Most People Are Fooling Themselves.....

[Coyotefurharvester]

When I go to the range in the fall, I expect to encounter shooters who need help with issues. Some are safety related, those ALWAYS are responded to. Some are equipment related if they ask for help I will explain or assist them with the tools at hand. When a person is having issues with shooting skills, I will start a conversation, and make one suggestion that will improve their group size. Shooters that see tighter groups or quicker sight zeroing are excited and some want to learn more. Some are just satisfied to hit the target.

 

[pirate ammo]

My local range i have seen about everything. I roll in with my f open equipment which is nice until i go to a event, then its bottom rung . I instantly get all kinds of questions which i happily answer but seldom does anyone ask for help. Could i help them, maybe, im a novice at competition, but i would most certainly try. It is amazing how many people cant hit a target, my son shoots sub moa most of the time. I think that one really irritates people at the range.

I really think it irritates you also, you just don't want to admit it, he's got extra help now, LOOK OUT,,

 

[Peebles24]

I really think it irritates you also, you just don't want to admit it, he's got extra help now, LOOK OUT,,

Maybe a bit kid can shoot. I am proud.

 

[rvn1968]

People refusing to pay their dues is becoming more prevalent daily. The older I get, the better mood I need to be in to offer a helping hand to these types.

I agree,if I don't see some sort of contribution by their name,I wont bust my a** on a job

 

[rwj]

could be guilty of that one, was after pigs all night, pulled my mag and put my gun on the work bench and went home 4:00 A.M. in the morning. When I got back at 9:00 A.M.
got to thinking,worked the bolt,out flies 1 loaded 308 round, so I'm guilty.Only good thing,this rifle is not out when I'm open, and no one else touches it.
My mistake and I admit it,

Yup... BTDT... we’re all fallible!

 

[pirate ammo]

Yup... BTDT... we’re all fallible!

one thing I always do though,,safety is on before I pick it up.

 

[hogpatrol]

one thing I always do though,,safety is on before I pick it up.

Good practice, especially with the Anschutz rimfires.

 

[rwj]

one thing I always do though,,safety is on before I pick it up.

Yup... defense in depth prevented an AD for me too!

 

[muleman69]

one thing I always do though,,safety is on before I pick it up.

I always like to see bolts open , only takes a split second to see that your part of the line is safe

 

[Nature Boy]

People won’t ask for help at the range because they don’t want to look foolish in front of people they perceive to be “experts”

I carry a roll of freezer paper in my range bag for the purpose of helping folks who struggle with zeroing their new rifle or scope.

I’ll approach the person having trouble and respectfully ask if I could help them. Sometimes I can, sometimes it’s beyond my pay grade. To date no one has refused an offer to assits and by my account they’ve all appreciated the effort.

None of us were born with the knowledge we have. We either figured it out on our own or someone took the time to show us.

To add a self serving aspect to this. If someone can’t hit a 4’x8’ target stand at 100, where is that bullet going? Launching projectiles over the berm and out of the range range fan is a good way to get a range shut down and I don’t want that to happen to mine

 

[KMart]

I started on a friend of mine in February to get his rifle to me. I knew that he was a drag a$$, so I told him to not hunt me down in September looking for help. I reminded him in April and again in May. I haven't seen him yet.

Well, guess what. Went to the hardware store this morning and ran into him. He informed me that he had the rifle back from his grandson and I could have it if I wanted to work on it. He said he didn't need it this Saturday, but would need it next Saturday. I declined.

 

[Peebles24]

Well, guess what. Went to the hardware store this morning and ran into him. He informed me that he had the rifle back from his grandson and I could have it if I wanted to work on it. He said he didn't need it this Saturday, but would need it next Saturday. I declined.

My best friend has had my .243 hunting rifle for 2 years lol still hasnt went through the 50 hand loads i made for his hunting trip to texas. I think he has taken at least 5 different game with it in 2 years.

 

[F Class John]

As someone who spent close to ten years on the other side of the gun counter back in the day I was constantly reminded that once an a$$hat always an a$$hat despite our common love of guns and the 2a. Sadly coming together around a passion doesn’t suddenly make everyone mother Theresa and I know that’s true no matter the sport or hobby. But that never stopped me/us from at least trying to help customers before they walked out the door. We had actual experts for a variety of disciplines and they were always happy to help. The customers decision on how they accepted that help was on them. Does that mean we didn’t have a good laugh once in a while at the stories customers told us, no becuase we are human and people do stupid things. The same can be said for management styles in the business world. You have managers who are threatened by people reaching the same or greater levels as them and then you have managers who want nothing more than for their subordinates to achieve greatness. Either way there’s likely going to be laughs, criticism and frustration along the way but how we direct those is critical. Our (and other) sports and hobbies are no different in this way.

I’ve always carried that philosophy forward and now as the discipline chair for my club 600yd group i do the same. We get new shooters all the time. Some with .223 pencil barrels and others with 300wm boomers. Of course neither of these will work well for actual f class but i always have to remember that not everyone is looking to win Berger on their first try. Most of these guys just want to have fun and see what they can do and so my first question to new shooters is simply “what are you looking to do here?” They want to be competitive we will work with them and if they just want to have fun we help them too just in different ways. That’s how I was treated when I joined and it’s what I will continue to pass on. Again, it’s on them how they take the help and sometimes they don’t want help and that’s ok too. Often times those people self select out of coming back and while that’s sad for me I understand.

At the end of the day people are who they are and sports (and for that matter business) exacerbates their strengths and faults for better or worse and all we can do is extend a hand and see if one comes back to us.

 

[swd]

you know it's bad, when the deer and the dog play with each other,,

Closer to the freezer that way

 

[pirate ammo]

I always like to see bolts open , only takes a split second to see that your part of the line is safe

the only place I shoot is from my warehouse, and there is no one else around,mostly at night at those darn PIGS,,

 

[urbanrifleman]

The Internet has made Americans into horrible liars.

 

[pirate ammo]

The Internet has made Americans into horrible liars.

so has politics,,

 

[Milo 2.0]

As someone who spent close to ten years on the other side of the gun counter back in the day I was constantly reminded that once an a$$hat always an a$$hat despite our common love of guns and the 2a. Sadly coming together around a passion doesn’t suddenly make everyone mother Theresa and I know that’s true no matter the sport or hobby. But that never stopped me/us from at least trying to help customers before they walked out the door. We had actual experts for a variety of disciplines and they were always happy to help. The customers decision on how they accepted that help was on them. Does that mean we didn’t have a good laugh once in a while at the stories customers told us, no becuase we are human and people do stupid things. The same can be said for management styles in the business world. You have managers who are threatened by people reaching the same or greater levels as them and then you have managers who want nothing more than for their subordinates to achieve greatness. Either way there’s likely going to be laughs, criticism and frustration along the way but how we direct those is critical. Our (and other) sports and hobbies are no different in this way.

I’ve always carried that philosophy forward and now as the discipline chair for my club 600yd group i do the same. We get new shooters all the time. Some with .223 pencil barrels and others with 300wm boomers. Of course neither of these will work well for actual f class but i always have to remember that not everyone is looking to win Berger on their first try. Most of these guys just want to have fun and see what they can do and so my first question to new shooters is simply “what are you looking to do here?” They want to be competitive we will work with them and if they just want to have fun we help them too just in different ways. That’s how I was treated when I joined and it’s what I will continue to pass on. Again, it’s on them how they take the help and sometimes they don’t want help and that’s ok too. Often times those people self select out of coming back and while that’s sad for me I understand.

At the end of the day people are who they are and sports (and for that matter business) exacerbates their strengths and faults for better or worse and all we can do is extend a hand and see if one comes back to us.

You sir seem like a genuinely decent person! One that can handle the broad spectrum of encounters and remain extremely upbeat, a dying breed so to speak.
I by nature am a helpful person too. It has gotten me into a lot of no win situations. Helping someone zero a scope turns into a spotting job after, which in turn yields a not so accurate load, now you are a mentor. All because you had 10 test loads to shoot.

 

[hoz53]

so has politics,,

Well the politicians anyway

 

[riflewoman]

If someone genuinely wants help, I’ll be right beside them giving what advice I can. I’ll even help get a guy on paper by taking over the sighting in process and getting them in the center of the paper in less than ten shots.

The only type I have an issue with is the type that has enough knowledge and experience to begin to think they have this “shooting stuff” figured out. They’re not hard to spot as their Remington PSS is a “quarter inch gun if I do my part” because at ONE TIME they had a 3 shot group that measured .265. Never mind the hundreds of other groups they shot after that one that were bigger than an Eisenhower dollar. They have no idea that a true “quarter inch gun” will group more often in the ones than the twos. They have less of an idea on the shooting techniques required to get that performance out of a rifle.