Range etiquette

[big bear]

I had to shoo at a rangewhich has benches and allows handguns to be fired from bench area with rifle shooters on either side if need be, I am sighting in a rifle and two grown men (40 ish) set up. they set up tin cans and plastic bottles on top of pistol target backstop (both these actions agaist club rules) They then proceed to blast away at the cans, really poor shots missing the cans from 15yds more often than not. I in my most pleasant voice caution them to watch their muzzles. They start reloading their mags and I look up and I am looking at the black hole of the muzzle of their 9mm pistol. I shout out "watch your muzzle!" and calmly explain the importance of muzzle awareness. I was an IPSC range officer and really wanted to tell them to box their piieces and leave the range but elected to avaid a confrontation and left it at that. The range is what I call the novice range (200tds only) and any club member can use it. I tend to avoid using it but longer range was closed for an unannounced competition.

What is best way to deal with this sort of grown man stupidity, I am tired of being the unpopulaer hall monitor.

 

[crazyjackrabbit]

It's a tough situation for sure, but when it comes to safety theres no wiggle room. If there was a club sign in book getting there info would of been a good step. Reporting them would depend on their behavior after you talking to them.

If you still felt unsafe with them there, leave and report them.

Members with no care or respect for safety are the ones that get others hurt and clubs shut down

 

[big bear]

It's a tough situation for sure, but when it comes to safety theres no wiggle room. If there was a club sign in book getting there info would of been a good step. Reporting them would depend on their behavior after you talking to them.

If you still felt unsafe with them there, leave and report them.

Members with no care or respect for safety are the ones that get others hurt and clubs shut down

Your last sentence is exactly what I told them.

 

[Still alive]

If polite words get you nowhere, pack up and leave. Get as much information about them ( member number, name, time of day etc.) and report to the RO, Board or whatever your club has for a reporting resource. Let them deal with it.

Escalation will get you nowhere especially with live firearms lying around.

 

[silverfoxdj]

Maybe get the rules posted for all to see and check with the executive with respect to new users and RO responsibilities.. I would leave..

 

[rimlick]

Im one of those people who pretty much lets anything go at the range, as long as your being safe.

Flagging people with your guns is unacceptable behavior %100 of the time.

Id probably try to bring it up with the club.

 

[Rod B]

The behavior of those two fools is totally unacceptable. You tried to correct their behavior but they obviously chose to ignore you. I think you did the right thing by leaving, it could have escalated into a violent situation.

My club has a way of dealing with people like the two members you encountered. We have incident reports that any member can file. This results in the offending party being brought before the board of directors. This leads to a strong warning, a secondary probation period & in some cases expulsion from the club. (Yes we have terminated the membership of some who did not obey our club rules)

We do not want anyone injured or a situation where our club may be shut down. Idiots like the above mentioned are not needed at any gun club.

 

[Gnome75]

As far as the tin cans and plastic bottles who cares? There is nothing dangerous about that. Just move on, don't join them if bothers you that much. Seriously who cares?

As far as muzzle control just calmly ask them to be careful. Be a little more pissed off the second time and after that try to get them kicked out.

 

[Grock-co]

As far as the tin cans and plastic bottles who cares? There is nothing dangerous about that. Just move on, don't join them if bothers you that much. Seriously who cares?

As far as muzzle control just calmly ask them to be careful. Be a little more pissed off the second time and after that try to get them kicked out.

Exactly who cares about T.V. and refrigerators, garbage is garbage. If they are willing to leave that at the range think about what they are leaving in the forest. But then again who cares.

 

[Geoman]

Like others said report as much detail to the executives or the senior RO. This action would get them kicked out of most clubs! The most we can shoot at my club, other than paper and properly set up gongs, are clays and yoghurt type plastic lids placed ON the berm. This type of stuff especially poor muzzle control from grown men is inexcusable. Boot them out with no refund!

 

[jimbo14]

"Can you please *not* point your gun at me?"

...then depending on their reaction, my response would be anywhere form helpful dude, to the guy trying to get them kicked out - forever.

 

[Yycadm]

30-odd years ago, I avoided being accidentally shot in a similar situation to this. Novice shooter, not following club rules, had a ND that missed my arm/hand by less than an inch, and punched a .45 sized hole through the top of the shooting bench, then immediately tried to blame me for “distracting” him when i’d Asked him to be careful sweeping the whole line with his muzzle.
Anger got the best of me; I picked up the gun which he’d immediately set down, unloaded it and took two mags and three boxes of ammo away from him, put it in my range bag and locked it.
I knew one of the Board was coming out that day (he was a friend and we were meeting up). The 15 min. Spent waiting for him to arrive we’re filled with threats from this idiot for taking his ammo, touching his gun, etc.
The Board member arrived, took one look at the hole in the bench top and was told what happened. He yanked the guys membership card off his neck, demanded and got his gate key, and escorted him off the property.
I have less than zero patience with people like that. They have no business being within arms reach of a weapon. I left that club a couple years later after a number of similar incidents...one had resulted in a member who’d been swept repeatedly by a muzzle drawing down on the member with no muzzle control...absolutely the worst possible response, but indicative of how strongly polaring those basic safety rules seem to be with some people

 

[Gnome75]

Exactly who cares about T.V. and refrigerators, garbage is garbage. If they are willing to leave that at the range think about what they are leaving in the forest. But then again who cares.

Leaving garbage behind after shooting holes in it and shooting said garbage are two different topics. Nothing wrong with filling old junk full of holes. I agree that leaving it there after wards is a problem

 

[Purdom234]

Short of actually shooting at someone is there a worse range violation than pointing a gun at another member? Although I agree that packing up and leaving was the correct action vs. confrontation, muzzle control violations are zero tolerance.

I've seen this at my range along with many lesser violations, I'm temped to set up a gopro and video the firing line during my shooting session. If something serious should occur, flag it with the board and ride them until they take action consistent with range policy. Not interested in either letting safety violations pass or he said-she said arguments.

The range claims to have video monitoring, but I'm not sure.

What you do with your guns is your business, but we all agree to a set of rules at the range. If you are unwilling to learn and follow the rules GTFO.

 

[big bear]

As far as the tin cans and plastic bottles who cares? There is nothing dangerous about that. Just move on, don't join them if bothers you that much. Seriously who cares?

As far as muzzle control just calmly ask them to be careful. Be a little more pissed off the second time and after that try to get them kicked out.

POSTED RULES specifically state No cans etc, only pair targets. Shooting over the backstop causes a richocet problem,that's why I mentioned it, it shows ignorance or disregard for club rules (posted prominently on the wall of all our club's ranges.

 

[Grock-co]

30-odd years ago, I avoided being accidentally shot in a similar situation to this. Novice shooter, not following club rules, had a ND that missed my arm/hand by less than an inch, and punched a .45 sized hole through the top of the shooting bench, then immediately tried to blame me for “distracting” him when i’d Asked him to be careful sweeping the whole line with his muzzle.
Anger got the best of me; I picked up the gun which he’d immediately set down, unloaded it and took two mags and three boxes of ammo away from him, put it in my range bag and locked it.
I knew one of the Board was coming out that day (he was a friend and we were meeting up). The 15 min. Spent waiting for him to arrive we’re filled with threats from this idiot for taking his ammo, touching his gun, etc.
The Board member arrived, took one look at the hole in the bench top and was told what happened. He yanked the guys membership card off his neck, demanded and got his gate key, and escorted him off the property.
I have less than zero patience with people like that. They have no business being within arms reach of a weapon. I left that club a couple years later after a number of similar incidents...one had resulted in a member who’d been swept repeatedly by a muzzle drawing down on the member with no muzzle control...absolutely the worst possible response, but indicative of how strongly polaring those basic safety rules seem to be with some people

And you kept this guys property, nice

 

[B]

I am so incredibly grateful to no longer have to deal with all the bull#### that comes with using a public range.

 

[Gnome75]

POSTED RULES specifically state No cans etc, only pair targets. Shooting over the backstop causes a richocet problem,that's why I mentioned it, it shows ignorance or disregard for club rules (posted prominently on the wall of all our club's ranges.

Just because its a rule dose not mean it is needed. Saying that tin cans and plastic bottles are a bad idea is just as ridiculous as saying pinned mags stops crime. Just more fudd crap forced on to us by ranges. Shooting over the backstop/berm is not a ricochet issue. its just an issue because that is dangerous

 

[big bear]

Just because its a rule dose not mean it is needed. Saying that tin cans and plastic bottles are a bad idea is just as ridiculous as saying pinned mags stops crime. Just more fudd crap forced on to us by ranges. Shooting over the backstop/berm is not a ricochet issue. its just an issue because that is dangerous

May be fudd rules but they are made by the Provincial Chief Firearms Officer. He has the power to close any range which does not follow the issued regulations. When range inspected in past bullet strikes near firing lines from handgun use at " ground targets" was noted and specific order was given to prevent this given. I don't like cleaning up after other people at the range, so bring targets, if you need audible/visual stimulation get appropriate steel reactive targets. take your cans and bottles to the recycling depot, get $, use $ to buy ammo, seems smart to me. The guy had $2,000 worth of handguns, I'm sure he could afford some targets.

Signed:

Mr. Fudd who loves to shoot his Colts, Smiths as much as possible.

 

[Wendell]

You did everything that you could have done, except for the evidence-taking part.

This is 2019, so people are going to expect you to have video footage. Without any video, it's just your word against theirs.