Does The .44 Magnum Get People Mad ???

J

John Ringo

New member
Hey Folks,

I am new here to this forum and have a quick question.

Has anyone ever noticed if shooting a .44 Magnum at an indoor range tends to get other shooters irrate? Especially guys who bring their girlfriends or wives into the range to show-off.

Heck, when I shoot I always mind my own business. But since I started shooting my S&W 629 it seems that several member of my shooting club seem to get hot & bothered over it.

Am I alone in this observation?
 
I always get gawkers and onlookers when i bring my cannons to the range...some snear, some admire. I personally dont care...i spent my money to shoot there and have just as much right as anyone else. Sorry if my noise offends them! :D
 
This kind of reminds me of guys with big diesel pick ups that think it is funny to belch black smoke on people when taking off from stop lights.

The joys of excess.

BTW, if a guy was shooting a hand cannon next to me and it was bothering me I would put a few holes in his target until he moved further away. If he said anything I would just say that the muzzle blast from his gun was throwing off my aim.

Luckily we don't have many like that at my gun range.
 
I have had a run-in or three with BIG bore shooters. Their pressure waves is what bothers me. I try to get away from that. I try to put my ejection port AWAY from another shooter also, Courtesy is nice. I have only left the range once because of a rude shooter. I haven't run anyone off either. There are many who don't feel the 44 Magnum is fun. I like 44s and 45s.
 
Thanks for the input.

I am a respectful shooter. But I also know that a shooting range isn't the place for a family get-together or a quiet night out with the wife.

The biggest thing that I learned in the Marine Corps is to mind my own business. If you go around trying to "teach people lessons" then you are eventually going to come across someone who is going to give you a quick trip to the emergency room with broken face. That is why I stay out of other people's business and keep to myself.

Of course some people always have to learn this the hard way ;-)
 
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Somebody shooting a hand cannon doesn't usually bother me...after all it is a shooting range.... I expect it to be noisy...

For the rare obnoxious sort though, I do usually break down the 12 ga SxS coach gun and pack the pieces in the range bag...

12 ga shells out of the short tubes trumps most magnum loads in sound and blast..
 
Hey John Ringo

I learned the same lesson in the Army...folks tend to leave ya alone when ya keep to yourself. It IS a shooting range, and when some guy brings his girl there to show off, she might end up having less than charitable thoughts about her date (some ladies dont realize what they are in for, and when they get there, they find the smoke and noise unpleasant), unless ofcourse she likes guns and shooting them. Back in my single days I took a few women to the range, thinking that it would be something different for them to experience. My own reasons for doing this were because I like to introduce people to guns and shooting whenever the opportunity arises, and I think all women should own and know how to use a handgun. Some of them had a great time, others were turned off (even then, they will always remember the date). On a side note, I have purchased and given as a gift a handgun to every woman Ive ever been seriously involved with. Not too long ago I was told that the type of handgun one wields is a deeply personal matter, and that selecting one and giving it to someone was rather presumptuous of me. To my crazy way of thinking, what could possibly show you care about a woman more than the gift of a gun? I suppose I couldve taken them to the shop and allowed them to pick one they liked, but then they might have chosen something I couldnt afford, or worse, a weapon inappropriate for their needs. Hey, I meant well :) Anyhow, back to the subject at hand. On the odd occasion that firing my 629 offends someone (it hasnt happened yet), I would think that a little courtesy would go a good ways towards smoothing those ruffled feathers. In such situations, I would approach the person while extending my hand and introducing myself, then I would ask them if they've ever had the opportunity to fire an M629 (or whatever cannon you happen to be sporting). If they havent, and youd be surprised how many folks have NOT shot such a handgun, Id offer for them to put a cylinder or two through the gun. They may decline, but atleast you'll have shown yourself to be friendly and considerate. In most cases, I dare say you'll end up making a friend.
 
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I remember my first ever trip to a gun range. This guy next to us was complaining that our Buckmark was throwing brass on his custom rifle. The RO pretty much told him to shut up and suck it up. If anybody gets all irate at me for shooting a boomer, that's pretty much what I'm going to tell him too.

When one goes to the beach, one expects to catch some sun after all.
 
The only time a .44 mag has bothered me was the day the guy in the next lane kept hitting the target hanger and splashing me with big chunks of lead. He had the target at the 7-yard mark. I think he was banned, but I left before they finished talking to him. I hope his girlfriend was impressed.

John
 
I've had people get irate with me for shooting my cannons.
Tough. It's a shooting range, expect noise, flash, and maybe even a shockwave or two from those of us that like supersonic ammo.

Now I'm also not an a-hole about it. I do try to get in the lanes farthest from the other shooters. But if the range is packed. . .

The only time I'll curb my shooting is if the range is packed and I can only get a lane next to someone shooting with a kid. I want the kid to have the best experience he can, or if I hear them teach a new shooter of whatever age. Although if it's an adult, I'll simply wait for them to finish firing their string before I fire mine.

By far the most common response though is one of interest. I offer then the opportunity to fire soem rounds downrange. A lot of people accept, and universally, even if they don't like the big haulers, they are excited and thought it was a thrill.
 
My dad got a 44M Super Redhawk for his 25th anniv and he went with me to the indoor range to try it out. We're both members, so we didnt have to use the same lane, but the range officer put us next to each other anyway. So I start to shoot my 9mm, and all of a sudden...BOOM...and my glasses started jumping off my nose! My ear plugs are decent enough so I didnt mind the boom, it was just every time I went to take a shot, the damn magnum would blast off and my glasses would jump on me and screw me up. I just kinda figured :rolleyes: and started timing my shots for while he cocked for the next shot and while he was loading. I'd just pause every now and then, let the glasses jump at the blast, then take another shot. It was probably more funny than annoying. From then on I've made sure there is at least one lane between us. Even if it is a bit annoying I know I can still get him to let me pop off a few :D Same for the 338 A-bolt with that damn muzzle break...

If it was an unsupervised range, then I just try to ignore people to the best of my ability because I figure everyone is there to have fun. As long as they are being responsible, I dont mind being beaned with a 22 case now and then or some guy shooting a high powered rifle that leaps off the table at every shot. Like before, I just try to time things along with everyone around me. Now, if someone is being totally irresponsible and dangerous, I figure talking to them would just be a waste of time or maybe even lead to a conflict that I dont want going on with unruly people with guns in their hands. Then I just sit there quietly with my guns resting on the table or call it an early day. Nothing short of people shooting during a clear really deserves any confrontation. I just want to see everyone have fun in a safe way. If firing off a cannon gives you your kicks, then I'll deal with it. After all, SKS brass flies everywhere! It all evens out in the end...lol ;)
 
I like big .45's. Anything .45 or larger intrigues me. As others have alluded to, big magnums are the 454 Chevelles, 440 Dusters, and the 429 Mustangs... :rolleyes: been there, done that... :)

I can put a very large piece of lead out at range. That makes me happy...

I personally do not like indoor ranges. Indoor ranges make my head hurt. Outdoors is just infinitely better, and fortunately I do have outdoor areas to shoot, believe me. I am just glad the climate I choose (high desert) is more conducive to nice sunny weather, even in winter. I just can't "go to the range" everyday... In the summertime, the time to shoot is setup at sunrise, and as soon as it is light enough to see the targets, we go for it. ...mandatory chronograph on, and setup for use, or not. The bugs tell you when it is time to go home after about 4 hours of shooting. :eek: It is hard as heck to aim with insect critters in your face...
Winters are not bad here, snow does not hang around on the ground, and it does snow here, sometimes six inches or so. The exception is snow does hang out in the shady areas for awhile sometimes. But if the sun is out, 40 degrees is quite tolerable with a light jacket, even in December.

Yeah, I think I will take mother nature anyday...

By the way, guys/gals the weather is horrible in NM, don't move here... :eek: :rolleyes:

Cheers,

Mike
 
Never had anyprobs with any complaining of course our range has a lane 8 for the big boomer shooters if ya dont like um go else where...

Most i get when im shooting my 454 casull is dang what is that thing the flames coming out of it are huge .


I know they have had some people complaine when the guy comes in with the 500 but they basically told the guy who complained he has a membership buy lots from here you been here once stock complaining
 
I try to be as courteous as possible, like spacing out the lanes, trying not to shuck brass on a wheelgunner, and trying not to shoot big boomers next to the .22 bullseye shooters.
But said and done, you are there to learn, and to help each other, there is a lot to learn from other people, and they aren't going to be in the best of moods if you don't at least try to be courteous.
That being said, I'm a nice guy, but I don't take nicely to violations of gun handling, breaking of the rules, or general carelessness.
I'm not at all afraid to be vocal, and even a little intimidating when I think that they are putting someone else's life in danger.
Don't sweat the small stuff. ;)
 
I would vacate the range whenever somebody would bring down (It was an indoor range in a basement) big bore class III weapon, like a full auto 30-06 BAR or a SAW, but, other than that, it would not bother me!!!

Since I had a range pass, I would just go upstairs and jabber with the help until they ran out of ammo!! I usually did not have to wait very long!!! ;)
Then, I would go back down!!! :)

Except when a certain fellow would show up. He would bring all his toys!! He must have had a Dillon reloader, because he would bring a ton of ammo with him!! It usually took him two or three trips to hoof all that stuff downstairs!!! When he showed up, I knew I was done for the afternoon!!
He did have some neat weaponery, though!!
 
On the contrary

:)
I range shoot about 4x/yr to keep in touch with my SW Magna Ported 44mag Mtn Gun which is used among other things for light bear protection in AK.
Try to hit the range when few others are using it. At the end of each session and before moving on to my CCW 38 snub, I put about 2 cylinders of 300 gr bear loads thru it.
A time or two a year someone, sometimes a police officer, wants to know what the heck the racket and flame throwing is all about. Can tell they would love to shoot it - so cuz they 'serve and protect' they get to. Some kid that they'd love to have one for 'backup'.

:cool:
 
Don't sweat the petty stuff, don't pet the sweaty stuff!

I haven't had any experience with indoor ranges. Unfortunately, around here they are out of my budget, but I have been next to the high power guys at the outdoor ranges and I don't mind the blast or the noise (besides I am one). In fact, one of my favorite shooting experiences was the Garand clinic at Camp Perry. While I was away at college one year five of us went to the clinic to get away for the weekend and we had a blast. I loved shooting the prone rapid with 75 shooters on the line and the ground thumping with brass flying all over. The way I see it, noise and blast comes with the sport. If I'm plinking next to a guy with an SKS, I just time my shots and enjoy the day anyway. Let's face it a bad day at the range is better than any day at work :) .
 
hey john ringo.what range do you go to in columbus.the one in new albany is very nice, but expensive.the powder room is cold ,dark ,and smoky but cheap.
 
Only when we run out of ammo while they're taking my Marlin for a test drive. Up until then, they're all smiles. :D
 
Shorty,

I shoot up at New Albany. It is a nice place with a nice staff. The membership was roughly $100 per year using my military discount.

Where in the heck is the Powder Room ????
 
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