I guess I just need to get this out of my system. Due to some crazee's years ago I didn't go to that range for years. But this past winter I went back and found things much improved as we now had range officers. But still, the last thing I wanted to do was to go anytime around firearms system because foolish people tended to come out of the woodwork at this time.
But do to circumstances I did exactly that. I showed up just after lunch on Oct. 16, 2014 and while I unloaded my gear all but one shooter left. So that left me, a retired army officer and the fool already shooting on the far right. The army guy had just had the rules told to him by one of the range officers.
We called Range Cold and all 3 of us went downrange. Now I'm not walking well this year due to a knee replacement and Osteoarthritis in my hip so it takes me awhile to get to the 100 yard mark. I finished stapeling my targets when I heard a rifle shot and a muffled "Whap" 2 target frames away. At first I couldn't believe it was someone firing on the rifle range but when I turned around I could see the fool on the far right settling in to shoot again. I started yelling, the army guy started yelling, then a range officer started that way and he was yelling.
Then the fool jumped up and started waving his arms and yelling to the range officer. I headed back downrange as fast as I could but due to my earplugs I couldn't hear what was being said.
That's when things got real strange as I expected the range officers (another was on his way) to give the shooter a dressing down. I took out my earplugs just in time to hear the fool say "I'm leaving", good, I thought. But to my surprise the range officers never told him anything. Not "look downrange" before you shoot or anything. So, this guy packs his stuff into his blue jeep real fast while the range officer starts yelling to me and the army guy about the rules, then he takes off.
I was shocked to say the least.
Turned out he had told the RO's that the range was hot and he was the aggrieved. So in their minds that was that. Total incompetence. But how could they really know as right after that they went back inside the trailer, where they had been all the time, to watch TV maybe? I don't know. And left the RO dutys to the shooters again.
What are they getting paid for I wonder? I do know who pays them, we do, the Ga. taxpayer. Sadly there were a couple of good RO's but they quit and left these overbearing guys.
There is one thing that could have contributed to this; Target frames. Once, there was a 100 yd. rifle range and a 50 yd. pistol range, but now there are target frames with cardboard sheets spread from 10 yards to 100 yards. Today there were only 4 targets at 100 yards. It is very possible I was blocked from his line of sight by a target frame. Add this to the fact that he was in his own world and you have the makings for a disaster.
There was more to this after the shot but this pretty well sums it up.
So, thanks for listening (reading), just be real careful if you go there and go downrange. I doubt I'll be back as now I'm just a little but gunshy.
But do to circumstances I did exactly that. I showed up just after lunch on Oct. 16, 2014 and while I unloaded my gear all but one shooter left. So that left me, a retired army officer and the fool already shooting on the far right. The army guy had just had the rules told to him by one of the range officers.
We called Range Cold and all 3 of us went downrange. Now I'm not walking well this year due to a knee replacement and Osteoarthritis in my hip so it takes me awhile to get to the 100 yard mark. I finished stapeling my targets when I heard a rifle shot and a muffled "Whap" 2 target frames away. At first I couldn't believe it was someone firing on the rifle range but when I turned around I could see the fool on the far right settling in to shoot again. I started yelling, the army guy started yelling, then a range officer started that way and he was yelling.
Then the fool jumped up and started waving his arms and yelling to the range officer. I headed back downrange as fast as I could but due to my earplugs I couldn't hear what was being said.
That's when things got real strange as I expected the range officers (another was on his way) to give the shooter a dressing down. I took out my earplugs just in time to hear the fool say "I'm leaving", good, I thought. But to my surprise the range officers never told him anything. Not "look downrange" before you shoot or anything. So, this guy packs his stuff into his blue jeep real fast while the range officer starts yelling to me and the army guy about the rules, then he takes off.
I was shocked to say the least.
Turned out he had told the RO's that the range was hot and he was the aggrieved. So in their minds that was that. Total incompetence. But how could they really know as right after that they went back inside the trailer, where they had been all the time, to watch TV maybe? I don't know. And left the RO dutys to the shooters again.
What are they getting paid for I wonder? I do know who pays them, we do, the Ga. taxpayer. Sadly there were a couple of good RO's but they quit and left these overbearing guys.
There is one thing that could have contributed to this; Target frames. Once, there was a 100 yd. rifle range and a 50 yd. pistol range, but now there are target frames with cardboard sheets spread from 10 yards to 100 yards. Today there were only 4 targets at 100 yards. It is very possible I was blocked from his line of sight by a target frame. Add this to the fact that he was in his own world and you have the makings for a disaster.
There was more to this after the shot but this pretty well sums it up.
So, thanks for listening (reading), just be real careful if you go there and go downrange. I doubt I'll be back as now I'm just a little but gunshy.
