Are the people at your range nice or mean?

[charles isaac]

I guess I just run into all the jerks at the ranges.

I was firing an M27 .357 Magnum at Flatwoods Gun and Country Club in Hubert NC outside of Camp Lejeune. There was a gentleman there firing a Ruger GP 100. Now he was pretty good at DA work, but his DA pull was painfully slow, might as well have just cocked the thing each shot and his draw needed to be more fluid-he was somewhat robotic in his movement. I did not try to coach him because he seemed standoffish and disagreeable, for example, cursing when he missed a plate.

I was doing rapid fire speed loader drills from the holster with full house magnums. I do pretty good, usually able to maintain acurracy with the rate of fire of an auto. My draw is pretty fast too.

I pack up to leave and walk my shooting bag to the car then start picking up brass. I start to walk to pick up my target, a hostage scenario with a man standing behind a woman and the guy with the GP 100 calls out to me, "Hey! You forgot your girlfriend!" with a nasty sarcastic tone while glaring at me!

I smiled and said thanked him, causing him to frown more and glare harder!

I went to the range house and the guy behind the counter asked what I was shooting. When he heard I was shooting a revolver, he asked if I saw so and so down there with the GP 100 and how fast and acurrate the guy was with a revolver. I politely stated yeah, he's good.

I guess Mr. GP 100 thought I was in competition with him and/or got his feelings hurt when he wasn't top magnum wheelgun man anymore. I put up with enough crap in the Marines and shouldn't have to go for some recreation and have to deal with some freaks personality disorder or these fools acting as if the range is boot camp.

A civilian range is pretty simple, cease fire, unload, open actions to show clear and bench them. Step away from the bench and proceed down range when cleared to do so. Do not handle weapons untill the range is hot.

The range is not the military. Be safe AND COURTEOUS!

What is so hard about that?