Are You Fed Up with Bad Behavior at Shooting Ranges?

[6string]

How many of you are fed up with idiots with guns ruining what should be a nice day at the range?
I am sick and tired of feeling like the "bad guy" because I have to walk on eggshells while politely asking someone to not point their loaded gun at me.
Or, have you gotten to the point where you realize that walking downrange to change out a target is not worth the risk of potentially being shot at?

As if the risk of injury or death isn't bad enough, there is the problem of inconsiderate people trashing the range. This might be as simple as the ubiquitous "Mr. AR-15" leaving a couple hundred fired 5.56 cases scattered on the firing line. But, it might also include messes made by improvised targets involving glass bottles, old Halloween pumpkins, Tannerite, etc.

What do you do? Try talking to the offending party at the risk of starting an argument?
Pack up your things and leave?
Just stay home or find another activity?

I've been a shooter for half a century, but what's been going on for the last couple years is unprecedented.
It seems that we are normalizing behavior that was once considered not only rude or inconsiderate, but also, in some instances, illegal.
Is this the price we all must pay in a society where noticing or calling out bad behavior is considered worse than the bad behavior itself???

 

[CH4]

I am fed up with bad behavior in general. Seems manners and respect are waning.

 

[Faulkner]

I am fed up with bad behavior in general. Seems manners and respect are waning.

Thank you!

 

[Protocall_Design]

Those who are never taught discipline will never have any self discipline. Those who were never taught morals, ethics, respect, or gun safety will never possess those, either.

 

[llowry61]

Basic manners are getting lost. I am not sure if it is that their parents never taught them or just the kids have been allowed to go feral. Was playing golf today with a friend and we got paired up with a father and son. Now this is a sophomore in college mind you. The way he spoke to his dad left me floored. Not to drift, but I stopped going to public ranges when some guys from the pistol range came to the trap range and wanted to try to shoot clays with their 9MM Glocks. They honestly did not understand why we said no.

 

[rockquarry]

I shoot fairly often (couple of times weekly) at a private club I joined fourteen years ago. Before that, I used a public range regularly. In all those years, I've seen no more than a very few incidents involving unsafe gun handling, rudeness, or any other unacceptable behavior. Perhaps I've been fortunate.

 

[bgrafsr]

I belong to a Club that has an indoor range and a trap range. The guys are nice and we don't have many problems.
I could also shoot at the Wife's family farm, which is about a mile from where we live. 140 acres with woods.

 

[Onomea]

6string, I think you should try to find a range or shooting club that more strictly enforces basic safety rules.

 

[mk70ss]

Several years ago, my wife and I were shooting at the indoor range at the Nashville Armory and about 8 or so Japanese tourists came in with all their rented guns and boxes of ammo. Clearly they had never shot a firearm before after watching them for several minutes. Everything they did violated every range rule I’ve ever known. We packed up our gear and left ASAP. I didn’t want to become an accident or witness an accident.

 

[Tom Beavert]

Volunteering again this summer with the Colorado Div of Wildlife, among other things I monitor the Beyers canyon range. I see all sorts of things. Mainly ignorant of safe handling of firearms. Things that seem just common sense to me.
Be well
Tom B

 

[djohns6]

I shoot at a State owned public range . There has been a couple times when a certain person needed to be reminded of basic safety rules or range etiquette . I always leave the range cleaner than I found it which involves cleaning up other people's mess . It's a decent range and it's free so I don't mind .

 

[Breakaway500]

Often shooting sporting clays there are the new people.I try not to squad up with the scary ones. I give most people one mulligan: “Do NOT cross me with that muzzle again.Period!”

I don’t care if it’s unloaded. Unless I saw it cleared properly it’s loaded! I’ve seen enough “unloaded” guns go off not to ever trust one again especially if it’s pointed at ME!

.Hsving your own shooting range is well worth the effort if you really like to shoot often

 

[The Last Standing Knight]

Those who are never taught discipline will never have any self discipline. Those who were never taught morals, ethics, respect, or gun safety will never possess those, either.

I was going to comment. But this covers it.^^^^^
This is the way our society is in this era and it will get a lot worse; count on it.

 

[Rpg]

How many of you are fed up with idiots with guns ruining what should be a nice day at the range?
I am sick and tired of feeling like the "bad guy" because I have to walk on eggshells while politely asking someone to not point their loaded gun at me.
Or, have you gotten to the point where you realize that walking downrange to change out a target is not worth the risk of potentially being shot at?

As if the risk of injury or death isn't bad enough, there is the problem of inconsiderate people trashing the range. This might be as simple as the ubiquitous "Mr. AR-15" leaving a couple hundred fired 5.56 cases scattered on the firing line. But, it might also include messes made by improvised targets involving glass bottles, old Halloween pumpkins, Tannerite, etc.

What do you do? Try talking to the offending party at the risk of starting an argument?
Pack up your things and leave?
Just stay home or find another activity?

I've been a shooter for half a century, but what's been going on for the last couple years is unprecedented.
It seems that we are normalizing behavior that was once considered not only rude or inconsiderate, but also, in some instances, illegal.
Is this the price we all must pay in a society where noticing or calling out bad behavior is considered worse than the bad behavior itself???

My range doesn’t tolerate this stuff. We aren’t interested in the magazine dump guys either.

My range is a private facility. We limit membership and have a waiting list that will take several years to exhaust even if we don’t have any new applicants.

We’re pretty selective in terms of who we let join. Even so, there are infrequent occasions when the club disciplines a member for their bad behavior or the bad behavior of their guests. We occasionally have to make an example and dismiss a member.

These events usually involve a member with guests when the member can’t or won’t manage their guests. We also limit the number of guests a member can bring to the range.

 

[rockquarry]

I've never seen rude and dangerous behavior on a gun range that would come close to what I see daily on our roads, tailgaters easily the worst but certainly there are other offenders. Comparatively, gun ranges are respites of safety.

 

[Protocall_Design]

I shoot a lot of matches and belong to 2 private member ranges. At the matches, everyone there is a range officer (RO). ANY safety violations are immediately dealt with. The violator is DQed and either puts away their gear and/or leaves. Everyone understands and respects this. The only way to have a safe shooting area, be it match or gun club, is to have strict safety rules that are rigidly enforced. That's how I like it, because then I can relax and enjoy my limited free time.

The public ranges around here are downright scary. People, including young kids, are waving loaded guns around in every direction, always have their finger on the trigger. People are handling guns all the time while others are downrange putting up targets. People are forward of the firing line to shoot up closer to the targets while others are shooting from the firing line a few feet to one side. I refuse to go there. A war zone would be safer.

 

[Krogen]

I am fed up with bad behavior in general. Seems manners and respect are waning.

I agree with your point about society in general. That said, I belong to two gun clubs that are like refuges from the crazy, rude outside world. The OP's concerns really don't exist. Isolated incidents have occurred over the years, but were surgically dealt with - problem solved. Members are like family. Perhaps the difference is that these are private clubs; different, I'd say than a "range." We're volunteer-driven, so most all of us have some skin in the game. We're mostly closed to the public. Matches and some other events are open to the public, but well-supervised. We just don't have the troubles described by OP. I believe our structure and philosophy are responsible. Yes, I am grateful and consider myself very lucky.

 

[GypsmJim]

Bad behavior in general - that's the answer.

I have been a club member for 48 years. The officers are old farts like me. We NEVER have bad behavior. It only takes one phone call and the offender is out.

Regardless, if it WERE to happen and was not attended to I would be gone in a NY second.

 

[glenwolde]

My range doesn’t tolerate this stuff. We aren’t interested in the magazine dump guys either.

My range is a private facility. We limit membership and have a waiting list that will take several years to exhaust even if we don’t have any new applicants.

We’re pretty selective in terms of who we let join. Even so, there are infrequent occasions when the club disciplines a member for their bad behavior or the bad behavior of their guests. We occasionally have to make an example and dismiss a member.

These events usually involve a member with guests when the member can’t or won’t manage their guests. We also limit the number of guests a member can bring to the range.

Not an option, too selective to be a practical solution. Great for you, but useless to anybody who's not a member.

 

[mckenney99]

I belong to a private club with fairly strict rules. Generally there aren't a lot of problems although there have been issues with rounds leaving the property from someone shooting over the backstops. Rapid fire, more than 3 rounds fired without a pause is strictly prohibited. Most of the issues I have heard about have been from teenage children of adult members who are using the ranges without the parent member present.