to get shot up by a ******* so I packed up my stuff and left and notified the range officer that man needs some help to operate his pistol.

[Recycled bullet]

Another time I was shooting at a different range I took my father with me to go shooting for his birthday. As we are shooting one of us will shoot the other one will load magazines, and I make a habit of periodically looking around for stupid stuff happening when I'm loading mags. In the lane immediately adjacent there was a young couple probably in the early twenties a man and a woman taking turns shooting a rental Glock. What caught my attention was she was taking a selfie picture of herself with the handgun but the problem was she was holding the loaded gun across her breast which was now pointed at my dad's head!! The plywood and carpet Lane dividers are not bulletproof! And even if they were made of half inch steel plate that would still be completely unacceptable ! There seem to be some sort of language issue I think they were foreign exchange students from Korea. She couldn't or would not understand why it was not a good idea to point a gun in any direction other than down range. I called a cease fire then the range officer wanted to argue with me about how it wasn't a big deal!! He said something real ignorant " nobody got hurt so it's okay" . Then he got upset when I went to complain to management. And this is why I don't shoot at that range anymore.

[dtknowles]

Even with waiver signed having a complaint and doing nothing about it is probably forcing on negligence.

Also, I was at a gun show in the early 1990s. Usually at opening on a Sunday the dealers are talking to each other having a good time. That morning it was as silent as a tomb. I asked what happened. I was told one of the guys was at a bowling pin match in Iowa and a .45 ball bullet came back hitting him in the forehead killing him. The guys were thinking about how it could have been them. .45 ball is notorious for rebounding.

Funny you say that, I was just shooting with a friend today and he told a story about 45's rebonding off a berm that had tires to stabilize the dirt.

[Texas by God]

Shooting at tires is dumb.
“It ain’t like the movies.”
I found that out at age sixteen or so when a 220 gr SWC from my .41 Blackhawk rebounded from an already flat tire and smacked me in the shin hard enough to hurt!
Using tires in the backstop wasn’t the best idea they had that day.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dondiego]

Like the guy at Maybee walking around with a loaded AK, one in the chamber and a full magazine sweeping the line with the muzzle. I asked him politely to clear the action and remove the magazine until I instructed him to load for the stage at a military shoot.

He told me that he was perfectly safe, he had been in the army and knew how to handle firearms.

It took about 3 seconds for it to get a little testy. He did clear the rifle, but I made it abundantly clear he did not need to come back.

He was offended.

Didn't bother me a whole lot.

But I'm a jerk.

But........but............he told you that he was safe! He was experienced!

[JoeJames]

Years ago my hunting buddy and I were out at our local range. Some boys with the local police department showed up to do some shooting. They had an 870 12 gauge and a cardboard box full of shells. One fired it a time or two and then had a jam. No range officer there. No such thing down here. Anyway we walked over to help clear the jam. Turned out there were 16 gauge shells in the box too. They had managed to find one and drop it into the 870. The 16 gauge went into the forcing cone, but thankfully not as far as a 20 gauge. Therefore a 12 gauge shell would not quite go in far enough to close the bolt completely, and therefore it would not fire. We cleared the jam, explained what had happened, and then got behind my truck until they were finished.

[Wag]

Out of four pages of posts, this is the only one that shows someone helping a new shooter learn the sport. I guess everyone else is too busy. Or we expect new shooters to know everything about the sport.

Kevin

I'm complimented. Thank you.

Many of the newer shooters at the range already know more than I do and rarely accept my recommendations.

This happens a lot too. Some men believe they should know everything and take on that macho, tough guy approach to life. Rather than learn and try to understand what they don't know.

--Wag--

[Slugster]

About 20 years ago I had a fellow set his rifle on a shooting bench next to me, went back to his car for the ammo. He came back, loaded the rifle and fired a couple times. Couldn't hit the side of a barn if he was locked inside it. Asked if I would look at his rifle. He had just purchased it from Wallyville with 2 boxes of ammo. I looked it over and told him that it looked ok, except he was shooting .30-30 out of a .35 Remington. Now that was some funny looking fired brass.
About that time the wind shifted an I smelled liquor on his breath. Told the RSO and they made the guy leave. All this and at 10:00 a.m. to boot. Not going to let a yahoo run me off the range.

[El Bibliotecario]

I will happily be run off a range if the alternative is needless risk to my life, but that's just me. It is also why I shoot alone.

[Gray Fox]

Some of the above is why I recently put one of the genuine Israeli tourniquets in my range first aid kit. It's been a while since I was Red Cross instructor certified, but I could lend a hand in the interim. Ever notice that a lot of ranges aren't too close to medical care, unless it might be a volunteer fire company medic? GF

[Daver7]

Some of the above is why I recently put one of the genuine Israeli tourniquets in my range first aid kit. It's been a while since I was Red Cross instructor certified, but I could lend a hand in the interim. Ever notice that a lot of ranges aren't too close to medical care, unless it might be a volunteer fire company medic? GF

Good idea, Adding that to my range kit. Thanks

[charlie b]

FWIW, everyone should have a decent first aid set in all of their vehicles. At least a sterile compression bandage and tape. I also like to have the newer 'gel' bandages. Alcohol wipes, steri-strips, etc. Benedryl and aspirin (helps for heart attacks) are also handy. If you have a tourniquet learn how to use it. Ask an EMT for a list.

PS the commercial 1st Aid Kits are mostly junk for serious emergency treatment.

[Winger Ed.]

Back in the city, our public range was very strictly watched over by the range masters.
I never had any horror stories to bring home from there.

One hot Summer day I was there with my M1A, and a young fella with a new AR was close.
He did Ok & all, then came over to look at the M1A and chat.

I told him my history with it and M-14s.
He asked if I knew how to field strip a AR to clean it.

I told him, "Sure. I'll show ya".
Then opened it and took out the bolt, then took it apart.

He thanked me, and trying not to laugh, I told him, "Well, there ya are, and I gotta go".......
Then he said, "Hey,,,, can you show me how to put it back together"?

I told him, "Oh yeah".
Then looking at the Coke machine behind us, said, "But we're going to get thirsty doing it".

I didn't think it was possible, but he was back with two cans of Coke in about 2 1/2 seconds.

[fredj338]

I was in a pistol match a few years ago. A bullet out of my 1911 came back and struck the bottom of my glasses lifting them up a 1/2" which really scared me. I said the steel plate had to be adjusted. They ignored me. The next guy had much heavier load in his 1911. The first round came back hitting him in the chest hitting him hard enough he bent way over clutching himself with both hands. I complained to the range employee. He said he wasn't going to do it. He said we all signed waivers so suck it up. I didn't go back

Ted

How close? There is a reason that IDPA has a 10y minimum for steel. Steel should be angled down & be in good condition with zero dimples. Once the steel is dimpled, bullets can do odd things. CAS was terrible about this years ago. We would shoot steel well inside 10y & many times it was just not set up correctly. I saw my share of injuries.

[fredj338]

I avoid public ranges, indoor or outdoor, like a plague. The avg joe shooter is truly an idiot waiting to cause an accident. I have left ranges in the past when people started doing stupid things. Even some private ranges are a problem. I have more than once went & sat in my car until the unsafe idiots left the range.

[BobT]

Entirely probable the cases were formed from 300 WM cases. There have been several confirmed S.E.E.s with the 257 Weatherby cartridge.

This guy isn't a handloader. he picked up a round of somebody else's ammo. I still have the barreled action laying on my tool box at the shop, I'll investigate a little further next time I go in.

[jimb16]

I was shooting on an outdoor range next to a guy who was shooting a single shot .69 cal. ml pistol. The target frame was weather hardened oak. A split second after he fired, I was hit in the shin by his lead round ball! MAN! that stung! The lead ball bounced back off the wood frame and hit with enough velocity to raise a large bruise on my leg. Large diameter bullets at lower velocities seem to bounce back with annoying frequency!

[frkelly74]

Out of four pages of posts, this is the only one that shows someone helping a new shooter learn the sport. I guess everyone else is too busy. Or we expect new shooters to know everything about the sport.

Kevin

My experience has been that people are already angry with their situation and can't or won't listen to someone trying to help. It's like they think you are butting in. Now if I am approached by someone asking for advice or help, I am willing to joyfully help them.