[Range Gear] Did I miss a memo on what is acceptable?

[Guest BWCustoms]

So I figured its a entertaining question.

When I go to the range I make it an all day vacation. Usually sun up to sun down. Little background; I live in Georgia so in the summer (and even winter?!) it can get very hot and muggy.

So I seem to get an overwhelming amount of flak (well, you see how bad online communities can get in some places) for a few key items in my range box.

1. Safety Glasses with the non-dominant lens wrapped in black tape. When you are shooting for an entire day eye fatigue begins to get annoying so I wear these to keep both eyes open and simulate one eye closed.

2. Gloves with the trigger finger cut out at the knuckle. This is more of a geographical item than anything else. Sweaty hands are not fun. Messes with you mentally, physically and can cause damage to parts if sweat gets on them and sits.

3. Boonie Hat (I happen to have a cammo one) because early in day the sun is low and the overhang for the line is very high. The hat allows me to shade the eye piece so I can get a clear picture.

4. Disposable styrofoam elbow pad (just for shooting arm) because one elbow takes the weight of the gun when benchrest shooting.  I spent so many range trips coming home where the elbow has been preasured into the wood of the bench for up to 8 hours of a day and its like a really bad rash. It also becomes a distraction as the day progresses.

Am I "that guy" that people keep referencing to? Apparently every range has the local weirdo. 

<munch>

[mantawolf]

You sir.

I look forward to spending enough time at the range that I am the weird guy with odd habits.  As it is now ammo is too expensive...

[edgecrusher]

i'd be the guy next to wishing i had all day to shoot

[Guest BWCustoms]

Don't get the wrong idea - its a lot cheaper than you think.

If the range is full then you are talking 30 minutes (give or take) between cold calls to replace targets and what not. You can only shoot up something so much before you have to stop and relax and wait for a cold call.

When its empty or very few people there are the best chances to just relax, meet some new people and talk, with a little bit of shooting between.

I mean I could be like some people and just mag dump into the berm for fun (waste of ammo in my personal opinion, but whatever floats your boat) and go through 1000 rounds easy. But a solid 8 hour day I only use 200-300 rounds of .308  ;)

The range is a lot more to me than just shooting - good place to chat with like minded people. But yea...you got some odd ones out there too. Some guys will sit there and just dump mag after mag from their AR-15 into the berm with no targets!  <dontknow> :o

[unforgiven]

Just shooting into berm. :o..never ever seen it here.Anytime you need a fresh target just let shooters know and when they finish there current string they step back behind yellow line,and you reset.The flow just goes  on.Your right, have met a lot of nice people men and women from different walks of life very cool.I really enjoy talking to the vets they got some stories and everyone shares thier tips shooting,cleaning,weapons I also make the day out of it, nice break. 8)

[Robocop1051]

I'm not going to call you "Gecko45" anytime soon... But this may be one of those situations of 'if you have to ask...???'

Believe me, I've seen a lot worse. About 2.5mil people live near me, and we all share three shooting ranges. Eventually you will see some crazy stuff.

Putting that stuff on to shoot is fine. If you get up from your shooting bench wearing a tactical pirate patch and tactical hobo gloves, you may very well get an odd look from the good ol' boys standing nearby.

[Guest BWCustoms]

Heh no - once I am done shooting they come off.  <laughs>

[alelks]

Beats shooting in a Jock strap and a bandanna.  <thumbsup>

[392heminut]

I guess I'm lucky but I never really thought about it until I read this thread. I have access to 2 ranges that are locked up to keep the public out. One is the range belonging to the local PD (which I'm retired from) and the other is owned by the owner of a local gunshop where I do a lot of my business.

[98Z5V]

Am I "that guy" that people keep referencing to? Apparently every range has the local weirdo. 

<munch>

You should shoot with me sometime - I'm a Freak on a Leash, man...  <lmao>

I'm not going to call you "Gecko45" anytime soon...

Oh Good Lordy...  I can't believe someone brought him up publicly...  :o

[Robocop1051]

I actually just recently learned about him. I have to admit, I'm already a fan  <laughs>. I read, mouth agape, at the feces he wrote.

[survivalshop]

Well , down south , as you have described ,you won't be wearing one of those bench rest jackets for long, unless you want to pass out from heat exhaustion . If you really think about it , you would get strange looks from some with one on, down here. Use what ya need to make through the range session .

We have a small tree one one end of the line ,on the 100 yrd. range & its benches are prime area to get on .

  I shoot at a FOP range & it is really laid back from the public ranges , civil & a lot of good people .

The only time I dump mags is when I'm testing some thing , be it a rifle or magizine ,  ammo is costly now a days . I take that back , I dump mags in the Mac 10 a lot & so do others that shoot her. She just doesn't get a lot of range time any more . Come to think of it , don't remember ever putting the selector on semi .

If your rifle or pistol can't dump a mag with out malfunctioning ,it will fail you when the SHF, so to me , its a test.

[hobbesgunner]

I wear a booney hat all the time....great hot weather and rain gear....if it's cold out I wear Craftsmen carpenter gloves (thumb and 2 fingers are half open) just enough for me to keep hands from stiffening up ....

As for "The Gecko"....that's some funny stuff...think he was a security guard where I work...used to talk about his martial arts and weapons training way too much....was upset that he wasn't aloud to wear his body armor and black outfit at work. He was fired for threatening to take someone down with extreme prejudice "

[Retired JM]

I'm not going to call you "Gecko45" anytime soon

Nice reference, dude. Classic gun forum bufoonery! <thumbsup>

As far as range attire goes, I once had to shoot a CQB range wearing poly-pro underwear, jump boots and a neck gaiter on my head because I lost a bet with the 1SG.(Yes, there are pictures. NO, I'm not going to post them.) So blacked out shooting glasses and styrofoam doesn't register very high on my "that guy" scale.

[Matt.Cross]

As far as range attire goes, I once had to shoot a CQB range wearing poly-pro underwear, jump boots and a neck gaiter on my head because I lost a bet with the 1SG.

I just threw up in my mouth a little bit...  <laughs> <lmao>

You really should post the pics here though, I doubt you'd be harassed by this fine community of understanding & kind people.  ;)

[Retired JM]

You really should post the pics here though, I doubt you'd be harassed by this fine community of understanding & kind people. 

It would be akin to chumming shark infested water.

[Robocop1051]

When I think of "that guy" I picture this group of Asian guys I see at the open range just outside of town. Two of them are always wearing digi ACU vests with crossdraw holsters. Loaded up with their 10/30 mags and a Hi-point 9mm (someone has been watching too much Nutnfancy on YouTube). Of course they have their Oakley carbon fiber gloves and a pair of black combat boots with bdu pants tucked in the boots. These guys look more like Virginia Tech reenactors than hobby shooters. You can always spot their guns too. They usually have 200 lbs of Airsoft-grade, Hong Kong knock off, gadgets hanging from the rails. The mentality of "why spend more, when this stuff is just as good?" absolutely kills me. The nice part is, it only takes about an hour for them to blow 1,000 rounds of surplus garbage ammo into the side of a mountain. Then they leave. It's usually enough time for me to enjoy a ciesta before returning to my targets. 

[Guest BWCustoms]

The mentality of "why spend more, when this stuff is just as good?" absolutely kills me.

This is true to a point. I have however over time found some of the cheaper items that are also made by the not so cheaper manufacturers end up being exactly the same material, just not the big old price tag.

My $21 UTG bi-pod and my $99 Harris bi-pod side by side you can't tell which is which. Weight is almost identical, 90% material is same and quite frankly - they perform about the same.

Food for thought.