Lets Discuss “Range Etiquette” for a moment!

[mtmuley]

Remmy700, #rangesnob. mtmuley

 

[bdlesh]

I have noticed that in any facet of life there are 3 types of people.
You have the elitist blow hard that hates the world and can't believe anyone should be able to breath the same air as they do.
Then you have the, I've seen every Rambo movie and hang out at the local gun shop in my off time. They have never actually shot a gun, but know everything about them and using them.
Then finally, there is the guy who is just happy to not be at work and listening to the wife nag him. He just wants to enjoy the day and his hobby.
Sadly we have way to many 1 and 2's . So number 3 has to suffer because of both. This is why men commit suicide more than woman....

 

[kolob10]

Lancetkenyon, I am likewise eager to assist on the public range. I even open my range to many new shooters each year. I teach range manners and shooter
Respect.

I don't agree with this. I am at my local range every weekend for 4-6 hours. I shoot 2800-4000 centerfire rounds each year. And half of them are doing load development. The other half are at ranges from 500-1700+.

There are several regulars, including a couple who are LE trainers that shoot hundreds of rounds weekly from SBRs and handguns. It can be annoying, but they are awesome people honing their skills to teach others. Lots of other guys who are learning and practicing.
Every rifle I own has a brake. From 6CM to .300RUM and 6 others in between. Plus the opportunity to shoot 40 or so other rifles each year.
I welcome questions from lesser experienced shooters. I regularly offer help to people who need it. Both in helping sight in their rifles, with tools to help, and with information.
All of my personal rifles are high end customs. With top tier glass. No big deal when people ask me about them, or want to see what a true high end optic looks like. Most of the other rifles I get to shoot are customs or high end factory rifles too. Always nice to look at sexy toys and discuss them. Not everyone can afford high end toys, but everyone like to look at them.
Only takes a few seconds to help spot for someone. Not everyone getting into the sport can afford high end glass to see 6mm holes at 200+ yards.
It is not that difficult to bore sight a rifle at 100 or even 200. I do it all the time by simply pulling the bolt and looking down the bore and dialing to get on paper. I actually NEVER bore sight and zero a scoped rifle at 25 or 50 yards. Ever. And I zero 40+ rifles a year. If you can't bore sight it past 25 or 50, maybe you need the help.

Helping others is good manners and improves the sport. Everyone starts out sometime. No need to be an elitist and discourage others who need help. If you want the place to yourself, don't go to a public range.

 

[tony d willIiams]

When I ask questions, its usually on this site because there are a lot of like minded shooters on this site that are striving for the same results. If I were to go to a public range, I would most likely not ask anyone there questions. You never know who you are dealing with even if they have expensive looking rifles.

I am sorry that we made it that way. I began to shoot out in the desert because I became an elitist pig and I want it my way.
When younger and less experienced I asked older wiser men questions. It is easy getting wisdom through questions, and much less expensive. Friendships are born.
Come on down to the range, I will remember my youth and I will share what I have learned.
Await the downtime, most will look up and ask if you need help if you stand quietly by. It might be time for a break and conversation.

I will return to the range to share the little I know. Hope to see you.

 

[wv270wsm]

I guess I'm just a p•••k when someone sets up right next to me with their Barbie rifle and there is plenty of other spots available. That's when the braked 30-378 comes out and a slight turning of said brake generally about 3 shots and they will pack up and leave. And yes this has been done on a public range . I'm all for shooting and helping and teaching others but I'd like my space if there is other open benches. I've taught both of my teenage sons not to crowd people not only at the range but everywhere. It's just common courtesy and it's dying as fast as the Democrats can cry

 

[lancetkenyon]

Looks like Ben Avery range? If so, it's definitely a great range.

Yep. Ben Avery. World class range. There about 3 weekends out of the month. The other is in the desert shooting long range.

 

[DWier]

Yeah man. Of all the people who is anti social I am not one of them and saying I don't want to help no one well that is insane. Take a little gander in the just the last few weeks on posts I have started to simply help out new reloaders. I love helping people get into the sport all I am saying there is a time and a place and when a guy is behind a rifle is not that time. And stupid comments on hearing protection. Come on I know to have hearing protection however when I am all by myself with cans well duh I am not wearing them. Just saying when there is an open range with 30 stations don't come post up beside me and pelt me with brass or post up beside me with your muzzle brake, u all know that sucks. Again these are scenarios as mentioned in a wide open range not one that is full. Hence the name "Range Etiquette"

Remmy, I agree with you. The point of your post I believe is to remind new shooters of range etiquette and safety. I think we are getting carried away on this thread. I've read enough of your post to know you like helping people. I don't reload yet but I also know that sighting in and refining your shooting is a time you want to be left alone. I also know that is why you join a private range. Pitty your members don't seem to understand that.

 

[Don A Parsons]

A bad one for us is folks not racking their rifles before going down range,,, just the other day a fellow was bore sighting with no bolt in his rifle while other were down range,,, one of the members asked him politely to remove the rifle from the firing line,,, buddy said that he didn't have a bolt in his gun...

The other fellow snaped,,, how would you feel if your down range and someone was sitting behind the firing line with a rifle / bolt or no bolt,,, I won't ask you again,,, get that rifle off the firing line or your leaving this range forever...

Follow the rules or F off,,, point was pretty clear that time...

Life time band at our range for thinking things are ok,,, or is this ok...

All to often we see folks taking chances,,, don't do it,,, firearms raked and no ammo when folks are down range,,, once all down range personal are clear,,, firearms can return to the line,,, then ammo up at that point...

Play by the rules since it let's others know that it's a safe range with team efforts...

Don

 

[Gregg C]

I guess I'm just a p•••k when someone sets up right next to me with their Barbie rifle and there is plenty of other spots available. That's when the braked 30-378 comes out and a slight turning of said brake generally about 3 shots and they will pack up and leave. And yes this has been done on a public range . I'm all for shooting and helping and teaching others but I'd like my space if there is other open benches. I've taught both of my teenage sons not to crowd people not only at the range but everywhere. It's just common courtesy and it's dying as fast as the Democrats can cry

Ha! Barbie gun ! Black Tide Rising ?

 

[villagelightsmith]

I don't agree with this. I am at my local range every weekend for 4-6 hours. I shoot 2800-4000 centerfire rounds each year. And half of them are doing load development. The other half are at ranges from 500-1700+.

There are several regulars, including a couple who are LE trainers that shoot hundreds of rounds weekly from SBRs and handguns. It can be annoying, but they are awesome people honing their skills to teach others. Lots of other guys who are learning and practicing.
Every rifle I own has a brake. From 6CM to .300RUM and 6 others in between. Plus the opportunity to shoot 40 or so other rifles each year.
I welcome questions from lesser experienced shooters. I regularly offer help to people who need it. Both in helping sight in their rifles, with tools to help, and with information.
All of my personal rifles are high end customs. With top tier glass. No big deal when people ask me about them, or want to see what a true high end optic looks like. Most of the other rifles I get to shoot are customs or high end factory rifles too. Always nice to look at sexy toys and discuss them. Not everyone can afford high end toys, but everyone like to look at them.
Only takes a few seconds to help spot for someone. Not everyone getting into the sport can afford high end glass to see 6mm holes at 200+ yards.
It is not that difficult to bore sight a rifle at 100 or even 200. I do it all the time by simply pulling the bolt and looking down the bore and dialing to get on paper. I actually NEVER bore sight and zero a scoped rifle at 25 or 50 yards. Ever. And I zero 40+ rifles a year. If you can't bore sight it past 25 or 50, maybe you need the help.

Helping others is good manners and improves the sport. Everyone starts out sometime. No need to be an elitist and discourage others who need help. If you want the place to yourself, don't go to a public range.

 

[Remmy700]

Y'all keyboard commandos done yet with your goodwill nature helping people and bashing me cause I don't want to be bothered while I am shooting strings? As I mentioned before in like 5 posts now when I am off my gun and done with a string and waiting on cool down or something I am down to talk guns, reloading or hell politics! We can work on your gun, we can sight it in, whatever man but my point was while in the middle of a string is not that time. This we merely a rant and not to be taken out of context to where it has made it to now. I will work on my range demeanor I guess, geez!

 

[Remmy700]

So what load would u guys pick, I shot this today doing load work beside someone with muzzle brake and while getting pelted by Rambo two stalls down. And it's a 6.5 creedmoor! And I said hey to one dude!

 

[milanuk]

I quit the range I was a member of when a guy decided to shoot from the 300 yard bench ...... when I was in front of him on the 100 to 200 yard benches.

While personally I agree with you on that... different places, different cultures...

When we went to Bisley (England) in '09 for the FCWC, we had arranged to use the sight-in range to re-zero our rifles after re-assembling them following the trans-Atlantic flight. We were getting set up on the 100 yd line, about ready to shoot, and... KAPOW! Everybody ducked, and started looking around, cuz the shot obviously was from behind us. Sure enough, there at the *200* yd line was another shooter, slung up and taking aim at the target berm.

Come to find out, in the UK, and in Canada, as long as there is a certain minimum amount of separation (50 ft?) between the firing points, firing *past* another shooter who is at a closer yard line is entirely acceptable - to them. Saw it again in '15 & '16 @ Connaught (Ottowa) for their FCNC where they had one half the range firing one yard line, and the other half shooting another.

 

[yorke-1]

If I were to go to a public range, I would most likely not ask anyone there questions. You never know who you are dealing with even if they have expensive looking rifles.

I'd say that's even more of an issue on the internet. There are a lot of internet experts out there (and on here) and it's hard to pick them out sometimes until you can watch them in person. I've shot with a lot of ".5 MOA marksmen" who couldn't hit a 12" gong at 1000 yards if they used my equipment and all they had to do was squeeze a trigger.