Range friends.......

Bob Wright · Monday at 9:29 PM

A recent post instigate this post...............

The old Selby County Shooting Range was a 100 yard rifle/pistol range. It was beautifully consructed with excellent safety measures incorporated. At the firing line,the shooter could not see any sky. And target lines were at 7 1/2 yards, fifteen yhards, twenty five yards, fifty yards, and one hundred yards. PVC pipe sleeves were sunk into the ground to hold target frames. Since shooters had to walk down range to check or replace targets, the order was twenty minutes of firing, then clear the line.
When the line was clear, there was time to socialize among the shooters. I made some good friends during those intervals. I had a list of twelve or thirteen shooters whom I had befriended. Now I am the only one left alive, with the possible exception of one with whom I've lost contact. Kind of a sad list.

Bob Wright

NC FNS · Monday at 10:25 PM

Have to take the good with the bad, I figure. I'm glad you're still here sharing stories and wisdom. Thanks.

Danjet500 · Monday at 10:42 PM

Bob, we now all consider you a range friend.

gunzo · Tuesday at 12:07 AM

I shot rifles with 6 guys yesterday, just barnyard long range I call it. I was the oldest of the group by a wide margin. I showed them an older guy can still be relevant, but the youngest of the bunch held his own. We all had respect at the end of the day.

Embrace a new group Bob, ya might be surprised, hopefully that is.

Busterswoodshop · Tuesday at 7:31 AM

That's one of the downfalls of getting old.
The older you get , the more dead people you know.

Johnnu2 · Tuesday at 8:06 AM

Looks like we're in the Batters' Box Bob...........
Carpe Diem

J.

Bob Wright · Tuesday at 10:31 AM

gunzo said:
Embrace a new group Bob, ya might be surprised, hopefully that is.

All of the ranges available to me now are indoor ranges. With zip line target carriers, there is no down time to check targets, so no small talk. And folks come and go so little reaction among them. At times I do get a chance to speak to some while waiting to go into the range itself.

Bob Wright

needsmostuff · Tuesday at 10:35 AM

We all try to respect our elders but at some point you can't find any.

NC FNS · Tuesday at 6:58 PM

needsmostuff said:
We all try to respect our elders but at some point you can't find any.

Some of the teen and 20-somethings I come across in public have a real knack for making me feel invisible. Even when I try to strike up a conversation.

Mobuck · 2024-07-03T07:00:43-0400

I feel very fortunate in that I've not been to a 'public range' (including a trap/skeet range) as a shooter more than 12-15 times in 60 years of shooting. Maybe I'm missing the comradery and connection with 'other shooters' but so far, I haven't noticed that being a problem.

DGW1949 · 2024-07-03T09:25:33-0400

Bob Wright said:
A recent post instigate this post...............

The old Selby County Shooting Range was a 100 yard rifle/pistol range. It was beautifully consructed with excellent safety measures incorporated. At the firing line,the shooter could not see any sky. And target lines were at 7 1/2 yards, fifteen yhards, twenty five yards, fifty yards, and one hundred yards. PVC pipe sleeves were sunk into the ground to hold target frames. Since shooters had to walk down range to check or replace targets, the order was twenty minutes of firing, then clear the line.
When the line was clear, there was time to socialize among the shooters. I made some good friends during those intervals. I had a list of twelve or thirteen shooters whom I had befriended. Now I am the only one left alive, with the possible exception of one with whom I've lost contact. Kind of a sad list.

Bob Wright

It's the curse of living to be old, Bob. The older you get, the more folks that you used to know whom ain't here no more. It's just life and how things work, so don't let it get you down....One day, we'll meet them again...You know, like in the song...."One glad morning, when this life is over...."

DGW

DGW

Bob Wright · 2024-07-03T09:32:33-0400

DGW1949 said:
It's the curse of living to be old, Bob. The older you get, the more folks that you used to know whom ain't here no more. It's just life and how things work, so don't let it get you down....One day, we'll meet them again...You know, like in the song...."One glad morning, when this life is over...."

DGW

DGW

Get ME down? Man, I've got a nice house, good food, two nieces who sort of look after me, good friends here, a church full of friends, a nice Ford Escape, money in the bank, and a mansion reserved for me in Heaven! What more could anyone ask for?

Bob Wright

Bob Wright · 2024-07-03T09:35:58-0400

And, as to getting old, I told my pastor, in an email, this morning: "At night I kneel by my bed (kneeling is easy; getting up not so much so.) to pray."

Bob Wright

Old and grumpy · 2024-07-03T09:43:21-0400

This is my range friend. He lives under the bench. I was shooting 30/06 and felt I was being watched. He was about a foot from the muzzle and the blast did not bother him. Temp was about 105. Gave him some water and he spent the day with me.

mexicanjoe911 · 2024-07-03T11:05:33-0400

Bob I hope one day to meet you in person. I ve followed you here for awhile. IF you are ever in west Texas, Ill take you out for good mexican food and a cup of coffee.

gnappi · 2024-07-03T11:15:11-0400

Sadly losing friends is part of life. All of my lifelong and longtime friends are gone.

DGW1949 · 2024-07-03T13:10:07-0400

Bob Wright said:
Get ME down? Man, I've got a nice house, good food, two nieces who sort of look after me, good friends here, a church full of friends, a nice Ford Escape, money in the bank, and a mansion reserved for me in Heaven! What more could anyone ask for?

Bob Wright

O.K. ....Well then, please pardon my intrusion. From your initial post, it seemed that you were sorta down about loosing your shooting friends ("Now I am the only one left alive, with the possible exception of one with whom I've lost contact. Kind of a sad list.") so I thought I'd offer up some encouragement....At any rate, I'm glad that you didn't need it. Have a good day.

DGW

jav · 2024-07-03T15:35:56-0400

I go to a public range outdoors great place with great people never once I had a bad time at the range I go to . The people is part of the whole experience. I love there

Bob Wright · 2024-07-03T17:01:22-0400

DGW1949 said:
O.K. ....Well then, please pardon my intrusion. From your initial post, it seemed that you were sorta down about loosing your shooting friends ("Now I am the only one left alive, with the possible exception of one with whom I've lost contact. Kind of a sad list.") so I thought I'd offer up some encouragement....At any rate, I'm glad that you didn't need it. Have a good day.

DGW

No intrusion! When I post, any and all comments are welcome. And I didn't mean to sound "down" but rather s solemn rememerance of friends past.

Bob Wright

blume357 · 2024-07-04T07:25:02-0400

I've been a member of a local gun club for I think over 15 years and I try to go shoot when no one is there but this is getting harder and harder and since some developers have decided to build a 300+ housing development directly behind the rifle range my club's rules have changed... now the rifle range will only be open on Friday and Saturday and then there will be a paid range officer you have to check in with to be able to shoot. So, now I've got two choices.... just don't go or become more sociable.

Range friends.......

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