Is it bad form to shoot really loud guns at a crowded range?

[Rpg]

I won't use indoor ranges because of the enhanced noise.

At my range, we are polite: folks with muzzle breaks are considerate enough to shoot at the end of the line, we don't shoot our 308's next to beginners with 22's, we are concerned that everyone's comfort be respected.

It would never occur to us to take the attitude that the other guy has to put up with obviously unpleasant shooting situations.

On a side note: many big game guides won't guide hunters with muzzle breaks because they are so unpleasant to be around.

Seems to me that good old fashioned manners are important even on the range.

 

[old tanker]

It is kinda fun to be in stall next to some young guy popping away with some plastic pistol and unleashing the thunder and flame of a black powder loaded .44-40 revolver.

The wide eyed "What the hell was THAT?' amuses me.

 

[ralph7]

Just another reason I want a little land where I can shoot by myself.

 

[Rivoak]

Well, I'll put it this way. I bought some land bordered by a CSX major track line. There are trains that pass by regularly. I haven't even thought about calling CSX and complaining about the noise because that's what you get. That's also where I set up my shooting range. (Pointing away from the tracks of course) My thoughts were, what kind of person living by freight trains is going to call and complain about my noise? Well, none.

If a range lets people fire off cannons, people will. A couple years ago I went to a local range got assigned a position with a concrete wall on my right, and somebody firing some semiautomatic God-knows-what cannon on my left. Even with the plugs and muffs for ear protection and wrapping safety glasses for eye protection, the escaping gasses and muzzle exhaust bouncing from him on the left and the wall on the right literally concussed my whole head. I stepped back a couple feet let the fellow next to me empty his gun, then when he paused to reload, gathered my stuff and left. Then I bought land by the railroad.

When that sort of thing happens at an indoor range, it is not the gun that bothers me, but the people.
If they buy cannons and can't find a place to shoot them outdoors, why did they buy cannons?

 

[badge]

Ya pay's your money so ya get's to play. I invested in better hearing protection and when I fire a .375 H&H and it once did disturb a fellow a neighboring stall, South Florida you see, I informed him of the aforementioned hearing protection. If he'd have been reasonable I would have requested a more isolated section.

 

[pharmer]

Judicious use of a .44 mag at local indoor ranges will usually clear out the "do-rag" shooters so they do serve a "positive" purpose. Joe

 

[cmort666]

When I was having my little adventure with my 4" 29-2, I had cause to shoot quite a bit of Winchester White Box 240gr.

I always made sure to wait until the end of the evening, and to shoot at the far end of the firing line away from others. We also warned people ahead of time.

I'm not nice, but I am polite.

 

[vytoland]

i wear good hearing protection....it doesnt bother me

 

[Doug627]

Whether it is bad form or not is simple. Are you doing it to offend those around you? Bad form. Are you simply shooting your firearm for sport or pleasure? Not bad form. Only you can answer this question. I have gotten out the loudenboomer to let the inconsiderate around me know that what they are doing is bad form but I do not use the loudenboomer to see how many people I can run out of the range.

 

[cougar14]

I enjoy shooting my little Ruger #3 carbine with full-load 45/70's at my outdoor range. What's kinda funny is I'll get the "what the H***" is THAT" look and they will continue on down the line. No way that little thing can make that racket!

 

[bountyhunter]

Even with earplugs under my ear protectors, when someone is firing a 44 magnum in the next stall at an indoor range, or a .308 with a muzzle break next to me at the outdoor range, I find it quite unpleasant.

Is it bad form to fire extra loud guns at a crowded range or am I too sensitive?

Magnums at an indoor range destroy the hearing of people around them. Whenever it happened to me, I just walked out. The muzzle wave off a magnum approaches 160 dBA. Even with plugs and muffs, it will damage your hearing fired indoors.

 

[bountyhunter]

Well, I'll put it this way. I bought some land bordered by a CSX major track line. There are trains that pass by regularly. I haven't even thought about calling CSX and complaining about the noise because that's what you get. That's also where I set up my shooting range. (Pointing away from the tracks of course) My thoughts were, what kind of person living by freight trains is going to call and complain about my noise? Well, none.

If a range lets people fire off cannons, people will. A couple years ago I went to a local range got assigned a position with a concrete wall on my right, and somebody firing some semiautomatic God-knows-what cannon on my left. Even with the plugs and muffs for ear protection and wrapping safety glasses for eye protection, the escaping gasses and muzzle exhaust bouncing from him on the left and the wall on the right literally concussed my whole head. I stepped back a couple feet let the fellow next to me empty his gun, then when he paused to reload, gathered my stuff and left. When that sort of thing happens at an indoor range, it is not the gun that bothers me, but the people.
If they buy cannons and can't find a place to shoot them outdoors, why did they buy cannons?

I can remember shooting when somebody starts cranking off his .44 next to me and the blast was sufficient to knock my gun off line as I am sighting in.

BTW: the cannon shooter actually gets the protection of being directly behind the muzzle in the null of the shock wave while all the people around get blasted by reflected waves.

 

[67tempest]

I brought my .50 bmg bolt gun to a local walled in and covered outdoor range I occasionally shoot at. I fired a handful of rounds and then put it away because the noise was so obnoxious.

 

[glenwolde]

Yes, and No.

If the shooter of said massive weapon is considerate and skilled, I don't have a problem. By "considerate" I mean they are cognizant of the disruption they are causing and at least make an attempt to minimize it by taking breaks, etc. By "skilled" I mean they are shooting at an appropriate range (ie. distance) and at least appear to be achieving some semblance of reasonable practical accuracy.

Where I have a problem is when you show up on the 7 yard line with the neophytes and the old folks (no offense) and blast away indiscriminately with your .500 S&W or 45-70 and make the entire line take a break until you're done. Which thankfully is not very long. Not to mention you can't keep it on the 19 x 25 target.

That's just plain rude.

 

[mrrick]

Rpg wrote"

"At my range, we are polite: folks with muzzle breaks are considerate enough to shoot at the end of the line, we don't shoot our 308's next to beginners with 22's, we are concerned that everyone's comfort be respected."

I was there first and it was the center fire range. There were many open slots far away from me. It was their choice to setup next to me when there were other places available.
They should have used the .22 range available to them. That's what the RO told them and encouraged them to mave to the .22 range.

I don't see how I was being "inconsiderate".

 

[Smith357]

No it not bad form to shoot a big gun, as long as you let folks around you know that you are about to unleash the beast and they might want to double up on their ears.

 

[jasona]

A good range officer will ask what you are shooting and place you next to someone that is also shooting a large caliber.

Some months back I took my Desert Eagle (.50AE) to the indoor public range I go to. The RO asked what I was shooting and put me next to a couple of first-timers shooting one of the rental Glocks.

I don't know if it was me, or if they were almost done, they left shortly after my first couple shots.

Recently I was put next to an older couple mostly shooting smaller calibers (again it was an Eagle day,) with no other open lanes on the range. It's possible the Eagle might've been louder than they were comfortable with, based on a comment the older gent made as they were packing up for the day (the RO had shortly before informed them they had a couple minutes left.) Now, if it had been bothering them, and they had requested I either see if I could get moved, or shoot something else (I had my 9mm Berretta along,) I would've cheerfully complied.

I don't take the Eagle along to annoy people, I take it along because it is rather fun to shoot and I do enjoy the "is that the .50?" comments. But I also have along something else to shoot, as there's only so much I can take from it. So if it were bothering someone, no problems I can still shoot something else.

I have been at the range when someone was shooting a .308 AR with a muzzle brake. The RO had to keep the lanes on either side of the shooter empty from the noise (and the stations have sidewalls.) He even had to replace the cardboard you staple your targets to on one of the lanes next to this guy...

 

[ladder13]

Years ago when the 454 FA Casull first came out, my friend brought his to an indoor 25 yard range.
He got thru 1 cylinder and we were asked to leave. We never went back.

 

[rwsmith]

I shoot a few big ones.....

I tell everybody that I'm going to shoot some big ones and I won't be obnoxious about it. I found out that they let pistols use the rifle range so if I'm going to shoot big ones, I'll just ask for a lane there and not worry a bit. My range has it's drawbacks, but it IS accommodating.

 

[rburg]

A while back I wanted to check the zero on one of my guns. Even out doors its too loud. But the range had a big sign that said nothing over 3600fps. That was the limitation. So that day I brought along a .32-20 and the .30-378. There was another group shooting, couples with the girls all dancing around and giggling. OK, the guy I had to pay upstairs was kind of interested in what I was shooting, and I showed him the factory ammo box that said 3598 fps. He smiled real big and said "you're good to go".

So I fired off most of the half hour of handloads of .32-20, 3 grains of bullseye that felt and sounded mostly like a 22 short. Then the magnum. I was a nice guy (not all that characteristic of me) and told the folks I was going to shoot a centerfire rifle a few times. They looked at me like I was an axe murderer. OK. The first shot had them screaming. I gave them time if they wanted to leave, but they didn't. So I treated them to the 2nd shot and they'd had enough. But so had I and both shots had hit about 2" high at the max distance, but centered. So I saw what I needed to see and packed up. I even apologized the guy upstairs. He kind of liked it, and said the couples were overtime anyway.

Because of the shockwave, its worse than a 22 jet. But the jet is mostly as bad or worse than any 44. One thing I haven't done is fire it after dark. Magnum rifles can be fun doing that.