Offering help at the range

[currahee]

So I'm at the range today and there was a couple (Father and daughter would have been my guess.)

They were both shooting with the most horrid "grab the wrist" technique, appalling accuracy etc. They asked me if I wanted their brass when they saw me picking up mine, very patient seemed like nice people.

I was wondering if anyone ever offers "random" shooting tips to strangers at the range. I didn't, but now I wish I had offered.

[bigwagon]

I wouldn't offer unless asked, just like I wouldn't give unsolicited swing advice on the golf course to a stranger.

[NavyDavy55]

I've given help many times at the private range. It's all in the approach.

I'll start a question with "what you shooting"?

Or one guy saw me shooting and complimented my groups. He then commented on his bad groups.

One young kid was shooting up the wooden target stands. So either I helped him or the RO was going to kick him out. I gladly helped.

[ALCOAR]

It really is all about the approach as the gentleman above me stated.

For example, offer to show the novice shooter the proper/correct way, but term it as offering an alternative method to the novice shooter's current method.

Offer alternatives, rather than fixes per say.

[Airhasz]

I wouldn't offer unless asked, just like I wouldn't give unsolicited swing advice on the golf course to a stranger.

Bad shooting habits are easier to correct than a bad golf swing...

[dash1]

I will offer my help when it's clear people want it.

The worst thing I've ever done was to offer help to a guy in front of his girlfriend.

[currahee]

I will offer my help when it's clear people want it.

The worst thing I've ever done was to offer help to a guy in front of his girlfriend.

That is very true, and sad to boot. I've seen a lot of people treating their GF/Wives wrong at the range... not necceaarily BAD but giving them bad advice.

The best professional or lay firearms instructor in the world should get someone else to teach their significant other to shoot.

I say TEACH their SO to shoot, I think its great taking a non shooting female to the range and introducing them to the subject. If they show an interest find someone else to spend a few hours with them.

[currahee]

I've given help many times at the private range. It's all in the approach.

I'll start a question with "what you shooting"?

Or one guy saw me shooting and complimented my groups. He then commented on his bad groups.

One young kid was shooting up the wooden target stands. So either I helped him or the RO was going to kick him out. I gladly helped.

In this particular situation I had my son there with a 22, I wasn't even planning on shooting. But, I saw these folks and put up a couple of silhouettes and went through about 50 rounds doing failure to stop drills from the draw. HOPING they would comment and open an avenue. They seemed like they would really listen and benefit, but I'm not forward enough.

[Failure2Stop]

I will give some pointers if asked, but avoid approaching people uninvited like syphalitic plague.


Typos brought to you via Tapatalk and autocorrect.

[thopkins22]

I will give some pointers if asked, but avoid approaching people uninvited like syphalitic plague.


Typos brought to you via Tapatalk and autocorrect.

I've experienced my fair share of unsolicited advice from people that were not as good as I was...but one of the most helpful sessions I ever experienced was totally unsolicited. I was walking to an empty bay at my range and stopped for a second to watch this guy just destroying drills and mentioned sort of under my breath "wow, great shooting." His electronic ears must have been super sensitive, because he stopped shooting, turned around, and invited me in for pointers.

Turned out to be a Master class USPSA shooter who got me tuned up in thirty minutes more than I'd achieved in a long time of running drills and competing on my own.

The only help I tend to offer without being asked is technical help to guys who cannot get zeroed...such as this guy that needed one of the taller front sight posts for his Wyndham as it didn't have the right FSB.