HORRIBLE range experience, Wexford. PA

[NathanW]

Originally Posted by BearTitan

USPSA shooting is so fun and safe that it has made me much more sensitive to being swept by other gun owners. At matches, it just doesn't happen, which is one of the reasons that they are so fun. If you sweep someone at a USPSA match, first you are going home, second, there will be 10 guys up your ass. It's just not done.

Nathan, I am surprised by your call for training as mandatory. Having shot with you (PMSC), I am giving you the benefit of the doubt in that these ass-hats you came across got you pretty worked up. They must not have seen you shoot or I am pretty sure they would have changed their tune!

Come out to PMSC. Every Thursday at 6 PM, our practice is open to the public. As you know the matches are the first Sunday of the month and the group shoots are the second Sunday of the month.

I appricate the compliment, however, I do not consider myself to be a good shooter, but I do consider myself to be a "safe shooter" which is "my" responsibility as a gun owner! I very much enjoy compeating, and train often to better my own shooting. I just do not think that there is room for this type of blatant disreguard for others at ANY shooting range and was rather suprised by it all. I understand that there is a certain amount of testorone involved with guns, I do my best to avoid these type of situations. If you have shot with me in the past you know I am a pretty quiet person and don't get very excited about the minor things in life, I'm just to old for that stuff. But this was not a minor offence, this could have cost both of us our lives, and I did NOT take it lightly, his further disreguard for proper handling of his firearm just furthered my point, I needed to leave, or things were going to get bad in a hurry!. I could not agree more with the USPSA matchs and their safety record, it is truly impecible! And this is another reason I enjoy these matches so much. We all make our gun handling mistakes, and I am the first to admit that I have made mine, (all of which have been at PMSC, wink, wink) but this was far from the norm, and the most blatent I have ever seen!
I just wanted to thank all of you for answering my little tiraid here, and offering your opinions.

[Punisher]

Originally Posted by NathanW

I do not consider myself to be a good shooter,

did you say you were former LEO? i hope you're just being modest, lol.

[Jay5oh]

Originally Posted by NathanW

I went to the Wexford game lands this weekend on Sunday (erroneously believing that there would be nobody there due to the Pen's game). I had a HORRIBLE experience there, but it was not due to range officials, it was due to the fact that at 5 pm there was NO range official! Upon arriving at the range (again around 5 pm Sunday) Someone yelled range "range clear check your targets". I was on the 7 yard pistol bay, on the far left side. There were 3 men and a lady in a group to my far right. I preceded down to hang a target and arrived back to a new group of fellows directly beside me. This was not a problem, however I did not want to hit them with my flying brass while they were shooting, so I would wait for a break in their fire to shoot. As I returned to the firing line I bring my own gun up to charge a mag I see a VERY LARGE stainless steel barrel pointing DIRECTLY at MY head with a finger BURIED in the trigger guard!! At which point I duck down and move back The whole time saying "MUZZLE, MUZZLE, MUZZLE"!! At which point the guy turns and looks at me with this very confused look on his face and again pointing his firearm at me, (finger still in the BURIED in the trigger guard mind you) At which point I instruct him to "Point the gun DOWN RANGE"!! He begins going on a tirade that the "Gun is NOT even "F" ING loaded", And next (now get this, and it is no made up, I swear) He begins twirling the gun around on his index finger "COWBOY STYLE" !!! At which I respond, "I do NOT care if the firearm is unloaded, "DO NOT POINT THAT AT ME"!!! So he retorts, "look there is not even a "F" ING "clip (second clue he has no idea of gun edicate) in it!! To which I respond, "What about the chamber!!!?" (you see, the slide was closed.) He replies, "do you think I would point a loaded gun at myself"? To which I reply, "I do NOT care if you point a loaded gun at yourself, do NOT point any gun at me!. Now he goes off on a triad of expletives, at which time I decide to pack up my things and going home. ( I am way to shaken up by all of this to shoot any more, nor do I want to be on a range where someone is displaying this poor of gun handling skills. Before I leave I try to speak as a gentleman to this fellow and explain to him nobody is looking for a fight here, but you should never point a gun anywhere but down range, and he again launches into another slew of expletives and stating that I did not need to yell at him!, I say I was not yelling, but needed to get my point across in an swift manor that he was pointing his firearm at ME. He goes off again, and I call it a day!
So why is it that you need a licence to drive a car, but any person with the money can buy a gun, which is FAR more deadly, and walk out the door with it!? I believe that there should be some type of small course given to firearm owners when they purchase a firearm, just my .02. Please feel free to share your stories.

This is exactly why I rarely go to SGL ranges. Almost every time I've been to one either here in Erie or in DuBois it's a disaster.

[neonghost79]

Yep the Wexford Gamlands range is very dangerous at times!! I only like to go on the weekdays when I am off work and there are only a few..if any people there. I have called a CLEAR and.....woulden't you know it...BOOM....someone shoots there firearm>>>WTF!! People are stupid...and there are alot of people out there that have no bizzz owning a firearm..PERIOD !!!

[schr8er2000]

Ron White ( the comedian ) put it very distinctly.. he said that modern science is wonderful. They can re attach amputated fingers and limbs, can replace hearts, liver and some other vital organs,, but they CANT fix STUPID...........................

[Mosinshooter762]

How about being down range, and the have someone start shooting at the firing line. I have had that happen to me at the range.

Of course, there have been a number of incidents on public roads with licensed drivers, in which no body in talks about (people making daring left turns at last minute, swerving around traffic lanes).

I'm opposed to so-called mandatory 'gun-safety' classes. Thats another door to give the government to charge you another $20-$100 to buy a firearm. Its a right, not a mere privilege. I received my gun eduction through family, friends, and through experience.

[Punisher]

Originally Posted by Mosinshooter762

How about being down range, and the have someone start shooting at the firing line. I have had that happen to me at the range.

i always carry a loaded handgun down range with me if it's permitted. if someone wants to start shooting at me, i'd like to be able to return fire..........

[CommonHighrise]

+1 on being armed when downrange. Ill slip the KelTec into the pocket when I head down to change targets at French Creek. If you fire once while Im down there, Im in the dirt and screaming bloody murder at you for being an idiot. If you fire twice, youre trying to kill me, and the only remaining question is what gets your attention first, my incoming 9mm, or the round headed your way from one of my shooting partners.

Ive seen some dumb stuff at the open French Creek range, but nothing terrible. Muzzle flashes, or touching guns during cold range. I usually try and take it upon myself to head off any issues while there and do my bit as range officer (also lets me meet some cool people/try some cool guns).

Probably the worst Ive seen there is a guy on the station next to me walk downrange to change targets at the pistol backstop, while some folks 3 stations down were still firing at the 100yrd. Best part is, the guy still had his muffs on, so the best way I could think of to stop him quick was to throw a box of spent brass at him. He was new, he learned the easy way.

[Philadelphia]

After thinking about this for a couple minutes, if I felt the need to be armed while among fellow, presumably law abiding, gun owners at some certain place, I would leave that place and never return.

One way or another, something bad is going to happen. With those odds, it's not a good place to hang around.

I must be lucky because I can't even imagine such a place and certainly have never been there. It does explain a lot about why different ranges have different rules and how different people can view those rules differently.

It also goes to show that my utopian fantasy of requiring that schools teach all non-delinquint high school kids basic rifle and pistol safety and marksmanship is a really, really good idea. There does need to be some basic baseline that everyone just knows.

I also recall one thing among many I was told by someone who taught me just about everything I ever needed to know in order to shoot really well (and over the course of time have started to actually understand ) -- if your muzzle breaks the plane of the line, you will be tackled, or shot or both. When I take a newbie to the range, part of the pre-range "pep talk" includes imparting that understanding.

[MartinBrody]

I do want "your" rights as a gun owner to infringe on "my" right to live!

It doesn't sound like a simple safety class would have worked on this Darwin award nominee. There is a lot of driver education and you have to be licensed to drive, but people still drink and drive, drive recklessly, speed and do lots of other very dangerous things on the road that endanger others and kill a lot of people. Lets not be so quick to limit/restrict our rights in the name of safety!