Range Report Why do some old guys know it all??? LOL

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Why do some old guys know it all??? LOL

James;

That's a big reputation to try and live up to. But its definitely worth the effort. If a thing is worth doing, it's also worth passing on; and I think folks who deliberately omit this step may be harboring a character flaw.

As for old guys just killin' ya, I can savvy the inclination, but have not (yet) been tempted to do the actual deed. I think it's mainly about having reached the point where that one more whiner/poser pushes them over the edge. Patence is a valuable thing..., up to a point...; then it's "Katie, bar the door...".

Greg

 

[5RWill]

Re: Why do some old guys know it all??? LOL

I don't mind people that aren't acustom to change, as my father is just like that. He honestly thinks he can out shoot me @ 500yds with his .308 hunting rifle zeroed at 100yds, no adjustments, no data, no nothing. Not that it can't be done by any means but the way he is going about doing it is impractical. Also every time i come back from shooting groups and i tell him they were at 100yds he says ignorantly "they should be in the same hole" Back when he actually cared about shooting and shot i would say he could, but now i sort of doubt his abilities with a rifle. He probably does it all to aggravate me. A shotgun on the other hand he can put me to shame with. The thing i don't like is when you find gunsmiths like the old man the OP described. Won't accept anything but "their" way.

 

[Lburt]

Re: Why do some old guys know it all??? LOL

When I was 19, I was the smartest person I knew. By the time I turned 40, I began to realize that I was just barely smart enough to recognize how dumb I truly am. Now that I am 65, I tend to do a lot more listening and learning. I get some real good laughs listening to all the 19 year olds that are just like I was at that age; and I spend a lot more time recognizing how dumb I've become.

 

[DAFAR]

Re: Why do some old guys know it all??? LOL

when I was in my early twenties I used to think I knew just about everything about guns ,,,,, lets just say the the last 20 years have been a humbling expieience

 

[5RWill]

Re: Why do some old guys know it all??? LOL

I'm 20 but i got into the forums and guns 3 or 4 years ago and have had people set me straight early on when i started getting into it. So i feel like i know a decent bit but there is still much to learn and i'm open to learning. I went back and looked at my post when i first joined thefiringline and realized how dumb and immature i sounded.

 

[kraigWY]

Re: Why do some old guys know it all??? LOL

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">We were beside a guy shooting off hand at 100yds when the guy with him said "good shooting"....and he replied "ought to be I was a sniper in Vietnam". So I had to ask what he shot as a sniper in Vietnam....he replied "M-16...its all I needed".</div></div>

Of course you do know there were M16 Sniper Systems used in Vietnam, they got confirm kills to 700 yards. Some used the Realist autoranging telescope and suppressors.

Besides that Colt made a 4X scope for the M16/AR15, that were quite good. When you consider the average snipper shot in SE Asia was just north of 400 yards, the M16A1 was more then capable.

Maybe its a good thing you didn't call the guy on it.

 

[Pat M]

Re: Why do some old guys know it all??? LOL

I do know it all,
you all are just wrong -
now get over it and do as i say -
if it dose not work you fuc*ed it up somehow and that's not my fault.

 

[kraigWY]

Re: Why do some old guys know it all??? LOL

MAC-V had everything, cooks, supply, clerks and yes, even fuel handlers.

But I wasn't eitehr, SF or MAC-V

Every VN Vet isnt a poser.

 

[Rthur]

Re: Why do some old guys know it all??? LOL

I understand where you are coming from and have experienced some of the same. However last week I had the pleasure of shooting with a gentleman by the name of Pete. Watching him shoot was a lesson in the fundamentals of accuracy. I think if he was any more relaxed while shooting he could take a nap. I truly enjoyed my time with him while shooting.

Rthur

 

[jwoolf]

Re: Why do some old guys know it all??? LOL

I think you did the right thing but, I'd have given him his money back. That way the lesson really would have been rammed home that, no, you're not a little smart ass and, then, he'd have more to really think about.

Anyone willing to oversimplify the subject of rifle accuracy to a 2" 100yd group obviously has some other issues he needs to address.

 

[ggmanning]

Re: Why do some old guys know it all??? LOL

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: kraigWY</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">We were beside a guy shooting off hand at 100yds when the guy with him said "good shooting"....and he replied "ought to be I was a sniper in Vietnam". So I had to ask what he shot as a sniper in Vietnam....he replied "M-16...its all I needed".</div></div>

Of course you do know there were M16 Sniper Systems used in Vietnam, they got confirm kills to 700 yards. Some used the Realist autoranging telescope and suppressors.

Besides that Colt made a 4X scope for the M16/AR15, that were quite good. When you consider the average snipper shot in SE Asia was just north of 400 yards, the M16A1 was more then capable.

Maybe its a good thing you didn't call the guy on it. </div></div>

Thanks for the info....did not know that Kraig....maybe this should be labeled "why do middle aged guys know it all"

In this guys case he was definitely no sniper....horrible shot, very poor mechanics and couldn't tell me where he served. I wouldn't have called him on any of it anyway...no need to give him grief and I would never call out even the most ridiculous...never worth it. But I do enjoy the answers I get to some of my questions.

 

[shoot4fun]

Re: Why do some old guys know it all??? LOL

As an older friend once told a mouthy young punk, "Don't fuck with me! Life in prison ain't that long in my case."

My how our perspective changes as we age. Everything I thought I knew when I was 21 is now everything I wish I had known.

 

[Lindy]

Re: Why do some old guys know it all??? LOL

The older I get, the less I find that I know.

Someone, though, said, "Never pick on an old guy. If he's too tired to fight, he'll just kill you."

 

[lomfs24]

Re: Why do some old guys know it all??? LOL

This story made me chuckle a little. Now I realize I am no where near some of the marksmen on this site and I don't pretend to be.

One day at the range I was a couple tables down from a couple kids. I don't know what they were shooting but I know it had a great big heavy barrel on it and was topped with a great big scope. I also know that they had a great big spotting scope. All this wonderful gear was being shot at the 100yd pistol gong. A steel plate 36" in diameter. One guy would get all set on the rifle and bi-pod and would aim for what seemed an eternity and finally squeeze off a shot. The friend looking on in the spotting scope would call out "high right" "low left" "low right" "hit" and the two girlfriends standing behind were nodding in agreement of the calls. He was hitting the steel gong about one out of 5 shots.
I watched in amazement for as long as I possibly could. I finally had to load up a 30rd AR-15 mag. When they took a short break I rattled 30 rounds down range as fast as I could squeeze the trigger and didn't miss a single one. Granted it wasn't an inch group either but all 30 were on steel.
All four of them looked over and slowly began to pack up to leave.
Not a single word was spoken.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Re: Why do some old guys know it all??? LOL

You must be so proud of your own self, HUH?

Grow up.........

 

[shoot4fun]

Re: Why do some old guys know it all??? LOL

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: lumpy grits</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You must be so proud of your own self, HUH?

Grow up......... </div></div>

+1000 for my fellow old guy.

 

[Mn_Shooter]

Re: Why do some old guys know it all??? LOL

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: James in Wyoming</div><div class="ubbcode-body">That's a pretty amusing story. There is, however, another category of "old guy" out there. Not seen too often at public ranges, they usually have their own and generally shoot only with trusted friends. They're definitely gray-haired, going to white, lots of weather lines around the eyes. But the eyes...still pretty clear and they have that unmistakable look that combat guys recognize immediately. They may need bifocals to see the scope knobs, but then they handily shoot everything to 600 with holdovers and do it right now. You watch them shoot, and they do everything the same, every time, and they don't miss often. They aren't usually in cammies but if they are, it's often something foreign like Rhodesian or very faded Brit DPMs, maybe ancient woodland or tiger stripes. They are generally very low profile and don't have anything to prove to anyone, having "been there and done that" long before many on this board were born. But, if you ask them for advice or a little help with the wind, they give it freely without ostentation or claiming superior knowledge, just shooter talking to shooter. These are guys who are a wealth of information, but you have to ask them, they don't offer it up as gospel and they don't pontificate. And, they've generally mellowed a bit with age, but you know what they say..."don't fuck with an old guy, he'll just kill you."
Best,
James </div></div>

Thank you James!! This reminded me of an old guy I met at a range a few years back. He was bound to a wheelchair. Didn't shoot much but love to get out and watch. And the smell is what he missed most. I let him crack off a few with my new SBR. A short while later, he passed on.

 

[Fuzzball]

Re: Why do some old guys know it all??? LOL

I'm a stately 70 now and found this to be an amusing read. My eyes and joints aren't as good as they used to be but, the older I get the better I was. Well, not so much actually but that IS the way a lot of old guys get. Thing is, I strongly suspect most old 'know it alls' were very probably exactly the same pain in the arse when they were twenty.

It amuses me at times when I read web posts and get told how many years some guy has been shootin' and loadin', (or has a high post count) as if that translates into some high level of knowledge; it does not. It's not how long we've been doing something that counts, it's how much we've learned. As someone suggested above, some people have 30 years of experience, some only have 1 year of learning that they've confidently repeated 30 times without learning any more.

Truly knowledgeable people are usually quite comfortable leaving stubborn others in their self-satisfied fog. It's been my experience that the more someone actually knows the less likely he is to get into an argument trying to prove himself by insisting others submit with him or get personally snide and insulting and age rarely plays a signficant part in it.

 

[Fieldman_.308]

Re: Why do some old guys know it all??? LOL

Great information can come from anyone anywhere if you are willing to be receptive. That being said when I look for answers to what boggles me I typically find myself referring to someone thats tried it or "been there". I'm not sure that means young or old.

Does age poison us, or do we poison age? ~Astrid Alauda