Range superstitions. Anybody have one?..

[schafe]

My wife has one. She refuses to shoot at a virgin target!! I usually indulge her and shoot a few first.
Last range trip, I used the argument that "Bad Guys won't come pre-shot." and it worked (temporarily) She took the first shot and missed the entire backer board, and set her pistol down, with that "see, I told you!" look on her face.(mind you she's generally a very good shot)
So I indulged her again and took one shot, hitting the highly coveted orange dot. She stuck her tongue out at me,picked up her pistol, and put up a very nice grouping with a "whose your mamma now?" attitude.
There may be something to these range superstitions afterall. Anybody else have experience in this area?

 

[85t5mcss]

"Don't point a gun at someone because bad things can happen". That's about it for me. The. Lack cat or ladder thing just doesn't get me. Not superstitious. Interesting concept though, where did she pick that up from?

 

[schafe]

Interesting concept though, where did she pick that up from?

I'm not sure. I think it started years ago, when we were both newbs at the range, and she wanted to be able to learn from my fumblings.

 

[EdC]

Not really on the range, but going to: The range will just be going from cold to hot as soon as I arrive and start walking up to the line. I just know it. Every time.

 

[Fishersjohn48]

No

 

[.45 Dave]

My only superstition is that I have to have my bullets all loaded the same way--pointing to the front.

 

[JetGirl]

Nothing unless you count that I always tend to take back up toys because I always think something will malfunction and I'll be stuck with nothing to do and have to go home. I don't really call that "superstition"... more like "good planning"

 

[Arthur Dent]

At an open outdoor range let everyone else start walking downrange to change their targets before I start walking to do the same.

 

[rvb]

dirty gun = happy gun

I never go to a major match with, or carry, a perfectly clean gun. Not totally "superstition"... Over the years I've experienced, and whitnessed, many many times that guns that otherwise ran perfect would want to malfunction if recently cleaned.

If I have a major match coming up and the guns need cleaned, I'll either do it a week or two ahead of time so I can shoot it in a local match, or I'll fit in an extra practice session. My carry guns usually get cleaned before I practice with them vs after.

I believe there is something to it mechanically... or it's all in my head and is pure superstition. But in the competition world it's not an uncommon "superstition."

I sorta broke the rule recently, but it was just a small local match, not a major. I was going to shoot a newly built AR in a NRA NDM. Being such a new rifle I wanted to check the bolt lugs, cam pin, etc to ensure everything was mating well and safe, so I had to clean it. While I was at it I decided to clean the bore. I often push patches by wrapping them, or in this case a paper towel scrap, around an old brush. I forgot the comp I was using had an expansion chamber prior to the first port and that wad of paper towel got stuck in there w/ no way to get it out. So at midnight the night before the match, not wanting to risk the bullet getting deflected and wrecking the comp, I had to pull the comp, clean it out, and re-mount and re-index it.

-rvb

 

[Mark 1911]

I once had a crow land on the top edge of the plywood backstop that my target was stapled to. I was sighting in a 7mm rem mag rifle and was in between shots. The range was hot, and my rifle was loaded and ready to fire, pointed downrange, crosshairs on the target and finger on the trigger. I had a passing thought that involved a wide shot, one apparently very stupid crow, and lots of feathers. I quickly dismissed this thought thinking that it might bring bad luck if I were to follow through on it. That might have had something to do with the fact that this was a monitored range with an on-duty range officer. Mr. Crow never knew how lucky he was that day.

 

[indiucky]

Never go to Henryville on a weekend or Holiday. Never.

 

[dyerwatcher]

Don't shoot next to stupid people

 

[Mosinowner]

Well my range is haunted

 

[JetGirl]

Well my range is haunted

Did the range ghost write that? Because it's in a mysteriously bluish shade... almost ghost-like!!
Wooooo. Ω <--that's not an ohm, it's a ghost.

 

[Mosinowner]

Did the range ghost write that? Because it's in a mysteriously bluish shade... almost ghost-like!!
Wooooo. Ω <--that's not an ohm, it's a ghost.

 

[ryknoll3]

At an open outdoor range let everyone else start walking downrange to change their targets before I start walking to do the same.

Just as long as you're not the guy who waits until everyone is almost done hanging targets and then meanders down range. ;-)

 

[Bigshep]

Never go to Henryville on a weekend or Holiday. Never.

This. Simple as that.

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

I always have a back-up handgun on me, while at the range. If I am at the range by myself, I carry my rifle with a fresh mag, when checking targets. Call me superstitious, paranoid, ect.

 

[joshualee49]

I have a ritual every time I go to Roush.

"Hi. Are you going to keep your brass?"

"No"

"Awesome. Mind if I grab it?"

 

[Excalibur]

I usually keep the mag with my defensive loads near me either on the table when I am shooting drills just standing still or in its pouch when I am shooting a different gun