No pictures, but a sad tale...

[armoredman]

I went to the local outdoor range bright and squirrely, I mean, early, with the P07, my usual P01 and PCR, and the vz-58 in it's little travel bag. Plenty o' ammo, and I was set.
I was also violating my rule I set years ago, never visit the outdoor unsupervised range on the weekend.  
When I got there, the crowd wasn't bad, had my far left range to myself, and my heart immediately sank, someone had trashed it. No, the benchs and cover were intact, they had literally trashed it with broken boards, a half destroyed pallet, and a car radiator left on the ground. Being the weekend, the city cleanup crew hadn't been in, and the full to overflowing garbage barrel showed it. Well, I drove this far...
Setup at ten yards, shivering a bit in the 34 degree weather, but it can get chilly even in Arizona. Realized I forgot the camera again. Dagnabbit. Oh well.
Started cranking off rounds at 10 yards with the P07, and guess what? That cold weather thing did get me a little, mags became a bit "sticky" but not too bad. Groups were good, pistols performance was flawless. But, at round 120 or so, that sharp checkering on the backstrap finally irritated the palm of my hand enough to make me switch. Mind you, that had not happened before, wondering if the cold had something to do with it...so I switched to my trusty PCR. Oh, joy, as soon as the Hakans hit my palm my hand was singing in ectsasy. The problem was, I couldn't group as well as the P07. 25 yard groups were 6-8 inches wide! I had a choice, go back to shooting something that grouped well, or stick with comfy and wider groups. I chose comfy, as I rationalized, wide groups merely means I need more practice, right? Right!
I did run the target back to 75 yards and broke out the vz-58, and discovered that somehow my POI was now up and to the left on the target! I adjusted, and fired a few more, getting some nice groups, but nothing right where I wanted it. I began to realize I was having that rare phenomena - the bad day at the range. Well, better a bad day at the range than a good day at work!
So I finished up, cleaned up, and trotted home. We'll try again next Friday...

[zzw30]

Better then my trip yesterday.  Every lane was full and there was over an hour wait on the list to get a lane.  40 minutes of drive time and gas wasted.   Bboooooo.

[armoredman]

I did realize what my problem with the vz-58 was - I hadn't had a chance to sight in the EOTech at longer range, only was able to use it at 25 yards before, so I am betting once I get it adjusted all will be well. The groups were nice, just off.
I hate going on the weekend to my range because it's unsupervised, and local hooligans and 'bangers like to try to impress thier girlfriends with thier manly prowess with arms. Yeah, right, only thing safe is the target. Fortunately they were also still at home, sleeping off a New Years double day hangover, no doubt.
Hope you have better luck next time, sir

[fatexfed2]

I guess I never realized how lucky I am. The only reason I no longer shoot in my back yard is because I have a small dog who goes nuts from loud noises. Before my Dad died and his second wife sold the place next door, I could sit on my upper deck and shoot about 200 yds. I also had a bench built 50 yards from the house and target frames at 25- 50-100yds.  But all good things come to an end, and now there are trailer homes set up too close, so I quit shooting here. I have a membership in the local muzzleloading club range about 20 minutes away, and usually have it all to myself, especially during the week. It has covered benches, but right now the range is under about 20 inches of snow and unplowed road through private property to get to it. Still a lot nicer than a public range! But I am not going to the range at 16 deg with a wind blowing....too old for that!

[Ross7]

I was actually kinda glad to see you had just a bad shooting day at the range armoredman. When I read... "I was also violating my rule I set years ago, never visit the outdoor unsupervised range on the weekend."...I was afraid you were gonna say something dangerous had happened, indeed maybe with the likes of "local hooligans and 'bangers".

Sorry your day at the range was "unsatisfactory", but relieved it was safe.

[TSOL]

I agree about outdoor public ranges. I hadn't been to the local outdoor range in a while but wanted to break in a new Dan Wesson and I just couldn't see paying $29 for a box of 50 rounds as I planned to shoot a bunch just to break a gun in at my local indoor range.

Long story short it's a zoo amature hour  big time. Any way as I'm wrapping up putting all my gear back into the range bag I hear one of the R.O.'s screaming at this guy who is loading his gun on the bench behind the firing line telling him "you can't load your gun there there's people in front of you he then says is there a round in the pipe of that gun pointing at your son?" the guy must have answered yes and his son couldn't have been older than five or six and less than a foot away from the loaded gun pointed about lower chest level. But here's the real kicker as I passed by this guy on my way to the trash can I notice he's wearing a sheriff's office jacket.  Completely amazing I suspect he was a jail deputy as he wasn't wearing a firearm nor was there a patrol car in the lot. But give me a break loading your gun right behind over a dozen people not to mention having a loaded firearm pointing right at his young son. STUPID!!

[Road Dawg]

I always prefer to use my agencies range: I'm there by myself or with only those I choose to take along and no gomers in sight.

A couple of months ago I joined a local bullseye league and part of the requirement was purchasing a membership at the associated public indoor range.  The league is great fun and a great bunch of guys, but at that time of evening the range is reserved for our activities, so it's not so public.  Since it's winter I've been using that range more frequently, I figured I'd might as well since I paid for it.

I went down there today for a couple of hours and saw enough safety violations to last me a lifetime.  Every time I go in there I see far too many people without even a basic comprehension of the simplest safety rules, as well as citizens qualifying for a CCW who can't display even the slightest familiarity with their chosen weapon.  We won't even get into the know-it-all loud mouths who seem to be present on every public range known to man.  Fortunately the owner shows me the curtosy of putting me on a lane as far as possible from the "public" whenever possible.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the 2nd Amendment and gun ownership and concealed carry.  However, while I think it's great in principle, the gross incompetence and negligence I keep seeing makes me wonder if the practical application leaves something to be desired.  (And yes, before anyone mentions it I'm fully aware that far too many members of my profession aren't any better.)

[armoredman]

I can agree, when I go to Dept qualification, I wear body armor. Some of my fellow staff scare the dickens outa me!
I wish we had mandatory firearms safety taught in scool, like drivers ed. Actually, AZ has that in law, but as an optional class for schools to offer. The law does state if the school offers it, they have to have range time to pass.

[Mrs Armoredman]

That stinks. Why do people have to trash a range and ruin it for other shooters? Jerks.

[Ross7]

Every time I go in there I see far too many people without even a basic comprehension of the simplest safety rules...

I know the problem. I only visit the 2 ranges (both outdoor) in my area during mid-week to avoid the crowds. The downside to this is that since that's a "slow" time neither will have a R.O. on duty. Though there may be just a few people there it only takes one unsafe shooter to make for an uncomfortable day at the range.

[CZ75BRocks]

  Sometimes, when I'm in the Roanoke,VA area I will go to "Potts Mountain" Shooting Range.  The last 3 times I go there it was trashed.  Not a bad range. It wasn't like Atterbury in Edinburgh, IN but still not bad.  I don't believe that these ranges that are "trashed" represents the accumulation of several careless shooters.  I think it's one or two individuals whose intent was to muck things up. Just my opinion.  Having said that we must remember that we...all of us, need to police up all of our brass/cases...yes even that Chinese/Yugo/Russian steel stuff each time we go....yes 22LR as well. It's up to us.  I don't think BHO can fix this either. LOL!!!