Kicked out of a range?

[73Jim]

Our "group" is from mid 30s to mid 50s and yes, each one of us took showers that morning...at least I did! Most of us are fathers so foul language is a minimum and safe handling is a priority.

I admit, we are a group that talk about our reloads or test new triggers. And we tend to drift from lane to lane. Just people, the firearms stay in the lanes pointed down range.

I'm trying to find my membership documentation to resolve if the time limit is, or is not, part of the contract.

[russ69]

... And we tend to drift from lane to lane. Just people, the firearms stay in the lanes pointed down range...

You guys are perfectly safe but you caught the attention of the ROs because of your group size. Next time try to stay in your lane and seated as much as possible, that will help alleviate the ROs issues. It's not right to get booted out but keeping a low profile is the best way to have a good range experience. Never try to be the nail that gets hammered down, not on most ranges anyway. If you were at a small town range with few shooters, you would have been fine but high volume ranges run by different rules. You want to blend in, stealth mode is the best way...

[someoneeasy]

Let me get this straight. You had 6 shooters using four lanes, then you were asked to use 3 lanes for 6 shooters. Sounds like a bunch of stags just hanging out and trying to have some fun and a little bromance time. Nothing wrong with that. I think your group just attracted too much attention and that made it a likely group to move along on a busy day. I know as an RO, large groups are usually a source of problems. I'm not saying you guys were a problem I'm just saying large groups are sometimes a source of problems. Lots of moving around, different people swapping guns, a lot of milling around and things like that. That will call attention to your group. If each of you were sitting at your bench and working on your shooting, nothing would have happened. An organized range isn't the best place to have a large group because it disrupts the normal flow of range operation. I know from experience that a large group is going to violate the gun handling rule, and now I have to watch extra close. It sucks but that's just human nature.
Next time break up into two man groups and sit yourself down and keep the milling around to a minimum. That will help you blend in with the other shooters. An organized range likes to see the shooters acting as a singular entity, any one that deviates from that is going to flag your actions.

What range are you a RO at? I'll be sure to not go there.

I don't know why that would matter as long as they're not doing something majorly stupid and unsafe. Just sounds like a lot of stereotyping going on.

A group shows up, pays their entry, whether its from their membership or day use, they should be allowed to use the lanes they were assigned without being asked to consolidate because more people are showing up, regardless of their race, age, sex, skin color, clothes they wear, etc... Unless the range has that policy posted somewhere, that shouldn't be happening.

I'm a member at Fieldtime and their policy is 2 hours max (when busy), otherwise, you can stay as long as you would like.

[rudedude916]

Do they only have 6 or 7 lanes? Sounds like a sh@#hole place. Hopefully there are better ranges in your area. Hope it works out for you.

[mif_slim]

That sucks. I use to go to a range here in Fresno and we would sit there and chit-chat with the old timers for hours on end. Things that were crazy were the old timers come out at 7am and leave 4pm. I once went early morning to sight-in and after work went back to sight in the rest of my loads. The guys there were still mingling and having a good time. I cant imagine a range kicking anyone out. They need to put up $10.00/1hr or something because that just falt out sucks.

[BigPimping]

I have never heard of that happening before. Never happened to me.

[Mssr. Eleganté]

The local indoor range up here allows members to shoot for free. You only get one hour when they are busy though.

[russ69]

What range are you a RO at? I'll be sure to not go there.

No worries mate, I'm retired. Private ranges, you wouldn't have had access to.

I don't know why that would matter as long as they're not doing something majorly stupid and unsafe. Just sounds like a lot of stereotyping going on.

I'm just relating 50 years of range shooting experience, you can disagree with it all you want, wont change the way they are run.

[Manolito]

Russ that may be your experience and I am 66 so I haven't been shooting for 50 years at ranges. I have had small groups and large groups we have moved between lanes and never have I heard an RO voice the opinion moving or milling around caused a problem for them as long as weapons were handled properly and left on the shooting shelf at each station. I have been a member of several private clubs why would you have precluded me from yours? I couldn't afford it or not the right ethnic composition?

[ShooterDK]

Has anyone ever been kicked out of a range for being there too long? Today, myself and five friends went to a range that five of us are members, one was a guest. We arrived early and were spread across four lanes with one other shooter in the range.

After a short period, maybe 10-15 minutes, one of the lanes target retrieval systems stopped working, my friend contacted the RSO and after a couple minutes the RSO asked my friend to change lanes. We resumed shooting and maybe 20 minutes later they closed the range so the staff could attempt to repair the lane, as they were getting busy. After 5 minutes they had the lane functioning again and asked us to consolidate to three lanes because they were getting full. No problem, we grouped into three lanes.

After another 15 minutes, or so, one of the employees approached us and said we would have to packing up because we have been there for an hour, slightly more, already. We explained that we were members and were told that made no difference. So we shrunk further to just two lanes. A little while later we were told we had to leave, we had been there an hour and a half.

Now, we had been to this range a handful of times and always had a positive experience but this time... During our 1.5 hours we had one lane malfunction, waited while the range was cold to realign the target, moved from four lanes to three to two and then told to leave. Thinking about asking for my dues back. So, back to my original question, has anyone been asked to leave for time reasons?

I would never attend a range that treated members that way... Sorry OP you have a poor choice for a range. I pay my membership fees and a reduced range fee at Sac Valley and have never been that way in such a manor as you are have been treated. Try to find someplace else if you can. Best of luck.

[someoneeasy]

No worries mate, I'm retired. Private ranges, you wouldn't have had access to.



I'm just relating 50 years of range shooting experience, you can disagree with it all you want, wont change the way they are run.

Why wouldn't I have access to them?

I hear you and I agree, ranges will continue to run the way they run, but will also miss out on business with practices like those. Word travels fast especially with the Internet and services like yelp

[gwanghoops]

Was just at San Diego Firearms Training Center and they mentioned that I could be limited to 1 hour if it becomes packed. No problem...I like that policy to keep peak wait times reasonable.

[TripleThreat]

What race is the OP and his friends?

Triple

[Spyder]

I've never been kicked out of my back yard...

[MrElectric03]

No way, I'd be asking for my dues back. An hour and a half is a warmup for me. Sounds like you dealt with their issues and consolidated lanes to help them then they kick you out, that's BS.