Kinda funny range story.

[PhOnEpHrEaK]

So my buddy talked me into going to the range with him today. Normally I just shoot in a field out behind the house but I figured why not it'll be fun. Got there got set up, my buddy decided that he was going to shoot his AR first before he grabs the bolt guns. All I have here is an 700 .308 in an AICS, so that's what I pulled pulled out first and got set up.

The looks you get at a range are priceless. The RO had to be late 60s early 70s and just glared when two 20 something year old kids walk up to check in. I didn't think much of it I get that look most of the time at ranges or competitions so I'm used to it.

As soon as the AR comes out, "no more than 10 rounds per clip!"and walked into a little building off to the side of the firing line. He only had 10 round mags with him so it was a non-issue. I get my 700 out and set up. There was only one other guy there he after he emptied his rifle he got up, and went to get the guy to call a cold range. (that was nice of him huh?) He came out called the range cold and we head down to set targets up. I glanced back when we got to the 100 yard line to see this guy about 2 feet from my rifle staring it, okay.. no big deal he's not touching it whatever. Walked up to 200 yards placed a few more targets and headed back.

The first comment I got from him when I got back was "so... what kind of elephant gun you got there?" Of course I got a huge smile and was like oh its just a little .308. "Oh.. really?" He called the line hot and walked back into his hut.

After about a hour I was starting to wrap things up a little and just for practice I always fire a 5 shot group as fast as i can work the bolt just to practice working the bolt, staying on target, recoil control, all that good stuff. My buddy decided he was going to switch rifles so he was in the process of casing his ar when I did this.

I had just fired the 5th round when the olé man comes bursting out of the hut. "I SAID NO RAPI...." and he just stopped when he seen that my friend was standing next to his cased AR by the bench. He looked like he was going to go off but didn't know who to go off on. there were only two rifles out, mine, with the bolt back and the other guy had a 7mag that was also a bolt. The look on his face was priceless, he just turned around and walked back into his hut.

I found it very entertaining. I didn't know rapid firing a bolt was against the rules or even considered possible..

Anybody else have similar experiences?

 

[Sean the Nailer]

Up here in Canada, I have yet to go to a "monitored" outdoor range. Used to belong to an indoor pistol range, but that was a totally different story. Seeing as it was the only one in town, everyone practiced their IPSC, PPC, and whatnot there. Rapid-fire, double-taps, and (at the time) high capacity mags were par-for-the-course.

Now that only "up to 10 rounds" magazines are the law here, the country is a safer place. There ain't no crime, murders, or robbery here anymore. Utopia, right here.

All that being said, though, and all the sarcasm being spewed, the 'pit ranges that I used to go to have all been outlawed by again "said rulemakers". See previous sentence and revert back to previous sentiment.

I'm just glad to hear that you were at the range, had a good time, and seemed to have been progressful in your 'training'.

 

[MontanaKid]

Yep, the public range can be an interesting place. It's probably a good thing the RO's are the way they are. There's lots of new shooter's these days and to be blunt about it, most of them need to be coached quite a bit. It's always nice to have some new guy muzzle sweep the whole crowd with his AR. Being 20, my only gripe is to get some younger RO's. I went to the range yesterday to zero my AR's and every RO must have been 60+. Nice guys to hang around and shoot with, they're just a little behind the times of technology. (EOtechs, Aimpoints, etc.) I brought my DD MK18 pistol out of the case and the RO made some comment about it being an SBR, so I had to educate him a little bit. In the end, a day of shooting guns is a good day in my book.

 

[ScudMarket]

Gotta love the looks at the ranges. It's more funny when you pick up a firearm from the gun shop, and people next to you. They want to grab (grope) and so on. While your filling out the FFL paperwork.

 

[TheGerman]

Things like this is why I in NO WAY miss having to go to a range to shoot. When the wife and I were considering places to move to, one of the considerations was area/public land to shoot on for this exact reason.

 

[PhOnEpHrEaK]

Gotta love the looks at the ranges. It's more funny when you pick up a firearm from the gun shop, and people next to you. They want to grab (grope) and so on. While your filling out the FFL paperwork.

Oh yes I've had my rifle transferred back and forth a few times between home and college. The first time I had it shipped here before the guy opened the box he was like "So what're we picking up here? "Oh just a Remington 700 I has shipped from home." I opened the box while he was doing whatever with the paper work his jaw pretty much hit the floor when I opened the case. Then of course the other customers, and I'm just standing there thinking "don't you touch my baby!"

 

[VJJPunisher]

I go to the local conservation dept range wearing a speedo thong and flip flops, when I shoot my SKS from the hip the other onlookers are jeleous of my awsomeness

 

[sib1948]

I get most looks at the public range when I arrive and uncase my custom 308 and Barrett MRAD 338, since I seem to be the only one shooting prone between the benches. Then when I stick on my 3" Shoot and See targets and walk out to 200 yds, they are very skeptical, since most are having trouble shooting their 12-15" targets at 100 yds. When I bring my target frame in and they see all 5 shots easily within the 10 3" targets I placed, they're amazed. I often let others shoot my rifles, but have to coach them. My MRAD is the most fun with almost anyone is easily less than 1 MOA at 100 yds with less kick than my 308. Those on each side of me appreciate that I shoot the MRAD prone and not up on the bench.

One day while I was coaching someone on shooting the MRAD on the bench, a RO was watching from the side (7-8 feet away) and his sunglasses blew off when the guy fired. The worst thing at a public range shooting prone is when a Yahoo sets up to the left of me and starts shooting his AR or semi auto pistol and starts raining hot brass on me. I just switch to the other side of the bench, after giving them a dirty stare. Brass catchers are available to attach to your bench. Duh!

We have 2 nice LR public ranges in the Phoenix area and I appreciate the ROs. Once you get certified on the separate Highpower Range, you can shoot steel and paper targets to 500 yds with no ROs. The shooters all decide when to make the line COLD. I wouldn't feel safe without ROs on the Open Public Range though. They have pistol and rifle matches every day from air rifle to black powder and steel pistol course. Skeet, archery and UKD hunting seberios. Even a dedicated 50cal bench! Great fun for one and all. Watching the black powder and M1 Girand matches is truly a lesson in marksmanship.

ROs help people properly clear their weapons when they jam. All 60 lanes are jammed each weekend even in the 110 degree heat. Whole families shoot with kids down to age 6. Great fun and promoting gun safety to the young ones. People still try to go to the tables and handle their weapons when the line is COLD. How hard is that to remember?

AZ is open or CC even without CCW permit. I could never live in a weapon hostile state (won't even vacation and spend my money in one) and can't believe CO went over to the dark side this year, plus legalized marijuana! If we could somehow just ban all liberals. Most won't even come to AZ or Texas (good for us). My indoor range promotes Machine Guns with Santa photos for Christmas cards each year and hundreds show up of all ages (even babies). This event has made the National news over the Holidays the last several years! On your birthday you get to shoot 60 rounds free out of one of 30-40 full auto MGs you can choose from with supervision. I've seen whole families from California stop by and spend $500 or more just to shoot the MGs. $85 dollars for nonmembers per 60 rounds. AZ's answer to Disneyland.

At least 90% of AZ is Federal land or Indian Reservation, so plenty of good open areas to shoot, if you look for them as long as the fire danger is low and you get permission or pay a guide from the tribe on the Indian property. Good Shooting where ever you are...

 

[Sharpsman]

No! I don't shoot around IDIOTS! Oh...I'm my own 'old RO'!!

 

[tomcat mv]

I go to the local conservation dept range wearing a speedo thong and flip flops, when I shoot my SKS from the hip the other onlookers are jeleous of my awsomeness

I did this the other day at my home club and just tole them that my handle was Shankster or something tho that effect.

 

[Tomekeuro85]

I was at my range I go to on sunday... My friend and I had just gotten there and set out our pistols when they called a target break. I told him not even to touch the guns during the range break because that's the club rules.

After we put our targets up we started putting bullets in our mags. Guns were on the table with slides racked.


The RO runs over and yells at us "HEY YOU GUYS CANT BE TOUCHING GUNS ON A RANGE BREAK!"


I politely told him, the guns are on the table, we are loading the mags.


His answer.... "Doesn't matter, its dangerous to be handling guns when people are down range"


He went over to some of the other shooters on the line and told them "You guys gotta be careful those guys down there are messing with their guns while you guys are down range"


I made it a point to go up to them and explain what really happened. That's the whole reason I like to go towards the end of the day when everyone is gone and I can shoot alone without some of the crazy range officers on their power trips.


Granted I understand there's people who really do dangerous stuff, but come on.

 

[milo 2.0]

Even a bad day at the range, or an incident with an idiot or two is still better than walking through Wal mart. One must remember, the idiot and yourself share a common bond!

 

[docdredd]

I HATE pubic ranges. just the thought of walking down range with some short bus commando behind me causes all the hairs on my back to stand up. Add to that RO's that think anything faster than a muzzle loader is rapid fire, and Im glad I have access to farms to shoot on. The one and only time I was ever asked to leave a range was because I refused to relinquish my CCW piece. I NEVER go down range with out it , The RO said no loaded guns (Except for his Open carry one of course) so I thanked him and packed my shit up and went home.

 

[wilecoyote]

...one month ago one of the RO's on my local club claimed that smoking is forbidden on the shooting stands_
he was answered that that was none of his business, because anyone here smokes his own cigarettes, without stoling them away from the next man's pack...

 

[gmz71]

Some of the stories you guys tell, make me feel extremely lucky to have my own range.

 

[wilecoyote]

...if not all, here I can feel me lucky to have my own cigarettes_

 

[GunMax]

Sometimes you never know what you are going to get at the range

 

[rideHPD]

Ironically here, in CA, where most everything is banned, or soon to be (seriously, they're working on all semis that feed from other than internal mags) I've seen civvies with SBRs and F/As on the range I usually go to. ROs will ask if they are MIL/LEO, and they never are, as the ROs already know the ones that are most of the time. Really makes you wonder just how ignorant some people are of the law. SBRs I can understand, but it seems to be pretty straight forward that that is a no-go.

The absolute best time was when 3 dudes in a POS old Civic rolled up to one of the smaller ranges reserved for pistols/carbines while just an RO and 1 shooter were there. All long dark hair down their backs, all black clothing, pull out 1 AK and start taking turns. After the first mag one of them pulls a bong out of the car, tokes up, then loads a mag and goes to town. I kid you not. The range policy at the time was that no one may consume alcohol and then shoot, but said nothing of drugs, and the RO didn't want to inquire if they had a "medical" license so he let them be. That has changed since, but it does make for a ridiculous story.

 

[tylerw02]

Oh yes I've had my rifle transferred back and forth a few times between home and college. The first time I had it shipped here before the guy opened the box he was like "So what're we picking up here? "Oh just a Remington 700 I has shipped from home." I opened the box while he was doing whatever with the paper work his jaw pretty much hit the floor when I opened the case. Then of course the other customers, and I'm just standing there thinking "don't you touch my baby!"

You may find you can legally ship your rifle to yourself if you do a little research. I'd recommend taking a look.

 

[rideHPD]

Although I can't say because I wasn't there...but I'm sure there are some individuals in CA exempt from the legal bans most civilian' s encounter.

In Minnesota (another state that is forced to suffer for the crimes of its Metropolitan centers not the state as a whole) DPMS has been shown even on television to possess suppressors.

And I've heard certain weapons dealers have loopholes so maybe what you saw was dealers not an individual breaking the law. But I honestly don't know for certain.

I thought about that, and now after doing some research I found that there's more than the one Class 3 SOT dealer around here I already knew, as he's the only one who readily advertises it. He does have a stock of SBRs and F/As that he has for/from demos that he's allowed to have, and shoot. So now in that context it seems quite plausible that's what the deal was. I guess that case will fall between a known unknown and an unknown unknown in Rumsfeld's Theory of Known Knowns, Known Unknowns and Unknown Unknowns.