Range etiquette or lack of

[Jeff L]

OK here's my range rant, I'll keep it short. I'm at 100yd outdoor range with my son last weekend. An hour into the session and this yahoo set up 2 benches away us with a tricked out scoped Ruger 22 semi auto target pistol complete with custom bench rest. I'm trying to focus on how my son is shooting my 03A3 when I start getting hot shells down my collar. So I go drag one of the screens out to set up up next to him keep the shells in his area. "Oh gee I'm sorry" he says. I had my head too far up my ars to notice I'm spraying brass everywhere. He's probably one of those guys who loud chats on his cell phone in crowded public places.

After shooting for a half an hour or so, he packs up leaving his brass everywhere. At this range (and I guess most ranges) you're expected to sweep up your brass when you're done and dump it in the brass bucket.

Thanks for letting me vent.

-Jeff L

[John Kepler]

Never shot in a Highpower Match next to a Garand, have you Jeff? And you think a .22 case is annoying...try getting a hot .30-06 down your neck!!

[Maury Krupp]

At a match hot brass is part of the admission price

At a public range not so much.

But I'll be the first to admit I'm usually too focused on where my *bullet* is going to worry about where my *brass* is going so I try to give other folks a little slack when it happens to me.

If someone else's brass (or BP smoke, muzzle brake, etc) is really annoying I'll move or make a polite mention to the offender. Most folks are happy to accomodate.

No excuse for not policing brass though; even .22RF.

So maybe that guy really was just an a$$hole

Maury

[John Kepler]

Back in my old Garand days....the first thing I did when I claimed my firing point was apologize to the shooter on my right! He was going to get "hot ones" in his general direction, and there wasn't a hell of a lot I could do about it. Like Maury said....hot brass at a Match is part of the equation, and Garands aren't the only culprits.....I've gotten showered by plenty of .223 brass too. Most people shooting .22 RF don't consider their spent cases "brass", and so, rarely police what they don't consider a problem....if any range is coated in metal, the bulk of it will be.22's (with a hefty admixture of 7.62X39).

[Dave in NGA]

Ouch!! That one hit close to home. I guess I'm guilty of not policing 22 RF brass. I just never thought about cleaning it up since it is constantly underfoot. I do police my centerfire brass and any other I can find or use. I usually try to set up on the end bench to keep my brass from hitting anyone else and to keep clear of other shooters.

As for etiquette, I left the State range for a private club because the last time I went to the public range a fellow came out with his 'tricked out' AK and no targets. From two lanes over he decided my 100 yard target looked just fine for his needs. Not a word was exchanged, but I sure wanted to throttle him. I picked up and left posthaste.

[Jeff L]

No, I've never shot a high power competition, but it's on my to do list. I need to shoot better first.

Even though a many folks go out their to do their own thing, there is usually some sense of community standards at the range. I try to be aware of the situation I going into and I would expect others to do the same. Most of the ranges I've been to, you police your own brass. If you think about it it's a slip hazard, especially for senior shooters.

I would take issue with some yahoo shooting up my target on purpose. I would have reported him to the range officer and let them deal with him. People like that ruin it for everyone else and give shooter sports enthusiasts a bad name.

-Jeff L

[Maury Krupp]

No, I've never shot a high power competition, but it's on my to do list. I need to shoot better first...

Before John says it I will...

You don't "need to shoot better first" you need to get to a match, get on the line, and shoot *period*

Shooting at matches, especially local club matches, where you can watch what those guys with P100 and DR pins on their hats do and those same guys can coach you is the best, most effective, and, most important, no-kiddin' fun way to start "shooting better."

Maury

[John Kepler]

Jeff....simply to reinforce what Maury has said...get to a match NOW! It is simply the very best way to learn how to obtain your goal of shooting better that exists. You'll be shooting better after your first match than you will in years on your own (endless repetition of "2+2=5" won't help your arithmetic skills, and certainly won't teach you differential calculus!). Your fellow competitors are also the very best teachers, and all are willing to help. What few modest skills I have gained over the years were learned at matches, and could have happened no where else.

[dhuze]

I am going to reiterate with John and Maury. You aren't going to get laughed at. There are planty of shooters at high power matches who are not shooting at the top level. I was one of the lowest when I started. I'm still not at the top, but I shoot a lot better. We have junior shooters who struggle at every match, but they have fun and thats what it is all about anyways. Having fun. I shot my worst off hand ever (and I'm counting the first time I ever shot one) at my last match. Nobody mentioned a thing. By worst ever I mean I missed my target twice and shot out of scoring twice. I haven't even shot out of scoring in 5 years let alone missed the target. And it doesn't bother me either. I just wasn't on.

[Jim in Salt Lake]

I am going to reiterate with John and Maury. You aren't going to get laughed at. There are planty of shooters at high power matches who are not shooting at the top level. I was one of the lowest when I started. I'm still not at the top, but I shoot a lot better. We have junior shooters who struggle at every match, but they have fun and thats what it is all about anyways. Having fun. I shot my worst off hand ever (and I'm counting the first time I ever shot one) at my last match. Nobody mentioned a thing. By worst ever I mean I missed my target twice and shot out of scoring twice. I haven't even shot out of scoring in 5 years let alone missed the target. And it doesn't bother me either. I just wasn't on.

I second that emotion! I have plenty of room to improve with rifle, pistol, and shotgun. My son and I just went to the Utah High Power State Championship last weekend. This is my son's first year and he was pretty intimidated to be at his first match. Let me tell you, all those "old men" just took him under their wings and his improvement has just been astounding, I make sure I eavesdrop on all the advice and I'm finally getting the wind down at 600. People will help you, just ask questions. Go shoot a match, even if you don't have all the equipment. People will lend you their extra scope, scrounge a carpet scrap for your mat, use an old ski glove, etc. And take your sons! This is becoming a sport of old men and we need to change that.