Went to the range. Got shot at!

[LVSteve]

There was only one "private" range I ever encountered in my neighborhood. It wasn't actually a "range", but simply a quarry that people went to shoot.

I went there for a few years, and then found some shooters that were, should I say, were less than safe.

That encouraged me to join a club. After being a long time member, my fee is now $40 a year for a senior, with 24/7 range access and no range fee.

I realize that shooting in NY state is considered to be a problem, but LOL it works for me.

The "free range" shooters out in the desert around Vegas created enough problems that the county now has a huge "no target shooting" zone. When I say huge, you must remember that Clark County as a whole is about the same size as the State of Israel. You can thank our burgeoning population for that malarkey. You have to drive quite a ways to get out of it, so to shoot pistols I go to an indoor range where I get a senior discount.

Proper rifle shooting creates a lot of problems. The Clark County facility was promised to have a 1000 yard range. It never happened. The longest range there is 200 yards. The Desert Sportsman's range has longer ranges, but it faces South, which I find a Class A PITA when shooting milsurps with irons. I used to be a member there. There is a better facility in Boulder City, but I think there is a membership waiting list and it is about a 45 minute drive on a good day. If I'm going to drive that distance I may as well disappear into Nye County and find an arroyo to play in. Mind you, that;s not so easy since I sold my Xterra as the current SUV doesn't have much ground clearance.

 

[minconrevo]

Safe range use and management is a thing. The adult should not have been expecting to shoot while supervising youth. Three competent youth shooters would be my personal max. The youth should have been limited to single shot .22 rifles, fired from a bench rest. The adult in this case going downrange should have insisted that all rifles be clear, benched, action open, and personally visually inspected before going downrange. It becomes a study in safety for the youngsters in this case. Safety of this sort is a quality lifelong skill for the youth.

 

[66fan]

Hi everyone!

Wishing everyone a Happy Easter!

On occasion, I have posted here about some of the unfortunate trends in range behavior. Sometimes, it’s people trashing ranges, being disrespectful of other shooters, or even careless gun handling.
Yesterday, I had an experience that just tops them all in awfulness.

Arriving at the pistol range, there is one adult male accompanied by his three kids on the firing line. They were shooting a couple pistols. The father was giving instructions. He seemed conscientious and aware.
The only other person present was a friend I regularly see. He was on the adjacent rifle range. A large berm separates the two ranges.

I got set up with my range gear, but with guns locked in the car. I waited until they paused their shooting.
I then asked if they would mind if I walked downrange to set up my target stand. They were fine with my request.
I made a point of saying, “So, firing line is clear and safe to go downrange”. Reply was made in the affirmative. I see their pistols on the bench pointing downrange.

Maybe 45 seconds later, I have my target stand placed.
My back is to the firing line.

Then, suddenly….”Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang..”
In a split second after the first shot, I processed that the sound was not coming from the neighboring rifle range.
I turn to my left and the ground next to me is kicking up with chunks of dirt as the bullets strike the back berm! His cone of fire is such that the closest shots are, maybe, 6-8 feet from me!
The adult is shooting his pistol, and I am practically in his line of fire!!
Immediately, I am screaming, “Stop! Stop! Don’t Shoot!”
My hand reaches instinctively for my concealed revolver. But, I can’t bring myself to even draw, knowing that there are young kids on the firing line.
The father immediately is in full panic.
He shouts back, “Oh man! I’m sorry!”

I quickly get back to the firing line. This guy is profusely apologizing. “I’m sorry”…”I don’t know what happened”. ….”I don’t know what I was thinking!”
I was surprisingly calm. I just said something like, “I thought we understood that the line was clear! I….What….” And that’s it.

I walked off the line and headed over to the rifle range to talk to my buddy.
I had just begun to tell him what had happened. Meanwhile, the guy with the three kids had, apparently, packed up. He quickly speeds off in his car.

When I got back to the pistol range, I found that, before leaving, the guy placed a full box of ammo on my shooting mat.

There’s a lot more I’d like to say.
But, I’ll keep it short. I’d like hear what you guys think.
Rather than being shocked or traumatized, I feel more like, “I’m surprised it took this long!”
There’s a lot of people out there that simply buy a gun/guns, some ammo, then head to a range with no instruction or, apparently, much attentiveness or common sense.

How does somebody forget, or not notice that, before loading, picking up, and then discharging a firearm multiple times, that a person you were just conversing with, is standing in plain sight of your line of fire?

I’ve never had that kind of experience but I’ve had people turn with guns pointing towards me and my grandsons. After I shouted very loud and harshly at the young man he just never thought it was dangerous. He was shooting a semi auto and we didn’t know if the gun was empty or still loaded. It doesn’t matter if loaded or not just don’t do that! You’re very blessed.

 

[6string]

Safe range use and management is a thing. The adult should not have been expecting to shoot while supervising youth. Three competent youth shooters would be my personal max. The youth should have been limited to single shot .22 rifles, fired from a bench rest. The adult in this case going downrange should have insisted that all rifles be clear, benched, action open, and personally visually inspected before going downrange. It becomes a study in safety for the youngsters in this case. Safety of this sort is a quality lifelong skill for the youth.

Before walking downrange, I visually confirmed that their guns were:
1) action open
2) magazine out
3) pointed safely downrange in this condition

For whatever reason, in the time I walked down, the adult loaded at least the one magazine, inserted it, cycled the action, raised the pistol, and began firing.
That’s quite a sequence of deliberate actions.

 

[paplinker]

1 person with 3 kids is 2 kids too many. It should be no more than 1 to 1 or at least have a second adult to keep the kids corralled, especially at an unmanned public range. Way too many things for kids to get in to with far too much at risk.

I taught my wife's sons how to shoot at 10-12 I always gave instruction one at a time at the range. I always wanted there undivided attention and also to teach them range rules and etiquette. I would never bring both at the same time. At our camp I would let both shoot but individually. t would be only one gun out.I would never shoot while at a public range.

 

[AJ]

At the County Run Range here, there are no shooters allowed under 10 years of age. From the age of 10-18 they must have an adult supervisor with them at all times. Once they turn 18 they can shoot on their own.

I never shot when I had my Grandkids with me at the range. All are over 18 now. The oldest Grandson qualified as an Expert in the Corps with what Gramps taught him. Will find out how the youngest Grandson does when he shis to USMC Boot Camp in Aug.