Another "Range Etiquette" thread...

5

5whiskey

New member
So I gave my boy a rifle for Christmas and he was obviously dying to shoot it. We rarely shoot at public ranges as we have private land that we are allowed to shoot on. Deer season is in, though, so I try to be considerate and not shoot when I know someone may be hunting. So we drive 2 hours to go to a range as it was the closest 500yd rifle range. First off, let me say that the range owner and employees were really pleasant, the fees were very reasonable, the range is set up well, and most folks there were really nice. If this place wasn't 2 hours away I would probably go at least once a week even though I have a private place to shoot. Anyway, on with the story.

I get there and want to shoot from the prone with bipods. There are numerous bench stations, but only one prone station. The RSO told me that it was currently being used. I asked if I could use it when he's finished, and the RSO responded by saying "of course." So me and the boy go to a bench and we start shooting. I happen to look over at the guy at the prone station from time to time to see if he's about to finish up. I see him shoot like 2, maybe 3 times. More than anything he is talking, showing his rifles off to the girl and other guy that was with him, and walking over (leaving his rifles unattended a couple of times) to the pistol side of the range. At one point the whole group is gone for about 30 minutes so I just go over and set my rifle down next to a shooting mat. I didn't know if the mat was provided by the range or if it was that guys, so I just decide I'm not going to touch it. There was plenty of room for us to shoot next to it anyway. The friend of the guy who had called dibs on the prone station came over in short order, before I can even go grab the spotting scope and ammo. Awesome, I'll ask if that's his friend's shooting mat. He said it was and came and snatched it up with a pretty perturbed look on his face. While he was doing this I told him that I didn't know if it was provided by the range or if it was his, and I didn't want to bother it, so I'm glad he showed up so I could ask. Seeing that he looked pretty perturbed, I asked if it was ok for us to use the prone station for a few minutes. I didn't bring a lot of ammo and it won't take us long. "Sure" is all I got from the guy as he walked away. We hadn't even gotten in the prone with the rifle and spotting scope before all 3 of them were leaning against the wall behind us staring.

I didn't pay them any mind... heck didn't even get annoyed about it until after we left the range. My son and I both burn through the 20 or so (roughly 10 a piece) rounds I had left. It didn't take long, maybe 10 or 15 minutes. I policed my brass, got our stuff up, and moved back to the bench. Mr. "I called dibs on prone" finally decides that he wants to actually shoot now, so he starts ringing the big steel plate at 500 yards repeatedly as if I'm supposed to notice or be impressed. I really wasn't... it was like a 2'x2' piece of steel and not exactly a huge challenge to hit with a good scoped rifle. We only shot at it twice, both hits, and moved on to the smaller targets between 300-500.

Anyway... was I wrong to just go move in the one prone spot when it had been left unattended (but apparently still claimed) for 30 minutes? I guess I could've been, but honestly I didn't care too much as I thought it was inconsiderate to plop your gear down, take up the only prone station of the range, and then proceed to wonder and amaze others with the 10 guns that you brought for a solid 2 hours while only shooting MAYBE 10 rounds. What really got me was the group leaning against the wall staring at us while we were shooting. It's not that it bothered me a ton, but I thought it was rude. How would yall take that?
 
Guess I'd have cleared with the RSO when the initial shooter left. Don't think you did anything wrong, tho.
 
Some people simply have no manners, can't spend more than 10 seconds a day thinking about anybody but themselves. You did nothing wrong.
 
The range had 1 prone position. The person using the position really wasn't using use it much during the time you were there. You took advantage of a long break in the person's shooting to use it.

Don't see a problem there.

We weren't there, so the non-verbals are deaf on us, and who knows what their motivation was by standing there watching. Heck, they could have just been interested in your equipment or ability. Great thing about watching people shoot is you learn things. Sometimes the things you learn are good, sometimes bad, and sometimes downright funny. Or, he could have been concerned about you being in close proximity to his guns and gear.

I tend to err on the side of being respectful, and probably would have said something to the effect of "hey, since you are taking a break, I'm going to send 20 rounds downrange." Since his gear was still sitting there, probably would have alleviated any concern of your getting close to his guns and stuff.
 
At one point the whole group is gone for about 30 minutes...
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The first time he walked away, I would have said something like: "Hey, you done with the prone position? My son and I would like to do some shooting from prone if you are done or taking a break."

Ideally, the RSO should have taken care of the situation for you and told the other shooter that if he wasn't going to shoot that he needed to vacate the position so other shooters could make use of it.

It's one thing to take a quick break to use the restroom or something similar. In that case, leaving your gear on the line would be reasonable. Walking away from the line for 30 minutes to chat and leaving your gear set up on the only prone position on the range isn't really acceptable.
 
I don't think you did anything wrong. I can't stand when people tie up resources without actually using it. Personally, I think the spot should open up as soon as someone is no longer actively shooting there.

I encounter a similar problem more at the gym than at the range. I have learned that when someone is tying up a piece of equipment simply to text his girlfriend, I nicely ask if I can "work in". That has worked for me 100% of the time - I can either work in (fine by me) or they move along.
 
Unfortunately, most ranges seem to have regulars who think of the place as theirs, and strangers as trespassers.
They were at fault for hogging the place.
And the RO was derelict in his duties for allowing it.
On the other hand, they didn't interfere with you, other than try to make you feel uncomfortable and unwelcome.
Easy enough to ignore.
And you were very civil about it, too.
Guys I know would have thanked him for bringing the pad and kicked his gear aside. :p
 
A lot of speculation, and not a lot of communication. I'm wondering if the guy even knew you were waiting on it. Yes, its pretty boorish to tie up a resource without being considerate enough to see whether others are waiting for it, but its hard for me to say whether he was just an inconsiderate jerk, or whether he shoots there a lot, and nobody every uses that spot, and he had no idea someone was waiting for it.

Sometimes its best to go up to him during one of his pauses, say hello, start a friendly "nice rifle, what is that?" conversation, and mention that when he is finished you'd like to use that spot for short time with your new rifle, and he may have offered the spot to you for a while, and the use of his mat, just so he would have to move it until he resumed.
 
The Rangemaster should have done the work for you, notifying the people monopolizing the prone position that people were waiting to use it. You pay for the services of the range, as well as the use of the range itself, so the RM should be on top of lane assignments, etc.
 
^^^^^ This.
The RSO you requested info from should have followed up and dealt with the situation. From where I stand, and I wasn't there either, you broke no etiquette rules
 
Don't want to hijack - but.

Just got back from the range. The guy next to me had very expensive spotting scope with stand up style tripod, expensive scope and rifle and other top of the line gear.

He was shooting .22, 100 yard range.

When the line went cold he would take 10 minutes covering his many bullet holes with dots on a paper plate he was using as a target lol.

It drove everyone nuts :)

I was happy I brought some snacks and had a chair in back of the line :D

The dots must have cost way more than the plate!!!
 
You did nothing wrong. The little communication you did do, sounds like it was polite and friendly. The only rude person was the other guy hogging up prime space for nothing.

To Jim567, that kind of reminds me of what me and my buddy did when we went shooting on Xmas eve, with 7 different range areas to choose from, since it was quiet, and 4 of the ranges were empty, we chose one and set up our gear. Soon as we got done shooting our first set of groups, another group of 5 shooters came to the range we were on. Our targets were out at 100 yds, theirs they only put out at 25 yards. So every time they wanted to go cold to freshen their targets, we made sure we took our time walking out to 100 yds, admire our shots, set up a fresh target, and let them wait for us. Maybe next time they will choose a range that was empty as well. Plus we got our exercise!
 
Unfortunately, most ranges seem to have regulars who think of the place as theirs, and strangers as trespassers.
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This is kind of how I felt, but I wouldn't say that I was viewed as a trespasser... just the new guy I guess. I forgot to mention that I got the gist real quick that the guy was a regular. The RSO was chatting with him quite a bit during cold range sessions and they called each other by first name.

he shoots there a lot, and nobody every uses that spot, and he had no idea someone was waiting for it.
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You know that may well be. I thought the friend seemed quite curt but that doesn't mean the whole group was. I guess they could have just watching us shoot just because they were curious and there were no hard feelings. I probably wouldn't lean back and stare at someone else like that, but that's just me. I wasn't really uncomfortable, just annoyed. I would avoid their behavior because I wouldn't want to make someone else uncomfortable, though. Honestly, it's not like they were giving me dirty looks though so it may have been innocent enough.

The first time he walked away, I would have said something like: "Hey, you done with the prone position? My son and I would like to do some shooting from prone if you are done or taking a break."
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See they walked away off and on, but most of the time one of the group was there. I didn't notice them all leave at once because I was busy spotting for Lance at the bench. When I did notice that they were gone for a while that's when I just moved over. Honestly, though, looking back I probably just should have walked up to the group, struck up a brief conversation, and asked to "work in" for 20 minutes or so. A little communication goes a long way.
 
When the line went cold he would take 10 minutes covering his many bullet holes with dots on a paper plate he was using as a target lol.
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I would have given the guy a target or two. I almost always have a spare or two in the trunk. Might make a friend and it would certainly help move things along--the time savings alone would be worth the cost of a couple of targets.
A little communication goes a long way.
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Most people have a hard time being really rude to people who are "real people to them". By that I mean, not just a face in the crowd, a driver in a passing car or a voice on the phone. If you make yourself a person to them by striking up even a brief conversation it usually makes it pretty difficult for them to treat you like crap.
 
Originally posted by 5whiskey:

Honestly, though, looking back I probably just should have walked up to the group, struck up a brief conversation, and asked to "work in" for 20 minutes or so. A little communication goes a long way.
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^^^This. All in all, it seems the lack of communication is what created the few, if any hard feelings. Could very well be the shooter did not know you were waiting. If he was chatting with the RO during the time he was not shooting, the RO should have informed him you were waiting, or at least let the shooter know you had asked and were waiting when you took over the position. I see no reason for you to be upset since the shooter never said anything to you. Watching you and your son shoot and then shooting after you were done showed no disrespect. I assume the long periods of time between strings of shots, along with letting his barrel cool, may have been so he could impress more folks with the ringing of the gong as folks came and went at the range. Could be his shooting was the attempt to impress others more so than to improve his shooting. A lot of that goes on at gun ranges.

I've found that talking directly to the parties involved always is the best. As soon as I noticed the shooter had left the prone shooting spot I would have asked him personally if he was done or how much longer he was going to be. Then if he continued to hog the spot or tried to intimidate me, I would have a legitimate reason to be upset. But as per your scenario, I see no reason anyone should be upset or even annoyed.
 
At one time I shot a bunch at a local State run range . The 30 mile round trip and 4 dollar gas made me build my own range .

I built Three benches and have 50/100 and 200 yard shooting spots .
That was 8/10 years ago now I can shoot when I feel like it .
 
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