Yeah, you really have to watch your a$$ at the public ranges. Even some of the clubs we belong to can can get pretty sporty with the macho kids and their girl friends waving guns around. We usually stick to ranges with cameras and RSOs on duty. But those places don't always have 300+ yard lanes. NRA subsidized clubs are usually fairly well managed, but not always.
My club doesn't always have RSOs on duty but I shoot on weekdays and generally run into the same shooters often.
If I recognize the shooters around me and I'm accustomed to them being safe, I lower my guard a bit, but am still vigilant. Any shooter I've never seen before, I watch them like a hawk without being obvious and any hinky stuff, I pack up and leave.
The only time I had a problem was when I was hit with a ricochet from the pistol range. New shooter discharged into the dirt, hit a rock, flew up over the been, and smacked me in the stomach. No penetration but left a good welt. I was on the action range behind the pistol range berm. Managed to clear the all the trees and branches and come down on me. The berm itself is 40-50ft high and covered with trees. How it managed to miss all that and get me, no idea. I don't shoot on the action range any longer.
