I just got home from an absolutely terrible experience at Hangtown Range. My husband and I went to Hangtown Range today to shoot my new .357 magnum and a couple other handguns. I've been into the range once before many years ago. We are both signed up for a CCW course tomorrow and it was too rainy to just shoot on our property so we decided to go to the range.
The staff in the front were super nice and helpful (Samantha and Jenna) and let us share a lane since it was busy. I started out with my .357 and went through the CCW course of fire 3, 7, and 10 yards. I shot 72 rounds and everything was going fine. I noticed there was an older gentleman with tattoos on his arms (not sure his name) who works there and he was helping a family who were clearly new shooters. Several times when I was reloading, I heard him yelling "no, no, no" "stop, not like that" "you can't do that" and so on. He was actually yelling and not in a nice or helpful way at the older woman who was obviously trying to learn how to shoot a handgun. This made me really nervous and I felt bad for her. If that was me, I would have walked out. I understand that its the RSO's job to instruct and ensure safety but instead of helping her he was just yelling.
After I felt comfortable with my .357, my husband proceeded to practice with his 9mm and .40. Everything was fine. The last gun we went to shoot was MY Ruger LC .380. I'm not a huge fan of this gun but it is small and good for concealed carry. The trigger pull takes getting used to. At this point, the Range Instructor had stopped yelling at the woman and the man who was with her was shooting and the RSO left to walk around and sweep up the empty cartridges. About the time he got to the bay where we were, I had shot the .380 twice at 3 yards and both shots were on the bullseye. He comes up behind me and says, "No, no, no, stop. Let me show you the right way to hold it. You have your thumb in the wrong spot and you can get bit by the slide. It is a safety issue." He reaches for my gun, which is loaded and safety off since I'm shooting, takes it from me, does not put the safety on and proceeds to show me how to hold a handgun. Then stands over my shoulder and he wants to see me shoot it. So I hold it like he says, and I shoot low and to the right. Then I go to take another shot, and the bullet does not fire.
He was so imposing standing over me that I felt nervous clearing the round because I was scared I was going to get yelled at. I set the gun down pointed down range and put on the safety. I went to ask my husband for help and as I was trying to explain to him the round did not fire, the RSO picks up my gun, takes the safety off, and pulls the trigger. Of course nothing happens. He drops the magazine and unloads the round. He looks at it and starts accusing my husband of bringing in a reloaded round. My husband told him, no we don't reload, that round came from that brand new box of Winchesters right there. The Range Instructors looks at the round and says, "Well, this is a bad round." Umm.... no sh**, it didn't fire, that's not our fault go complain to Winchester.
Then he completely ignores me and turns to my husband to ask if he could load some of the Winchester rounds in the gun and shoot it. He loads 7 rounds into the magazine and shoots 5 of them and then complains that he doesn't like the trigger pull. Excuse me? Why is this a** shooting my gun? Why did he need to shoot 5 rounds of my ammo? That gun is registered to ME not my husband ME. He did not ask my permission to shoot my gun. He just assumed the gun was my husband's. Because women are inferior shooters and aren't gun owners? FYI, I own 10 guns. I don't know what his deal was. And yes, I know I have an unconventional grip. I am aware and have shot many times with that grip and I do great. I have never been "bit by the slide" and after he left, I went back to how I hold MY gun, and proceeded to shoot 7 rounds at 3 yards, 7 yards, and 10 yards and 18 of the 21 shots were in the bullseye of the target with a gun that is notoriously difficult to shoot accurately. I have very small hands and a traditional grip doesn't give me control of the pistol.
I couldn't help but notice that this male chauvinist only commented on women and was buddy buddy alpha male with all the guys there. He was a total a**hole. This sort of misogynist male authoritative attitude would make most women never want to touch a gun again. I will NEVER EVER go back to Hangtown Range and I caution all women if you decide to go there to shoot. Otherwise, all the other employees seemed nice and the range was clean and well kept but this was such a terrible experience, because of this one individual, I will not go back. read more