Lets Discuss “Range Etiquette” for a moment!

[Frog4aday]

Excellent list! I'd like to add a couple...<SNIPPED STUFF>
9. If you bring your kids with you to the range, do NOT let them roam-free and mess with other people's stuff or pickup other people's guns or equipment!!! Yes, I have had that happen to me. Some dude just stood there watching his kid try to pickup and almost knocked-over my custom .25-06 AI while I was trying to shoot a group. The guy didn't do anything until he noticed that I saw what was going on, and gave him a "i'm gonna whoop your a-s-s if he knocks that over" look, then he decided to intervene and reprimand his kid. A shooting range is not the play place at McDonalds. It's dangerous, and it's not a place where someone without any discipline should be.<SNIPPED STUFF>

OMG...YES...THIS ^
Kids are great...elsewhere. If you are going to bring them to the range, YOU MUST WATCH THEM. If that means you don't get to shoot that day because you have to supervise, then that's what happens. Welcome to BEING A FATHER. (Happy Father's Day people!) Sometimes you don't get to 'play'. You have to be 'Dad'. Oh...you wanted to shoot? Then leave your kids at home. Or bring another responsible person with you to watch the kids.

I showed up to sight in my .308 Win. Another guy shows up shortly thereafter with two kids. No hearing protection for them. No eye protection for them, and he just goes to a bench and starts setting up while his kids meander, obviously having rec'd no instructions from Dad on 'no-go' zones or how to interact/avoid interacting with other people or their stuff. I just packed up and left. I wasn't going to be responsible for deafening his children OR seeing one of them get hurt by inadvertently running out somewhere they shouldn't have been.

On my way out, I gave the guy some foam ear plugs for his kids and he said, "Oh, they don't need 'em." Yeah...right...because...why? I left them anyway. My conscience wouldn't have been clear otherwise. Poor kids.

 

[longrangebob]

Oh YES to #5 - and if "He" wants to measure his group — use a target that has one inch squares so he can determine the size of his group thru the scope —

#1 would Be the worst if Cans were available to be used here —. But someone next to you with a break can be shocking even with plugs &muffs !!!

Keep writing - loved the proposition

 

[Hoppsing55]

So many of us are pretty dedicated in the art of not only proper shooting form but also building our own precision loads tuned for our rifles. Many hours is spent in the reloading room with the built up excitement at the next chance to try this stuff out on the range. Over the years I have seen some stupid things that make me realize some people could care less about us load testers or anyone else for that matter! So here are a few things that I absolutely hate and please chime in with what u have experienced! New guys read this and DO NOT DO IT!
1. If the range is wide open except for one person who happens to have a little blue reloading box open with nice neat rows of 5 rounds staggered with gaps between them to carefully keep his loads separated, wearing a can with a magnetospeed mounted to it, KEEP your distance with your stupid AR and refrain from pelting him with brass.
2. As mentioned before he has a can and is not wearing hearing protection so do not come to the next stall away from him carefully lining up your tank break on your 6.5 creedmoor with his face.
3. Do not talk to this guy unless he first talks to u. This is not the barber shop and serious business is taking place.
4. If the rifle he has looks nice and expensive, well it prolly is. If u want to know more about it, use google.
5. Use your 30x powered scope with 2 foot sunshade on it to check your groups. U don't need to go down after every 5 rounds to look at your target. And most importantly don't ask that guy that is mentioned on the first 4 do not do items if he can check your target for u cause u can't see your shots!
6. Lastly and most importantly don't ask for help zeroing your scope because u are trying to do it at 200 yds and not at 25 or 50 yds like normal experienced shooters. Also don't ask for Allen wrench set or tools cause u are to stupid to bring what u need to the range!

I know I forgot some things, help me out fellows on your DO NOT LIST while u are at the range!

I am fortunate and live 5 minutes from a public range. Do RSO duty there on the weekends and really enjoy talking with, and meeting new friends including less experienced shooters. I like teaching safe shooting, how to sight in a rifle, reloading, load development, hunting,,, and just about anything else to do with shooting and firearms. When someone asks me about what it is I am doing that day, it serves my community well to take a minute or two and mentor someone who is looking for advice.

I also belong to a private range that is approx 30 minutes away. Less crowded, with a more "intent" and "serious" group of shooters. Most of the members are long range enthusiasts. I enjoy the friendships and learn from both situations.

Range etiquette,,, hmmm?

 

[Rick Richard]

Most of the problems I have seen at the range has been with the younger generation shooting their Black guns. Maybe it is because they did not receive a firearm education in their childhood. Don't know; Just an observation.

 

[Remmy700]

I'll tell 'em bring it on... I don't give 2 ----- what they think. I've spent inordinate amounts of time at ranges all over, and no matter where you go, there's always going to be a couple people there... You'll find the newbie with no clue that's constantly having trouble with their gun/ammo/scope. The wannabe badass who's blasting-away through magazines with his AR's and AK's and constantly looking around to see who's looking at him so he can think, that they think, he's super cool (when they actually think the opposite). There's always going to be the "talker", that guy that just wants to take up a whole bench with 1 rifle and 1 box of ammo, and shoot a group every hour, and the rest of the time he walks around and bothers everybody else all day long because he has no life, and nothing but time to burn.

People on here act like they go the range like it's Rangeface! Newest edition to shooters! U go to the gun range to socialize and hang out and catch up on everything but shooting!

 

[TBell]

So many of us are pretty dedicated in the art of not only proper shooting form but also building our own precision loads tuned for our rifles. Many hours is spent in the reloading room with the built up excitement at the next chance to try this stuff out on the range. Over the years I have seen some stupid things that make me realize some people could care less about us load testers or anyone else for that matter! So here are a few things that I absolutely hate and please chime in with what u have experienced! New guys read this and DO NOT DO IT!
1. If the range is wide open except for one person who happens to have a little blue reloading box open with nice neat rows of 5 rounds staggered with gaps between them to carefully keep his loads separated, wearing a can with a magnetospeed mounted to it, KEEP your distance with your stupid AR and refrain from pelting him with brass.
2. As mentioned before he has a can and is not wearing hearing protection so do not come to the next stall away from him carefully lining up your tank break on your 6.5 creedmoor with his face.
3. Do not talk to this guy unless he first talks to u. This is not the barber shop and serious business is taking place.
4. If the rifle he has looks nice and expensive, well it prolly is. If u want to know more about it, use google.
5. Use your 30x powered scope with 2 foot sunshade on it to check your groups. U don't need to go down after every 5 rounds to look at your target. And most importantly don't ask that guy that is mentioned on the first 4 do not do items if he can check your target for u cause u can't see your shots!
6. Lastly and most importantly don't ask for help zeroing your scope because u are trying to do it at 200 yds and not at 25 or 50 yds like normal experienced shooters. Also don't ask for Allen wrench set or tools cause u are to stupid to bring what u need to the range!

I know I forgot some things, help me out fellows on your DO NOT LIST while u are at the range!

I'm sure there are Those days but what a snob.

I reload, I work hard at working up loads that work up to the 3/8, sometime less. I have fun with it and love to talk to others that are wanting to learn about this art. We don't have a 1000 yard close by but do reg. shoot out to 600. If your that particular buy your own property you can set up your 1000 yard target and don't be bothered by anyone.

 

[Remmy700]

I'm sure there are Those days but what a snob.

I reload, I work hard at working up loads that work up to the 3/8, sometime less. I have fun with it and love to talk to others that are wanting to learn about this art. We don't have a 1000 yard close by but do reg. shoot out to 600. If your that particular buy your own property you can set up your 1000 yard target and don't be bothered by anyone.

Keyboard commando #110 chiming in! Thanks for your input!

 

[Remmy700]

Y'all be talking about y'all work hard on reloads blah blah yet u don't mind the range so u can go to the range and talk, help others etc etc. that's cool man if that's your gig and that is your right to do so! However isn't it my right to go the range and shoot in peace and do my business and roll? Just cause I don't talk to everyone I am a bad person really? Come on!

 

[milanuk]

This thread - and particular the comments about shooting gas guns and/or aggressively braked guns at the next bench over - remind me a *lot* of the "Men's Bathroom Rules of Etiquette". Specifically the one where you do not, repeat *DO NOT*, under any circumstances use the urinal right next to another guy, unless there is absolutely no other option. Otherwise leave an open hole between you and the next... bench. It's just the right thing to do

 

[Remmy700]

So true!

 

[MudRunner2005]

People on here act like they go the range like it's Rangeface! Newest edition to shooters! U go to the gun range to socialize and hang out and catch up on everything but shooting!

Hahaha! Yeah, that's how the "talkers" think. Don't get me wrong, I love hanging out with my friends and socializing...But the gun range isn't the time or place. And my friends that know me well, or have been to the range with me, know that. When I get there, I put on my Van Dam face. When we're packing up and leaving the range, I start to loosen back up again.

Also, don't get me wrong, I love my AR's and shooting them... But I also love having that $20 brass catcher that 1) keeps me from having to go digging through the dirt for my spent brass, and 2) flinging hot brass in other people's faces while they're trying to shoot. It's just called common courtesy. Most folks don't seem to have been taught that anymore.

Also, another guy at the range that ****es me off, is the one that doesn't reload, and doesn't want their brass, but then when you ask them if they can save it and leave it on the bench when they leave so you can get it for reloading, they look at you weird, and then say, "no", and act all freaked out and weirded-out like you're going to do a DNA or fingerprint analysis on the brass when you get back home. There's some weird MF'ers out there. Either they don't reload, and have no clue that you can reload spent brass, or they're just neurotic, or they just want to be an a-hole to a complete stranger.

 

[Deleted member 48126]

Just cause I don't talk to everyone I am a bad person really? Come on!

Well it's official, you're a Nazi. I'm going to post it all over social media now.

Should have just talked to people at the range and been more understanding to those black gun shooters less fortunate than you!! This could have been avoided!

 

[FEENIX]

For me "range" is a simply a place to conduct a purpose. My human interaction is purpose driven:

1. Load development: As previously noted, I am there early and normally done before the next person shows up. If not, I tune everything out until I am done.

2. Barrel break-in/sight-in: More relaxed and allow myself human interaction including BS and will help others when time and opportunity allows it.

3. Leisurely shot/fun trip: I am there for stress relief so I welcome the human interaction.

NOTE: I am 10 minutes drive to my local range and have done plenty of trips to help friends, without my guns/shooting, set aside to help others. Just me ...

 

[MudRunner2005]

I'm sure there are Those days but what a snob.

I reload, I work hard at working up loads that work up to the 3/8, sometime less. I have fun with it and love to talk to others that are wanting to learn about this art. We don't have a 1000 yard close by but do reg. shoot out to 600. If your that particular buy your own property you can set up your 1000 yard target and don't be bothered by anyone.

If I could afford my own land to build my own 1000+ range, then I would, just so I could avoid dealing with folks with your attitude. When I shoot, I like to do things my way. If you don't invade my personal space or my "bubble" while I'm shooting, then we won't have a problem. It's pretty simple etiquette. Stay the hell out of my way, don't flag anybody with your gun, or do anything dangerous, and I'll do the same for you and everyone else at the range. This is why every range that I've been a member of, the CRO likes it when I'm there. They know I don't screw around, they know I know safety, and they know that if they need to step away for a minute, I've got things handled til they get back.

I know social media has mushed everyone's brains into believing that privacy and minding your own business no longer exists, because you voluntarily put your whole lives on the internet all day long for everyone to see (which BTW, nobody cares), but people need to relearn these basic human constructs, and the world will be a MUCH better, nicer, and politer place to live.