Safety Matters at Shooting Grounds.

[Paul-Andrzej]

I thought I had seen it all until last Saturday morning!

We visited a ground, which will remain nameless for reasons which appeared to close the GT forum, on Saturday to find that a group of non-shooters of all ages and around 35 in number had arrived to "have-a-go" for charity.

They were let loose on the ground with what appeared to be somone in charge with a shotgun and groups of around 7 to ten. None of them were wearing any form of protection, not even the "minders". No glasses, ear defenders or headwear.

One regular shooter came into the clubhouse complaing that a young lad had pointed a semi auto at him and when he made strong comment, he was rebuked by the other group members. They also came and stood behind us at one stand laughing and joking and blowing cigarette smoke everywhere.

There were men in the group with whom you would not have wanted to tangle.

We had by now returned to the clubhouse absolutely fuming (and feeling somewhat concerned for our safety) and I politely pointed out to the staff (we are known at this ground) that their own ground safety rules were being flouted dangerously and they said they did not know what was going on but would check into it.

I asked them why they had allowed these people to go out on the ground without any protection and, obviously, no safety training. I got puzzled looks.

We left.

If anyone wants to know which ground, please PM me. :roll:

[ovenpaa]

I have seen most of these sort of antics at some time or other, some grounds I just walked away from and vowed never to go back others I chose to complain albeit seldom with any acceptable results. The good news is some grounds have had superb safety and at the slightest hint of a concern they are out and looking at it.

Equally I have been on the receiving end after I took the Viking to a small ground to knock some clays down, we had a nice morning and as we walked away the senior trap man/manager discreetly beckoned me over and asked me never to return with a woman.. :x

Apparently the old chaps shooting the ground disliked the idea of a woman with a shotgun and kicked up. He was very apologetic and promptly invited us to a different ground that he ran on Sundays. We did go a few times as well.

[Steve]

I had a shotgun levelled at my stomach by someone while clay shooting once and for some odd reason the chap just couldnt understand why i swore my head off at him.As he removed his shotgun from slip,one of his friends said something and stood there chatting while im looking down the naughty end of his gun.

I didnt know him or any of his group and his response to my swearing-"its not loaded".Well excuse me for not having a crystal ball and not knowing. :roll:

There really are people around i wouldnt trust with a toothbrush let alone a gun.

[ovenpaa]

I have no idea how or why I came to do it but I always break the gun as it comes out of the slip inside the cage and I will put the gun into the slip like that and close and zip it before I leave the cage. Exception being Skeet which I have not shot in years.

[Robin128]

Equally I have been on the receiving end after I took the Viking to a small ground to knock some clays down, we had a nice morning and as we walked away the senior trap man/manager discreetly beckoned me over and asked me never to return with a woman.. :x

That is absolutely outrageous!...every ground in S Wales is fine with women shooters...most of whom shoot just as well if not better than the men!

:evil: :evil:

[Porcupine]

Seems to me that it should be up to the shooter him or herself re: eye and ear protection (though obviously, allowing this could leave the ground owners open to a civil suit, but again, that's their risk to take). Muzzle sweeping however... They should definitely have been given a safety brief that expressly required that all muzzles be pointed in a safe direction, preferably downrange or at the floor) at all times - and if any of them were unable to keep control of their own muzzles, or flagrantly went 'pointing' they should have been ejected or at least told to sit out the shooting and just watch. Surely with a large group of first time shooters you would only have one person holding a gun for every member of staff, and the guns would basically never leave the firing points??

Ironically, the only time I can think of when I have been 'swept' is during a safety brief! The range officer was explaining gun safety to the group, some of whom were first time shooters, and he had a rifle in hand as he was doing so to point out the trigger, the breach etc. He then said how you should never point it in an unsafe direction. "We don't want to see any of this..." he said, and proceeded to close the bolt and sweep the entire group. Now clearly we had all seen him demonstrate that the gun was empty but none the less, a very bad example to set I thought.

[Robin128]

Many will doubtless remember me relating the incident of a clown at a clay shoot pointing his 12G at me and pulling the trigger twice....Oh it's ok...they were snap caps...he didn't get to shoot there again. You could not convince him that he had done wrong.

:evil:

[IainWR]

I "We don't want to see any of this..." he said, and proceeded to close the bolt and sweep the entire group. Now clearly we had all seen him demonstrate that the gun was empty but none the less, a very bad example to set I thought.

I give you NRA Handbook vol 2 part H Sect 61 para 259

Its really not a complicated reference as all four levels are numbered sequentially, so just look up para 259

"Neither aiming or snapping an unloaded firearm is allowed except when in the firing position on the firing point ..."


Iain

[Chapuis]

I was Bisley on the Thursday evening prior to the Phoenix meeting while having a walk around early evening:

1) Walking up the drive outside the NRA I had a 10/22 pointed directly at me by a dealer unloading stock from his van. Yes it was that close that I can tell you what the rifle was.

2) I was stood on the footpath at the back of the skeet layout when a shooter coming off the line closed his gun while it was pointing directly at me and inserted it in a gun slip. No effort made to keep it pointed in a safe direction.


3) I was stood on the footpath at the back of the down the line layout watching a guy shoot who quite frankly struck me as a bit odd. I know we all have our own routines when setting up on a stand including talking ourselves through the set up, but this guy was arguing with himself loudly (he was the only one on the line.) He would then turn sharply left to face downrange and swing his gun up to close it in a very jerky fashion. None of this raise the but nonsense for him, no swing the barrels up instead.

I can’t say that I was very impressed by any of these actions all at the home of shooting, all within a space of twenty minutes and all by guys operating on their own.

[ovenpaa]

Chapuis, Bisley has always struck me as unusual in that respect. I am used to rifles coming out at the firing point when instructed and being packed away promptly and safely when the detail has finished so imagine my surprise first time we got to Bisley, I counted half a dozen rifles out in plain view and being swung around and inspected and that was at the car park by the range office. Christel was fuming the other day after I came off the firing point, apparently she had counted 2-3 rifles un-bagged and being carrion around and inspected behind me and her immediate question was how come they can do this yet we will not accept this behaviour at any of the other clubs we shoot with. Frankly I was too tired to put up an argument.....