# Interesting and scary range observation.



## draak (May 28, 2011)

My brother and I spent several hours at the range yesterday. During a pause in the shooting, my brother directed my attention to the ceiling directly in front of the firing bench. The sound proofing in the first 15 to 20 feet was littered with bullet holes also some of the lighting fixture covers had a few holes in them. This appears to me as mis-handling of a fire arm. Kind of scary that some shooters either did not read the instructions or are just not paying attention to what they are doing.


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## jakeleinen1 (Jul 20, 2011)

ive noticed such things as well at my range

I wouldn't attribute this kind of stuff so quickly to shooters who are irresponsible or dont know what they are doing tho. Out of context we cant tell where the bullet holes came from, could be 100% accidental

The more we a shooters pass judgement among eachother the more bullets we give for neo facists liberals to try and take our arms away. Stupid shooters need to be put down but there aren't as many idiots with guns as you might think IMO, and if you think there are alot of idiots with LEGAL guns, then we should have our guns taken away. But this is not the case most shooters are smart educated and honest people


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## rgrundy (Jul 16, 2011)

We are a predominantly urban society these days and prone to be book educated and short on experience and common sense. Most ranges have holes in the roof. Places I lived where the people grew up handling firearms and were far from medical help were much safer. Check out the roof at 12 seconds on this little remote range.

Checking Rifle Zero - YouTube


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## Holly (Oct 15, 2011)

Maybe it was on purpose...


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## TedDeBearFrmHell (Jul 1, 2011)

draak said:


> .... The sound proofing in the first 15 to 20 feet was littered with bullet holes also some of the lighting fixture covers had a few holes in them. This appears to me as mis-handling of a fire arm....


you are exactly correct



jakeleinen1 said:


> .......
> I wouldn't attribute this kind of stuff so quickly to shooters who are irresponsible or dont know what they are doing tho. Out of context we cant tell where the bullet holes came from,* could be 100% accidental*.....


we know EXACTLY where the bullets holes came from.... they are a result of a bullet leaving the muzzle of a gun and the only thing that causes bullets to strike those areas, or any other area is that the finger was squeezing the trigger while the gun was pointed at it..... this is NOT an accident, it is NEGLIGENT and 100% avoidable.....

OR

is it your contention that every one of those holes was made by a gun that fell and discharged? the dropped gun theory?


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## Palawanbeetle (Nov 21, 2011)

*Idiots*

Who would not take a safety corse that would tell not to do that


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## Palawanbeetle (Nov 21, 2011)

Seriously who would fire in the air so carelessly


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## berettatoter (Sep 1, 2011)

Unfortunately, some people have no business with a firearm in their hands.


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## Reddog1 (Oct 26, 2011)

I don't go to indoor ranges any more. If you do, just sit back and watch the accidents waiting to happen. I feel safer in the slums of a big city than I do at indoor ranges. Go out west and look at some of the little outdoor ranges in rural areas. No holes except in the target backstops. It isn't the gun that shoots the holes, it's the people who do not respect the weapon or their fellow shooter.


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## Holly (Oct 15, 2011)

I've never been to an indoor range...


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## jdw68 (Nov 5, 2011)

I have seen holes in the ceiling of public indoor ranges and have always wondered how that was possible?? Are there really that many careless people, bad shots, etc. Hard to believe! Is it possible that some of these ranges are having problems with bullet ricochet. Which would also be a scarey thought, but better than thinking that there are scores of individuals who come to the range and start shooting the ceiling. I honestly don't know how the holes in the ceiling happen, but have been in indoor ranges often and have never witnessed someone shooting the ceiling. Though I have seen some that I worried my shoot anything but the target!


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## FNISHR (Aug 9, 2011)

I go to a very fine indoor range, but I'd have to say I've seen the same thing, and of course it's due to stupidity. Idiots are everywhere, my friends, including in the world of shooting. We need to be on our toes all the time, period.


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## DanP_from_AZ (May 8, 2009)

Holly said:


> I've never been to an indoor range...


Nothing wrong with an indoor range if you buy the whole place for one hour of "just ME and MY gun".

I believe it is much safer to drive out to my favorite spot in the National Forest. On a dirt road. With the last mile a REAL 4wd only "road". The last 1/2 mile trail isn't even a "road". 
The road would be a "fancy suburban SUV" killer. So I don't see any other people. It does cost one hour's worth of gasoline. Worth it to keep out the riff-raff.

And I can practice anything I want. Including real practice from my EDC rig. I do keep my trauma pack with QuikClot real handy. :mrgreen:


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## Deadwood (Jun 27, 2011)

This is generally caused by a turkey brain trying to shoot fast and is squeezing the trigger when the pistol is pointed up There is no control of the pistol.


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## 45Sidekick (Oct 18, 2011)

Deadwood said:


> This is generally caused by a turkey brain...


hahaha you are correct sir


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## Bisley (Aug 24, 2008)

One of my top ten worst feelings in the world is to hear a ricochet at an indoor range.


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## KoneKiller (Oct 27, 2011)

My cousin was at the Wa. State Patrol indoor range caught a ricochet in the shoulder.


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## Packard (Aug 24, 2010)

At the indoor range where I used to shoot there were florescent tubes mounted on the ceiling. The ceiling height was about 10 feet.

A friend of mine (not all friends are good shooters) actually confessed and paid for a shot out tube that was *half way* down range. That would have been about a 20 degree angle off the point of aim. And this in a range that did not allow rapid fire.

I told him that I would never had confessed. I would have left the money anonymously--but I would never have admitted to miss by that much.

(Not all of these are ricochets.)


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## ibanezbtb300 (May 31, 2011)

Couple months ago my dad, girlfriend and I were at our indoor range and these guys next to us kept getting hit with ricochets. After a while a ricochet came back nailed one of the guys right on his nose by the nostril. It stuck in his nose. They went our into the store area and the guys behind the counter were trying to pry it out with a pair of needle nose pliers. If i was that guy i would have told them to f**k off I'm going to the hospital.


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## Packard (Aug 24, 2010)

If the steel backing is not quite thick enough it will dimple from heavy ammo. If your round hits one of these dimples it will riccochet instead of being deflected down into the sand pit. (Assuming that your range was designed like my old range was with an angled steel plate that deflected rounds into a sand pit in front of the plate.)

Armor piecing rounds and some heavy rifle rounds will easily dimple the lighter gage plates. Our old range only allowed lead bullets because the plate was too light. They later upgraded to heavier plates but would not allow any rifle rounds because of the dimpling issue.

Another possible reason is that there is inadequate amounts of sand in the pit, or that the lead bullets have not been raked out frequently enough.


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## postmaster (Aug 16, 2011)

*lots of morons with guns*

At my outdoor range they shot up a really nice bathroom. Glad no one was in there.


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## Packard (Aug 24, 2010)

Groucho Marx once said, "I wouldn't join a club that would allow a member like me." Pretty funny if you think about it.

But clubs are not defined by their membership; clubs are defined by the people they exclude. There was a fraternity at my college that had brothers that were rich, poor, middle class, republican, democrat, nice guys and creeps, a wide variety of types. But what they did not have was any Jews, Blacks, Orientals or Hispanics. What they excluded was what defined the fraternity.

I am a member of a gun club. It excludes reckless shooters; criminals; and, after they get to know you, creeps.

The pay to shoot ranges, and public ranges do not exclude in the same manner. Public ranges are a mixed bag. But the pay to use ranges (and I've used them) always are worrisome. It costs more to shoot at those places than by joining a club. So who are those guys who go to the pay to use ranges?


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## kg333 (May 19, 2008)

Packard said:


> So who are those guys who go to the pay to use ranges?


A student who can't afford to shoot more than once a month (hence cheaper), and who doesn't live permanently in the area to get references to join the local clubs.

Besides, Bud's has a rep to keep up, the yahoos get noted and booted very quickly.

KG


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## SgtMoe (Nov 15, 2011)

There called ridgit's.....brokenimage


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## SgtMoe (Nov 15, 2011)

There called ridgit's.....brokenimage


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## jcsandals (Aug 11, 2011)

I never want to be overly involved in the business of others, but there have been situations where I felt obligated to intervene - at pay to shoot ranges and common "national forest ranges". 

Honestly the worst things I've seen were this old man trying to "clean up downrange" while there are over a dozen other people shooting... I called a cease fire (it works even in a pseudo range in the middle of the forest) and ran over to him. I told him it was unsafe for him to be there and that the other folks here would appreciate it if he would limit his time down range to target setup. He got a bit uppidy and grumbled something about "if it doesn't get cleaned up theyll shut this place down". I responded to him with "if you get shot or hit by a ricochet it will DEFINITELY get shut down". He grumbled and went off, but I couldnt believe the nerve of that guy to just walk down range and start picking up trash while people are firing... What kind of logic is that? A couple pieces of cardboard targets aren't worth your life crazy man!!

The only other time was out at a proper range with a rangemaster and all that. This young man I guess you could say and his lady friend were out and to our left at the outdoor range. He kept his finger on the trigger even when he wasn't firing/while he was talking which really urks me. The worst part though was his lady friend - not saying ladies can't use firearms I'm just telling a true story - would fire then start laughing and look back at her man friend with her finger on the trigger and the muzzle almost pointing straight down the firing line at us. Ahhhh..... It's best to, without being rude if possible, educate people on what safety concepts they are not following and that it would make you feel safer if they would. 

4 Weapon Safety Rules (and the hidden 5th rule..):
Treat every weapon as if it was loaded
Never point a weapon at anything you do not intend to shoot
Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you are ready to fire
Keep your weapon on safe (when applicable) until you intend to fire
(extra) Know your target and what lies beyond

Follow these rules and practice good and constant muzzle awareness (muzzle never points at or crosses a person) and you should be set. It's not rocket science, but people still screw it up...


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