Fueled by liberal threats, the desire to exercise a right to protect oneself, and the basic truth that shooting is a lot of fun, more people become part of the gun culture each day. This means that more people, and more types of people, will come to your local public range. Although part of being a man is knowing firearms, some people sadly don’t know much, or have some really bad habits, and much comedy, drama, and even unsafe situations can result. Here’s ten types of people found at gun ranges, and how you can avoid being any of them.
1. Boomshakalaka
Also known as “the guy with the unnecessarily loud rifle,” this guy delights in corking off his non-magnum rifle with an unneeded and overly large muzzle brake at every given opportunity. Typically found under tin-roofed shooting structures, the blast from this dude’s rifle makes every else go for muffs AND plugs.
Muzzle brakes do not make friends, and they are really only needed in three situations: you compete, you’re shooting a really heinous magnum, or you’re a medically documented recoil sensitive person. If you can’t handle shooting .308 out of a semi-auto all day long without a muzzle brake, maybe you should take up crocheting; it really doesn’t kick THAT much, and muzzle brakes on a 5.56/.223 AR is legitimate cause to point and laugh.
If you compete, and you need the recoil reduction to shoot faster, or shooting some massive magnum, then you’re serious enough to come to the range at times when others aren’t there for you to deafen. Muzzle brakes are the open headers of rifles; be judicious in their use.
2. The Crazy Militia Dude
Showing up in camouflage and looking a little crazy is not a crime, nor is shooting a whole lot of ammo off in a frenzied, scared manner. However, when you start waving your rifle around, sweeping people, and/or diving into firing positions with live rounds chambered and the safety off, you are putting yourself and others at unnecessary risk with your antics. Some people believe that our lives are worth nothing because the UN/aliens/men in black/foreigners are going to get us all tomorrow, but, here in reality, we want to leave the range with the same number of holes with which we arrived.
“If SHTF, they won’t have donuts. You may want to prep for that….them not having donuts, I mean.”
Most rifle lines are set up to shoot from benches. Shooting from field positions next to the bench is also ok for most ranges that aren’t overly fascist. Even timed transitions to shooting positions is usually ok, provided the rifle is not loaded, or at least the safety is on. Always keep the muzzle in a safe direction, and keep it, and only it, across the firing line, and you should be ok.
3. Mr. “Unnecessary Firing Line Commands”
This guy will loudly inform you that he is “going hot” before shooting each magazine he loads, despite the range already being in a hot condition. Some of these type will use other commands like “fire in the hole” (which means you’re using explosives, not shooting) or “SEND IT” or something macho he heard in a movie or Call of Duty.
Unless you’re running one of these.
You should NOT be yelling anything on a firing line as you don’t need to startle anyone for no good reason. The only exception is yelling “Cease Fire!” really loudly for a safety problem. Once a range is declared hot, you are free to shoot until it is declared otherwise, and that’s a unanimous decision by all involved. Likewise, when a range is cold, everyone must be back across the line, notified, and agreed upon before it goes hot again. There’s really no reason to say much else to other shooters other than idle chat if you both are inclined.
4. All Money, No Skill
“Don’t worry about a man with 100 guns; worry about a man with one that knows how to use it.” It’s much better to spend 500 dollars on a pistol and 500 dollars on ammo than to spend 900 on the pistol, and 100 on the ammo.
A gun is a tool, and, like any tool, you need to practice, a lot, to be able to use it well, no matter what that intended use may be. I like my expensive guns, sure, but I also own cheaper ones, and I have a bunch of ammo for them, even though I’ve been neglecting my range time recently.
There is no shame in taking your one gun to the range for practice, even if it’s nothing special. If all you can afford is a Taurus, then get that thing and practice; the first pistol I bought was a Taurus, and I still have it.
5. The Fondler
There’s a time to handle your guns, and when other shooters are downrange dealing with targets is NOT it. Some people think they can do anything and everything with their guns any time they want, including preparing magazines, loading guns, and even pointing them downrange at people while the line is cold.
I hear he’s an ROK reader.
Ranges vary with their rules, but a good start is not to actually be touching a gun when the line is cold. Cased guns are ok to move around, and you can usually always put rounds into magazines whenever you want, but a gun you are using should only be put onto the firing line, shot, or removed from the firing line when the line is hot.
6. Obnoxious Target Dude
Some people like to shoot odd things to add to the fun, and, while that’s usually cool, if something is messy, hazardous, obnoxious, or unsafe, you probably shouldn’t do it. Even if you intend to clean up the mess from shooting your old vacuum tube TV, people aren’t going to want to stop and give you the time to do it.
Don’t shoot things made of glass, or things that will cause ricochets, like rocks or metal. Dinger targets should always be designed to deflect so the bullet does not come back at you. Tannerite and other explosives should be used at at least the minimum safe distance, and should not be placed inside anything causing shrapnel. Any mess left behind should be biodegradable and edible by local wildlife, like pumpkins.
7. The “Range Safety Officer”
Many ranges have a person who is part of the staff fulfilling the role of Range Safety Officer. Unfortunately, other ranges often have a person who is NOT part of the staff fulfilling the role of Range Safety Officer via self-appointment. While it’s cool to have a passion for safety, a RSO is there to be an RSO, and is there in an official capacity. Nothing makes someone look more foolish than assuming authority that isn’t theirs.
Your job as a shooter is to make sure you yourself and those in your party are behaving safely. If you notice someone else breaking the safety rules, you can correct the situation gently at first and more firmly later, if necessary, but, if everyone is cool, then leave them alone. Ranges can be quite safely run without a RSO, just communicate before going hot to cold or vice versa.
8. The Target Whisperer
This guy likes to check his target … a lot. You aren’t even through your first magazine, and he wants the range to go cold so he can go see where he hit before shooting again. Never having heard of a spotting scope or good pair of binoculars, he won’t even accept yours, since he has to go mark his shots before shooting more, and he’ll sit there, playing the passive-aggressive game of watching you and trying to make you stop shooting and safe the range solely by the power of his MIND.
Always hang enough target to keep you occupied, and bring along a spotting scope to check when you want without having to go downrange. If you’re done with your group, find something to do, or put your feet up and relax, just don’t hover over the other shooters. The one exception is when you are done for the day and want to leave; it is ok to ask for a cold range prematurely since you won’t be bothering them any more after you leave.
9. The Pest
This guy won’t leave you, or others, alone. He might be ogling your guns or gear, or talking when no one is listening or cares, or dispensing advice if you’re doing something with which he disagrees. He really just wants to be nosy and see what you’re doing, so the easiest way to deal with him is stop and talk to him, and ONLY talk to him, until he gets the hint that nothing is going to happen until he quits bugging you and goes back to his area.
Best way to not be one yourself is to meet the other shooters when you start, then leave them alone. A little bit of gun ogling, along with a discerning question or two, is ok, but, unless the guy really wants to talk, do your thing, and let him do his.
10. The Poor Host
The poor host is none of the above idiots, but his guests are. Private ranges are often club-based, with members and their guests allowed to shoot. The member may understand the importance of the rules, but the guests may not think that way, and they’ll run around bothering other members by being one or more of the above.
If you take guests to your club range and they behave poorly, it reflects on you. Some people can handle shooting guns responsibly, others can’t. Go over standard gun safety and any specific club rules before you even go to the range so that you know your guests understand them, or at least you know who not to bring.
Conclusion
Most of these can be filed under “be safe” and “don’t bug the other shooters.” While gun ranges, full of armed people, are usually a bit more formal and polite than modern society in general, it still helps to know what to do in any situation, and you’ll still run into people who either don’t know what they’re doing wrong and the offense it generates, or that are pretending to not know and are playing off your generosity.
Always be safe, and grant the benefit of the doubt once, but, after that, you need to correct the unsafe or bothersome guy, and, if even that fails, get the guy’s info , let your club kick him out, and leave the range in the meantime; it’s not worth the confrontation. Be safe.
Read More: The Fundamentals Of Gun Safety
Dick Cheney
Dick Nixon.
He blew a guys balls off, no?
While hunting quail, he shot a 70 year old man in the face who was wearing a bright orange vest.
Accidents happen all the time
That 70 year old man jumped point to retrieve a quail he had shot.
Simply put, the damn fool jumped in front of a man (Cheney) who was preparing to shoot. Cheney was aiming at a bird and suddenly there was an idiot in front of his muzzle.
There are SAFETY procedures in a quail hunt for a reason. The “70 year old man” violated those procedures and got his damn fool ass (or face) shot off. I have as much sympathy for him as I would for the fool who waltzes into a hot range to check his target.
I’m not American. But I recall hearing about this from a Dana Carvey standup routine from 2008.
So not in the balls then.
Yeah but the facts don’t make smug lefties feel superior to gun owners and Republicans.
I do NOT recommend getting your news from Dana Carvey.
Dick Nixon
#11 – Loads of Ammo, But No Skill Or Desire To Learn Skill: this type is usually mixed in with one or more of the above. He will seemingly have five thousand rounds to blow through, and as a consequence, he will do so very quickly with almost no noticeable impact on the target. his game plan, should he actually need to use his weapon in a real life scenario, is something between “scare the bad guy with a lot of noise” and “spray, pray and pray some more.” I see these fucks on the range all the time. Target at 5 meters. Holes all over it, like a shotgun blasted it at 100 meters with birdshot. No grouping, no concentration on vital areas. No seeming attempt to even aim or align the sights. No attempt to correct the shots and get them where you need to hit. Nope. Just pull the trigger and keep pulling. Cool bro!
Meanwhile, I calmly put my target at 7, and I can hit a group so tight that every shot keyholes another and I end up with a hole about 2 inches big in my paper. Move it to 15, a little bigger, but still well within the vital areas. Hell, even at 20, I’ll drop probably 2 out of ten, but even those two hit areas that are going to be disabling.
And I’ll admit, I shoot slowly to focus on marksmanship, but even when practicing quick fire drills, I’ll still keep everything inside the eight ring. And I’m doing it fast enough that the bad guy will be dead before me. Oh, and I’m not wasting ammo. My standard quick fire drills are a two shot drill. And either a four or six shot drill to practice magazine change with a round in the chamber and the weapon oriented at the target (either one with two rounds in the magazine). If you can hit the fucker twice in succession, you can hit him a third time. No need to waste ammo.
#11: The guy who steals your brass from under your feet.
Yeah, fuck that guy. One of the reasons why I don’t like public ranges.
Experience has taught me that many of these dudes are fused into composite assholes. The crazy militia guy / RSO / Pest mix seems to be a consistent one. And don’t forget Mr. Accessories. 20lb carbine full of Tapco garbage and no clue.
<<o. ★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★:::::::!!br305p:….,…
Amber is a whore
As we like to say in Jolly Old England, “all the gear and no idea”.
I thought you couldn’t have guns in England, thanks to the Dunblane Massacre?
You can have guns but it is severely restricted. So for example, “for personal defense” is not a good enough reason to have one. In fact, you can be prosecuted for keeping any object by your bedside for personal protection.
After guns were effectively eliminated street robbers turned to knives. Then knives were prohibited. Now robbers will throw acid in your face (it is legal to carry) and while you are permanently blinded and screaming in agony they will take your stuff. And when acid is criminalized they will turn to something else.
Meanwhile a law abiding citizen cannot carry a gun to protect himself from these animals. And I don’t know about you but I would much rather get shot or stabbed than have my face burnt off.
I especially don’t care for Range Ninjas, the guys who bring over some sort of AR weapon and it has everything on it but the kitchen sink, and they go on blasting away 30 round mags full of .223 just so they can see the rounds exit the chamber really fast, sending hot brass into the next stall. And, of course, they’re hitting the targets you brought over because they can or they can’t help it. I have nothing personal against having optics and lights and such on your weapon, as long as they are of use and you’re not trying to look cool to your girlfriend, spraying rounds all about the range.
Recently, I had a little bit of payback to one Range Ninja I knew about. I had my great-grandfather’s old P08 Artillery Luger he got from the First World War refurbished and blued, and wanted to test that out to see how well it fired, so I only brought one box of 7.65x53mm, and this guy wanted to fire it. I said if he could use his AR all tripped out with everything to hit a target 300 yards out with just one shot, I’d give him a few shots on the Luger. He missed. That made my day.
I should say that I’m a bit hypocritical about this myself. When I got my Tavor, I did take a bunch of rounds with me just to see how well the weapon performed, and I admit I wanted to see rounds fly out of it. But, at the least, I was the only guy on the range at the time, and as soon as someone else showed up I stopped being stupid. I didn’t have anything on my TAR-21 (civilian version, of course – I’d love to get my hands on the real IAI version), and I found that the iron sights on it were a bit off, necessitating an optic for it. And I let anyone who wanted to try this out a chance at it. That’s pretty much my only day I’ve ever been so happy with a rifle that I just wanted to see what it could do.
7.65x53mm out of a WWI artillery barrel Luger you say? That must be one hell of a handgun because the cartridge you specified is bigger than 7.62x51mm, which is .308Win…
As someone who likes to camp lots with his family, I would like to add the guy who doesn’t check his range. One morning, I woke up to the sound of bullets hissing by, not 50 feet from our campsite. I yelled out to stop firing and by the time I got up, he took off.
Never been to a range myself, but I would have expected “gangster sideways gun shooting guy” to make the list.
I don’t think anyone in the history of gun ranges has ever been that stupid 😉
You’ve never been to a range in Florida…
ah Florida man
I’ll attest to that. Our public range was taken over by morons wanting to shoot gangsta style. Range Hot and Cold etiquette disappeared and it turned into a ghetto hangout.
Most of us have since joined private ranges. It is much like the public range was two decades ago.
“I don’t think anyone in the history of gun ranges has ever been that stupid”
With the more exclusive and private clubs, it has been my experience that members bring guests who are serious, responsible and also know the proper etiquette.
The ranges open to the public are another matter. These places tend to be a magnet for various members of the walking wounded. I recall one time three guys showed up dressed in full army combat attire in a converted Volkswagon “Thing” vehicle that had been painted in camouflage – like something out of a classic WWII movie.
Another time some clown showed up with a crossbow and wearing a Darth Vader helmet.
Another time two yahoos showed up with rifle cases, only to see them open up the cases and pull out two super soaker toy water guns.
I could go on but I think you get the picture…
I’ve seen gangbangers work on their “precision” skills at the range before, but thankfully even they didn’t act a fool like that.
I doubt you’ll see that much, since IRL it causes jams. There was a guy in NYC who tried to shoot a cop gangsta style – he got off one round before the slide caught the ejecting brass.
EDIT. My mistake. Two rounds: http://nypost.com/2009/12/12/times-sq-gunman-held-weapon-like-rapper/
Normally those guys practice on live targets… fooool! 😉
Shooting sideways actually does serve a purpose. Allows for better range of motion for shooting/threatening someone behind a counter. Pretend you’re holding a gun in your hand, and standing in front of a counter. Hold it right, and the counter cuts off your aim, particularly if the shopkeeper ducks behind it. Now hold it ‘gangster’ style. Allows you to get behind the counter.
Personally I hate ranges, that’s why I do all my shooting out in the mountains by myself or with a couple others. Also ranges tend to look down on you when your drinking whiskey and beer at the firing line.
Shooting paper is boring as fuck anyways.
Steel plates FTW
+1 for shooting out in the woods
-10 for drinking while firearms are anywhere around
That’s not really a big deal depending.
Ahh, the Cheney method?
Don’t forget the pot.
This is one of the reasons I joined a sportsman’s club. Strictly enforced safety rules.
12. The young guys taking turns with someone’s AR or AK who absent mindly swings the rifle 180 degrees to the rear to talk smack to his friends. I tend to avoid the range when there are too many people.
First timer girls are the worst for that. They shoot their first round, turn and laugh for the audience, sweeping everyone in the process. Seen it too many times.
That too. I find the urban/ suburb young crowd who are not former military or cops to be an unsafe bunch. I wasn’t there, but a few years ago one of the young guys wanted to show off his new 9mm and pulled it out of his pants shooting himself in the leg in the process. Darwin award.
The cops have a rotten reputation at ranges in my neck of the woods. Can’t hit the side of the barn, no safety consciousness, and all around terrible range etiquette. Entire departments have been banned from some ranges because of the how dangerous many of the officers are.
I’m hesitant to keep shooting at my buddy’s place because I’m just not seeing the level of range safety I’d like to. We can shoot at 35 yds, 100 yds, or 250 yds max spanning the whole property.. Has nice 20′ tall dirt hill to backing.
It sucks because I don’t want to join a range, but I’ve got a few guns I’d really like to dial in in the 150-750 yard range and I really don’t trust them. Just too fuckin hillbilly.
I can’t stand the rifleman who hogs a spot on a weekend (when there’s a 2 hour lineup for the range) to shoot only one round every ten minutes on an already ‘broken in’ rifle, to make their one box of ammo last half a day.
That’s frustrating. But what can ya do? If he paid for his lane then he paid for his lane.
He might be siting it in for the upcoming hunting season. Siting in a rifle properly can be a very long drawn out process.
It really shouldn’t be though.
I can zero any rifle with 2 courses of fire.
1. A 3 shot group on paper at 25 yards and some math to calculate minute of angle adjustment to clicks on the sights /optic. Make the adjustment
2. A 2nd 3 round group to confirm adjustment was correct.
Zeroing a rifle takes 20 minutes at best. If you are shooting a few shots then walking it in then shooting more then walking it in, you are doing it wrong.
Honest to god i watched a self proclaimed “gunsmith” skip .22 rounds across a lake and into the sides of houses a couple hundred yards away. When i jumped his shit about it he said he didnt know bullets could richochet across water…
That’s the moron shit I’m talking about precisely.
….somehow only 22 bullets “don’t” ricochet apparently….if it can be fired, it WILL ricochet, and can ricochet more than once off different materials. Makes me kinda twitchy if an alleged expert concerning guns don’t know basic stuff and dangers about what they handle…How do you trust ANYTHING they do after discovering that about them?
This was a spot on list!
Thankfully, I don’t come in contact with a lot of these types at my range…the range is pretty exclusive tho, so maybe we are the snobs. But at least we don’t have to deal with these types.
There’s two kinds of people that bug me. The first are the guys who give their girlfriends/wives/friends a hand cannon to shoot for their first time without that person knowing what to expect recoil wise. It’s just not funny to me. Anytime I’m with a new shooter, I always put a few rounds down range to give them an idea of what to expect.
The second group are the beginners that have no interest in learning proper technique and form and just want to be seen throwing lead down range. I’ve had to deal with a few people like this and it makes me sick to see someone wasting anmo like that especially since I load most of my own.
Great list thank you for sharing.
Having just got my RSO cert – not hard and I recommend it for people who take guests to their club – I’m sensitive to being overbearing as many people take on that role.
Always enjoy your posts. Looking forward to cleaning techniques not sure if you worked your way to that one yet.
The only time I have ever set foot on an official shooting range was to qualify yearly for a job I had in another life. Then I lost my mind and went to a two week department sponsored class to be a firearms instructor….big mistake. I thought it would be cool and I would get to shoot up a lot more department purchased ammunition…..not. What I DID do was spend hours on the range in the hot sun trying to help morons who had never picked up a firearm in their lives pass yearly qualification when I should have just done my qualification and went on about my business. The only good thing about it was instructors got to shoot a different course of fire with all departmental weapons at a much faster pace than everyone else.
One of the perks for living in the country is going outside and doing all the shooting I want to without having to fool with anybody else or sometimes stop beside a dirt road and shoot at cans in the ditch just because I can.
My father has to qualify yearly: civilian security at an airforce base. Naturally he sometimes took his work home with him, meaning my brothers and I learned from a young age about gun safety with an assortment of ’em.
And the occasional funny story, like when he scared the bajeezus out of the governor.
I was unaware they had civilian security, I bet that would be an interesting job.
I’m not sure if it’s just something his base does or what (might go through his union or something, I’m a little vague on the specifics), but yeah there are some interesting stories: animals on the runway, sneaky salesmen, “protestors”, all sorts of shenanigans.
Ready 24/7
Tinfoil doesn’t work to stop CIA Project Moron brain waves. The waves can’t pass through a vacuum though so taping fluorescent lightbulbs around ones head is the proper way to protect oneself…….it would make it hard to aim though.
I hear that they’re using HAARP to transmit the thought waves, so now you have to put camo netting over the light bulbs. And of course you need a gas mask to keep out the chem trails.
If pregnant females are exposed to chem trails it causes the babies to be born naked.
Thanks for the info, brother. As always, my fellow patriots, stay safe and be aware of your surroundings.
Flourescent bulbs have mercury gas in them, use incandescents (not krypton or halon, though) for vacuum.
Now the ban on incandescents makes more sense.
Yep and use only shiny duct tape.
“ use only shiny duct tape“, patent leather or high-gloss vinyl, and Astroglide lube, the visual aesthetic is so much more poignant…
So this is the guy trying to stop the Aloha Snackbars…..oh dear.
Please get my permission next time before using my image. Thanks!!!
um…. type number two….the Army half requires that uniform and equipment match…and not be radar reflective….Did he eat the entire fail “army” he is with?
One could do a list like this of the types of idiots found on internet firearms forums-
1. The “my brand of AR is better than your brand of AR”guy.
2. The “that is junk you should have bought an AR”guy.
3. The “that is junk you should have bought a Glock”guy.
4. The ” I have 16lbs of stuff mounted on my AR”guy.
5. The “that is junk you should have bought an AK”guy.
6. The “I have 16lbs of stuff mounted on my AK”guy.
7. The “it’s junk if you didn’t mod yours”guy..
8. The “I must be gravely serious at all times to show how cool I am about safety”guy.
9. The “I built my own and if you didn’t you suck”guy.
And last but not least
10. The ” my friends,brothers,cousins,sisters best friends,boyfriends dad had one and he said it was junk”guy.
Hell, Normandy could have used any of the above fools. A Catholic priest was very recently given an ISIS necktie during service, and a nun is in critical. The slimeballs got a chest full of equal outcome reserved for terrorists though.
This is a spot on list, which is why I just get in, engage targets downrange and then get out.
Gun range stereotypes can be just as hilarious as gym rat or crossfit stereotypes.
Gun control advocates like to paint us as these wild, out of control hillbillies who are just looking for an excuse to fire a bullet at something. If they were to actually watch us shoot at a firing range, they would find us to be the most hellacious beings when it comes to gun recklessness. Seriously, do not act carelessly at my firing range!
I’ve taken numerous liberals to the gun range, they always have a great time despite their detestation of guns.
The lube must’ve got their juices flowing.
One of them was my sister
To quote my rackmate at OCS… “If someone pointed their weapon in an unsafe direction, we’d (his squad) kick that motherfucker in his chest”
Even HBO got that part right…
I belong to a private range in NJ and have honestly never encounter any of them. There is a waiting list to join and a required 4-hour safety class where they read you the riot act repeatedly. Also members get real testy at anyone breaking rules – particularly foundling guns while they are downrange.
I never fondle my gun when a man is downrange from me.
#1 on my list is anyone talking about glocks.
I normally take about six handguns when i go shooting. I dont need to hear how my guns are all overpriced and how glock has fewer parts that can break. I dont need anymore “you shoulda bought a glock comments”. I dont want to hear about how you own 3 glocks already and cant wait to get a g19.
6? I can safely say you are my hero…..😄 Any Walthers?
Yeah, i think 6 handguns is a good amount for a fun day. Any less than that, i feel like its a wasted trip. Any more than that, and my lane will feel cramped and a little unorganized. I got a nazi walther p38. Im sure glock guy would have a problem with that one too. Never mind the history, nazi proof markings, and lack of import marks.
The only modern walther i have is the ppk. The walther ppq m2 navy is on my list though.
Wow….. now I’m impressed….I got access to a S&W revolver round about 1920’s, my grandfathers service revolver. Looking for ammo so I can squeeze off a few rounds…..
A nice tip heavy GSP FTW!
I shot a walther ppk and the slide hurt my hand. No thanks.
#2 is the probably the reason militias are frowned upon. The Texas Open Carry idiots fall into this category.
I agree; open carry is so stupid. Way to paint a bullseye on your back, jackasses.
Im still trying to figure out why they cant just put their rifle in backpack style gun bag, like an eberlestock bag, and dress respectfully.
Unless it is a hurricane katrina situation or there is a serious breakdown in law and order, there is no need to be walking around with a rifle at the low ready. A gun can be deployed very fast from one of those bags. They have a right to carry, im not denying that, but have just a little courtesy.
I know. If anything, it makes me nervous, because there’s no good reason to be walking around in public with a rifle.
Faster draw, more comfortable holster, more accurate, plus concealed carry(especially polymer) compact/subcompacts suck. But you are right, there shouldn’t be anymore uniformed cops because their lives are being put at soo much risk by open carrying. CC “laws” and “permits” were designed so sjw faggots wouldn’t be triggered by seeing your piece. They are a violation of the second amendment. Vermont and Arkansas are the only states that still respect it.
Nothing completes a stylish, classsy ensemble like an exposed stainless target pistol
The problem is the walk around wearing uniforms and wear rank at guns shows. The average person thinks they are legitimate military and it pisses off every damn military man and every averge gun owner who respects the military.
Too many articles style: N-things about something on ROK…
That’s one of my top five complaints about ROK. You’re not going to believe what number three is.
Does it rhyme with Kratom, by chance?
I’m a slightly reformed target whisperer. I think this article is legit. You can run into these people, often. Best to know about them.
Those are external ads. They all are phrased like that as clickbait. It’s a revenue generator.
As long as it’s not set up with ONE thing per page and forcing you to click next for every single item. Hate those.
“There’s a time to handle your guns, and when other shooters are downrange dealing with targets is NOT it.”
I’ve seriously seen people come to blows when they were handling their weapons while others were downrange. There is a reason we leave our weapons on the table when firing is cold. The moment you point a weapon towards somebody, whether you know it’s loaded or not, changes the game completely.
“This guy likes to check his target … a lot. You aren’t even through your first magazine, and he wants the range to go cold so he can go see where he hit before shooting again.”
Seriously, go buy a pair of $2 binoculars from the kids section at Target and use it while the others continue firing. I will not laugh at you, I promise.
“This guy will loudly inform you that he is ‘going hot’ before shooting each magazine he loads”
Lmao! Great article.
My favorite was the little dude with the 50 cal. revolver. Hammer slammed his forehead and staggered off the range bleeding.
My most annoying thing is cap and ball fanatics. My dad was one. Messy as hell. Fortunately I don’t see any muzzle loaders where I shoot.
The Pest is the worst. Some asshole who comes up uninvited and begins to give you unwanted “advice” and criticism, or tells you stuff you already know. I spent 3 years in the USMC and 27 with the Federal government, during which time I carried weapons most of the time and attended the very best firearms training on earth. I do not appreciate some slob in a cowboy hat, with missing teeth and greasy hair coming up and telling me I am not shooting my AR-15 “right”, especially since I was merely firing some test rounds down range for my own private information. These self-appointed “experts” all look like potential Texas Tower snipers or homeless people. Listen up! Nobody at the range gives a shit about you or your opinions. You have no idea who you are trying to “advise”, so just STFU.
It would almost make sense to keep a laminated copy of your DD 214 on you, so you can show it to him, while explaining that his advice is “unnecessary”.
Ha ha! Yeah, I have it around here somewhere. Maybe I will. I have my discharge framed. Maybe that would do some good! Sort of a pain in the ass to take it to the range, though.
This right here! Nothing is worse than some know it all clown giving unsolicited advice. I have my own private ranch and practice fundamentals on my own time. If im driving into the city to go to a gun range, its because its a friends bday or a group event and im just trying to have fun.
It never fails, some moron will always comment about my light setup or something incredibly insignifigant on my rifle. Half the time, i can tell they are just commenting on my stuff to “neg” me and try to establish intellectual superiority or something.
Had a no shit “Vietnam Scout Sniper” waddle over and wheezily tell me my AR was going to jam up because of the ammo. I wanted to punch him in his 450lb gut and roll him down a hill. He also informed me that military told him to keep his M16 and that he brought back several AKs from ‘Nam. Glad I bought some acreage and can shoot in peace with my friends.
I was at the range with an English guy who had never shot a rifle (or any gun). I was just going to let him send a few (carefully supervised) rounds down range for fun. This asshole strolls over and starts commenting that my rifle wasn´t sighted in right and, by the way, why was I shooting a brand new Colt AR-15, etc. I was flabbergasted at this clodhopper´s nerve. I more or less said, thanks for the advice, now leave. The guy, a shifty-eyed freak whose eyes did not track, copped an attitude. The English guy, noting the hostility, mumbled something about how stupid it was for this guy to pick a fight with a person holding a loaded rifle. No shit.
Wasting your anger here Chris. Most of them probably don’t read either. Semper Fi! (’75-’79)
And that’s not how you spell you are.
How about the Casing Collector. The guy who is just hovering to grab your brass if you fail to immediately pick it up and always asks if you plan on keeping it. Yeah I get it you are a reloader and looking to keep your cost per round low so you could use the extra brass. That’s cool. I usually don’t keep it. Just ask me once. I’ll put it into a bucket and give it to you when I am getting off the range.
Also I hate the RSO. I had a new Khar PM9 I was taking to the range the first time. For those who don’t know you really need to “break in” a PM9 with a few hundred rounds to loosen the recoil spring. Until then it sticks and is hard to rack even if you have some muscles on you. The RSO noticed I was having trouble getting the slide racked and had it fail to fully cycle a few times. He came over and accused me of not knowing what I was going. I responded it was a new PM9 so I am still breaking it in and getting to know the gun. He started hovering over my shoulder giving me the occasional piece of advice. Then he started accusing me of being a newbie who was endangering the safety of the range, which was privately owned but open to the public. I finally had to tell him to leave me alone or if he really though I was a danger to other to tell me to leave. He responded he just might have me kicked out. I said “fine but I want my money back and you realize I am going to place my experience all over the internet and am an active member of several regional discussion board”. He backed off and finally left me alone. It was still a very annoying experience.
He probably had a failure-to-fire with his boyfriend the night before and was just taking it out on you.
How about the Autistic Bore who gloms onto anybody new and answers every question (or non question) with a five minute comparative essay on the rules of USPSA vs IPSC?
Or the moron who can’t count and thinks it’s safe to “dry fire” into the ground in front of his feet when he “knows” the mag is empty. BANG.
Obnoxious Target Dude…
“I blew my leg off!”
Tannerite at 20 yards on a lawn mower is about as stupid as it gets. Ive blown up pumpkins at my ranch and found pieces of pumpkin 75 yards out from the blast.
Here in PA you also have to watch out at lot for The Frontiersman, aka in 2016 as The Revenant. The longrifle-flintlock guy who spends 5 minutes prepping each shot
which then culminates in a huge bang and cloud of black smoke when it works. Likely to show up with two toolboxes loaded with stuff to make one rifle go bang. On a good day he’ll also bring a flintlock pistol that looks like something out of
Pirates of the Caribbean. Expresses suspicion toward those funny shiny things called brass casings.
I would like to go to a gun range, but as someone with mild hearing loss and tinnitus (due to a misspent rock concert going youth) I dread having it get worse, esp if I encounter example #1. How good are the earplugs and muffs at blocking gunfire? Just one exposure and my hearing might get really fucked.
Depends on what’s being fired. I guess I’d be #1 in a way but not without cause, shooting .338 Lapua magnum without a multiported muzzle brake is asking for a broken collarbone.
If you use foam plugs and a proper set of over ear protection like Peltor etc you should be fine.
Thanks for your response. Since its not only what I’m firing but (as you pointed out) what others are firing I’m going to go for max noise reduction. I’m going to look up Peltor and other brands.
Just keep both on any time you don’t need to listen to someone talk. I’m saying this because I have damaged my hearing while I had the over ears around my skull just to the back. Last time I tried to teach a woman to shoot to be honest lol.
She just went ahead and pulled the shot out of “me being too long winded ” I was simply repeating the short basic instructions…
It was a .308 so not really that big fortunately.
I enjoy using howard leight impact sport 2 noise cancelling earmuffs. These generally cost less than $50 and are great for shooting and hunting. The earmuff amplifes range commands, birds chirping, and everything else you might actually want to hear.
Unfortunately, if you have an idiot with a muzzle break or just a loud as hell gun next to you, or if you are at an indoor range, you will need to double up with earplugs and a headset.
Thanks for your response and info. I already have basic 32 db reduction ear plugs but I’m going to go for the sport ones you mentioned. Doubling up with the headset does seem to be the wisest thing to do.
Some of the advances in noise-canceling are amazing. The earmuffs I used in the military canceled out noise after a certain decibel level. You could sit there and have a nice conversation with your friend, then start sending rounds down range and not skip a beat.
And these idiots are why gun control is a necessary evil.
Boom shakalaka
That was the Army I served in. Even lived in those old barracks you see in the background.
Seriously? Very cool.
#11 – hipster liberals
oh wait they too pussy to fire a gun
The tacticool guy. But I guess you can roll that into #4 all money no skill. Truth be told, I’m a bit of a tacticool guy and I know some retired operators who could be considered tacticool guys. They shoot pretty damn well though.
The outdoor range I frequent is always busy – and we rarely (if ever) see any of this crap. Of course we live in Fly Over Land where gun safety is still taught in the Boy Scouts and even Good Old Boys are on their best behavior at the range.. That said: one of my friends picked up a Mosin-Nagant with a slightly bent barrel – the old farmer had backed over it with the tractor or something. He had a smith shorten it by eight inches. That is the loudest gun I have ever heard. We have to get special permission to fire it at the range.
You will meet me, bragging about my cousin John T. Thompson, who invented the Tommy Gun.
I bought a very generic shotgun the weekend after Obama was elected, but was so terrified of using it. Four years later, a friend finally dragged me to a firing range to “lose my virginity”, and wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Have had a great time on numerous occasions since then, but I still need a lot of practice.
Since I haven’t been to a range all that much, I would like to think that I don’t fall into any of the above categories. I regard firearms with a great deal of humility since I have so much to learn about them.
How ’bout the full auto fanatic? (Licensed, presumably.) I fired one at a local indoor range years ago (on-site rental, for about 15 minutes ’cause it wasn’t cheap) They can be a bit distracting for others.
Number 6 is why some great shooting areas on public land were shut down. Not for safety, simply for the trash people shot up and left.
Good article, Luke. I can happily say I am none of the above.
I know plenty of Number 4s. Their new gun doesn’t even have round 1 through it and they are already bragging about having purchased another. They fancy themselves shooters but they are really just gun collectors. Nothing wrong with being just a collector as long as you don’t kid yourself into believing you’re something else.
If you are concealed carrying you should be putting 100 rounds per month through the pipe minimum and some could legitimately say that’s too low. Those rounds should be fired mostly using drills for concealed carriers. Standing stationary and slowly squeezing off rounds in the bull is not going to help much in a stressful situation.
I use to go to a private shoot with the same group of guys and it was always a show and tell with who had something new. I was always like, “*&%$! Can’t I practice with what I’ve already got?!”
Dude! You got too much crap on your AR
Better give him a roll of tactical TP to wipe that off, pronto.
If these are your major whines, then maybe go to a different range. Yes the points you list are an annoyance on certain days at certain outdoor ranges, but you come across as a bitchy woman in this article. Pack up and pick a different day when the bubbas aren’t at the range or go to another range, or just deal with it.
LMAO, I saved the batman pic.
A $900 gun is not an “expensive” gun though.
#11) The “ammo-sexual” who refuses to fire any pistol that isn’t centerfire because he is compensating for his micro penis.
He knows fuck all about terminal ballistics.
He can never hit any target that is further than 20 feet away.
He gets all his information from firearms manufacturers who sponsor the gun $how$(infomercial$) he watches on cable TV.
He claims rimfire ammo is too unreliable for self defense even though you never have any more misfires or jams/malfunctions than he does.
Even though the hunters on the TV show “Swamp People” kill 800 pound alligators with a headshot from a .22, he insists that only women and small children shoot “non-lethal pea shooters” yet never accepts when you challenge him to go down range when it is hot to prove “his” theory.
Not only should you practice shooting the gun you buy because unlike riding a bike it is a perishable skill, get simunition or play airsoft. Concealed carry drills where you draw, shoot at steel, run a few feet and shoot more steel is like preparing for a boxing match by only hitting the heavy bag but never sparring
Guns make good investments.
Range idiot #11. The special snowflake who goes to the range to find something to cry about or some people to put down in order to feel better about himself.
Im sure glad that where I live, the need for designated ranges isnt really a thing. In my state if you want to shoot in peace and make it interesting, all you need to do is go out in the woods and walk the logging roads in the off season. Plenty of small game to plink and even eat if you are so inclined. Typically one can find plenty to challenge and improve marksmanship skills safely, in a real life setting as opposed to heavily regulated ranges populated with annoying noobs, gear queers and self appointed subject matter experts. By the by Luke Stranahan, lay off the militia guys lol. There are a lot of dummies who like to “play army” and identify as constitutional minutemen, but they just give a bad name to organized militia groups. The good ones are comprised of former and current military and police who spend their off duty time as concerned citizens that are digusted by the state of their lifelong investment. Find a good one, become a member, learn things from people who have various forms and levels of training and experience. Afterall, as a male between the ages of 18 and 45 who is a US citizen, you are legally obligated to do so anyway…
All this makes me even more glad I have my own range.
Me too! Have friends coming over tomorrow. They are responsible and well trained. We watch each other shoot, offer helpful advice and chase brass. Should things go sour, these are the guys I want watching my back (I’m pretty good, but I wouldn’t want to get in gun fight with either of these guys).
Most people at my shooting range are ok.
There was a guy at my range a couple months ago who had an AR with a vertical AND angled foregrip, bipod, red dot AND scope, flashlight, laser, muzzle brake, and adjustable sniper stock. There were a few dudes near me asking to take pictures of his shit. He felt like a rockstar, guy was totally clueless that he was being clowned on and pictures of his rifle probably ended up on some gun forum.
My neighbor invites me, annually, to some manner of shooting event. I always decline. It comes from the fatigue generated by too much time spent around retards who think they know about guns. I’m comfortable with serious men who know guns. Douchenozzles who bought a gun, no. And if I have to pistol-whip one of your friends because he did wrong, you won’t like me anymore.
The Rookie: That guy who has no idea what he’s doing, and absolutely no regard for the safety of others.
I remember sitting off a firing line, watching one time. Locked on a guy, don’t know why, wasn’t doing anything wrong at the time, but everything about him felt wrong. You could just tell by his body language. About a minute later, guy flags the entire line, ammo in chamber, safety off.
Women’s dating profiles are increasingly mentioning their love of gun ranges. I haven’t given it much thought as to why.
I took plenty of women to the range on a first date. It’s the perfect date. WORST first date? An expensive dinner.
Once, did I ever have a gun discharge on me unexpectedly. 1st-2nd time hunting. Had a squirrel dog, and 3 of us on the hunt. Dog went 8 for 8. I was 17 or so. Had a single shot 12 gauge with no trigger guard, no safety.
I had 1 thing burned into my mind from the first time I held a gun while hunting, or anywhere really. Generally either have it pointed up, or down when not firing. I’d walked through some brush to position myself around a tree the dog had treed. The other 2 guys were forming a triangle around the tree evenly spaced. I felt a branch pull at the gun while it was aimed downward. I thought the branch my be pulling on the unguarded trigger, and when I reached down to free the gun, I bumped the trigger as the gun broke free and it went off. Aimed down, into the ground. Shocking, but no one really thought much of it. I of course, immediately apologized. trigger shoulda had guard on it, wasn’t my gun either, but fact is I see tons of people not abiding by that simple rule of safety, muzzle direction.
Also, the only idiots I know of that accidentally shoot themselves are all fondlers. It’s a tool, not your dick.
Before getting a membership at my club you have to sit through a 4-hour safety course. Most of these things are addressed. The “Fondler” in particular is not tolerated.
OK OK, I’m in a quite Deplorable area and I’m guilty of #6 at the range. I’ve put the Hildabeast pic, 0zero pic, S0r0s, moonbeam, Piglosi, and FU Schumer on my targets 😉