Gun Range Employees

[Adionik]

What's really sad, is that my post is oriented towards the clerk at the range. The range masters are usually cool as hell...

 

[Texas1911]

Why do some indoor ranges not allow steel case ammo? I wish i knew that before i purchased a 500 round box of it.

They sell the brass casings and alot of the buyers will pay significantly less or simply won't buy the brass if it contains alot of aluminum / steel casings.

The range is the profitable venture, and the brass is going to help cover maintenance and upgrades for the range.

 

[drjavelina]

The employees at the ONLY gun range in Temple has the same a**hole, smartalec attitudes.

 

[Texas42]

I've never had much of a problem with range employees. Seen a lot of idiots trying to kill someone or themselves with a new gun.

 

[Texas Bulldog]

I shoot at the bullet hole in San antonio and the older skinny guy on the pistol range is very nice and I breathe a sigh of relief if he's working when i go. The mid aged fat guy is kinda crude when i bring females but other than that he's OK... but their counter guys are real Gem's... they always seem dead in the eyes and just pissed off if you need to buy anything.

JOe

 

[Texas Solo]

Why do some indoor ranges not allow steel case ammo? I wish i knew that before i purchased a 500 round box of it.

He said steel CORE ammo, not steel cased. Steel core (vs. lead core) can penetrate a backstop. As far as steel cases are concerned, there's always the brass factor mentioned above that the ranges get $$$ for recovering and selling. I haven't seen a range that doesn't allow steel cases, but I don't shoot indoors.

 

[Texas1911]

He said steel CORE ammo, not steel cased. Steel core (vs. lead core) can penetrate a backstop. As far as steel cases are concerned, there's always the brass factor mentioned above that the ranges get $$$ for recovering and selling. I haven't seen a range that doesn't allow steel cases, but I don't shoot indoors.

Steel core ammo also produces alot of sparks, which GREATLY increases the chance of a fire. Nearly all of our fires on our range are due to Russian / ComBlock ammo.

 

[navyguy]

In late on this thread, but let me say that the guys at Elm Fork are great. Yeah, they tell folks when they're doing something unsafe, and to me that's a good thing, but they do it with out demeaning the person. Friendly.

Not so much at Quail Ridge which I doubt I'll ever go back to.

 

[Al Swearengen®]

What's really sad, is that my post is oriented towards the clerk at the range. The range masters are usually cool as hell...

I'd notify the manager of your unpleasant experience.

 

[Freedom1911]

I seriously can't wait to get my own land.

What is it with range employees? Atleast here in San Antonio, they are flat out rude jerks. I'm getting tired of if quite frankly, I've already stopped going to one a mile away from my house because they don't know how to treat a customer, and now the one a few miles away that I go to pulled the same crap last night.

Now, i'm not talking about rapid firing or something and getting yelled at, I mean just paying at the counter or asking a question they act like an ass. I realize you're sooooooo cool if you work at a gun range, but give me a break. If I acted like that for a second in any retail position i've been in, I would've been fired in a week, if even that long.

I know what you mean. there is a TopGun down the road from me that is like that. On another forum that the owner frequents I have commented on it and he said I was over exaggerating, I told him to post pictures of all the employees he has and I would tell him the ONE that has treated me decently. and the rest that are Jack Holes.
Cause I can. He could do a line up and I could tell him which have been naughty or nice.
Needless to say he never responded to that and I never saw pictures of his employees. But the last few times I have been there the rude arsed attitudes were toned back a great deal. Some of the people there I think it is just their nature to be rude.

 

[TxPhantom]

We go to The Bullet Trap In Plano, Tx, a indoor range, about once a month. They are usually very helpfull and friendly no matter how busy they are. We are members and have bought several guns from them. I find that a lot of gun counter people have a attitude, which I pay little attention to because I usually know what I'm looking for and don't need much input from them.
I just wish there was a outdoor range somewhere close (to Frisco, Tx) to use in decent weather. I could take a little abuse (not much though) just to be able to shoot at a good outdoor range again without having to drive for a hour to get there. When we moved here about ten years ago there was the Backwoods Traps about ten minutes from my drive way. It was a victim of progress and has long since been history. Still miss that place!!
We tried The Garland Public range once. It was so crowded it was hard to find a parking place. We left and went to the Bullet Trap.

 

[randmplumbingllc]

With the NFA items, alot of ranges don't want to deal with the ramifications of illegal weapons, and some of them may not even like them (suppressors, etc.). There are alot of Elmer Fudd's out there that get all worked up when you start getting into tactical stuff, and they'd just assume see no AR/AKs on their range, much less any stamp collection variants.

Yeah, I get the point about about people that can't control their weapons, but the no suppressor rules still does not make any sense. All they would have to do, is to look at their stamp, to cover their own butt and see that it is legal.

My whole gripe with ranges is that I can not practice any real life, draw from holster, double tap or any other real life defense situation. So, I have to pay a fee to the range and STILL can't do anything but slow fire/plink there. The indoor range I use to go to in Phoenix use to let us shoot full auto, suppressors and anything, up to 30.06. If they could see that you were a idiot or noob, they would stop you and tell you why they stopped you.

I would, at least, like the chance to prove I am not an idiot.

So....I just go to the desert and do what I want to do.....for free !

 

[Big J]

I shoot at the bullet hole in San antonio and the older skinny guy on the pistol range is very nice and I breathe a sigh of relief if he's working when i go. The mid aged fat guy is kinda crude when i bring females but other than that he's OK... but their counter guys are real Gem's... they always seem dead in the eyes and just pissed off if you need to buy anything.

JOe

X2
That older guy makes the visit better. Always giving a joke or 2.

 

[RetArmySgt]

I threw someone out yesterday for handing loaded firearms to their girlfriend

I almost got kicked out of the range were Texas1911 works for a simular situation one day. Took and friend of the wife's out for her first day at the range and bought some remanufactored ammo that wasnt feeding right in my 1911. She went to fire it at one point and i guess the OAL of the round was too long so the action didnt close all the way, but the worst part was that when she pulled the trigger it hang fired (primer goes off but the round doesnt). This was the first time she has ever handled a firearm except for the safety class i gave the night before and in that situation my first reaction was to take the firearm from her, do not let her put it down in case it did fire, hold it down range for 30 sec then clear it. but one of the RSO came in and told me to pack up my gear and get out. I explained the situation and as i was another employee came in and heard what i was saying which is the only reason we got to keep shooting.

 

[Adionik]

I shoot at the bullet hole in San antonio and the older skinny guy on the pistol range is very nice and I breathe a sigh of relief if he's working when i go. The mid aged fat guy is kinda crude when i bring females but other than that he's OK... but their counter guys are real Gem's... they always seem dead in the eyes and just pissed off if you need to buy anything.

JOe

Yeah...bullethole was what this entire thread was about.

Guys at the counter seriously need a reality check. The older guy with the long hair is just a straight up ass.

The range masters are all good though...

 

[lmao_37]

the only range i have used is the rustic range in slaton the guys that work there are great guys i stand out like a sore thumb because iam an english immigrant they knew me by first name after the first day i went there, i hadnt handled any sort of firearm in 20 years (i was in something like rotc in the uk) i told them that and the said the would go through all the range rules which they did and i think i have prove myself comptent to them, they only told me off once for opening an ammo can during a ceasefire (i had only been on the range 2 mins the very first time i went there) i like it at there range i do feel safe but i have met the odd jerk using the range for the most part the they are on the pistol range and iam on the rifle range hopfully outa there way i do like a couple of hours at the range i look forward to range day

 

[dobarker]

If you're ever out Lubbock ways, send me a PM and I'll take you out to Rustic Range. Great place, they built it into the side of a Canyon, and the fellow that owns/runs it is as old and friendly as the land. And to top it all off, 1hr. is $4.50

 

[Texas1911]

My whole gripe with ranges is that I can not practice any real life, draw from holster, double tap or any other real life defense situation. So, I have to pay a fee to the range and STILL can't do anything but slow fire/plink there. The indoor range I use to go to in Phoenix use to let us shoot full auto, suppressors and anything, up to 30.06. If they could see that you were a idiot or noob, they would stop you and tell you why they stopped you.

I would, at least, like the chance to prove I am not an idiot.

Problem is ... one single mistake and you are dealing with someone that could possibly die. Gunshot wound to the leg, foot, arm, and/or hand from mishandling the gun. RSOs can't watch everyone, every single second of the day, and even if we did ... it's not going to stop everyone from getting shot.

If someone gets shot, we have to shut down the range for most of the day, talk to police, file a report, and a multitude of other issues on top of taking care of the person that got shot. Word gets around, and suddenly people don't feel safe there. It's deeper than you think, and frankly most business owners don't want to deal with the hassle for the sake of making the few people that actually train themselves happy.

 

[fnmedallion]

i guess i'm the lucky one all my xperiences have been positive i started going to alpine in the middle to late sixty's at alpine ft.wurth and while jack the owner was the wurst kind of elitist he always was polite and took time to answer q's the last time at elm fork the older gent at the rifle range was xtremely helpful and courteous

 

[flashguy]

Last but not least I've been to Target Masters in Garland off of Jupiter I think. Its an indoor place and its expensive, if I remeber correctly we had to use their ammo, but not completetly sure about the ammo. Nevertheless, it was a pretty expensive day using their range. The employee's were all super nice and answered all my questions with no problem.

Target Master does not insist you use their ammunition, but they do have some restrictions on what types can be shot there. Shooting there may seem to be expensive ($15 per day per shooter, plus targets) but that is the basic rate. There are a number of options available to members (who pay a yearly fee) that can significantly reduce the cost for each session. There is even a special "Gold" membership for very frequent shooters that does not charge a range fee at all (it's a fixed charge that allows you to come and go as often as you want, but you'd need to shoot several times a week to make it pay).

Disclaimer: I have no financial interest in the Target Master range; I have been using the facility since its inception in 1981 and know the family owners very well. I am pleased that you found their staff helpful.

flashguy