OMG! Mother's Day weekend at the range.

[bigbearbear]

After shooting almost every weekend for 2 years, you would think I would've learned my lessons by now. I guess I'm little dense and still choose to stick to my weekly routine of trap shooting, even on weekends associated with various celebrations (Mother's Day, Father's Day, Memorial Weekend etc).

Went to Coyote Valley Sporting Clay today (Sat) in the afternoon and immediately saw it was very crowded. Hoping for the best, wife and I proceed to check-in and walk to the trap field.

This is where trouble started. There were a lot of newbies and they were walking around the course either not wearing hearing or eye protection. Trying to be nice about it, I mentioned this to a couple of them it a nice way and they looked pissed. There was this Chinese couple who was walking next to the Skeet and Trap field without wearing eye protection, and you should have seen his face when I informed him he should put his eye protection on. He proceed to wave me away saying "yeah yeah....", then ignored the warning and continued to walk, and even sat down next to the Skeet field without eye protection.

And then there's this other group of guys with pump action shotguns at the trap field. They were loading multiple rounds into the magazine and walking around with the action of the shotgun closed. Thankfully, a range staff saw that and came by to let them know what they're doing wrong. He was a really nice about it, but this group, like the others I encountered previously, seems to take offense at this. They grumbled and basically ignore the range staff, but packed up and left.

What's wrong with people these days? When someone let you know something you're doing is dangerous and you can get hurt, I guess the new norm is to be angry and show an attitude to the stranger who was trying to save you from permanent injury to your eyes and ears?

[bk23103]

I gave up my range membership for this reason. I only plink in the fields outside of town.

[Ninety]

MYOB ?

[Merc1138]

MYOB ?

People walking around a shotgun field with guns loaded and actions closed is not MYOB time, since I prefer to not get shot by some idiot.

There are reasons for leaving actions open, only loading one round per clay, etc. It's not the same as a rifle or pistol range where the range is cold and people are leaving their guns at a bench to walk down range. As far as the ear protection, not my job to care, but I don't need some moron who didn't wear their eye protection pointing fingers in my direction when shards go flying from clays or the range closes for the day due to a mishap.

[FeuerFrei]

OP
You tried to do the right thing and safety warnings were rebuffed by ignoramuses?
Yup, that's a public/member gun range alright.

You'd think the the owner/RO/kid behind the counter (whomever) would call this out for safety sake as well as keeping the insurance company happy.
Better luck next time.

[Merc1138]

OP
You tried to do the right thing and safety warnings were rebuffed by ignoramuses?
Yup, that's a public/member gun range alright.

You'd think the the owner/RO/kid behind the counter (whomever) would call this out for safety sake as well as keeping the insurance company happy.
Better luck next time.

It's a sporting clays course, there's no counter anywhere people are shooting. It's up to shooters and the range staff periodically driving around to police it.

Think of it like a golf course, but with shotguns. People are all over the place, and the staff can't keep an eye on everyone at once.

[FeuerFrei]

It's a sporting clays course, there's no counter anywhere people are shooting. It's up to shooters and the range staff periodically driving around to police it.

Think of it like a golf course, but with shotguns. People are all over the place, and the staff can't keep an eye on everyone at once.

I don't care how big or how small the shooting area is.
Without competent safety supervision in place you are going to get stupid people doing stupid things. That's my point.

[bigbearbear]

MYOB ?

People walking around a shotgun field with guns loaded and actions closed is not MYOB time, since I prefer to not get shot by some idiot.

There are reasons for leaving actions open, only loading one round per clay, etc. It's not the same as a rifle or pistol range where the range is cold and people are leaving their guns at a bench to walk down range. As far as the ear protection, not my job to care, but I don't need some moron who didn't wear their eye protection pointing fingers in my direction when shards go flying from clays or the range closes for the day due to a mishap.

Yup. Perhaps I should have mentioned in my OP that Coyote Valley Sporting Clay is an open range where you walk from one station to another to shoot. They also have 2 Skeet and 1 Trap field. It is like a golf course, except you play with shotguns. If you have never shot there, I highly recommend it, just don't go on weekends associated with celebrations and you'll be fine.

You don't want to MYOB in a range like this one, not only can they get hurt themselves and cause the range to be shut down for the ambulance to come in, they can hurt you too.

[deckhandmike]

I've walked away from so many rounds of trap after being stuck with people that load multiple rounds and then muzzle sweep you. It's just too dangerous to do with people that don't listen. I try to go with enough buddies that they don't lump any other shooters in with us. Being muzzle swept with a loaded gun and no safety is no joke. I'm not waiting around for the RO's to get off their butts and enforce basic safety.

[Merc1138]

I don't care how big or how small the shooting area is.
Without competent safety supervision in place you are going to get stupid people doing stupid things. That's my point.

To supervise everyone at a place like CV, you'd easily need 50+ staff patrolling the place, which is impossible to do unless they jack the rates up making the place unaffordable to shoot at. Station 19 isn't even visible from the main trail and the only area you can even see more than maybe 5 stations at a time is over past the trap and skeet fields. The alternative would be to force everyone to shoot in groups with a guide, still requiring an additional amount of staff that would drive the costs up.

My point is that if you understand how the place is laid out, it's simply not possible to watch everyone like a typical static rifle/pistol line.

[Thefeeder]

><

For Tarp and Skeet I would go to Metcalf ..... a lot less crowded and a well run range with friendly staff. Very safety orientated by both shooters and staff.

Bigbearbear.....I would let Tom or Nancy know your observations and kudos for trying to pass along simple safety rules.

[mif_slim]

Wait, so its mention that a Chinese couple waives you off for not wearing glasses then when it comes to the group with unsafe gun handling, they become an unknown ethnic group? Racist!

But yeah, i dont go to public ranges on weekends unless its for match. Other then that, ive had my share of weirdos to only go during the week days early in the morning.

[CK_32]

In a way I was hoping to see a thread like this today, a bunch of newbies or people in general supporting 2a for today's as a celebration. Reason I made it s point not to go this weekend. 50/50 it would be dead or filled to the brim.


But the fact they were the kind that don't care about safety, rules and others is where it kind of erks me. While some of the stuff is minor. The loaded chamber closed guns is where I can support you on that.

I'm pretty sure I can picture the type of people your describing because I've seen them not just in shooting but many other hobbies as well where they ignore rules safety and other important things and do it "their way" and have no clue what they are doing, but feel the need to think they know better or throw caution to the wind. It's all no ones business until someone is shot, hurt or killed.

But hey at least you got to shoot. I havent been in a coupe weeks

[Sky_DiveR]

It's the entitlement mentality that alot of people have nowadays. I just let the RO know whats up and/or leave. Noobs need to learn from somebody. Hopefully it's not learned by experience (eye pro, booger hook on the bag switch, etc). Even then, some never learn.

Good on you for mentioning safety but you can only do so much. A closed mind catches nothing.

just my $0.02

[Dee_Dub]

this is why I don't go to publc ranges... These places suck. Not willing to take a chance I continues to go to my secret locations.