Well, in my defense, that was my first trip to a gun range. I know better now.One day a friend named Ben and I went out to the local gun range.
Ben had a new SAKO rifle in .338 Lapua.
Beautiful rifle.
He had a installed a muzzle break and was eager to try it out.
That rifle was incredible.
You put the crosshairs on the target, pulled the trigger, and it was there.
One thing about it tho, it was LOUD.
We were happily shooting away with the new rifle when Bubba and his clone showed up.
These two guys walk up behind Ben and I to watch us.
Ben nor myself had seen these two as he was busy sighting his rifle downrange and I was spotting for him.
People move around behind the firing line at this range all the time so we hadn't been paying attention to what was going on behind us.
Just about this time Ben cranks off a shot from the .338.
A terrified scream fills the air.
We both just about crapped our pants as we turn to see Bubba#1 and Bubba#2 standing there with a small boy about 4years old. The boy was screaming and crying holding his ears in pain.
We're both looking at them, thinking WTF?!?!?!
I ask them, What the hell guys? You brought a kid out here with no hearing protection?!?!?!
The range has signs all over the place that state eye and ear protection are required. So, these rocket surgeons have no eye or ear protection.
It gets better.
They have nothing except a rifle and some ammo.
Targets to shoot at? Nope.
Any other gear like sandbags, spotting scopes, etc? Nope.
These two retards came out to a busy range with literally nothing but a rifle and a couple of boxes of ammo.
What they did bring was a small boy about 4 years old. A 4year old with no hearing protection. Who is now writhing in agony.
So I asked them again, You came to a shooting range with no ear protection?!?!?! Yep.
This is when they start begging for us to supply them with all these items.
I'm , like, No way dudes.
So Ben tells them he wants to shoot but they have to do something with the kid.
This is where it gets betterer.
It's the middle of August. Hot as blazes. The truck these two showed up in is an old junker that the A/C doesn't work in. So they get the bright idea to put the kid in the truck with the windows rolled up to "protect" him. So now they have a closed up vehicle with a child inside. In the Texas summertime.
I couldn't stand it so I said, Guys, that ain't gonna cut it. Get that kid out of there, NOW. Y'all need to take the kid back to the house.
But we done droved all duh way here! We gon tarr it up wif our rifle!
I don't give a shit. Your dumbassery is preventing us from shooting. Leave.
Then they get the bright idea to drive the truck a distance away and leave the kid in it. With the windows rolled down. The kid of course is scared and will not stay in the truck. He keeps getting out and coming back to the line. Each time someone fires a shot the kid screams again.
This is when I told them they were goddamned idiots and to leave or I would call a cop. They stood there looking at me like a couple of cows staring at a new gate. They eventually turned and left. Fucking retards.
At least they moved that kid off the line after the first shot. That incident still makes me angry when I remember it.The kid - sigh - reminds me of a Hicksville long ago.
I was there for that also. Twice at Hicksville I saw a kid run down range on the pistol line while people where firing. About gave me a heart attack.At least they moved that kid off the line after the first shot. That incident still makes me angry when I remember it.
Agreed. I don't know the Hicks personally only from the few chats I had while out there, so I'm not sure what the intentions for the range were. Beautiful place though and it could be great. I have been there twice outside of the TGT meets, seemed to operate a lot better without the crowd. I have yet to go to the new venue. Do they have RSO's posted at each line to call a cease fire?It was the numerous safety and maintenance issues that prompted the change of venue.
I was always disappointed by the apparent lack of care the owners gave to the range. Lots of potential seemed to have been squandered. Could have been a really great place with a little effort in safety and upkeep.
Just see grass dirt and targets here. Pleasure of shooting on private property in the middle of nowhere.
Ain't it grand? well- I do have neighbors... good ones- the one with 230 acres was blasting off Tannerite I could feel (not just hear) when I got back from camping Sunday... and it wasn't even close enough to see.Just see grass dirt and targets here. Pleasure of shooting on private property in the middle of nowhere.
Good stuffAin't it grand? well- I do have neighbors... good ones- the one with 230 acres was blasting off Tannerite I could feel (not just hear) when I got back from camping Sunday... and it wasn't even close enough to see.
nobody complained- it felt like..... freedom
Does he use pencil? what kind of media does he like to draw on?I'm never going to the range with Moonpie. He draws trouble.
How cheap was this deal when all was said and done?Just remembered another Good Ol' Roy gun story.
A different co-worker parents home burned down.
A Remington M700 rifle was recovered from the debris.
The rifle had been leaning against a wall inside a metal locker.As the heat reached its peak the rifle barrel grew soft and slowly bent in a curve as the weight acted on it.
The stock was charred badly.
Good Ol' Roy smelled a bargain.
He offered to buy the burned up rifle from different co-worker. Different co-worker was happy to get a few bucks for a burned up rifle. So a deal was struck.
Soon Roy had a new rifle.
The stock was hopeless.
He pulled the barrel off the action and tried heating it and bending it back straight. He kinked it so that idea didn't work.
Then he bought a new barrel and installed it on the burnt up action.
How cheap was this deal when all was said and done?
I was just wondering if he had a whole new rifle by the time he was done.I have no idea.
All I know is you'd have to be crazy to fire a high powered rifle that had been through a fire!
There is this thing called heat treating. Gun manufacturers are pretty good at it.
Burned down houses aren't so good at it.