Etiquette & "help" revisited.

W

wogpotter

New member
Just something to give a little thought to before volunteering help to someone at the range who has shown no interest in needing it.

1: Did the other person ask for help?
2: Does the other person seem to be having difficulty?
3: Do you actually know what you're helping with unasked?
4: If the person you're "helping" has asked you to not mess with his equipment because you've messed up his project do you think it's wise to continue helping?

I mention it because I ran into this yesterday at our local range. I was re-zeroing a trajectory compensating sight at the 200 yd firing point when, unasked someone showed up & started "helping" me. I'm sure they meant well, but I didn't need, or want help. I was just fine thanks.

Wrenching on the eyepiece of my spotting scope (unasked) to correct it for your eyesight instead of turning the focusing knob didn't help.

Moving my chronograph & accidentally clearing its memory didn't help.

Deciding I was "done" by your standard & walking down range in front of me really didn't help. I had to stop shooting because of it so I left with my project ruined.
:mad:
Seriously guys & girls. Please ask first & if your help is not requested just let it go.
 
In all my years of messing with this stuff, that, by far, has to be the most intrusive person at a range I've ever heard of.
Was he drunk?
 
I tend not to offer help unless they start talking to others about their issue. If someone tries to help me without an invitation then I will try to explain to them what I am doing and that I like to be left alone so that I can concentrate.

Be polite if possible, blunt when required and rude when all else fails.
 
There are a couple of older Range Safety Officers that just love showing their teaching skills. And since they can get one banned from the range One has to carefully avoid their days to volunteer.
Happily the RSO schedule in in the news letter in the web sight. ;)
 
Almost sounds like the forum here is being scolded because of the actions of some random dope.
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As Jeff Foxworthy might say:
"Looks like a little finger pointing going on out there":)

Not at all the intention I assure you.
Sometimes a reminder will prevent an incident though. As I said I'm sure he "Thought he was helping".
 
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There are a couple of older Range Safety Officers that just love showing their teaching skills. And since they can get one banned from the range One has to carefully avoid their days to volunteer.
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That's so funny.
I am an RSO:D
One reason I carry the "range box from hell" is so I can be the nice guy who has the (insert tool here) you need when something goes wrong, instead of the dreaded "Range Nazi".:cool:
 
Can't you just say, politely of course, "Bugger off Mate!"?
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I kinda-sorta did. He didn't get the hint.:rolleyes:

I think he wanted me gone so he could use the 50 yd position on the 200/100/50 yd range we use. I guess he figured by "speeding me up" he could get onto the point faster.
Why he didn't use the other 50 yd range is beyond me?

Its a small range only 3 points with the 200 yds. In fact when I got there originally there was someone at the 100yd point. I looked on the login sheet, worked out they'd been there an hour or so. I walked up to them & asked how long they wee going to be, they said at least another hour so I left to do something else & returned later.
 
Not to make you paranoid but was the guy really trying to help you or was he maybe trying to APPEAR to help you while in reality trying to mess with you.

It's a particularly nasty (IMhO) social phenom I've had the displeasure to see on tv shows and at least once for real.

Good for you though for keeping your cool.
 
That's so funny.
I am an RSO
One reason I carry the "range box from hell" is so I can be the nice guy who has the (insert tool here) you need when something goes wrong, instead of the dreaded "Range Nazi".
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There is a huge difference. Seeing someone struggling and doing something unsafe, offering help is great. I certainly appreciate that.
Coming up and telling me I'm holding my hand the wrong way. Or I need a higher stand for the bench bag. I've been advised by one that I need to pick that brass up.
I guess he didn't see I was just making the rifle safe and getting up. The MTM box near full of my handloads is a clue that that brass wasn't for sweeping aside.
 
When I saw the title of this thread, I honestly thought it was going to be in a different direction.

I do not normally assist anyone on my public range unless they specifically ask for it, or at least in conversation expresses a difficulty they may be having that I can help with.

This happened at my last range outing. Older man wearing a Vietnam Veteran hat was working with an AR 15 and describing that he was zeroing it but was having difficulty keeping up with which way to move the rear sight to move the impact of the round. Sounded like an invitation to remind him that you move the sight in the direction that you want the round to move (if you're shooting left of the bull, move the sight to the right). Then he started talking elevation and indicated that he was using the elevation knob on his A2 rear sight to handle that task... so I sort of tentatively pointed out that the front sight post is how we customarily make elevation adjustments.

In our conversation, we discussed the respective nature of our military service: he had been a CH-47 avaionics technician for a year in RVN, and admittedly did not fire a weapon much during his service... plus he was out long before the A2 came into existance, and judging from his other remarks about his service, he certainly didn't come across as a phony (besides, who makes up a stolen valor story about being an aircraft mechanic? no offense to any of you aviation support guys out there :-) but it did feel awkward providing this information to a veteran 20 years my senior.

kind of a lengthy story to illustrate that I am always selective in providing assistance to anyone on the range.
 
Tom68 said:
In our conversation, we discussed the respective nature of our military service: he had been a CH-47 avaionics technician for a year in RVN, and admittedly did not fire a weapon much during his service... plus he was out long before the A2 came into existance,
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If he was in Vietnam before the A2 version of the M16 arrived, he should have known better than to tinker with the rear sight for elevation. The M16s we had when I was there were the early ones. The rear sights had no adjustment -- just a flip eyepiece with a choice of two peepholes. Elevation had to be adjusted at the front sight.
 
Keep it fun and on the "sunny" side !!!

About the only contact that "I" initiate with anyone at the range, is to admire what he is shooting. I never ask to shoot what they have and usually decline if offered. In the course of our conversation they might ask for help, I do the best I can or at least make a suggestion. ..... ;)

When they initiate the contact, I'm cordial and seldom if ever, ask for help. On one occasion, I was assisting my shooting partner with a scope problem and this guy just stepped in, started a basic conversation but then, started making suggestions. I ignored him and kept on working. When he realized that he was being ignored, he started walking away. That is when I said; "Thanks for the help, we didn't ask for". He never replied and hey, I did thank him. ;)

As I've stated before, I don't do "Smithing" on the shooting bench, only on my shop bench. I know some guys that take almost all the tools, in there shop. I love shooting and these guys can take the fun out of it. ..... :rolleyes:

Be Safe !!!
 
Shooting my usual 45auto only, no other gun present, using a shaving bag for my stuff. Brief intro with person in next stall. I was going thru my bag containing spent 22LR casings. Same person was hawking/badgering me about the casings. I just stared at him. Probably an off duty something.
 
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I've learned to ask directly if someone is interested in help and not get offended if they say no.

I will let anyone shoot anything I take to the range with me if I have seen them shooting and they aren't an idiot. I have only shot a strangers pistol once and it was a mistake. Woman in early 20s shooting an XD sub-compact with some crazy rounds in it. I don't know if it was the gun, handloads, some +p+ defensive fodder, or what, but it caught me by surprise. I almost crapped my pants and dropped the gun. She had been shooting it like it was a .22. I was impressed.
 
This is one additional reason....

...why I almost always shoot alone.

I know that in the grand scheme of things, shooting alone has an awful lot of disadvantages and for many people, the bad outweighs the good.

But for me, shooting alone has more than enough to recommend it.
 
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