To the OP, if you come to my range you can wear a clown costume if you want. It is no business or concern of mine what you wear to the range, nor your reason behind wearing it.
The ideas that I have found myself disagreeing with on this thread include..
"No point in wearing a vest because your head is still exposed". Even worth commenting on? Almost every LEO and ACC in the entire world does this...work boots too, and gloves, and glasses..all safety devices that don't also protect the head.
"Idiots wear body armour to the range" If you wear body armour everyday at work, where 99.9% of the time no one is shooting, why would you be an idiot to wear it a the range where everyone is shooting?.
"Body armour guys are wanna-bes" Well this could very likely be true but even if the guy likes playing dress up why the hell should I care? Has no effect on me, any more than cowboy shooters dressing up, CQB guys, or civil war re-enactment, or the guy wearing the Sidney Crosby jersey. Granted it can seem a little over the top at times lol!
"I've never seen anyone get shot in 20 years at the range so no 'need' to wear a vest". The good old 'need' angle. 99.9% of LEO and ACC don't need it either, til they do.