When you go to your range to test loads, try and shoot tight groups at 100-200 yds etc , practice with your rifle, Do others that show up to just blast cans, golfballs, old propane tanks, plastic water bottles etc with there pistols and semi autos irratate you while you are trying to consentrate?

I belong to a small range club, with maybe 8 rifle benches and a few pistol tables. Its a members only club and others are allowed sat and sunday 10-2.

I try and go to the range very early or late in the day to avoid the Yahoos shooter. If some one else shows up I usually just pack up and leave depending who it is.

Id say 95% of the people that come out are just there to blast a guns and dont even set up a nice target. They just bring trash to shoot at or just shoot trash that others have left. Make a shit load of noise and many show up drunk and most dont have a clue about safety or range edicate.

Saturday and sunday after 10am we have a range master only and usually have semi organised shoots.

Ive addressed the club board members and range master and I have permission to kick out any drunks. We pickup the junk, propane cans, etc on weekends and its a endless endevor.

I enjoy the range when noone else is there!

The club I use has about 2000 members, 14 rifle shooting stages to 300 yard, trap range, 24 position pistol range, combat range, plinking range, and archery range and 50 foot indoor range.

Very strick rules are in place, all members get a back ground check, must adhere to all safety rules and no shooting of cans or any of that foolishness is allowed. Members who break rules are expelled with extreme prejudice.

Our club is NRA and CMP sanctioned so it must keep these type of rules enforced.

I worked at a larger gun club(now closed down) when i was in high school and college years ago.

This range is a small, very low budget, pretty rinkydink and mainly a group of good old boys that have trap shoots and set up a sportying clays shoot most weekends.

Your comments make me real proud of the club that I belong to. We have very strict rules and no nonsense at our club.
Good Luck to you.

Fortunately the range here is government owned and operated... There is no shooting of trash or anything else other then targets... Safety rules come first and shooting sessions are closely managed and supervised...

Ken....

Hey GSP7, Once that kind of stuff gets started, it is very difficult to get stopped. I've shot at Ranges similar to what you are talking about and it is impossible to concentrate because of having to keep an eye on the Yahoos. You have my sympathy.
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Went to a nice quiet range today that I made on some property which I have access to. Went out there and looked it over a couple of weeks ago. Horse Weeds taller than my head in some spots.

Also found a HUGE WHOPPER TROPHY Deer Track and went with my camera to get it. But, the dozer beat me to it and it was erased. Did find some BIG Deer Tracks and the Owner of the place happened to come driving up as I was shooting the camera. He was laughing and said, "I just KNOW you are drooling over the Deer Tracks!!!" And of course, he was correct.

Got BIG Red out and cut a nice long shooting lane last week. Even planned it so I shoot from beneath a large Sycamore to provide shade all-day-long.

Plan A - called for making a Shooting Table. After using it one time, it is now called "Ole Wiggly" and serves as a place to stack firearms while cleaning and cooling. Couldn't shoot off it with anything even approximating accuracy.

Plan B - called for shooting off the Tailgate and that did right well today. The ZR2 is quite solid. Just had to get a stool the right height and two old plastic milk crates work fine.

Plan C - is to eventually build a Bench " if " it won't bother the Owner. I plan to use the Tailgate for awhile and talk to him about it sometime in the Future.

He dozed a lane to a creek yesterday which surprised me. He mentioned it today and told me to go sit in the shade by the creek if I needed a spot to just get-away. I'll probably see him there a lot. It might just be the best Squirrel hunting spot in the state.

Anyway..., I can sure recommend a nice quiet, private Range where you can do as you please and that has a complete absence of Yahoos. It is REALLY nice!

Best of luck to you guys.

I belong to a small private range as well. It's nice, seldom crowded. There are rules though about shooting cans & crap, so don't see much of it. If I want privacy, I go about sun up. The wind conditions are far better in the am as well.

Yeah the rapid fire pistol and rifle shooters are a distraction to me. I just have to live with it.

You know? When I was a boy cans ,I think, were my favorite targets.You could put em on a rock or stick,bounce them a few times in the dump , float them down a creek, (Crick where I'm from)or play chase the can with a buddy. Can't remember any plastic bottles. Civilization has sure came a long way. Hasn't it? Too bad. roger

My shooting bench is 50 yards from my backdoor and except for my brother who shoots a couple of times a year, I am the only user. Only have a 100 yard range, but it suits me fine.

Just be glad you have a 200 yard range the only ranges near my house are both an hour away no gun clubs just 10 bucks every time you go. Its only 100 yards no rapid fire 2 seconds between shots on any of the ranges, which would be a 25 yard pistol and 100 yard rifle. The rifle range is a joke you have to shoot through steel water drainage pipes that make a loud thud sound every time you shoot, and to get to your target its like going through the jungle, seriously threes a small creak and you have to walk over a couple of boards so you don’t step in the water…. I know some of you will say you don’t need to rapid fire but come on with a 22 target pistol blasting off the clip in 5 seconds every once and a while is fun. Appreciate what you have because it could be worse.

Yep the rapid fire junkies, I call it the Rambo syndrome, can be a bit annoying. One way to immunize yourself from the effect on your shooting is to shoot a few NRA cross the course matches, which includ two rapid fire strings.

Being on the line in between fifty shooters firing 10 shots with a 60 or 70 second time limit will make your Rambo types seem like a small distraction.

Regards,
hm

Every time we have a gun show, the gangbangers show up at the range and it sounds like World War Three. AKs, AR-15s, 15 round 9MMs, some with riot type shotguns, you know the type. You get used to the noise and kind of laugh as they enrich the ammo companies.
The probably think they're getting ready for their next drive by.
I don't know how many members our club has, but since the Forest Service shut down the other club's range due to pressure from God damned developers, membership has doubled. We have everything from cowboy and combat ranges to 500 meter silhouette and even a 1,000 yard range. There are two 100 yard ranges open to the general public along witht he 500 meter range, but the other facilites are for club members only. One the public ranges, the senior club member is officially the rangemaster which is usually me when I'm ther as I've been a member for almost 28 years.
Recently, anaother developer tried to get us closed down, but this range is on state owned land and not the feds. The state literally told him to piss off. The club leases the land from the state. A nice place to shoot.
Paul B.

Most of our ranges are seperate for different types of guns. Usually miles apart. And the yobbo's usually shoot somewhere out in the bush, like me for instance. Even the dog can run around like a maniac without a range officer getting red in the face.

And guess what, no semi auto rifles allowed here anyway.

Well, I'm sure glad to see that Bushjaaps are not unique to South Africa! I recently had occasion to speak to people who were loading rifles while my buddy was taping up his target at 100m. The reply? "But there's no bullets in my gun!" That's about when it got nasty.

quote:

Originally posted by Rikkie:
Well, I'm sure glad to see that Bushjaaps are not unique to South Africa! I recently had occasion to speak to people who were loading rifles while my buddy was taping up his target at 100m. The reply? "But there's no bullets in my gun!" That's about when it got nasty.

Yep it was time to get nasty too. Some folks are soooo stupid.
Watched a guy load his rifle standing then lie prone to shoot it. In the process of stretching out he got on the trigger and shot the ground about 10 feet in front of himself. He turned and looked back at me as if to say "What did you do that for?" Then he turned his head back to shoot and almost broke his trigger pulling it before he realized it was not going to fire.
He opened the bolt of his 700 Rem in 30/06 and was amazed to eject an empty case.

If I ever meet a Genie I will wish for my own private range.

I poured a 6-foot square concrete pad waaaay out on some BLM ground. Ranged the big hill and have a 1000 yards to shoot at a 352-degree compass heading. Poured two 24" square X 12" deep concrete blocks and set on flush at 100 and one at 200. As time permits I plan to add them at 300/400/500, etc out to 1000 yards. I just made a solid bench that takes apart and go shoot whenever....

Rich
DRSS

While I can understand you frustation, remember that some of kids get into to shooting because of wanting to shoot the semi autos.

Is it annoying for me at times, well yes. But it is good training. And I have often wandered over to the guys trying to punch holes in the ground with an SKS and given them a few tips on how to shoot better. Most, not all, appreciate it.

As for shooting stuff other than targets, at my range you can shoot non metal objects (and pop cans) as long as you clean them up. Taking a kid out and having him shoot paper isn't quite as fun as having him make a pop can dance.

My Pet Range Peeve is the guys that drive up and walk up to you in the middle of shooting and ask if they can close the range down and set targets. If they would just start unloading and wait for a couple minutes people will see them and ask them if they need too.

In most situations common courtesy should be the guide but on Shooting ranges Safety is the #1 priority. I want everyone to have fun but sometimes you have to get a little rude to keep people from doing something stupid. If they can't take it they aren't mature enough to own firearms anyway..........................DJ

quote:

Originally posted by GSP7:
When you go to your range to test loads, try and shoot tight groups at 100-200 yds etc , practice with your rifle, Do others that show up to just blast cans, golfballs, old propane tanks, plastic water bottles etc with there pistols and semi autos irratate you while you are trying to consentrate?

I enjoy the range when noone else is there!

One of the best ways to train yourself to shoot well under stress is through organized competition. With so much going on around you, it requires a high level of developed discipline to concentrate. Some refer to this as "getting in your bubble". Unlike golf; shooting in combat, shooting in competiton, shooting while hunting, and (as you well know) shooting for recreation can be a busy and noisy affair.

I'd continue your efforts to remove any destructive horseplay from the firing line, but I'd also work on "getting into your bubble".

good luck,
GVA

I'm thankful that I have my own range right outside my shop door. No lines,no BS...even prop the rifles in front of the AC unit to rapidly cool the bbls after shooting strings. Sure beats dealing w/ bubba Rambo.