I stopped by the range last Wednesday to check the zero on one of my rifles. When I arrived, there was an elderly gentleman there and he was shooting from 200 yards. As I watched him, he would shoot one round, walk down to the target, walk back, shoot one and again walk down to the target.

I checked the zero on my rifle and he told me that his rifle wasn't hitting the target. He had a Remington 742 with a very old Bushnell scope. I fired his rifle at 100 yards, no hit. I fired at 50 yards, no hit. I finally fired at 20 feet and the round hit 2 feet low and left. After firing a few more rounds I discovered the windage and elevation adjustments would not work. I also noticed that his rings and base were a one piece affair with the rings hinged on one side of the base so you can move the scope out of the way to use the iron sights. The front ring would not clamp on the base.

I advised him to buy a new scope and get a quality base and set of rings and have them mounted if he didn't want to do it and I then removed the scope, base and rings so he could zero with his iron sights. The rifle itself was pretty accurate.

This gentleman also really didn't know how to operate the rifle. Wasn't sure how to get the magazine out, which direction the cartridges should face in the magazine, etc.

I found out this gentleman was leaving in about one hour to drive around 100 miles to meet his son so they could drive together to go elk hunting and he had just bought the rifle and scope used that day to use on the elk hunt.

Sadly, you only witnessed one example of what happens most likely every day this time of year. For about the last three months leading up to deer season in my parts the public range just aint a safe place to be and I'm sure it's like that most anywhere. I do try to help when I see people that need it and think thats a good thing you did but the bad part is the ones that have never missed an episode of Buck Masters and have read every article ever written about the caliber there using so they dang sure don't need no help.

Back when GUN PARTS CORP sold old mil-surps the story was all the ill-prepared types would go up to the main facility and up all the mil-surps and a pocket full of ammo as well....

Robert,
Nothing suprises me much. I have seen guys like that who have just paid $10,000 U.S. for a big game hunt. I asked one fellow where his gun was sighted at 100 yards, he replied," the GUY AT THE GUN STORE sighted it in 2 inches high at 100 yards."

Daryl

Robert
Just out of interest how are your rangers run over your way. You said that the old bloke fired one shot then walked to the target, walked back and fired another. Over here if you walked pass the firing line all hell would break loose. We have a range controller who will call a cease fire every 20 minutes or so, then you must clear your rifle, leave the action open and step back from the benches, a check is made to make sure actions are open and rifles are cleared then you get the go ahead to check targets.

Is that simular to your ranges or do different ranges have different rules?
Bakes

Bakes,

I shoot at a private range with a covered firing line and target frames on berms at 100, 200, and 300 yards.

Whenever there is an organized event there is a rangemaster.

The rest of the time the members (shooters) are responsible for safety. There is a system of buzzers and lights that one turns on before going down range. When busy it works out to about once every twenty minutes, as you say.

Many times I'm the only person there on a weekday evening.

Don

The range I use is a club range on private property. You are given the combination to the lock on the gate. When you show up to shoot, you go in and shoot. If there are others already there, you can wait until they leave or work it out amongst yourselves when you go down range.

When I showed up, he was the only one there.

Hvy Varmint, ah yes, they can talk that talk but are clueless when they have to walk that walk. At a public or private range, if you watch to see which guys continue their conversations during the safety briefing by the rangemaster 'cause they know it all, you will be looking at the a**h**** most likely to create a scarey situation.

My best story is a fellow with a $2500 HK91, $250 removeable rings, a very large Leupold, firing box after box of factory 308 and could not find the paper at 50 yards. Start with a .22 rimfire and work up!