Stuff overheard at the range or local gun shop

[mxgsfmdpx]

A recent one when I was in Wyoming at a steakhouse a few weeks ago...

Father in law and I had just got back from a friends ranch practicing some long range shooting/wind calling. We sat at the bar which gives full food service and is just an excellent place normally. This was an older gentleman bartender that neither of us had ever met before. He does the usual "what would you like" and then asks us "how our day went". My father in law starts up the conversation about how we had just got done shooting. Turns out he's a lifelong hunter and is even mentioning kills in areas we both know exactly where he's talking about.

At one point he asked "what tags" we had for the "season" and I explained that I'm hunting/helping on hunts every month from August through march in 5 states, Mexico, and New Zealand. This of course ended up leading to "what animals" and then "guns" and "calibers".

He basically couldn't believe and was borderline yelling/upset that I mentioned I wouldn't be taking anything "larger" than an old Sako or Tikka .260 Remington for any of my hunts. There was no way I could "ethically" kill elk and moose with "anything less than .30-06". I "needed way more knock down power and energy" to be able to kill.

I pulled out my phone and you can filter the images by location... I showed him two dead bulls and two dead cows within 15 miles of where we were sitting. 2 killed with a .260 and 2 killed with a .243. I don't think he believed me on the cartridges and bullets used for those kills as he just shook his head and was completely dumbfounded after that.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I avoid gun stores and counters for all the reasons already mentioned in this thread. Thanks much for the sacrifice. ...and laughs!

 

[3forks]

The archery range can be just as entertaining as the rifle range… especially as we get close to bow season.

Anyone remember that “wildernessmaster” guy on here? The dude claimed to be special forces and the shit he would post was unreal.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

A recent one when I was in Wyoming at a steakhouse a few weeks ago...

Father in law and I had just got back from a friends ranch practicing some long range shooting/wind calling. We sat at the bar which gives full food service and is just an excellent place normally. This was an older gentleman bartender that neither of us had ever met before. He does the usual "what would you like" and then asks us "how our day went". My father in law starts up the conversation about how we had just got done shooting. Turns out he's a lifelong hunter and is even mentioning kills in areas we both know exactly where he's talking about.

At one point he asked "what tags" we had for the "season" and I explained that I'm hunting/helping on hunts every month from August through march in 5 states, Mexico, and New Zealand. This of course ended up leading to "what animals" and then "guns" and "calibers".

He basically couldn't believe and was borderline yelling/upset that I mentioned I wouldn't be taking anything "larger" than an old Sako or Tikka .260 Remington for any of my hunts. There was no way I could "ethically" kill elk and moose with "anything less than .30-06". I "needed way more knock down power and energy" to be able to kill.

I pulled out my phone and you can filter the images by location... I showed him two dead bulls and two dead cows within 15 miles of where we were sitting. 2 killed with a .260 and 2 killed with a .243. I don't think he believed me on the cartridges and bullets used for those kills as he just shook his head and was completely dumbfounded after that.

What steakhouse if you don't mind me asking? Always looking for a good eating spot out West.

 

[BCsteve]

I was looking over the counter to see what they had for .243 bullets. One of the guys asked me if he could help me so I told him I was looking what they had for .243. He hands me a box 105 gr SMK or something like that needs a fast twist barrel. I told him that my rifle had the standard twist and I don't think my rifle will stabilize those, I'm looking for a shorter bullet. He looks back on he shelf at the other .243 bullets and after glancing at all the boxes he turns back to me and says: "no, I don't have any shorter, they are all 6mm". I thanked him and walked away. Lol

 

[RMM]

The archery range can be just as entertaining as the rifle range… especially as we get close to bow season.

Anyone remember that “wildernessmaster” guy on here? The dude claimed to be special forces and the shit he would post was unreal.

I would almost argue the archery range is worse. I work part time as a bow tech and you wouldn't believe how many guys come in a day before the season and want to buy their first bow to hunt with on the opener. Or how many times I've been asked to sight someone's bow in for them

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

What steakhouse if you don't mind me asking? Always looking for a good eating spot out West.

I'll PM you.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I would almost argue the archery range is worse. I work part time as a bow tech and you wouldn't believe how many guys come in a day before the season and want to buy their first bow to hunt with on the opener. Or how many times I've been asked to sight someone's bow in for them

Those are the same guys that are listing them on marketplace and Craig's List the same season after they learn how hard bowhunting is.

 

[BRTreedogs]

The archery range can be just as entertaining as the rifle range… especially as we get close to bow season.

Anyone remember that “wildernessmaster” guy on here? The dude claimed to be special forces and the shit he would post was unreal.

Like dudes shooting pie plates at 40 talking about how they should switch vanes because it would really close there groups.?

 

[CorbLand]

Worked at a gun counter for a large national chain for awhile. Hiring standards were essentially “do they have a pulse” and “do you know how to spell your own name,” we had some real loser mouth breathers there for awhile.

The worst was a self-proclaimed former military Rambo type named Grant. I am grateful for anyone who served in the armed forces, but just because you were in the military doesn’t mean you know ANYTHING about firearms. This guy was the cream of the crop for those stereotypes. Apparently he was part of a super secret squirrel type operation that saved Seal Team 6 multiple times when most of their guys to gunfire, goes into active combat annually on request by the president, and he was also a team member for the Army’s PRS team where he shoots a RPR in 338 Loopa (his words, not mine). He was awesome, just ask him.

Anyways, he was famous for telling everyone that the “multi cal” on the side of an AR lower meant it would shoot 223 or 556, and as long as it said that on the side you were good to shoot either one. Multiple dozens of us told him over and over that “multi cal” means the receiver is good for any cartridge in that length configuration, but the chambering of the rifle was determined by the chamber itself, and that customers should always check the barrel stamp to determine chambering. He argued vehemently against us, no matter what, and oftentimes went all “drill Sargent” on us, yelling at all of us to “fall in line” and to “respect our superiors”. The dude was an idiot, and was eventually forced out by corporate for other issues and complaints made by customers, but we all braced for the day when he ended up getting someone hurt.

Thank you to all military members for your service, but please be humble enough to realize that just because you were in the military, it doesn’t mean you know anything about firearms. Drives me nuts.

We had one of those but he didnt work at the gun counter, he was in giftbar. He was from Texas originally. We called him Walker Texas Ranger.

The gun counter was epic for some of the things that happened but there was nothing like working with knives and optics. Gun guys can be weird, knife guys are weirder.

 

[3forks]

I would almost argue the archery range is worse. I work part time as a bow tech and you wouldn't believe how many guys come in a day before the season and want to buy their first bow to hunt with on the opener. Or how many times I've been asked to sight someone's bow in for them

Agreed.

Saw a guy’s groups the other day who had been hunting archery for years and has a highly coveted tag for this year. I was floored by what his 5 shots at the 50 yard elk looked like… neck, spine, couple in the guts, and one in the back leg.

 

[*zap*]

many people think they are much more than they are because our current society encourages that....personally I just keep it real...and do not really care what other folks (non friends) think.

 

[3forks]

Like dudes shooting pie plates at 40 talking about how they should switch vanes because it would really close there groups.?

Ha! Yeah, like that but a pie plate size group at 40 by some of these guys would at least make me think they were somewhat competent.

 

[displacedtexan]

many people think they are much more than they are because our current society encourages that....personally I just keep it real...

I like you.

But lots of them are keeping it real too. Real dumb.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Got to make sure my broadheads fly with field points.

Heck you're field points don't fly with your field points.

 

[Bubblehide]

Worked at a gun counter for a bit. I have a list of things heard that I just shake my head at. Some of the ones I can remember right now.

1. Teenaged kid, dressed like Tony Montana, comes in asking if they make guns that dont drop the casings out when you shoot them?

The answer to that one is YES, it's called a revolver. But obviously someone doesn't want their prints pulled from the casings.

 

[svivian]

We had one of those but he didnt work at the gun counter, he was in giftbar. He was from Texas originally. We called him Walker Texas Ranger.

The gun counter was epic for some of the things that happened but there was nothing like working with knives and optics. Gun guys can be weird, knife guys are weirder.

Yep every Sportsmans warehouse in the country has one of those guys. Ours had a guy who claimed…

He rode a pedal bike across the Ho Chi Minh trail during Vietnam

Was shot out of a torpedo into Vietnam

Was personally asked by the president to interrogate saddam Hussein

Sole survivor of 7 helicopter crashes

Pulled the engine out of an old corvette on the side of a road by his bare hands to swap it

The list goes on and on and on.

I always told the other guys who worked there that one day he will die and we will see him on the news going over all of his accomplishments and the joke will be on us

 

[Customweld]

I like you.

But lots of them are keeping it real too. Real dumb.

Dave Chappelle had a skit called "When keeping it real goes wrong" . Good stuff.

 

[ericmcd]

Id love to see a thread like this from the boomers, they would all be talking about us

the shock when I told my father in law that I drop my scopes to see if they hold zero was hilarious. He texted his buddies and they all thought I was nuts and if you buy a vx1 and some decent rings you're good to go.

 

[flathead#2]

Not at the range but in my house.
MIL comes over to the house, picks up my son's airsoft handgun
and put the barrel in the palm of her other hand and pulls the trigger.
It was loaded, goes off, it hurts and she screams bloody murder.
When asked why in the world would you do that?, she replies:
"I wanted to see if it was real".
This happened a few years ago and It's still hard to comprehend.