I hear what you are saying, while there is much truth to your comments I would say the best course of action is to set the example and then engage in dialogue. The worse we can do is nothing. Stay safe. JG

Here is the big problem I see. The majority of the population that goes to the range treats the experience as if they are going bowling. It’s entertainment to them. Particularly troubling is the group setting where 4 or more people show up to go “shooting.” Of course, they all crowd around each other, get lost in their conversations with each other and everyone “taking a turn” at shooting said gun(s) that someone brought. They don’t really learn anything other than, “here, let’s try out my friend’s guns this weekend.”

Then, you have the typical idiots on the range. For instance, let’s shoot as fast as we can – who cares about where the bullets land. (I’ve heard one person tell their equally ignorant friend, “I annihilated that target!”) Yeah, you did – the target is an absolute mess.

Let’s see who can shoot the loudest caliber of gun and gather a crowd of equally curious people behind them (I mean after all, the purpose of shooting is to make the walls shake, right? Ka-boom!)

Let’s take selfie pictures while we are shooting. Let’s crack jokes and laugh unnecessarily loud while others are trying to actually practice for serious purposes. I don’t know what on earth is so funny about shooting guns, but every weekend, there’s a group of people who think shooting is hysterical.

Most people don’t have an appreciation that they literally hold the difference between life and death in their hands. To them, going out shooting is simply something “fun” to do – like seeing a movie, but this time, they can be the action star rapid-firing and spraying shots like they see on the big screen. (Never mind holding yourself accountable for each shot).

I see many people at the range who haven’t even shot before and they bring their equally ignorant (boy)/(girl) friend to look over their shoulder and “teach” them. I see people loading guns behind the firing line and walking back-and-forth from the back table to the firing line with guns in their hand. It never crosses their mind to go see a competent instructor first, since they are inexperienced with handling firearms.

I talk to the employees at the range (mostly kids hired at low wages) who are too busy and distracted processing people to go on the range and they don’t see the multitude of safety infractions that go on. Plus, they don’t really care all that much. When it comes to your personal safety – you’re on your own!

I see people walking into gun stores with guns in their hands (rifle or pistol) which are not in a case. I am amazed to see how long it takes an “employee” to recognize that a person is walking around with a gun and calls them over to check whether the gun is clear. How these people can afford to purchase a firearm and accompanying ammunition, but they refuse to buy a $20-30 case to put the firearm in, never ceases to amaze me. So they walk to and from the parking lot to the range with said gun(s) in their hands.

I have to say, I am largely disappointed and frankly concerned about the lack of safety I see among the overall gun public. You might say, this is an opportunity to teach them! Unfortunately, many people have absolutely no interest in getting professional training. They either don’t want to spend the money or they don’t care. They are doing just fine in their minds.

Then, you have the people who think they handle guns just fine and they don’t want to be told otherwise. Don’t tell them what to do, they say. Mind you’re own business, they say.

So, unfortunately, unless the person has the desire and willingness to learn about proper gun handling, they are not going to. My main concern is that they might hurt/kill themselves or someone else before the lesson is learned. It’s unfortunate, but I see see poor gun handling all the time at ranges I visit and it’s a wonder that more people aren’t hurt by the negligence, sloppiness and carelessness that people approach with firearms. For many, their ego is too big to be told otherwise. Education and training requires time, money, personal interest and effort – and I unfortunately don’t see that in many people.