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

[Donn]

After reading 50+ posts in this thread, I feel sorry for the poor, everyday .22 LR shooter just trying to enjoy a little time at the range. My pay-by-the-hour indoor range hardly ever finds anyone shooting .22's except for folks getting lessons.

It does make me wonder: With demand for .22 LR ammo still obviously crazy through the roof, where the heck is it all being used?

Based on my observations, it should be the ammo least in demand. What am I missing here?

In all candor, no one's ever asked me if their large caliber muzzle reports bothered me when I was at the range with my 22's. It's what you bargain for at an indoor range, part of the deal.
Second, the 22 issue has been covered extensively here and elsewhere on the net. After "the panic," ammo factories concentrated on larger calibers, bigger profit margin. 22's have been showing up, (and prices coming down), recently. Picked up a couple hundred rounds of 22lr on sale at Cabela's last week. There weren't skids of it, but there were a few shelves. Not long ago, the hoarders would've gotten it all 5 minutes after the store opened, so things are looking up,,,,, till the next panic.

 

[model70hunter]

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.

A muzzle brake for me is only used at the bench. Usually when hunting there may not be time to use ear protection. And yes they are loud without ear plugs.

And FYI, I have not nor will I go to an indoor range.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

After reading 50+ posts in this thread, I feel sorry for the poor, everyday .22 LR shooter just trying to enjoy a little time at the range. My pay-by-the-hour indoor range hardly ever finds anyone shooting .22's except for folks getting lessons.

It does make me wonder: With demand for .22 LR ammo still obviously crazy through the roof, where the heck is it all being used?

Based on my observations, it should be the ammo least in demand. What am I missing here?

Don't feel sorry for this rimfire shooter. I thoroughly enjoy shooting my .22s.

What's missing? Well... for those whose shooting experience is limited to a piece of paper a few feet in front of them in a smokey, stinking and obnoxiously loud indoor range, they're missing about everything I enjoy.

Instead, I enjoy going to an outdoor club on a nice Spring morning, listening to the sounds of nature without foam plugs jammed in the ears and muffs strapped to the skull. Relaxing at the 300yd range shooting a suppressed Savage .22lr... hearing the satisfying feedback of the distant ding of steel.

Or how about getting together with a couple shooting buddies on a Wednesday morning with suppressed pistols bouncing tennis balls at the Plinking range. Sounds like fun, don't it? I could go on and on... but I gots to go!

You won't see us at an indoor range.... but that don't mean we ain't shooting.

 

[zeke]

The only indoor range around allows up to 30-06. Rifles are really loud and the concussion sucks, but it is the ranges rules. Usually the shooter also quickly tires of it. Plus I get to go shooting when it is -30 f outside, with all the outdoor ranges snowed in. What irritates me more is when someone complains I am "rapid" firing. How the h do you rapid fire a revolver, I ask? Unfortunately it seems to scare some, especially when they see all the shots on target.

Our outdoor range has separate range for 22, pistol and rifle. The 100 yard rifle range has several seats with dividers. Am shooting several short rifles with muzzle breaks, but it usually aint that crowded.

They are firearm ranges, for goodness sakes.

 

[Nevada Ed]

I shoot at a indoor pistol only range and a outdoor "Open" range.
A quality head set works for me w/o ear plugs but.........

the butt heads with auto rifles tossing brass at me sucks....!!
No matter what size the brass is.

 

[Speedo2]

I spend most of my shooting time at my local club in the early part of the week; an outdoor range and on Mondays I pretty much have it all to myself. I've become somewhat recoil sensitive and have been mostly shooting 22's, 38's and 9mm's. If someone else shows up with a "big boomer", no problem; he's paid his dues and he's entitled to shoot whatever the club allows on that range. I'll just make sure that I'm wearing both plugs and muffs.

However, a couple of weeks ago we visited my lawyer-BIL down in south Florida. He had recently re-built an M1 Garand and had acquired a scoped FAL. He was quite proud of both and he insisted that we go test them out, so we headed up good old I-95 to his "local" range. An hour later, I was surprised to find that it was a 25-yd indoor range.

Well OK, I guess that he knows what he's doing. And the front desk is letting him take a 30-06 rifle in there. I suspected that it was going to become some sort of macho "let's see if you can handle this" sort of contest that quite frankly, he often sucks me into. Despite feeling like the range idiot with the "big boomer" and the re-emergence of my flinch, I out-shot him, which was good, although nothing really to brag on at 25-yds.

That south-FLA indoor range was quite crowded when we got there; not so much after a couple of enblock clips from the Garand. I guess that we were "that guy" at that range, but at least we didn't drive up to it in his BMW convertible.

It's good to be back in western_PA in springtime with my 22's and 38's. -S2

 

[garystl]

I'm a Director of a private club with 7 ranges. At our new member orientation we suggest allowing several benches between shooters if space permits. We also have a 22 rimfire range where that's the only round allowed. We built that so folks would have a "quieter" place to take their kids and grandkids to shoot.

 

[99savage308]

Hell yea. I'm surprised you asked all of us

 

[Coldshooter]

The RSO at the State Range here in Fairbanks puts me right in the middle with my 41 magnum or short barrel Model 66. His thought is anyone practicing for self defence needs to be ready for some noise and distraction.