Incident at the Range Today

Gallstones

Gallstones

New member
Son is home from college for the holiday so we went out to the range. It is an old gravel pit dug into the side of a hill off a forest service road. Facilities, such as they are, are provided and maintained by local sportsmen and hunters. Persons who use it are expected to be responsible for themselves and to carry out what they carry in. Many people leave their brass and paper targets up. Targets get reused and there's others who like to scavenge the brass.

Anyway.

The pistol target frame is in front of the hillside and away from the further distance target frames.
Son and I have our target set up and are using this frame. A car pulls in and two men get out. One has a shotgun. They position themselves about 20 feet away from son and I to shoot against the same hillside. They are to our right. One guy tosses water bottles into the air and the other guy tries to shoot them. Their proximity alone is enough to make me uncomfortable.

Well, the wind is blowing strong enough that the water bottles are being blown towards son and I. Neither of the men is taking any notice to son and I, if we are standing back, or if we are forward positioned to shoot. Tosser throws up a bottle, wind catches it and blows it to the left--towards son and I--shooter turns following it and towards us to fire at it. He is no longer perpendicular to the hillside but tangential to it when he fires.

I can't let this go, I am now no longer just uncomfortable. We could leave--or--I speak up. I say, "Hey, this ain't cool. I don't like this. You are shooting towards where we are standing, that isn't safe." I think I repeat myself a few times because I'm upset. I don't yell, I don't use obscenities. I don't get nasty. Son and I suggest a couple other places on the range where they could go to shoot where it will be safer.

The shooter sheepishly apologizes. Both men get into their car and leave.

I didn't want them to leave, just go away from son and I.

I don't feel I overreacted, but I feel bad that they just up and left like that.
Better to offend than get shot?
 
You were 100% justified to speak up. Throwing water bottles to shoot at is not cool, but also is not exactly the most dangerous thing anyone has done. But the second they begin to shoot in the direction of someone else, they are a hazard.

Sorry you had a bad experience. It is these kind of people that give shooters a bad name.
 
You did the right thing just not soon enough. They new better or should have for gods sake!!!! A shooting range of any kind is no place to feel uncomfortable and definitely not concerned. Glad everything worked out.
 
I think you handled it accordingly and were able to avoid a conflict as well as hopefully embarrassing the crap out of the immature shooters. I have seen similar situations more than once and I think it is just plain rude, not to mention un safe. There are those that have absolutely no respect for the sport and others for that matter. These will be the ones we will see in the news as they are an accident waiting to happen.
 
At a range whether privately owned, a business or a place someone shares with others as a place to shoot. RANGE SAFETY is paramount. IT IS always your right to point out unsafe conditions. As for corrective action, strictly a choice, leave the range or have the offenders change their behaviors or leave.
-
Most do NOT get a second chance with irresponsible gun owners. As with DUI's, the perpetrator rarely is hurt, it's usually the innocents.
 
Gallstones said:
Son is home from college for the holiday so we went out to the range. It is an old gravel pit dug into the side of a hill off a forest service road. Facilities, such as they are, are provided and maintained by local sportsmen and hunters. Persons who use it are expected to be responsible for themselves and to carry out what they carry in. Many people leave their brass and paper targets up. Targets get reused and there's others who like to scavenge the brass.

Anyway.

The pistol target frame is in front of the hillside and away from the further distance target frames.
Son and I have our target set up and are using this frame. A car pulls in and two men get out. One has a shotgun. They position themselves about 20 feet away from son and I to shoot against the same hillside. They are to our right. One guy tosses water bottles into the air and the other guy tries to shoot them. Their proximity alone is enough to make me uncomfortable.

Well, the wind is blowing strong enough that the water bottles are being blown towards son and I. Neither of the men is taking any notice to son and I, if we are standing back, or if we are forward positioned to shoot. Tosser throws up a bottle, wind catches it and blows it to the left--towards son and I--shooter turns following it and towards us to fire at it. He is no longer perpendicular to the hillside but tangential to it when he fires.

I can't let this go, I am now no longer just uncomfortable. We could leave--or--I speak up. I say, "Hey, this ain't cool. I don't like this. You are shooting towards where we are standing, that isn't safe." I think I repeat myself a few times because I'm upset. I don't yell, I don't use obscenities. I don't get nasty. Son and I suggest a couple other places on the range where they could go to shoot where it will be safer.

The shooter sheepishly apologizes. Both men get into their car and leave.

I didn't want them to leave, just go away from son and I.

I don't feel I overreacted, but I feel bad that they just up and left like that.
Better to offend than get shot?
Click to expand...

Not only yes, but oh Hell yes!

If they got offended, that's on them. You did nothing out of line at all. Good on ya.
 
Good thing to speak up (calmly) for sure, for the cause of safety. Sensing recklessness as you did I'd hope not to stand around long enough to have the apparent mistake happen so close. Earlier might have been a good time to walk to the car and take a break...see how things developed with the new arrivals. They probably would have gotten bored soon, or ran out of water. You have no idea what skill level shows up next to you with potentially deadly weapons. I'm glad no one was hurt.

FX
 
Thanks guys.
It is one of those things where you go out to have a bit of fun, work on your aim not expecting to ever have to confront the behavior of others. Everyone has always been attentive to safety and respectful of others using the range. These guys really need some lessons. Too bad they didn't stick around, they might have gotten some, corrected their behavior and enjoyed the outing.
 
Gallstones said:
Son is home from college for the holiday so we went out to the range. It is an old gravel pit dug into the side of a hill off a forest service road. Facilities, such as they are, are provided and maintained by local sportsmen and hunters. Persons who use it are expected to be responsible for themselves and to carry out what they carry in. Many people leave their brass and paper targets up. Targets get reused and there's others who like to scavenge the brass.

Anyway.

The pistol target frame is in front of the hillside and away from the further distance target frames.
Son and I have our target set up and are using this frame. A car pulls in and two men get out. One has a shotgun. They position themselves about 20 feet away from son and I to shoot against the same hillside. They are to our right. One guy tosses water bottles into the air and the other guy tries to shoot them. Their proximity alone is enough to make me uncomfortable.

Well, the wind is blowing strong enough that the water bottles are being blown towards son and I. Neither of the men is taking any notice to son and I, if we are standing back, or if we are forward positioned to shoot. Tosser throws up a bottle, wind catches it and blows it to the left--towards son and I--shooter turns following it and towards us to fire at it. He is no longer perpendicular to the hillside but tangential to it when he fires.

I can't let this go, I am now no longer just uncomfortable. We could leave--or--I speak up. I say, "Hey, this ain't cool. I don't like this. You are shooting towards where we are standing, that isn't safe." I think I repeat myself a few times because I'm upset. I don't yell, I don't use obscenities. I don't get nasty. Son and I suggest a couple other places on the range where they could go to shoot where it will be safer.

The shooter sheepishly apologizes. Both men get into their car and leave.

I didn't want them to leave, just go away from son and I.

I don't feel I overreacted, but I feel bad that they just up and left like that.
Better to offend than get shot?
Click to expand...


Let me echo everyone's "yes" can I get a "hell yes".

Now that that's out of the way, may I point out that the moment they shot up into the air and NOT AT THE BACKSTOP, I would have chimed in. Waiting until they started pointing at you and your son, may have been a little too late.

You did good. You probably should have spoke up sooner. Yeah, no one wants to be the bad guy, but I'd rather be the bad guy than the dead guy.
 
Gallstones said:
Son is home from college for the holiday so we went out to the range....

The pistol target frame is in front of the hillside and away from the further distance target frames....[Room to share the resources]

Their proximity alone is enough to make me uncomfortable.....[Situational Awareness--first step in personal responsibility and personal safety]

Neither of the men is taking any notice to son and I, if we are standing back, or if we are forward positioned to shoot....[Lack of Situational Awareness; Disregading 4th rule: Know your target and what is beyond]

He is no longer perpendicular to the hillside but tangential to it when he fires....[Failure of firearm safety tenants by shooter.....Action MUST follow, and BTW I like your choice]

I can't let this go, I am now no longer just uncomfortable....[Acting responsibly when others around you fail to do so, and educating in the process>>Your son say you do the right thing and HOW you did it!]

The shooter sheepishly apologizes. Both men get into their car and leave....[Personal Choice: I would likely leave as well to regroup and show the party I offended that I know how to do the responsible thing at another time. Side comment here: In my neighborhood, some folks take personal affront to being publicly admonished so I would increase my Situational Awareness for a bit.]

I didn't want them to leave, just go away from son and I.

I don't feel I overreacted, but I feel bad that they just up and left like that....[After-Action remorse, but shows you were thinking about the event and how it might go differently]

Better to offend than get shot?
Click to expand...

My comments in []. Well done, Well said, and a great example of proper range etiquette. Thank you for representing us so well.
 
Well.....This was all picked apart and analyzed nicely by all. Glad everything worked out for the better. These bottle shootin guys are of the type that'll eventually end up in the emergency room trying to explain why/how they shot themselves.....or worse, somebody else. :eek:
 
Great Job redirecting the Red Neck Skeet Shooters.
This is not the kind of activity that would pass at any range I have been to.
 
"This is not the kind of activity that would pass at any range I have been to."

That's because it wasn't properly a range.

The choices are: leave or say something. If you speak up there is a chance of educating them. If you merely leave, you leave behind a potential tragedy.
 
So, you met former VP Cheney? (Joke folks....weird turns out you can't use his first name here...get **** instead of the common nickname for Richard)...

Too bad you couldn't first shoot one of the bottles down before they could then talk to them. Ya done good and right and sounds like they were nice enough to learn from it instead of giving you lip about it.
 
Bob_M said:
Well.....This was all picked apart and analyzed nicely by all. Glad everything worked out for the better. These bottle shootin guys are of the type that'll eventually end up in the emergency room trying to explain why/how they shot themselves.....or worse, somebody else. :eek:
Click to expand...

Or worse, explaining to an investigating officer how due to your actions someone was killed.
 
Kramer1113 said:
Great Job redirecting the Red Neck Skeet Shooters.
This is not the kind of activity that would pass at any range I have been to.
Click to expand...

How do you know they were rednecks? LOL

Myself, I rarely stay or enter the range unless it's unoccupied. I hate gun snobs and wannabe Range Commandos.
 
mappow said:
At a range whether privately owned, a business or a place someone shares with others as a place to shoot. RANGE SAFETY is paramount. IT IS always your right to point out unsafe conditions.
Click to expand...
This and if the situation is not corrected LEAVE THE AREA FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY.
 
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