For most people, learning manners is part of growing up. Remembering and using those manners in adulthood is an entirely different matter. Though most people are taught from an early age to leave elbows off the table and not talk with a full mouth, few are taught how to behave at a shooting range. As any shooting enthusiast knows, manners at the gun range are more about preventing harm and less about preventing hurt feelings. OutdoorHub’s Tom McHale shares 11 ways to be a better shooting range neighbor.
One of the biggest problems with the shooting sports is that there is no be-all, end-all, definitive guide to etiquette. Miss Manners never published a Sooper Dooper Guide to Shooting Etiquette, and I never recall going to the range for any of my charm and finishing school field trips.
Seeing this glaring omission from the shooting community training curriculum, I’ve taken the liberty of compiling a list of tips on how to be a nice shooting range neighbor.11. Question everything
We shooters have some sort of ego sickness. Meaning we hate to ask for help or clarification. You’d think we were driving or something. Personally I love it when someone at the range asks me a question. That means they care about doing things right. So I try to remember the same courtesy. If you’re the least bit unsure about procedure or etiquette at the range, feel free to ask. It’s polite to be certain before you act. And I’ve yet to experience anyone giving me an attitude when I asked a safety or procedural question. Have fun, be safe, and ask a question if you’re not sure! It’s the polite thing to do.
Learn the number-one rule for being a good neighbor at the gun range…
Photos: RG Ratana (top); OutdoorHub (above)
