Are the people at your range nice or mean?

[glocke12]

The folks at my range are just downright mean, I understand that with ranges closing all over, their membership has increased significantly, but that doesnt mean they have to be jerks about it....


Took the day off from work, and got there 15 minutes early, and set up on a table and waited. A few minutes later all these "senior" members started strolling in (and by senior I mean in both age and membership to this club). I was told in no uncertain terms that friday mornings are "their" time at the range, and I would not be allowed to shoot until they were done. Apparently its some...I knew this was BS, and a case of older members throwing their weight around (other than offical CMP mathces there is no "reservations", but not really being in a mood to argue, and having handguns with me, I moved all my stuff to the handgun range...I had just set my stuff down, when one of the "senior" members runs over and starts giving me heck about not putting my range flag up to show that the pistol range was now occupied. I kindly told him that as soon as I had put my shooting bag and gun cases down and had free hands I was planning on doing just that. His response "well I just wanted to make sure you knew that", and he stormed off (been a member at this range for three years, and am fully aware of the procedures).

I shot off a box of 50 rounds of 45 LC, and went around the back to the port-a-potty to relive myself. While back there the all clear buzzer sounded, and started walking up to put up the "all clear" flag, when I hear a chorus of yells from downrange. It seems the old boys club started walking down range, saw that the all clear flag was not up in the pistol range yet, and started yelling at me again for not changing the flag on time.....

Its usually something at this place....One time I got yelled by a "range master" for picking my rifle cases up to leave when the all clear flag was up, I was pretty much told that "there will be no picking up of anything when the all clear is sounded". Before the all clear had sounded that time, I had put my guns in the cases, and put them behind the firing line in preparation to leave.

Another time I was there with my dad a few months before his death. A year earlier he had signed up for a lifetime membership, but they sent him a one year sticker for his membership card, not the lifetime membership sticker. He didnt notice, I didnt notice, but the rangemaster that day noticed and would not allow him to shoot without paying the $20.00 guest fee. My dad at that point was 75 years old, and could only get around with the use of a cane....couldnt carry his guns to the bench, etc...


Are all ranges this bad these days?

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[Herb101]

not that bad here , some jerks but with 700 members you wont see the same person two times in a row unless you shoot the matches. Now the game and fish range is a different story , he is the best recruiter for our club.

[limazulu]

We have several thousand members but not all join for the shooting. Over the years I've seen mixed results from easy going Range Officers to unrealistic and unsafe range officers. I treat them each on an individual basis. I don't get upset when someone yells at me. I either know better or apologize for the mistake. In your example I would have said, "You mean you went down range when my safety flag wasn't up? You committed a safety violation. Don't let it happen again."

[Ken C.]

When in FL I shoot at the state maintained range in the Ocala state forest, which is a nice 35 mile cycle ride for me. The only official I ever saw there was a park ranger who was there to police the range before the days activities and we pitched in and helped him. Usually the rules there are "Hot Range" and "Cold Range", and thats it. Everything else (including scrounging brass) is gentlemens agreement. When in NJ I have my backstop in my back yard and I guess you could say the people here are "Nice and mean" because they usually consist of me and sometimes my nephew. When up in WI I shoot at a little bullet trap in my G/F's yard, or go down to th range about 3 miles away for long distance rifle shooting. I sometimes take a couple pistols there too. The most people I have ever encountered there was the Barron P.D. qualifying, and they had no objection to me picking up all the 45 brass and disposing of it for them. (In my truck, of course). Most times there are 0 to 1 or 2 people there. I cant imagine having to rub elbows with more than 4 or 5 people.

[P. Greaney]

I belong to a range in southwestern Indiana.
No range officers unless a match is being held.
When you notice someone approach the firing line whether on foot or by car you stop shooting and make sure they have ear protection on and then resume shooting.
If you want to go down range no flags are involved, just tell everybody when a stopping point is reached, yell "I'm going downrange, the range is cold" make sure they acknowledge and then go.
When you return make sure all have returned from downrange and have their hearing protection on and yell "I'm gonna start shooting the range is hot".
Several people who post here are members of this range and I, for one, think we have one of the best ranges in the country.

[M1Riflenut]

Can't say that I remember any mean people but I do run across some real morons once in awhile,usually the wannabe Rambo types.
I've been there many times when it's so busy you have to wait your turn to get a shooting spot on the rifle range but I have never had any senior members(I'm one myself)give me any problems or attitudes. There is another club local to me that I have heard is exactly what you describe though. From what I hear,if your not in their little "click" you get treated like crap,even though you pay your dues like them. I've been offered to shoot there several times as a guest but have declined.
We have had some problems at our club with vandalism,most recently some butthole shooting up the 25yd pistol range shed with a shotgun. Holes in the new roof we just put on last year and in the walls etc. A few years ago some punks broke in during the winter and set fire to the clubhouse,burned to the ground. The new one is all steel now

[High Plaines Doug r]

If this were an issue at my club, I would bring it up at the monthly BOD meeting. Each of our ranges has particular rules due to safety concerns and amount of use (and ignorance of the users). Ultimately it is the responsibility of each member to see that range rules are observed and any supposed infraction can be brought before the board for advisement. We have morons at either end of the spectrum and the board regularly is required to deal with them.

[Art]

The range I use mostly is owned by the members. I usually shoot on weekdays so there isn't a crowd. It is very informal. The first guy there is the range officer and when he leaves he hands it off to the next guy.

Before I shot at a public range which was ok, just expensive and restrictive on what you were allowed to do there. I still shoot there occassionally for clays.

So I guess for me the answer is no, not really a lot of mean range folks around me.

[MEHavey]

Just the opposite at the IWLA Club/Range I belong to in NoVirginia. `Couldn't be a nicer/more helpful bunch -- and new shooters/women/youngsters are especially welcome since they are the breath of new life.

Range tims runs in (semi) strict 30-min cycles, then the RO calls Cease Fire/the flashing red light goes on and everyone is free to go downrange/paste targets/pickup brass in front of the shooting line -- BUT NO ONE CAN TOUCH A RUN OR APPROACH A SHOOTING TABLE FROM THE REAR. ("White Line" is out-of-bounds about two feet behind the tables.) LIKEWISE NO HANDLING OF GUNS BEHIND THE WHITE LINE, EVEN IF CASED.

Half the serious shooters are rotating ROs, ...and NO ONE, repeat NO ONE has dibs on a shooting spot other than 1st-come-1st served. (Except the actual RO, who has one table for his trouble -- but invariably gives it up if/when the range overflows.)

No "Cowboy" shooting. Newcomers are watched like hawks to make sure they learn/abide by the rules/gun-handling/safety and rarely have I seen anything approaching unpleasantness.

Personally, I would have told the "senior" shooters politely to go to hell in your case, called the club President before the hour was out, then taken the issue to the next board meeting.

[Greg H. in Virginia]

The range I use mostly is owned by the members. I usually shoot on weekdays so there isn't a crowd. It is very informal. The first guy there is the range officer and when he leaves he hands it off to the next guy.

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That's how it is at the gun club I belong to; we have about 325 members and everybody gets along great for the most part. The few soreheads we do have you can count on the fingers of one hand and have fingers left over, and they rarely show up anyway.