The Gun Counter

I went shootin' at the indoor range tonight, scheduled for lane 3 at 5pm. The lane was open, so I went in a little early. The range was busy, most lanes were in use. A young couple were on lane 1, just going to town--their bad guy target was set about three yards downrange. Every magazine was shot rapid fire, and they were shooting as fast as they could reload. Most shots were hitting the left side wall or ceiling, a few appeared to hit the target carrier rail. The target looked rather like it had been shot with a shotgun at some distance, perforated over its entirety. I walked over and told them they were hitting the wall and such, the guy just goes, "Yeah!" with a big shit eating grin on his face. They left soon after. I mentioned it to the people working behind the counter when I left, evidently they were aware of what was going on--they said they were watching, and had several complaints, though I was the only person to talk to the miscreants. One guy behind the counter was busily typing on the PC, evidently documenting the incident. It looked like a shooting date, the guy trying to impress his GF. Membership at the club is not cheap. I suspect someone is about to lose theirs. .

Thanks for posting that. Makes me realize just how lucky I am!

I overheard a conversation at an indoor gun range. "We tell them, give them written instructions and still every night we sweep up broken glass from overhead light bulbs,and have to repair target carriers and wires."

At every indoor range I've been to, that behavior will get you a warning almost immediately, and kicked out if you are non-compliant. Usually there's a "one shot every two seconds" or "no rapid fire" limitation.

I sometimes engage in rapid fire at the indoor range, and they let me do it--I keep all my shots on target. The staff generally keep a close eye on the shooters, looking for any unsafe behavior, and come down hard on them if they do misbehave. There was once a guy in the lane next to me, practicing his draw from a six o'clock IWB holster (small of the back). The manager at the time told me that they kept an eye on him, and were ready to shut him down, but darned if they could see him doing anything wrong. He never swept anybody or anything during his draws.

The two range employees I saw on duty last night were both new--one was a petite young lady, the other a guy who didn't look like the confrontational type. They were aware of what was going on, but let it go, just reported it to the boss, I guess. Another member was talking to them about it when I left the range area, he said I was the only person to confront the miscreants. The moron in question appeared to think (if at all) that he was doing nothing wrong. The range's reservation system tracks who is on any lane and when, they know who the clown was. I had an email exchange with the owner, I have no doubt they will pull the guy's membership. He does not like people shooting up his structure.

Don't get me started. My club was closed for a year while we put in a baffle structure. Reopened...and had people shooting up the support columns. Not deliberately, but you had folks who would not pay attention to what was behind the target - and if you put something up at 3-7 yards, that can be quite a bit.

Me? I'm a firm believer in a solid grounding in the precision disciplines. But that's hard.

Reminds me of an idiot I saw one day at our local outdoor range.

I was taking my time, evaluating handloads,when this fellow drives up in his truck, takes out his rifle (a modern bolt action, I don't recall the make), and proceeds to set up. Just he and I on the range, so I cease fire while he posts a target.

He proceeds to shot up a box of ammo without zeroing, just as fast as he can jerk the trigger and reload, then gets pissed off, grabs the rifle by the barrel and whacks it against a convenient tree until the stock breaks off. He picks up the pieces and tosses it all the trash barrel, stalks out, gets in this truck and slings gravel all over the range as he leaves.

So, I'm sitting there, wondering if he bent the barrel? The action is probably okay, and I'm plotting how I can get the rifle off the range without being seen. Then I hear his truck fishtail onto the gravel road and he roars up, locks all the wheels and fishtails to a stop, gets out of the truck and scowls at me. Then he fishes the parts of his rifle out of the trash barrel, drops it all in the back of the truck, and roars off.

You see the damndest things on a public range.

Sounds like a good way to dispose of evidence

I live 5 minutes away from a public range. The range officer is an ODNR employee and a friend of mine.
The stories...

One fellow was upset that he had to wait in line for a rifle bench on a busy Saturday.
So he took his AK over to the shotgun range and started shooting at the clay birds left on the hill.
They confiscated his range permit and escorted him off the property.

Same range, different day There was this older fellow who showed up with a Browning BAR (the sporting BAR, not the war BAR). He loads four magazines. The line goes cold and he walks down to post a target.

He's sitting at the bench next to me, and when the line goes hot, he loads one magazine. BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, just as as he can pull the trigger. He drops the mag inserts another, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM!

By this time I'm sitting, watching the guy. He looks up at me and says "It doesn't shoot good until it gets hot." Then he loads another magazine. BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM.