Shooters Ready: 9 Types of People You Will Run Into at the Gun Range
Going to the range. Oh, what a great way to let off a little steam, instill the importance of the 2nd Amendment into the next generation, and maybe even tighten those groupings up while you’re at it. Truly, at this point, it is a tradition more American than apple pie.
There are something like a little over 8,500 gun ranges in the United States. Some of them are outdoors, and some are indoor. We have private ones and public ones, and they’re all like snowflakes in their own right, unique and special. But they do have one thing in common – the people.
Despite gun ranges being so different, the people who frequent them can often be stereotyped down into a few specific groups, whether they like it or not. Here are nine types of people you will run into if you’re not one of them.
Joe Schmo
Primary: Ruger AR-556 w/ maybe a Bushnell Reflex Sight
Secondary: Glock 19
Just an average American, enjoying their Saturday at the range. No cares about the latest and the greatest guns on the market, he shows up to the range wearing regular clothes and politely puts a few magazines worth of ammo down range before he heads home. Maybe he has a conversation with someone while he’s there at the range, but nothing more in-depth than what he’s shooting and where he got it. No aim or goals, he’s probably one of the happiest at the range, purely satisfied with exercising his rights.
Power Trip
Primary: Doesn’t matter, but the gun is CLEAN
Secondary: Doesn’t matter, but the gun is CLEAN
If this guy isn’t a shooting instructor, he probably should be because he knows every frickin’ rule in the book. Instead of the 10 Commandments, he’s dedicated his life to following the rules on the wall of your local gun range. Shooting should be enjoyable, but this guy sucks the life out of it by breathing down your neck waiting for one error. In total, he shot probably 30 rounds over the last hour because he spent the majority of time paying attention to others. God bless him if he ever went to a public range.
Mr. Tactical
Primary: Palmetto State Custom AR-15 300 Blackout Build w/ Trijicon Acog, Magpul foregrip, Steiner Laser, and probably a dusty paint job despite living in woodland area
Secondary: Glock 17 w/ a reflex sight, SureFire flashlight
To train like a professional, you have to dress like a professional. Mr. Tactical takes this saying completely to heart. Even though he’ll only be maneuvering to and from his stall, he is dressed to the nines, absolutely ready for armageddon. BDUs, a tactical chest rig, and combat boots, it’s not a day at the range without the uniform. Walking in he may startle others, but his apparent regularness and familiarity with the attendants quell any concerns other shooters may have about his MO.
Mag Dump
Primary: H&K MP5
Secondary: Sig Sauer P320-M17
This person you hear before you see them. As you open the door, you’re greeted with an auditory onslaught of bullets mostly missing their target. Almost blown away, you question whether it’s really worth it to share the range with this person today. Despite any rules against rapid fire, this guy is just dumping mags left and right. Four magazines gone in a matter of minutes, going to the range is a $400 minimum expense. If he didn’t come with an accomplice, he would have spent more time loading magazines than actually shooting. Where did this guy get his knowledge on how to shoot? Probably either Call of Duty or the streets.
Old Timer
Primary: Friendly Smile
Secondary: Smith & Wesson Model 19
Probably one of the nicest guys at the range, the old timer treats the local range as a bona fide gun club. Probably from lack of excitement in retired life, he comes to the range for some degree of social interaction. Bless his heart. Never coming to the range with anything super tactical, he instead chooses to stick to collector guns or military classics. For what reason? Maybe, it's because he comes from an era before accessories and customization conquered the market, but most likely it is to spark conversation with a fellow shooter.
Safety Who?
Primary: Riley Arms AK-47 w/ no stock
Secondary: Winchester .45 Magnum
About 95% of the time, the gun range is free of people who are completely ignorant of safe gun handling and shooting procedures. Oftentimes, people who are new to the world of shooting take a course with professional instructors or get introduced by a friend who is well-informed about safe practices. But, sometimes you’ll run across someone who just ordered an AR-15 off the internet or who just can’t be concerned with treating the safety of others in high regard. Waving their gun around without abandon, they could probably use some correction. Either way, pack up your stuff, watch your head, and inform the range master.
Defense Diva
Primary: Sig Sauer P365
Secondary: Looks that could kill
What a stunner! Your modern day Annie Oakley doesn’t shoot to perform trick shots but to be a lethal self-defense force. Some may misjudge her based on her gender or pink holster, but in actuality, she probably knows more about guns and shooting than you do. Don’t even waste your time trying to chat her up, the conversation will just leave you feeling completely inadequate as a shooter and probably as a man. It is best just to admire a Defense Diva in her natural habitat.
American Sniper
Primary: Knights Armament SR-25 w/ Leupold Mark 4 Scope
Secondary: Beretta M9
His presence commands silence in the range. All turn and look in awe because they know he is about to lay down quarter-size groupings at 100 yards. His background is a mystery to the rest of the range; most imagine that you need a high military clearance to know where he has served or what groups he is a part of. Though your typical range doesn’t host the proper standards required for him to train, if he does walk in to shoot, he will outperform everyone without batting an eye.
Glock Squad
Primary: Glock 19
Secondary: Friendship
This isn’t one singular person, rather more like five people sharing one Glock 19. For whatever reason, when one friend gets a gun, all the homeboys have to go with him to the range too. They clog up the range, are rather obnoxious, and probably don’t understand proper safety and handling. It’s cool that all the friends are stoked on the new buy, but is it really necessary for all of them to show up at once to shoot it? If we do the math, five people shooting one Glock 19 with two standard capacity magazines would be about 30 rounds each after an hour. Is that really worth all the trouble? At least the range is making a mean cut.
Summary
The gun world is full of so many interesting, quirky characters and personalities. It literally draws all sorts of people from numerous backgrounds to enjoy the range and exercise their freedom. Spend enough time at the range shooting, and you’ll eventually be able to judge the type of shooter someone is before they even put any down range. From the list above, who are you? Did we miss anyone? Let us know through our social media links below.
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