We know plenty of experienced gun owners who simply will not go to public shooting ranges. They’ve seen too many people fooling around, they’ve been flagged by someone, and seen too many dangerous situations play out, even if there’s an RSO on duty. They want nothing to do with any of that.
If you see someone at the range who’s having a tough time with their grip, their stance, handling their gun or whatever…what do you do?
The reality is, a lot of people just aren’t very receptive to being offered advice. You may mean well and only want to help, but they might not take it that way. They may see you as pushy, a busybody who thinks he knows everything.
We all want to get more people into gun ownership and shooting. That’s good for everyone. If you’ve ever taken a noob to the range and started them out the right way, you’ve seen what happens.
The smiles. The sense of achievement. The ‘I never knew guns were this much fun” comments.
But slipping into a stranger’s booth at a gun range and trying to help them if they’re struggling isn’t always taken in the spirit with which it’s intended. It can be a fraught situation.
So what do you do? Do you put on your friendliest face and plow ahead? Do you keep your head down and let them continue to waste ammo? Is offering to help a part of making new shooters more comfortable? Or is it a violation of basic range etiquette?
The Rod and Gun club I belong to has 10 ranges. Shooters are rarely within 15 feet of each other on the same range. However, if another shooter at the range I am on is doing something dumb, I move to another range. I do not use an indoor range.
Everyone is a “Safety Officer”. If you have the training to be an instructor (which is not just the knowledge, but how to actually provide discrete information on how to improve grip, sight alignment, sight picture and trigger press), then yes. There are ways to approach, and generally you can tell from body language whether a person or group will be responsive to instruction.
However, check with your range as well. They may want you to be part of their liability insurance, or ensure that you are carrying your own (certainly if you are instructing in a professional capacity).
7 Types of People At The Range.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFxo4uCFWhY
No Unsolicited Advice.
As an RSO and a Pistol instructor I tend to not offer advice unless asked. I have seen some poor gun handling by noobies and corrected it as needed. I generally RSO for the bullseye league and the tend to be very squared away, safety-wise. When asked by a shooter I will try and convey a positive way through their issue, I have had little resistance! I honestly believe 90% of teaching is listening and then devising a plan to fix said issue is quite easy. Listen, watch, and listen again: you’ll reach an agreement on how to fix their problem