Blackpowder range etiquette?

Yep. You're right, Stan. So's jdw. If a curious person is genuinely interested, I'll take time to explain things. If they're just being obnoxious I generally tell `em I'm shooting a M-1776 assault rifle. Range problems can be dangerous as well as scary. I remember a time when the Range Officer on a long-range suppository gun line was in the middle of his chant, "Ready on the right ... Ready on the left ...." and I looked downrange to see a shooter on the extreme right end of the 300-yard section, walking calmly down to the target frames with his ear protectors in place and a fresh target in his paw. Got the Range Officer's attention and the line safe again and the Range Officer's loud-hailer finally got through to that pilgrim. I expect there was a severe butt chewing involved later on, but I didn't stay for that.

My range is a members only facility with a variety of choices including a main range area with 20 covered benches. There are separate multipurpose ranges, shotgun and bow ranges further away from the main range. As such we seldom encounter conflict between different users on the main range. Most experienced shooters follow the simple rule of setting up as far from the shooters currently on site or in the middle to give lots of room around each other. We have few BP shooters but most of us shoot on the far left of the range because the prevailing winds blow's smoke right to left away from the other benches. As far as the flint fire storm shooting out the right side we have a plywood screen to slide between the benches should it be required. 25 years and never encountered rudeness from other shooters. Finally all members must go through an orientation course and be familiar with the rules which are enforced by a on site range officer.

We have no On Site safety officer , it's pretty much a range on top of a mountain where the nearest police or EMS response time is probably half an hour so people are generally polite , I always carry a "modern" pistol when I'm out there either for rabid creatures or sketchy people.

"Rules" are a vague idea , some weird stuff happens , I had a guy , while I had a bolt action rifle shouldered, give me a thumbs up from his Jeep and roll downrange , as in, I guess I'm gonna unchamber this round because this guy is just gonna drive to the 300 yard line like it ain't no thing.....

You can often find beer cans in the trash and for a while the main gate was broken so I think random people were coming in to shoot. Head on a swivel folks

I'm not even sure the guy I encountered was a member, might have been his son or buddy gave him his key card like "here go shoot that new gun".

Things are pretty loose, it's good in a way, also the "old heads" usually hang out on the rifle range so they're kinda the Security for the place.

Now, I was a member at an "exclusive" club when I was in NJ and it was the complete opposite. If you even thought about being rude to a hooked up member or did anything someone didnt like, you were gone. The old heads made sure to come over and check you out. In my scenario here I'd probably have had to come to a meeting to explain why I "told" another member to move without a Board members permission.

Never been to a "gun range" in my life. I live in Nevada and in a valley where I can just go up on the hill and shoot all day with no one around, very convenient and safe.

torpedo said:

Never been to a "gun range" in my life. I live in Nevada and in a valley where I can just go up on the hill and shoot all day with no one around, very convenient and safe.

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You lucky old thing, but - there is a whole lot of fun to be had shooting alongside fellow competitors on a 'range'.

bisleyjohn said:

You lucky old thing, but - there is a whole lot of fun to be had shooting alongside fellow competitors on a 'range'.

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Yes Sir!
Sharing experiences with fellow shooters is a big part of the enjoyment.
For this, why are we collecting here on this forum? For the same reason. To share and enjoy the company and the knowledge.
At yesterdays outing to a range, I showed a young shooter with a new firearm (sorry, not a smoke pole) how to bore sight without using a laser or all those other contraptions. Bore sighting, just what it says it is. He was astounded that I did in 5 minutes without any tools what a gun shop charged him $25.00 to do, and had it so far off that he could not hit a paper target at 50 yards. In less than 15 minutes we had him hitting 2" groups at 200 yards.
The experience of helping others, and getting good advice too, is part of the overall enjoyment.

I also kinda enjoy "people watching" and interacting with intelligent people at the gun club. Its 10 minutes from my house so if it's super crowded I just leave , but it rarely is.

99.9% of people at the range are cool. Some are a little "different " but still OK.

Tanglefoot said:

Yep. You're right, Stan. So's jdw. If a curious person is genuinely interested, I'll take time to explain things. If they're just being obnoxious I generally tell `em I'm shooting a M-1776 assault rifle. Range problems can be dangerous as well as scary. I remember a time when the Range Officer on a long-range suppository gun line was in the middle of his chant, "Ready on the right ... Ready on the left ...." and I looked downrange to see a shooter on the extreme right end of the 300-yard section, walking calmly down to the target frames with his ear protectors in place and a fresh target in his paw. Got the Range Officer's attention and the line safe again and the Range Officer's loud-hailer finally got through to that pilgrim. I expect there was a severe butt chewing involved later on, but I didn't stay for that.

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I spent quite a bit of my early to mid 20s on rifle ranges , and I could probably type stories for hours of the crazy things I've seen people do.

I believe a few years after I joined the Army and left NJ, someone was shot at the Ft Dix public range and I wasn't surprised.

My main gripe with gun clubs is odd people who don't seem to know when it's time to go away, like ok man you've went on a half hour nonsensical rant about yourself and I kindly listened but I'd like to actually shoot and be left alone now

Griz44Mag said:

Yes Sir!
Sharing experiences with fellow shooters is a big part of the enjoyment.
For this, why are we collecting here on this forum? For the same reason. To share and enjoy the company and the knowledge.
At yesterdays outing to a range, I showed a young shooter with a new firearm (sorry, not a smoke pole) how to bore sight without using a laser or all those other contraptions. Bore sighting, just what it says it is. He was astounded that I did in 5 minutes without any tools what a gun shop charged him $25.00 to do, and had it so far off that he could not hit a paper target at 50 yards. In less than 15 minutes we had him hitting 2" groups at 200 yards.
The experience of helping others, and getting good advice too, is part of the overall enjoyment.

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I had the above situation play out for me when I was young. Read an article on how to sight in a scope. Did what was written to the letter, and either I didn't understand or the article was flawed I don't remember. All I know is I screwed my scopes alignment up royal. A seasoned shooter saw me having issues and showed me how to do things tbe right way. Two days later I shot my first buck with that gun. I'll always remember that guy helping me.

I've also paid it forward a couple times. I had a young man shooting next to me once who was having issues with his bolt action rifle. He couldn't hit the broad side of the mountain. I asked him what was wrong. He told me he had just come from a gunsmith who had bore sighted his rifle. I asked if I could take a look. He said sure. I removed the bolt "with his permission" , and braced the rifle with a couple of my sand bags. I aligned the bore with the target. I then looked through his scope. It was in the next zip code. I had him take a look and he was astonished. I had him sight while I turned the knobs until he said it was on target. We checked the bores alignment again then I replaced his bolt and he fired a round. It was about 8 inches from the bullseye. 2 more shots and he was within 3 inches of the center. He was out of ammo. He thanked me profusely and said he was going to get some more ammo and would be back later and would fine tune the gun with the instructions I had given him. I couldnt stay, and always wondered how he made out. I can only hope he did as well as I did. Pay it forward

Stantheman86 said:

To most "lay people" you're kind of an alien entity , since there's tons of smoke involved and it obscures targets , and hangs in the air.....do most of you try to stay "out of the way" on the rifle range, and how do you handle these kinds of scenarios where people might not be cognizant of the fact that they might want to go somewhere else?

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It's a rifle range where I live. If you want to shoot your pistol, there are two pistol ranges, or..., you can shoot on the rifle range with the pistol and try a far-off target (far-off for a pistol). Somebody there is shooting a .416 Lott or a .58 caliber Enfield; that's too bad. The noise doesn't seem to bother the guy with the ported, .500 Smith & Wesson who is shooting out to 100 yards.....

When it comes to other rifles on the rifle range, again, I have mine, you have yours. The modern guys don't worry about me when as I mentioned they wander in with a .416 Lott, or when they decide to mag-dump, so I don't worry about the minor cloud of smoke every 45 seconds to a minute.

In 30 years I only had to tell one guy "off", and it really wasn't such a telling..., my reply to his objection was, "That sound and that smoke are the sound and smell of American Freedom."

LD

Looking down loaded rifles at the range still brings nightmares. One was a misfired .58 zoauve and another was a .300 H&H both in the hands of idiots. I pity those who serve as range masters these days. Too many Movie and TV "trained" idiots. One semi funny event was an older, well bearded flinter who kept priming horn on the bench under the rifle. With powder spilled everywhere the result was inevitable. Wasn't hurt bad but beard took weeks to grow back.

YUP, gotta be careful!

Griz44Mag said:

YUP, gotta be careful!

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There is an old Royal Navy term for that guy.. sounds like anchor!

This is why spare cans of powder are kept in a closed, canvas range bag well back from the firing line, and if I'm shooting something that loads with a flask I keep it in my pocket or inside a possibles bag on the bench.

I , in rare cases use premeasured , corked glass bottles full of charges if I'm really getting serious about it. I don't think a spark is getting past the cork.

LOL, yup, gotta keep the powder dry AND away from stray sparks.
When at the range I have my range box on the sideboard and it has a lid.
I use a brass flask with a valve and after charging I set the flask in the box and close the lid.
When hunting I drop the flask back in the possibles bag and drop the flap.
I am not skeered of it, just respect it enough to keep it covered up when the fire is flying.

I figure the reason I'm shooting muzzleloaders is to NOT be in a hurry, so putting a flask in a pouch instead of sitting on a bench takes 2 seconds and might keep a potential hand grenade away from my face.

Well that guy literally left a pile of propellant uncovered and parallel if not forward of his lock...

LD

Loyalist Dave said:

Well that guy literally left a pile of propellant uncovered and parallel if not forward of his lock...

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And it didn’t stay there very long. Have been at some ranges where premeasured charges in sealed containers only at the firingline.

One of my favorite YouTube modern gun demonstrators shoots his Bess carbine in a video with his powder can uncapped, and forward of the muzzle....

LD

I wear my powder horn while on the firing line but when I'm ready to shoot its hanging beneath the table so there is no chance a spark would get near it since there are rarely any other Flintlock shooters there when I shoot I don't worry too much about things getting out of hand