OT or is it? Safety! Death at CO range

[dkmlever]

This past weekend, At a local unsupervised National Forest shooting range that has been used for years, a fellow was shot in the chest by his buddy and died despite first aid treatment. They have not reported on how it happened but now the range has been closed.
Lets all be safe out there and follow the ten commandments of gun safety.

[Nobody]

[J Miller]

Guns are no longer a tool to used for hunting, target shooting or defense.
They are to a great many young folks grown up "toys" they can buy when they reach the magical chronological age of 18 to 21 or get some "adult" to loan/give to them.
They've never had any gun safety training, having learned gun handling from Hollywood movies, television or worse yet video games as their parents were never serious shooters.
They have no idea what a gun can do to a human until that fateful moment when the "accident" happens.
They live their young lives by the old "it can't happen to me" attitude.

I can believe the behavior at gun ranges, oh yes I can believe it. The sad part is when such an occurrence happens they close the range and all those who do use it safely suffer the loss. It's not the ranges fault, and if the govt want's a perfectly safe range, well it doesn't exist. The best that can be hoped for is a controlled and supervised range. Those are the ones I prefer to visit.

Joe

[TedH]

I'll only go to our local public range very early in the morning before the idiots get out of bed, or late in the evenings during the week seem fairly safe too.

Just a couple weeks ago some moron shot himself through the palm of his hand with a 45.

Even if there is only one or two other people at the range I keep a close eye on them. First sign of bad behavior I'm out of there.

[tribex]

I shot this morning at the Colorado range mentioned. It is NOT closed although that may happen soon. The only way to shoot there is at first light before the hoards of ruffians and punks arrive. Hopefully this range will remain open as it is the ONLY public range in El Paso county Colorado.

[OJ]

The surprising thing is that such an "accident" hadn't happened long ago. That "range" is just a dump for all kinds of junk and there is no one acting as range officer there. The local paper hadn't described how the shooting took place but, I assumed it was someone else's gun that shot him

In addition, all ranges of IQ shoot there - I went there a couple of times when our indoor range closed but felt is was way too dangerous.

I was shooting on a longer range when some idiot walked down range to get closer to his target and informed me I would have to come with him. I advised him I was at the shooter's spot and, if he wanted a closer target, there was one just beside the one we were on and, if he went downrange, he would risk being in the path of one of my shots. Despite that, he proceeded to go down range.

I packed up, left, and never returned. We have a privately owned public range east of town - DragonArms - that has 25 yard, 100 yard, and 200 yard ranges and is monitored by video during the week and has range officers on week ends and the charges for shooting there are very reasonable. I shoot there every week and, in the past decade and half or so, there have been no accidents - a suicide or two but, those aren't accidents and some people just choose a gun range to commit their suicide.

[FWiedner]

From your descriptions, it sounds like gun-owners are a sloppy, unsafe, collection of half-wits.

Maybe we should take guns away from these people we don't like, or just outlaw the darn things because they are so dangerous.

Oh... except for cops and "special" people who "know what they're doing".

[dkmlever]

I read in today's paper it was closed, glad to see it remains open.
Also VERY glad I can shoot on my own property and have a 10-20-30-40, 80, 100 and 200 yard backstops.!

[tribex]

I stand corrected. I've just been informed it IS closed. I must have been the last person to use the range. Yes, you are very fortunate to have your own shooting range. Look's like I'll have to do my shooting elsewhere from here on out.

[Griff]

FWiedner,
I don't read that at all. Recognizing that a segment of the shooting public is untrained and can be a danger to themselves and others is a far cry from saying they shouldn't have guns. I've shot at ranges like that, it can be VERY uncomfortable with numerous unknown persons around. I've also been the victim of a shooting attempt in a national forest. The two perps are still in jail. So, in their case, no they don't deserve the rights to own guns.

Personally, I believe those places are the preferred plces of "practice" by that portion of the criminal element which considers shootin' up everuthing in sight to be practice; that portion of the paraniod crowd that believes "big brother" will get 'em if they go to a range that requires proof of age & id; and, I'm also sure that a fair number of law-abiding citizens also take advantage of such facilities for reasons of cost, convenience & proximity.

As an aside, must you always be so quick to question the motives of other forum members?

[OJ]

I stand corrected. I've just been informed it IS closed. I must have been the last person to use the range. Yes, you are very fortunate to have your own shooting range. Look's like I'll have to do my shooting elsewhere from here on out.

If you are referring to my post, I guess I didn't make it clear that DragonArms range is privately owned but is open to the public and charges are very reasonable and, for the charge, one can shoot there all day with no time limits as some ranges have.

[Alan Wood]

Range safety here is going down hill as well. The shooting crowd from work abandoned 1 range for one a half hours drive further due to range saftey and crowd issues. Mostly the range saftey issue. Granted the range we go to now is much nicer but the added drive discourages going.

[piller]

I usually go to Alpine Gunrange in Ft. Worth, TX. They keep a pretty close eye on the shooters. I have never felt unsafe there. Could be just luck. Maybe.

[Ben_Rumson]

I shoot at a supervised pay as you go public range.. During every cease fire, (one about every 15 min) the range rules are repeated over the public address system...The main rules are: No handling of firearms at any time or transportation of firearms to or from vehicles during the cease fire.. Do not approach the shooting bench for any reason unless permission from the RSO is granted.. I have witnessed folks whose bench is less than 10 feet the P.A. speaker that had to have heard the rules repeated at least three times attempt to load their fire arms during the cease fire.. or step beyond the firing line to retrieve a target that has blown from their bench...Totally in their own little world, oblivious to anything or anyone beyond the end of their stupid faces... These are the ones that cry like a stuck pig when the RSO politely but firmly informs them of their infractions of the rules...The fools muttering things about their freedoms and the Nazis that infringe upon them...Refusing to police their brass and trash because they HAVE to pay and be treated (in their view) badly for no good reason. And as it should be some of these folks get banned for repeated infractions...Actually they get more slack than I'd give them if I had the say so.

[hocbj23]

The rifle club I belong to here in Tennessee is pretty well run with a few simple rules: The range is a "cold range" -- no guns transported loaded for any reason.ANY member can call any station "cold" for any reason and at that point ALL guns are unloaded, holstered or laid on a bench and ALL shooters step back behind a yellow safety line with empty hands..Range safety officers must be present for certain types of weapons to be shot; ie,full auto,machine guns,etc.In the years I have been a member,no one shot and very few range violations cause members police themselves.Members have been kicked out for range safety violations.My 9 year old grandson shoots with me all the time and I feel he is perfectly safe because of the way the range is run.BJ

[Rusty]

I just found out about a new range that has opened about 10 miles from my house. I know the guy that owns it but have yet to visit the range. I hope he keeps a tight watch on the unsafe people that have guns. It is a lot better than a one hour drive to go shoot.

I could shoot at my house and if I ever get a suppressor I will again. I just don't like all the people that have moved in around me knowing that I'm a shooter.

[JerryB]

Griff, thank you.

[OJ]

I shot today - our rules are pretty much as those listed above and we have no problems with shooters not abiding with them - good bunch - many regulars who see each other regularly. I am known mostly for my 250# dog that usually goes with me - they can remember Charley's name better than OJ.

The negligent discharge was really a shame but, the thing that surprises most of us down here is that it hadn't happened years before now.

Of interest, the group came from Aurora - suburb east of Denver so they had to drive at least 70 + miles to get to Colorado Springs and then some 20 miles of indescribable really bad unpaved road with unavoidable large rocks that really punish a car to get to that "range".

Having lived in Aurora in the past, I know there is at least one indoor range and a very good outdoor range they passed up to get here - obviously a group who didn't want to shoot at a range where they would be subjected to safety rules that I know from personal experience are enforced at those ranges.

It was an unfortunate event that was bound to happen - only thing hard to answer is why it hadn't happened long ago - considering the shooters that go that far out of their way to avoid ranges with rules. Check link below - that's the range they could have used some 60 miles closer - but it has safety rules and enforcement supervision

http://www.familyshootingcenter.com/

[20cows]

I am SO glad I don't have to go to a "range" to shoot.

[Jacko]

The closest range to me is run by Sporting Shooters Association of Australia is 60 kilometres away . It's about 20 kilometres from the heart of the city so is hyper busy on weekends , the only time I get to shoot - it's run so stingently and so vigilantly by the range officialls it actually gets annoying . It's about gun safety for sure as it should be but the motivation is OHS insurance and the anti's looking for an excuse to shut it down . They have no choice but to run it that way because of the behavior of a very few you folks have talked about and there has been suicides there aswell . I prefer to travel an extra 45 kilometres to a more rural range where the shooters share the range supervisory duties and it's a much more relaxed atmosphere . Of coarse anyone who even looks like doing the wrong / inexperienced thing is guided/ instructed and the error of there ways is pointed out quick smart .

regards Jacko

[COSteve]

That range has been notorious for having a bunch of crazies shoot there. Some friends who live down by it wouldn't even consider going there because of the unsafe practices they witnessed by those who frequented it.

[crow]

Here's a thought. Unworkable maybe but desirable. All gun ranges to be owned/operated by ex-Drill Instructors.

[Travis Morgan]

I was never really afraid of guns before I became a range officer. The general public is bad enough with cars, but some folks that own video games AND guns plain scare the stuff out of me. The way I figure, every kid I teach in Hunter safety and every adult I take under my wing for private instruction (for free) is one less bullet in my butt.
For the past couple days, I've been RSOing and instructing the kids in the LAW program, and we drilled it into their little heads about property damage, shooting roadsigns, etc.. I'd generally ask one of the cops that was with the kids what would happen to these kids(in front of the kids) if they were out with a friend who shot out a window or whatever. Some of the kids were shocked to hear that they'd be run in too. Hopefully, it sunk in.