Stupid Shooters

[Mitch]

These designated shooting areas are an accident waiting to happen. When you pile dozens of shooters into a relatively small area without any order, things get crazy! What is wrong with the hundreds of square miles of BLM land that just sits empty? In AZ they don't have problems like this. If there are shooters near you, drive a couple miles away and set up.

I don't understand it either, this desire people have to shoot (and do everything else, for that matter) in herds. What I hate most about California - the crowds - is maybe what newcomers here enjoy the most.

Hodge Road sounds like a frightening mess. I've never been to the southern end, I've read too many stories here on Calguns, but the northern end, where it meets the old Route 66, is almost empty of shooters on any given weekend. Just drive in and find your own personal gulley and set up. Why are there so many people at the southern end? I have no idea. Maybe the same reason people feel compelled to all go to the same restaurants at the same time on the same day so they can sit around for 45 minutes waiting for a table.

How do you decide who you're comfortable shooting with? I don't want to educate new shooters every time somebody wants to shoot with me, but even a lot of guys who own guns do sketchy/unsafe things. Do you go shooting with them once and just see how it goes? I usually ask them how they are with gun safety before we go, kind of informally, it's not like I can safety brief everyone I go with before we get to the range. Plus for all I know they may be better/more experienced shooters than me

As I posted earlier, if it's your show, you lay down the rules, to everyone. Anyone who has an issue with that can host his own shoot (and you don't have to come). Basically, there has to be a boss for the shoot, an acting RSO everyone defers to. If it's a gang of equals, with no boss, then people are more reluctant to call out stupid and dangerous crap when it happens.

Maybe that's not cool or mellow or social, but I don't care. Safety is the most important aspect of any shoot.

BTW: you can run a safe shoot without barking and yelling at people, and you should. Nothing puts off n00bs more than people (especially strangers) shouting at them every time they make a mistake (and they will make mistakes). I get physical: if I see the muzzle moving in the wrong direction, I reach out and nudge it back where it belongs; the shooter gets the message. You can also give safety orders in a relatively soft voice if they are rules you have already reviewed at the start the of the shoot; the shooter will realize without having to be shouted at that he/she did something he/she knew he shouldn't have done and will try to be more careful.

[stix213]

A guy at the petaluma range was "working on" something with his AR, and ND'd a .223 into the dirt about 5-10 feet in front of the firing line in front of the adjacent shooter. Yelling ensued.

[Merc1138]

Jeez. follow up question to everybody who's posted
How do you decide who you're comfortable shooting with? I don't want to educate new shooters every time somebody wants to shoot with me, but even a lot of guys who own guns do sketchy/unsafe things. Do you go shooting with them once and just see how it goes? I usually ask them how they are with gun safety before we go, kind of informally, it's not like I can safety brief everyone I go with before we get to the range. Plus for all I know they may be better/more experienced shooters than me

It's simple really. If I'm taking new shooters to the range, it's never more than 1 or 2 at a time, because I can't keep a close eye on more people than that(and I'm already trying to keep an eye on other people). I also don't take people to the range that I don't know. There will not be any "oh hey, I brought my cousin along" crap. The guy you mentioned with the horse mask would not have been welcome because

a: I don't know him(it sounds like you didn't know this friend's cousin well enough to know whether or not he'd do something that potentially asinine in advance.).
b: He's dumb enough to bring along a horse mask to the range(That level of stupid does not just manifest itself at once out of the blue, there would have been obvious signs before that. If he's that dumb to start with, the potential for more BS to happen is even greater since there's no way he showed you his full potential for stupidity).

I'd have sent his *** home, handling my firearms would have been out of the picture, let alone wasting my ammo.

There are plenty of people that I know, that I would barely call an acquaintance, who I simply wouldn't go to the range with. There are also people I've known for years and years who are normally sensible, but then do stupid crap like sweep me with my own rifle in my living room and then decide to argue(and to this day still argues) it's not a big deal because he saw me check the chamber before I handed it to him. That particular fool is someone who is never a part of any conversation about going to the range.

[Some Guy]

Wearing a mask + gun = illegal in ca

[Double_D]

I already posted a thread about a guy walking down a hot range range to put up his target at Oroville clay pits.

One time at Metcalf, a guy with a girl was shooting his draco from his hip.

[BrassCase]

Oh, you are talking about the idiots who don't know which target is their's and put holes in mine even at 25 yds? I very nicely mention this to them and they do it again and again and then laugh about it.

[williamcm]

Trigger dicipline is my indication of safety consiousness. Regardless of location (range, home, etc.), you can easily tell if someone knows basic firearm safety.

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[Fjold]

All huge, white, pasty, staypuff looking and red/blushing all over his huge huge legs/arms (circulation problems I'm betting) was dumping hot brass all over me since he was standing too far back from the separators. Since it was a busy day I asked him to move forward and he just looked at me and kept doing it anyway.

That's when I break out the left handed Stag AR and let some fly back at him.

[CAguy]

That's when I break out the left handed Stag AR and let some fly back at him.

That is a great idea! Left handed firearm now added to the want list! He was shooting with a buddy who had a chick with him (on his left side) or else I would have just moved right next to them on the left.

[JDay]

What's the big deal if I choose to wear ear protection or not? Not to be condescending but I'm the only person effected by that choice. It's not a safety issue for anyone else, worst that can happen is damage my hearing or go deaf.

Honestly curious why you feel this is a stupid shooter?

Can you hear the RSO's when your ears are ringing?

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[JDay]

Wearing a mask + gun = illegal in ca

This is the first time I've heard of this. Care to cite the PC?

[crackerman]

This is the first time I've heard of this. Care to cite the PC?

[Merc1138]

CA Penal code 25300. (a) A person commits criminal possession of a firearm when the person carries a firearm in a public place or on any public street while masked so as to hide the person’s identity.

A shooting range is neither of those.

Now some of these "ranges" I hear about that amount to nothing but a backstop covered in microwave, tv, and washer/dryer parts on BLM land might be another matter.

[wamphyri13]

Back when I was working 7 days a week, 2 of my coworkers went to the range for the day. One was a long time shooter, the other, a moron. LTS (long time shooter) was teaching M (moron) how to shoot on the first of several outings. M couldn't hit side of barn from inside with a nuke, but eventually started getting on paper. What makes M a moron is that while on one of these range days, he bends over while at the firing line (LARG) and his .22lr folding derringer falls out of his shirt pocket. LOADED! LTS regrets ever going to the range with him. M also walked over to his house while carrying a rifle over his shoulder. No bag or case, just....there. While this may not be illegal, it is just dumb.
Ryan

[crackerman]

A shooting range is neither of those.

Now some of these "ranges" I hear about that amount to nothing but a backstop covered in microwave, tv, and washer/dryer parts on BLM land might be another matter.

A shooting range is a public place, no?

But I'm just some idiot who answered a question with an applicable penal code section. I've never claimed to be a lawyer.
or is there another reason we need to argue?