Wow...where do I start. In making this post, I am in no way looking down on ANYONE that enjoys the outdoors or makes an attempt to extend the hunting heritage to younger generations...thank you for what you do, but please try to be safe and read a little about shooting sports before going to the range.

First, I forgot that today was open range day at the club. I was making the venture for my next-to-last-range-day before hunting season. Tweaking zeros on some guns and rezeroing others. I rolled into the parking lot and it looked like a high school football game but instead of team colors it was a gathering of orange and camo.

Second...does anyone really know how to properly sight in a gun?!?! I saw men shooting rifles with the front bags literally 1" from the muzzle and no rear rest. I also saw one fella burn about 30 rounds (in less than 10 minutes) through a Rem 760 30-06 before ever checking his target!! Another guy sizzled the barrel on a .243 w/ 20 rounds in about 5 minutes. Then there was this one poor gun that had four different people w/ varying ages of experience and eye strength trying sight it in.

Third...I saw several groups of folks that had three rounds hit on a 8.5"x11" sheet of paper and "ain't gotta clue where the others went". One guy signted in one a 2' sqaure sheet targetm had three roungs a full 8" from the POA and said "aaghh...that will find a shoulder...good'nuff".

Lastly...as I was finally settling into a LR session w/ the Lil'Monster...a fella drags out his .50BMG Barrett rifle...it was NICE and was topped w/ super serious Leupold glass and HUGE partition style brake. W/o warning anyone, he settles it on the bench and gets ready to fire a round. I bailed from my bench w/ gun in hand just as he rips one loose. He got cheers from those watching...he strutted around a couple minutes and fired another...then another. I quizzed him a little during a break...asked about loads, bulletsm LR accuracy...turns out he never fired it beyond 200yds "cus that's just far enough" and bought it for "busting rocks at 150yds". HUH?!?!?!

I just walked away.

Well - like Ron White says, "you can't fix stupid".

My Dad would call that memories.

I think that some of them just don’t know what to do and have never been taught. I was fussed at by the Range Offer for shooting the 6in gongs at 100yards with my short guns. I looked at him funny as he laughed and told me that a lot of guys couldn’t hit the target with their rifles and I was constantly hitting them with my fireforming loads.

I can totally relate to the above experience from my own past experience.
I drive 30 miles or so to a public ,outdoor range that is free.
No range officer or anyone on duty.Usually I try to go when I think no one else will be there and usually that is the case.3 weeks ago I had a couple free hours on sunday afternoon and probably the last nice day of the fall.30 minutes up 1 hour shooting and 30 minutes home.WRONG.....I get up to the road that leads back to the range and a few cars are coming out as I get to the parking I see 5 vehicles and look over to the range and it is full of what I call for lack of a better term"elmer fudds" or just plain FUDDS for short.Got gear and crap spread across every inch of bench space,and most wearing there blaze orange elmer fudd hats.From past experience I slap myself on the forehead and wonder what I was thinking,going to a public range this close to the heard em and slaughter em shotgun deer seasons.Then I remember why I avoid the pay by the hour ranges close to the city.And I am glad that I am just smart enough to go home with no range time and avoid all the past hassles,explaining that just because a rifle is black doesnt mean it is illegal or a machine gun or why you need such things, and the funny look when my handgun goes off and makes them all jump,or when the line is supposed to be cold and I am changing targets a few morons always want to stand at the bench and mess with their guns,I dont feel real safe when this happens.Like I said,I just avoid the FUDDS even if I lose a little shooting time,I really like to enjoy myself at the range,safely.In the older days I just made a range along any suitable set of railroad tracks in the country.They outlawed this practice,rail road right of way is private property now,I shot all kinds of game from the tracks growing up.
dorson

yep, exactly

You must have some tough rocks down there in Pa.

What a day at the range...

We also public sight in day at our club and we had nothing like Dan had at his home range. Hey Dan glad I didn't make it up to shoot with you today, what an eye opener you had.

Hahaha. Dan, I got a kick out of that story. Funny. TCMan is right, you'll never forget that day.

That is real funny! I really hate to think that the hunting population is full of guys like that! Half-ass shooters!

I'm very glad I have a private range to shoot at. Stories like that scare me.

Maybe, but WE are still associated with those hunters!

It brings to mind a beautiful poem i once heard--

If you find a bozo at a public range, set him free.
If he comes back, shoot him!
Hardy Har!!

lol steve

This is why I'm lucky I live in the country. My 400 yard bench is on the end of my driveway 100 feet from the house!!!! No elmer fudds there!!!!

i have a range that is on the club land but some time some one
will come on but they dont get ask back if they look to be
elmers.

jimmylee can tell ya'll that this club is a members (and guests) only range. Twice a year they open it up to the public...and that is plenty!!! ANY other time of the year it is like having your own personal 500yds range.