Made my last trip to hap baker today

[wilcam47]

I hate clowns..

 

[Minuteman]

I hate clowns..

Oh, sorry, wrong clown...

This one?

Doesn't look as scary as the first to me.

Frankly I don't care if someone steps out of a vehicle in a bikini, balaclava, or bear suit; we should all pay them as much attention as is appropriate. If someone appears threatening, under the influence or looking to start any trouble; certainly they are worth a lot of attention. Having said that, many of us that practically live on ranges understand some (safe) antics are acceptable, especially if the person making the gesture, or putting on the Superman mask right before he shoots the final table for the match record - is well known by most of us.

A horses head is nothing more than that, a prop intended for good fun among friends that know there's nothing awry.

 

[wilcam47]

Oh, sorry, wrong clown...

This one?

Doesn't look as scary as the first to me.

Frankly I don't care if someone steps out of a vehicle in a bikini, balaclava, or bear suit; we should all pay them as much attention as is appropriate. If someone appears threatening, under the influence or looking to start any trouble; certainly they are worth a lot of attention. Having said that, many of us that practically live on ranges understand some (safe) antics are acceptable, especially if the person making the gesture, or putting on the Superman mask right before he shoots the final table for the match record - is well known by most of us.

A horses head is nothing more than that, a prop intended for good fun among friends that know there's nothing awry.

they are both clowns...even the one living in the house behind the clown

 

[FIREHAWK]

that was my rifle but was not me in the suit

 

[Mooseman]

that was my rifle but was not me in the suit

I would say the same thing if I were you.

 

[Fox123]

Some people take some getting used to, and some people you can never get used to. Thing is, when you need to have your real life buddies stick up for you on a chatboard, you might want to stop for a minute and think about what you are posting and how others might see it. Believe it or not, there are people that are great people in real life that just have no idea how to use a chatboard. They are used to a smile, slap on the back, etc. getting them through a conversation where something they say would normally be considered an insult. Meanwhile, posting the same thing on a chatboard results in a completely different reaction from the many that read it.

Then, you look at the person's caption under their screen name .......

Some people are just a holes.

Some if you can't handle what they say, if it is that bothersome that a reader cannot handle reading it, that's what the ignore button is for.

 

[fabsroman]

Oh, sorry, wrong clown...

This one?

Doesn't look as scary as the first to me.

Frankly I don't care if someone steps out of a vehicle in a bikini, balaclava, or bear suit; we should all pay them as much attention as is appropriate. If someone appears threatening, under the influence or looking to start any trouble; certainly they are worth a lot of attention. Having said that, many of us that practically live on ranges understand some (safe) antics are acceptable, especially if the person making the gesture, or putting on the Superman mask right before he shoots the final table for the match record - is well known by most of us.

A horses head is nothing more than that, a prop intended for good fun among friends that know there's nothing awry.

If I am at a public range and people start pulling out clothing props to shoot, I think I'll be a little leary about them. For some reason, I just don't mix comedy and firearms. At a public range you aren't just shooting among your friends, but among strangers who don't necessarily see a clown suit, horse head, or what have you as a normal occurrence at the range. I know I have never seen anything like that while I have been shooting at ranges, but most of my public range time is shooting clays. I do most of the rifle/handgun stuff on private land. Maybe it is a rifle shooting thing at public ranges that is acceptable to rifle shooters in general and I just have not seen it in my limited public range time with handguns and rifles.

 

[Minuteman]

Oh believe me, if there hadn't been a bunch of people there, some of whom were there with us as brand-new shooters, there would have been a LOT of deployment language being used to correct and mentor the individual.

As it was though, ******** actions by the RSO in question aside, we still had a good time.

Bonus reaction shot in the background.

It's been several years since I've shot at a public range, I've never shot at Hap Baker, and I don't see anything unsafe in this image. Now if the guy in the horse head were horsing around, or acting like a jackass, that would be a different story.

Are we all ready to let this thread gallop away now?

 

[Fox123]

I think it might be on the home stretch

 

[fabsroman]

It's been several years since I've shot at a public range, I've never shot at Hap Baker, and I don't see anything unsafe in this image. Now if the guy in the horse head were horsing around, or acting like a jackass, that would be a different story.

Are we all ready to let this thread gallop away now?

It is NOT about being unsafe. I'll agree that the image shows nothing unsafe. However, it is about being taken seriously. I tend to be somewhat serious when I am around firearms, especially when shooting them.

How does the saying go? You can never make another first impression.

This is kind of like why MSI asks that people showing up to rallies show up in business casual or suits and not their camo or blaze orange hunting outfit. It sucks that people judge others based upon image, but that is just how it is. I would much prefer to meet my clients in my ratty Carhartt jeans and tattered Columbia sweater that feel oh so good now that they are fully broken in, but I doubt that would send a good first impression to them about their new attorney/CPA or instill confidence in them about me.

I can imagine how many times an RSO has seen a shooter pull a horse head or other costume out on the range. If the RSO did not know the OP, imagine the first impression that sent.