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Does anyone else find this an odd practice that on some ranges and especially clay grounds rifles/shotguns are bagged before and after shooting?

It's usually discussed as if this is a safe way to carry between stands etc but personally I can't think of anything worse. It always puts me a little on edge, as the moment it's bagged, muzzle discipline goes out of the window and there is no way of anyone knowing that the rifle/shotgun is empty.

Surely it's far safer for everyone if nothing is ever bagged other than at the end of the day and they are carried bolt open and flagged, or broken if a shotgun (of BO and flagged if a semi). This way others inc RO's can see at a glance that they are empty and the shooter themselves would probably keep the muzzle pointing in a safe direction at all times too.

Unless all bags have incredible bullet/shot absorbing properties that have until now escaped me.

No I find it to generally be a very safe practise, it works very well on our range anyway. All rifles/guns are only uncased on the firing point with the rifle/gun pointing down range and are proven clear and re-cased after shooting. Cases are not normally bulletproof but they do stop people from fiddling with actions and triggers which is the whole purpose of them.

Chapuis wrote:No I find it to generally be a very safe practise, it works very well on our range anyway. All rifles/guns are only uncased on the firing point with the rifle/gun pointing down range and are proven clear and re-cased after shooting. Cases are not normally bulletproof but they do stop people from fiddling with actions and triggers which is the whole purpose of them.

Concur!

We introduced bagging at our club after we did a risk assessment.

The clubs I attend don't have a bagging 'policy', but the vast majority of members do it because it it the safest way to
transport a weapon between stations.

Indeed, was a not happy yesterday at Ponteland, a shooter who'd brought his rifle back off the point then proceeded to stand and chat before bagging it. The muzzle was pointing at fellow members several times as he buggered about

Cleared and bagged on the point (which is what we do) would be safer.

phaedra1106 wrote:Indeed, was a not happy yesterday at Ponteland, a shooter who'd brought his rifle back off the point then proceeded to stand and chat before bagging it. The muzzle was pointing at fellow members several times as he buggered about

Cleared and bagged on the point (which is what we do) would be safer.

The RCO should've issued a b0ll0cking. I was on RCO duty yesterday too (in the AM) and had to tell someone about this but it was before the first detail and he was just taking a bipod off one rifle for his other gun, so a quiet word was all that was needed.

As has already been said a rifle being bagged should have been inspected by an RCO before it is bagged so no issue there, and again as has already been said it keeps fingers away from triggers which is what is going to set a gun off 99.99% of the time.

Shotguns/clay grounds are another matter as only the shooter is checking (or not) that the gun has been unloaded. However most shooting at clay grounds is done with O/U guns which can be seen to be safe simply by opening the action. When the discipline requires that both shots are taken (e.g. sporting), then obviously no issue. Its a different kettle of fish when its a discipline when only one shot may be taken though. As ever the 'golden rules' are key, especially good trigger discipline and muzzle control.

Totally in favour of "Bagging" here, it's practised at both of the clubs I attend and is the safest way to go in my opinion.

Now that this topic has been aired it looks like my local does. I don't bag mine though ~ and nothing has been said on the half-dozen or so occasions I've been there either ~ but everyone else seems to.

Apart from breathing and walking, 100% of my attention is given to muzzle and trigger discipline between stands so maybe that's why they've not said anything?...

Some people's gun etiquette is appalling. I dare say that if I was to become an RCO, I would become unpopular quite quickly because I wouldn't tolerate any of it. Safety is very binary, you either are safe or you're not.

HALODIN wrote:Some people's gun etiquette is appalling. I dare say that if I was to become an RCO, I would become unpopular quite quickly because I wouldn't tolerate any of it. Safety is very binary, you either are safe or you're not.

I am an RCO , I'm not popular (not that I aspire to be anyway)

you seem to have a direct no nonsense approach to safety as I do , may I recommend you become an RCO asap.