Do you help guys/gals out at the range or keep to your self .

You just have to make a judgment call. Some people will listen, some will not.
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Agreed and that's more then OK .

I like to think I don't butt in . You can tell if the other shooter wants to talk or be left alone . I do try to respect others on the line and never interrupt . If I do want to talk I'll wait for eye contact or some other acknowledgment before bothering them .

I just feel it out and some times I say something and other times I don't . Example . I was shooting next to two guy that were shooting there ARs with irons on one and a red dot on the other . They were shooting 6' away and we talked back and forth just a little about what make of rifles each were shooting , ammo ( small talk ). After about an hour or so I realized the guy with the red dot was still not even on paper at 50yds . I heard them talking and making adjustments to the optic . There not on paper at 50yds and they are making adjustments like 3 clicks up or 5 clicks right . The target is 2'x2' Since we had already been talking I went ahead and ask if I could help and bore sight the rifle for them . It turned out he needed to come down 35 clicks to get close . He did not believe me at first and only came down 10 clicks . 20 more clicks and a very surprised look on his face , he was on paper . Once he was on paper I left them alone and just a few more mags he was dead on . He later came over thanking me for the help . He then told me he was at the range the weekend before and never got on paper . :eek: I just said no problem happy to help . We talked small talk some more and before we all had left I was shooting there rifles and they were shooting mine .

I have another one that could be seen as - I never should have said anything .

Guy next to me is shooting a 30-06 @ 300yds shooting sub moa . He's looking around wanting to show people how good he's new just out of the box Savage with accu-stock is shooting . We start talking because I'm there with my Savage with accu-stock . At the time I was having problems with my action screws coming loose and I said he should keep an eye on that with his rifle . I told him in the mits of are conversation the torque recommendations Savage told me to use . Here's where It may have been best just to say nothing . I asked if he had taken the stock off and did he know what he torqued the stock back down too . He said he did take it off to check out the accu-everything and just hand tightened the screws . I ask if he wanted to use my torque wrench to check how tight the screws were . He said sure and torqued his action down per Savages specs . The rifle shot like crap the rest of the day and he was not happy with me .

Thing is , on this one I don't feel bad . If your rifle is shooting great . DON'T FIX IT . We were just talking I did not say he should do anything again we were just talking . I feel this one is on him .

Most of the time my help is with shooters that need help for sure .Everything esle is me asking for help or just picking brains . Again I feel I'm pretty good noticing if I'm wanted around or not and I have no problem leaving shooters be .
 
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Unless it is a safety concern or I am directly asked a question by someone, I tend to stay to my self.

When I go to the range, I have a very specific list of things I would like to accomplish, and I know I would not appreciate someone stopping by to offer suggestions, so I tend to assume other people are the same way. My rifle range is an hour and 15 minute drive away, so I try to do as much as possible while there to offset the 2 1/2 hours I spend sitting in a car. If I spend an hour talking to people about guns, that is an hour less behind the trigger.

Sure the other "regulars" and I will make small talk and what not, but I am not going to comment on someone's equipment, their technique, or anything else really.
 
I usually keep to myself. I have had a couple guys come and take it upon themselves to correct me a few times and often times their advice goes against everything I was taught in the navy. who am I to think that my training is superior to someone elses? the way I see it,
I'm not spetsnaz.
I'm not a SEAL.
I've not had SWAT training.
I'm not a sniper.
I've not had any specialized tactical training for weapons.

my training is basic and fundamental at best, if I see someone that desperately does not have a clue what they are doing I will ask if they need a hand but I am not going to walk up and tell them that they are doing it wrong and start blowing through their ammo while "demonstrating the right way to do it". people that do that strike me as egotistical and I have completely disregarded every piece of advice I have ever been given at the range unless I paid for that advice or it was part of my military training.
 
I tend to stay to myself. I think I've helped 2 people. One was at Knob creek where a couple of guys rented an AR and over loaded the mags. They couldn't get it to load and were hitting the mag trying to get it to lock. I finally told them that it's a 30 round mag, not a 32. The other was an old guy sitting next to me who had his scope on canted 90* and couldn't figure out why it wouldn't zero, then had a 336 with the safety on and couldn't figure out why it wouldn't fire.

If some stranger came up and started offering me unsolicited advice I'd probably tell them to go climb a tree.
 
I will cautiously give help if I'm talking to someone that clearly needs it. If people are confident in their abilities and safe then who am I IMHO. I have had extensive CQB and tactical weapons training so I do chuckle to myself at some of the tacticool guys at the range from time to time.

I also like learning from others and have learned some neat tricks at civilian ranges on top of enjoying the camaraderie.

Its certainly easy to spot a newbie who needs help(no shame at all) and I normally just give them a brief class on how their weapon operates and some tips on range etiquette.(if they have asked me for help already) It seems for the most part people want help if they are unsure at the range.
 
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Usually I keep to myself. It's just my nature as I am a quiet guy. If I know you, I may chat you up, or if you start the conversation I will gladly get to know you. I just prefer not to bother people if they are shooting.
 
I'm anti-social at the range. Leave me alone.

I've had guys, as I was pulling out a chronograph, ask me if I knew what I was doing. (!?!?!)

I'm there to work, generally. Work on handloads, zeroing a new rifle, or checking accuracy for a load, or just there to shoot some groups.

You don't know how much I know, and vice-versa, so why make a hind-end out of yourself by 'correcting' me, or even offering. Everything I do at the range is none of your business, unless I'm unsafe. I don't have the time, nor inclination to deal with busy-bodies who think they may be smarter than me. I try to project this attitude when I am there, but some guys just like to hear themselves talk...to anyone who is around...they have no boundaries...it's annoying.

Whew! I guess I'm done.
 
Wow Thomas- Hope I never run into you at the range.
I myself take very much fun in helping new and old people. Mainly kids. I will offer them ( with dads consent ) to shoot any of my rifles and as much as they want. It's more fun than shooting myself.

PS-Thomas- Heard that old--Can't teach a old dog new tricks?. No matter how good you are- There just might be somebody out there that could teach you something new. Shooting is half the fun,the other half is BS''ing with other shooters.
 
I have a little Tomas in me.. When I'm there I like to get my stuff done first. I usually don't have a lot of time. Once I'm done doing what I need to though, I'm happy to help or learn.
 
I told a guy one time he ought to buy some factory 7mm Mag ammo because his buddies hand loads were wiping the head stamp off of his casings! :eek: Dude was using cigarette butts for ear plugs too.
 
I'm polite and nice, but I dislike getting into long conversations with complete strangers. I have to do enough of that with my nightjob, and when its my personal time, I prefer to be the silent type.

With that said, if asked for help or an opinion at the range, I will do what I can. Been a while though since I was asked to assist a fellow shooter.
 
I'm afraid that I agree with Tomas on this one. when I shoot for fun I shoot in my back yard. when I go to the range it is because I need specific ranges and I have work to do like zero my rifle, chrono my handloads, and test my handloads for accuracy. often times the guys chatting up everyone that will listen are the ones that are completely full of it.

there is one RO who I'm sure thinks he is hilarious who I really want to punch in the face if I didn't think the fall would kill him. yes, it is hilarious that you just called my SKS a machine gun. yes I do know that the gun I'm testing hunting loads in has a bayonet attached. no I do not believe that my Ruger with a scope is an actual sniper rifle. yes I can pay you the exact amount for the chrono rental, find it on the counter behind you and hook the 3 wires up in the correct order before you can even find the sheet with rental rates and yes I know HOW IT WORKS!

there is another fellow, needs to hop on a treadmil. while testing my 9mm loads he was quite tickled at the maximum velocities I was pulling with my AR15 and then he proceeded to claim that he was getting 5000 FPS from his "ultra mag" never a caliber, just "ultra mag". then he proceeded to tell me that the IWI tavor was made by DPMS and that it was just an AR15 with a crappy conversion kit installed...

I hate most people that frequent my range, they are opinionated, arrogant, and furthermore they flat out take a dump on a plate and offer it to you as Filet Mignon.

as I have said, I have no problem helping someone that obviously needs help, IE they aren't hitting paper, they can't clear a jam, ETC but I am not going to ask them if they know what they are doing or how long they've owned that thing, I ask if they would like some help and leave it at that if they don't want any, as long as they are keeping it pointed in a safe direction I could care less that they are shooting with a chicken wing or have a cup and saucer grip. I just don't want the other know it alls to step in and do that either.
 
Tahuna I have had that same type of experience at a local public range but fortunately never at my private range. I think the guys who spend the time and money for a private club are a bit more serious and knowledgeable. The public range is the worst, every idiot under the sun.
 
Thats funny stuff :) I promise I'm not any of those guys . At least I sure hope I'm not the know it all that knows nothing . ;)

When I pull my chrono out guys ask me , hey can I check the velocity on my this or that . I say no but if you bring it over I'LL check the velocity on your this or that . That's one of the ways I've shot so many different rifles as of late . It's really no big deal though , If I want to make good use of my time while I chrono a rifle . I need to bring two of them . While one barrel cools I shoot the other . If Im just there working on one rifle I have 5 or 10 min between strings to either shoot the breeze or shoot someone elses rifle through the chrono . The lanes are very close together where I shoot ( It's a gun club but not private ) . If the chrono is set up there's not enough room to shoot anything else unless its off hand . That makes for some down time .

Yes even I , helpy helperson have had days I needed to do work and got a little short with guys . Not rude just said as little as possible till they left . I totally get what some of you are saying but I'm a helper no matter where I am work , home or at play .
 
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I help or give advice only when asked and I've been ask every now and then. I've had a few people ask me to shoot their handguns to see how they group. Okay... I try not to blow off too much of their ammo. :cool:
 
Do you help guys/gals out at the range or keep to your self

I only help if asked.

Some folks learn best from their own mistakes.
 
I understand keeping to yourself but by the way some of these posts read, some of you guys have some pretty big chips on your shoulder.
 
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