I've had MORE than my share of close encounters with gun hunters, of which I was/am still one. Here are just a couple in the interest to keep it short.
Went deer hunting with 3 friends years ago and 3 out of 4 of us were sitting on a log eating lunch. The 4th was standing behind us with gun in hand when he decided to check his gun to see if it was loaded,...............by pulling the trigger on his 30-06 about 12 inches from my head. I almost gagged on my sandwich.
My brother and I were shooting trap at Bristol F&G when the guy standing next to my brother closed the action on his pump with his finger on the trigger and he shot the ground about 2 feet in front of my brother. The guy was taken off the range immediately.
I hate hunting deer with any kind of gun because of things like this, there are too many of these kinds of people still out there. At least with upland game you have a chance with bird load.
So you can call me the hall monitor on this site and I'll be glad to do it if it reminds one guy to check their gun to make sure it's safe. The life you save might just be mine :)
Let's see, put the deer's tongue back in his mouth, wipe off all the blood, hold him up by it's antlers with my gun leaning on the rack and CRAP! That A_ _hole BBB is going to make some dumbass comment about the action on the gun so I better open it,....I hate that guy :)
Crow - lost for words?
I'd love to hear from others about their experiences and close calls. There's not many 2nd chances when it comes to accidents with firearms.
I took my brother and his friend bird hunting once (operative word is ONCE) and saw the friend was following my springer with the safety off and his finger in the trigger guard. I told him, NOT asked, to put the safety on and keep you finger out of the guard. He tried to tell me there's no way to shoot quickly unless your safety is off. I made him unload his gun and follow me until I shot the first bird, safety on and finger outside the guard.
Can't fix stupid.
I bought the "ole lady" a Smith & Wesson .40 for her birthday and took her to High Rock in Naugatuck a few weeks ago, she knows nothing about pistols. Anyway, the range officer who was working the end we were located on, he pretty much stood behind me and her for almost half an hour watching me instruct her and to ensure I was handling the weapon properly. I hadn't been out there since last October and this particular range officer wasn't familiar with me, so I couldn't get aggravated or take offense, it's his job to ensure that I'm safe and those with me are safe. Eventually, he went about his business, but it swelled my chest with pride for him to walk up to me as I'm leaving and tell me job well done......that compliment meant so much to me and I thank my Mother for introducing us to firearms at an early age and I thank the military for honing my safety skills.....
Great subject Bob......
I sent the gun back to Remington and they fixed the trigger. It worked fine, then one day (3 years later) at the range it did it again. I was told the trigger assy was defective and they replaced it again. I am so lucky it happened at the range and no one got hurt.
we have safety officers at Bristol F&G rifle range, especially just before the deer/gun season when all of the guys take out their rifles from the previous season and want to sight them in.
The rules posted at the range and strictly enforced, and you will be thrown out if you don't adhere to them.
1. You're not allowed to handle, includes touching without picking up, any gun while people are down range. 2. All guns must be pointed down range at all times, this includes while taking from and going into the case and loading. 3. Actions must ALWAYS be open when gun is not ready to fire. This includes going back into the gun case.
These are just a few and I can tell you that there are guys who don't bother reading the rules and get thrown off the range every year. Give me a bow with a cracked limb any day, at least I won't feel the guilt of shooting someone else.
Like anything else, you have to constantly and consistently put safety measures in the forefront of all your thoughts and actions while handling a firearm. I love guns, but I respect and fear them, which I find it makes me safer when handling a gun. I understand that any mistake while handling a firearm can result in the taking of an innocent life, and that's an accident I don't want to have. I'm very proud of my "other half" she won't carry her new gun until she's become proficient with it. She understands with that firearm, comes great responsibility.
Above all else, I give those range officers respect, even though I know how to handle my guns, I act and treat it as if I'm a first timer and I try to keep that state of mind.....and like "SWK" made a damn good point, I still talk myself through what I'm doing while I'm at the range. Strange as it may sound, it really works. It causes you to focus on the task at hand.
wow! That will make you think twice about going in the woods during ANY gun season.
Last bow season I mentioned that I always walk in with my flashlight on just for this reason,....you never know who's out there, 100 yards away with a scope trained on your butt thinking there's a good looking buck :)
CTCrow's Link
At least two dozen deaths and more than 100 injuries have been linked to a popular rifle plagued for decades by a critical safety issue: firing without anyone pulling the trigger. The safety problem with the Remington Model 700-series rifle has led Remington Arms Company, Inc. at least twice, in 1979 and 1994, to consider nationwide recalls, according to an investigation by CNBC. The firearm is widely used by everyone from hunters to law enforcement officers. The problem stems from the gun’s “trigger connector,” a tiny piece of metal inside the rifle’s firing mechanism, which can be put out of alignment by debris or even a small jolt. When that happens, the trigger itself can become loose and be set off inadvertently. The defect in the gun has led to more than 75 lawsuits. Remington responded in 2007 with a new trigger system, X-Mark Pro, which was designed without a trigger connector. Still, older models of the 700 — without X-Mark Pro — can be found in stores nationwide. The military also uses rifles with the older trigger system. And the company never did issue those recalls it considered, though it has sold five million Remington 700s. According to CNBC, Remington insists the rifle is safe if firearm safety rules are followed. “Despite any careless reporting to the contrary,” Remington said in a statement, “the gun’s use by millions of Americans has proven it to be a safe, trusted and reliable rifle.”
