Kindness at the Range

[GigaBuist]

where else can you go, and have a stranger offer you use of their new 1500$ toy without even knowing your name? its a great culture.

Ayup. We're an awfully trusting and trusthworthy bunch.

I keep a bottle of 32db foam plugs in my Jeep just in case somebody forgets some ear protection.

When I saw a fellow setting up used envelopes fished out of the back of his car to show the nice lady he was with how to shoot I offered up some targets I had laying around in the Jeep. Figured it'd be easier for her to aim at a proper target and all.

For a spell I used paper plates as targets on the pistol range and my groups were looking more like shotgun patterns one day. The fellow there with his kid offered me some little 2" stickers to place in the middle of the plates. The did help with accuracy, though the reason I was shooting at unmarked plates is because BGs don't have day-glo orange stickers on them. Still, it was a nice gesture.

I couldn't tell you how many times I've offered up my staple gun to others and how many times others have let me use theirs.

Back to that whole "trust" thing: This summer I was dialing in the scope on my NEF .223 and got a stuck case. I didn't have a cleaning rod to pop it out with, and the older gent next to me didn't either (I asked) but I didn't really want to spend the time re-casing the rifle and tearing down my targets. I just asked the guy next to me if he'd be there for another 5-10 minutes. I left the rifle and ammo there, went home, got a cleaning rod and a can of Raid, drove back, fixed the rifle, and sprayed the snot out of the hornet's nest that had been bugging other shooters that day.

It's really nice living 2 minutes door-to-door from the local outdoor range! Yes that was a primary concern when picking the location of my 1st house.

 

[Zundfolge]

This thread exemplifies what I love about "The Gun Culture" ... and why I can't understand those that wish to destroy it.

 

[MarshallDodge]

I enjoy gun swapping while at the range. It has made me more experienced on what guns I "need" and the ones I will never purchase.

A buddy and I were at an outdoor public range one day when a couple of guys pulled up in a beater. They were intoxicated and went over to the range to start shooting. :banghead:

Out of the backseat comes two small children and a young woman. I have no idea why she was hanging out with the two drunks because her demeanor was very nice. I offered her earplugs for the kids and she looked at me like why?
When everybody started shooting she realized that they needed them and accepted them gratefully.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Last Spring

Last Year I went out for my first "warm up" session at the range.

Took only my Mark II and a brick of LR.

While there, I had the opportunity to

• help a guy with a brand new RIA 1911 that was jamming with Wolf
• provide orange stickers for some youngsters shooting at the other end
• let a young boy (12) shoot my Ruger for a few magazines (he and his mom got a kick out of that)
• and, at the end of the day, I got to help an older guy -- who'd been shooting black powder and Para Ord .45s from a walker/seat frame all afternoon -- pack up his stuff and carry it back to his old IH Scout.

I got treated to some tall tales, and got to meet the Para .45s.

I went home with a rosy glow.

 

[BridgeWalker]

I chose my shotgun after a half dozen folks at the range let me shoot theirs. One guy is a pretty shooter and has a couple of Kreighoffs he switches between. He's casually handed me a gun worth (a lot!) more than my car for me to mess around with my mount with. I've gotten about a zillion pointers and informal lessons in trap, skeet, and pistol shooting. A guy gave me some earplugs when I forgot mine, and another time a guy lent me muffs when mine disappeared. A guy helped me get my jeep outta the snow when it got stuck. A couple guys offered to let me shoot their cool new modified 10-22s, although I was too shy to take them up on it.

People have lent me shells when I wanted one more round than I'd planned on, and I've done the same for them. I've picked up rifle brass I saw lying around for the guys I knew would be around to collect it. And I rebuilt some of the backstops at the pistol range.

Yeah, gun people are pretty cool. People in general are pretty cool, but shooters are just a whole 'nother variety of friendly and helpful.

 

[Barr]

There have been many times when I have gotten the opportunity to shoot guns well before I could afford some of my own.

Browning BT99
Browning Citori XS
Kreighoff Trap Gun
Colt Series 70
Blackpowder rifle
480 Ruger in a Taurus Raging Bull
M1 Garand
M1903 Springfield
Springfield XD
Rock River A2 National Match
XCR
T/C Encore
SW 500 Magnum
AK-47
Mosin-Nagant 91/30
etc.

Now I get to return the favor for other younger college students. Doing a coop or two lets you be a little benevolent (and reloading).

Watching their grin as they light off a centerfire rifle or .44 Magnum for the first time is well worth the 20 or 50 cents worth of ammo.

 

[mekender]

I used to travel a great deal for work and had two hobbies - shooting and golf. Always found a good deal more fellowship at the range than at the links...... >MW

yeah ive noticed that too... but both places are full of about the same level of both advice and BS

ive loaned targets and empty boxes plenty of times, ammo a few times etc...

got to shoot many weapons that i probably wont be able to buy for myself for a while... including

a saigia 7.62
enfield
finnish mosin
CZ-75 (hit 30% of a mag inside a 8" target at 50 yards, wow i was impressed)
3 or 4 tatical shotties
couple of lever actions
a rossi .22lr youth (testing out for my kids potential xmas present)

 

[BamBam-31]

I was at the range once when I spied an old lady trying desperately to shove foam plugs into her brain. Inconsiderate son was just blasting away with his rifles, so I politely loaned her my spare pair of Leightning 31's. She smiled and said, "Thanks," as she put them on. I smiled back as I returned to my bench a few lanes away.

Momma and son took off and never returned my muffs.

No good deed, man. No good deed.

 

[Nhsport]

I try to only take the ammo I intend to shoot when I go to my club range but I have a locker there where I keep a selection of different types. Several brands of .22,some each of 38,.357,9,.380,45,223 .
Quite often someone will run short or only have one bullet type that doesn't opperate well in their new gun. I will toss them a box or two and always refuse payment when they try. Usually down the line they will return the ammo they used or more and it gets tossed into the locker along with the odds and ends that folks sometime leave laying around.Over the years I have saved quite a few range trips gone wrong and got lots of good will going.

 

[OAKVILLE SHOOTER]

I just want to say "thank you" to all you guys and gals. I have never been to a formal range, indoor or outdoor. I do all of my shooting at home in the lower hay field. It is just nice to read about the wonderful acts of kindness within the gun community. On occassion, I do have people over to shoot. At those times, I generally provide the eyes and ears. Any gun that I have is available, as well as ammunition. It is fun to watch a new shooter enjoy themselves for the afternoon.

I truly is better to give than to receive.

 

[AirForceShooter]

I always carry a bunch of foam plugs. Anybody who needs them are welcome.
You're interested in my gun, try a magazine on me.
You're a female looking for what to buy? I've got 6 guns here from .22 to .45. Let's try them out. And the guy next to me has always offered his to her and I mean always.
I was once at the range and some guy showed up with his son. Kid was around 10. All Dad did was say "watch how I do it" In 30 minutes the kid didn't take a shot. I asked Dad if the kid could shoot my .22, Said ok. In the next hour I never took a shot. The kid had a blast. One of my best range days EVER.

Shooters can be the best people except for the occasional idiot.

AFS

 

[Freightman]

Idiot! hearing protection is required at my range, but it isn't enforced as the range is a honor system range (no range offecer). I was about to shoot when I noticed one of the older members didn't have ear protection, I ask him to get his as I was about to shoot. He replied I have been amember since 1949 and I do not need hearing protection! Well I warned him so I proceeded to shoot my Hakim empted one mag. and was loading another when I noticed the man digging in his trunk and getting muffs. He made the statement "we shouldn't allow that big of a gun at the club"
To make a long story short this man had been warned about his unsafe practices and was later bared from the club. Hard headness and refusial to heed rules caused his dismissal, he wanted to shoot like they did in the '50's and 60's when the range was eight miles from town which isn't possable as the town is all around us now and we have to be real careful as one incident will get the range shut down, no matter that we were there first.

 

[Claude Clay]

ZeSpectre +1 i'd like to borrow your list and add
-inpromptto IDPA /reactive matches ( if outside i bring metal & pins or..???)
-loaned cass guns ( & ammo)
-spotted /been spotted for
-recieved brass from others to reload
-time in the RO box while others played ( 5 or more shooters , club rules, need a RO)
your club sounds very much like mine. GL in the new year all.

 

[Mtnvalley]

Once at a local outdoor range, a couple of guys who I'd seen once before showed up at the reactive range. Seeing others there was unusual for a midweek afternoon (which is why I go then).

We shot the breeze a bit, introduced ourselves, and I promptly forgot their names. They happened to mention that they were surveyors, and I figured they were getting in a little shooting while on the clock. They left after half an hour.

A near-new XD-9 didn't leave along with them, and I discovered it sitting in a case on a picnic table as I was leaving.

Again, all I remembered is that they were surveyors, and never got their last names. This was a private shooting club, but the prez couldn't tell from their description who they were, and he knew of t least a dozen surveyors who are members.

I proceeded to call every surveying firm in the book, described them as best I could, but was vague as hell in describing both what I found ("some equipment in a black case") and the area in which I found it...as I didn't want to get them in trouble if they were off at the range while on the clock. One lady who answered the phone really pushed me on the questions, even asking if therer were any markings on the case. When I said "Springfield", she immediately asked "oh, was it a gun?". So much for being coy...

Long story long- none of the firms I called had anyone meeting their descriptions, so I hit a dead end. A couple weeks later the guy finally contacted the club prez, who put him in touch with me. I never considered keeping it for myself and shooting it, but since they took so long to contact me I was starting to wonder what the heck to do with it. I did wonder how someone could not notice their gun missing for a couple weeks (it was the only one he brought to the range).

 

[flashhole]

11 year old Wayne is the son of a man who works in the security business. Wayne goes to the range with his dad on a regular basis, Wayne shoots a 22 Ruger and his father shoots a 41 magnum (quite good with it too, he consistently pops baloons at about 70 yards). The first time I met Wayne was when he trotted out and introduced himself as I was setting up my target. "I'm Wayne. I can help you set up your target. My dad says I should always try and be helpful when at the range and I will get to meet lots of interesting people." How can you not like that attitude. His father is exactly the same way. It's always a pleasure running into them at the range and I've introduced Wayne to several different long guns. He is particularly fond of my 243. At the other end of the age spectrum is Dennis, Dennis is an older gent who is also in the security business. Dennis has a liking for the 45-70 and reloads for it. His ammo is not too accurate and we have spent some serious discussion time about improving it. I've given Dennis bullets and powder to use in his reloads as well as printed documents showing him how to improve his process. I generally won't give out ammo at the range because I only shoot handloads that are fireformed to my gun but the 45-70 gets FL sized each loading so they are fair game. Very satisfying on both counts.