Stuff overheard at the range or local gun shop

[nobody]

Day before deer opener, "Skeeter" and "Possum" drive up in the middle of the active public shooting range!
Skeeter jumps out, chugs what's left of a beer, throws down the can and unloads a refrigerator box in the center of the range 30 to 40 yards from the bench.
Possum guns the rattletrap F100 and cuts a doughnut, stopping short of the bench. Skeeter drags out a 94 style rifle of questionable lineage, shoves 3 rounds in the mag, jacks a round home and let's loose on the refrigerator box offhand!
Before the last round report has died out, Skeeter trots down to the box, stares at it about 30 seconds then trots back to the decrepit F100.
Tossing the bedraggled 94 through the open passenger window, he clambers into the front seat and hollers, "Attle kill a deer!".
Possum, tosses out an empty beer can, guns the groaning engine, cuts another doughnut and drives off in a choking cloud of East Texas dust!

Are you sure this wasn’t on an episode of Swamp People?

 

[Amos Keeto]

This happened at an outdoor target range. This know it all was trying to impress his girlfriend and teach her how to handle a handgun, a S&W .500 revolver. When she went to shoot it, which was way more gun than she should have even had in her hand, she wrapped her fingers around the front of the cylinder. I let out a loud, don't shoot. Upon hearing this the range master came over to see what the problem was. I went on to explain what was about to happen. I never finished my explanation when the range master asked the guy if he had any idea what that would have done to her hand. The guy had no idea about the blow by at the front of the cylinder. he was told to leave and get lesson on how to handle firearms.

I sold Benny a JP Saur & Son's western style .44 Mag six shooter.
At the range, he stokes it up, opens his palm and lays the barrel across his finger just in front of the cylinder.
"Surely not!" I thought as the gun roared!
Benny made comments about his own ancestry I have no way of checking, drug out his wallet and paid me.
I left, snickering the whole time!
No blood, but definitely some powder stippling!

 

[Amos Keeto]

Are you sure this wasn’t on an episode of Swamp People?

I swear on my mother's grave!
I WITNESSED IT!

I worked in a gun shop at the time and the 'smith and I had taken several "scope mounts" to the range for a quick test shot!

 

[dirtshooter]

Kid at the archery counter "I always aim for the neck"

Gun counter guy "Savage 110 "sniper rifle" talking about headshots" etc

It's been so long since I stood at any counters so I will have to think of more stories from years ago.

 

[KurtR]

Not necessarily.
Just like the Harley crowd with their costumes and loud exhaust.
They are going out trying to provoke a response and that attempt at intimidation doesn't always go the way they hoped it would.

Loud pipes save lives

 

[Amos Keeto]

Very well dressed gentleman, a known local lawyer, walked into our store and purchased a Leupold VX-III 3.5-10×50 scope.
Walked over to the gun shop, handed the scope to the 'smith and said, "Set this for 150 yards." and walked out the door!

Guy walks into the gun shop.
"Can I shoot .303 British ammo in a .30-40 Krag?"
The 'smith looked at him, smiled, and said, "Is your life insurance paid up?"

 

[GoneFullTrad]

I use to work in a gun shop and the three things I heard the most that pissed me off or just made me roll my eyes were - some variations of the following

1. Get yourself a shotgun, you dont even need to aim just point and every thing will die. This seemed to always be recommended to a 100 lb person mainly women... Or "the sound of you racking the shotgun will scare the perps away".

2. It ain't about caliber size it's about shot placement. (Usually when the random "I carry a .22 for self defense" weirdo is in).

3. If you cant take care of the problem in the first two shots, you have no business carrying a gun.


The worst thing I have overheard at a range was " Where did you get this ammo again" "I dont know, my dad gave it to me and he did not remember" .... bammm..... Savage bolt action rifle explodes...

 

[Muddler]

I worked behind a gun counter part time for several years....I could probably write a book.

Customer 1:
Hey this 300 Rem Ultra Mag ammo is way too expensive....can't I just use 300 Win Mag instead?

---
Customer 2:
I need me some 7.62 ammo! Ya'll got any?
Me:
7.62 by what? We have 7.62x39, 7.62x51, 7.62x54R..
Customer 2:
Blank stare...... I need me some 7.62 ammo!

---
Customer 3:
I need supplies to reload for my .223
Me:
Ok, what components does your load data say you need?
Customer 3:
Blank stare....... I need whatever I need to reload for my .223. Just give me some powder, primers and bullets.
Me:
Sir you need to work off of some load data in a manual. I can't tell you what to use, and you can't just grab any powder off of the shelf, they have different burn rates. One might be fine for .223, another might make it explode in your face.
Customer 3:
More blank stare..... What's a load manual?

----
Customer 4, looking at a Glock 17 I think:
Does this have the 5.2 or 5.3 mm sights?
Me:
I have no idea. I don't have anything to measure them with. Let me try to find out. (Info doesn't exist on Glocks website). Sorry sir, I don't can find that information about the sights.
Customer 4:
Does this have the 5.2 or 5.3 mm sights? I want the 5.2mm sights.

This goes on for at least 30 minutes...me searching on the internet to no avail. He keeps demanding to know if they are 5.2 or 5.3 mm sights. Finally, I just tell him that if he can tell the difference between 5.2 and 5.3 mm at an arms distance away his eyes are a hell of a lot better than mine and walked away.

I always took the time to explain to people why they couldn't use different ammo in guns or why they couldn't do whatever unsafe thing they were asking about and tried not to be a know it all asshole. Not everyone has been around guns and reloading all their life.

 

[wind gypsy]

I need me some 7.62 ammo! Ya'll got any?
Me:
7.62 by what? We have 7.62x39, 7.62x51, 7.62x54R..
Customer 2:
Blank stare...... I need me some 7.62 ammo!

I helped some guys looking for cheaper 308 (7.62 is the mil surplus 308 ya know) ammo by telling them they should put the 7.62x39 ammo back on the shelf because that aint it.

 

[CorbLand]

Had a guy argue with two of us for at least five minutes that he could in fact shoot 7MM Weatherby out of his 7Mag because "its the same bullet." Only solace in that matter watching him walk out the store with the ammo is that it wouldn't chamber anyways.

 

[TaperPin]

“RL22 will be back in stock any day.”

Lol

 

[EastHumboldt]

This is maybe the best thread since Aaron Von Benedict.

 

[KenLee]

I swear on my mother's grave!
I WITNESSED IT!

I've seen similar in back yards many times. Usually w some form of model 70 or model 700.

 

[RadialJett]

"You can't switch between lead core bullets and mono copper bullets. The fouling will mess up your accuracy. If you want to switch you'll need to bring the rifle in for a deep cleaning to remove all the copper before you start shooting lead. We charge $250 for that."

I said, but the lead is wrapped inside copper anyways, how does it leave lead behind? I was assured that it did...

 

[Billogna]

There's a Blackhawk Drop Leg Holster for Glock 19/17 in the classifieds right now ...... Just FYI

 

[intunegp]

I once spotted for a guy at the 600 yard line that was checking zero on his .300 Weatherby mag. Me and the guys I hunt with were finishing up for the day and he showed up alone so when he asked if I'd call his shots for a few minutes before I put the spotter away I said sure.

He was about 50% hit rate on a 20" steel plate, but 100% scoping himself with every shot, bleeding worse and deepening the cut with every round he squeezed off. After the 7th or 8th round he had hit two in a row, had a steadily dripping gash right between his eyes, and decided he was ready to go hunt.

 

[doc holiday13]

............

2. It ain't about caliber size it's about shot placement. (Usually when the random "I carry a .22 for self defense" weirdo is in).

Whats wrong with 22lr as a personal carry round???

 

[The Guide]

Whats wrong with 22lr as a personal carry round???

Nothing in my mind. No one who has said it was insufficient will let me shoot them with one. Handguns still have the magical "knockdown power" associated with different cartridges. Too many movies.

Jay

 

[Muddler]

I helped some guys looking for cheaper 308 (7.62 is the mil surplus 308 ya know) ammo by telling them they should put the 7.62x39 ammo back on the shelf because that aint it.

It's borderline scary the number of times someone wanted the wrong ammo....270 Win for a 270 WSM, 300 WM for 300 WBY, etc.

 

[TheCougar]

100% true:

I’m at the range zeroing my 7mm in a Rokstok. These two dudes plop down and take the benches next to me. I quickly glance over and make a snap judgement: 5.11pants, SIG shirts, Sig hat, matching range bags, head to toe tacticool, Garmin chrono, all the gear. I’m not paying attention to them, but I hear enough, bragging about how he’s “got $7000 in his AR”, and all about the gun and how it’s expensive and all pimped out. I know nothing about ARs, so this means nothing to me, but they are telling anyone who walks by.

Half an hour goes by, and I overhear enough to learn that they cannot get the rifle to zero. And he’s off the target by FEET. I’m still not paying attention, other than laughing my ass off every time I hear them talking about a 4 ft miss at 100 yards.

I know the RCOs, and I see them looking at these clowns and talking and chuckling. After about 100 rounds down range, the RCO comes up and says, “Hey fellas, having trouble zeroing? Does your target look really really small? You may want to turn the scopes around, that usually helps.”

Now I stop what I’m doing to really look over at these jokers. They have Vortex PST scopes mounted BACKWARDS on their ARs. For serious. I didn’t know that was physically possible, but I can tell you it is definitely possible.