Range Report - Maybe Not Quite What You'd Expect (Or The Scary Things I See At The Range)

I dragged mine fatigued feeling fat arse out of my chair and to my car today and headed to a more or less local outdoor range over in AR today. I have not been to the range for some fun shooting in too long and brought along my Glock 30 pistols (two of them), my latest acquisition a Beretta 1934 for a test shoot and my Savage Axis XP in 308 to sight in its new Vortex Crossfire II scope.

I think I have mentioned, in a previous blogpost, that I now go to this range only on weekdays because of the arsehat factor often present there on weekends. I should have listened to my own advice. 

When I got there today, there were three other shooters there. They had been taking a break from shooting and the line appeared safe. They asked me if I needed to set up targets to which I replied no since I'd be shooting the Beretta first just to make sure it worked okay. Soon they called a hot line and the shooting commenced. The two guys at the other end of the range seemed to be doing things right. The other guy, one bench to my left was not shooting at the moment. I loaded up the Beretta mags (only have two mags 7 rounds each) and fired away for a function check. It worked just fine. I did that two times more and the third time I was shooting it I started having a problem in as much as pulling the trigger did not result in the hammer falling on intermittent attempts. Sometimes it went bang because the hammer fell, other times the hammer did not budge. "Oh no..." I thought "...the gun is screwed up".  

Well, as I was reloading mags that last time, I noticed the guy next to me was having problems with what I think was a Mossberg shotgun with only a pistol grip. He was shooting or trying to shoot short mini-shells through it but they were not going bang and he complained he was getting only slight dimple or none at al from the firing pin on the primers. I suggested he try some normal length shells and he loaded up behind the firing line! He then walked to the line and started shooting but luckily did not cover anyone in the process. The first went bang but then most of the others had the same problem. He then uttered something about having taken the gun apart and maybe screwing up something when he put it back together.

DANGER WILL ROBINSON - DANGER! - is what I should have heard booming inside my head. Next thing I know, the guy turns around and covers the other two shooters with the muzzle  and walks away from the firing line - fully charged shotgun in hand - points the gun at the road behind the range on which the shooters' vehicles were parked and starts unloading it while pointing it that way. He put it down once unloaded and bagged it. He then went to the line to shoot a pistol but not before loading it well behind the line. That was it for me, I decided to leave but not until I also got a video of him with his pistol because he was loading it behind the firing line and I mean several feet behind it. While making the video of him loading like that and then shooting, he had a misfire. He immediately racked the slide and ejected the round that did not go off, picked it up, put it back into the chamber and tried firing it. had the same problem and did that three times in all. Normally I'd wait several seconds, probably do a ten count, before opening the action just in the event it was a hang fire (which is a delayed fire shot). 

You can take a look at the video below. While I will not comment on what I think of his range etiquette, you can leave all the comments you want to about him. He was scary in his absolute... - oh wait - I said I'd not comment.

It's a pity I had to leave because I felt it was not safe due to his apparent ineptness with firearms/range safety. (Whoops did I just comment about his range etiquette and such?) It was also very disappointing. I had at least another 100 rounds to go through the Beretta and since I seemed to be having a problem with it not firing some of the times I pulled the trigger (the hammer was not dropping on some trigger pulls) I definitely wanted to try to figure out the problem. (Probably not the gun but user/knucklehead (that would be me) error as later on I realized I had had the safety partially engaged, once I disengaged it completely the problem went away while dry firing at home.) I must have engaged it with my grip or  whatever and I did not realize it or even take the time to check why I was having the problem once I realized there seemingly was an unsafe arsehat shooting next to me. (Whoops there I go again commenting on that guy - sorry.) Another trip to the range, this time on a weekday when it is much more likely I will be the only one there, should allow me to determine if the safety being partially engaged was the problem as I am pretty sure that was exactly it. Besides not shooting the Beretta any more, I also did not shoot any of the other guns I had along with me.

Oh Well, at least I made it home alive and unventilated and can go to the range another day to try again.

All the best,
Glenn B

Eye Protection

Imagine shooting that thing and leaving your eye protection up atop your head, not to mention your ears!

All the best,
GB

Summertime Range Fashion

I like the look but those hot shell casings sure have a way of zeroing in on the cleavage.

This photo posted here for firearms safety educational purposes. Why else
would I post a photo like this unless for that reason and that reason alone!

Ladies, if you are going to the range in the hotter months, you want to avoid wearing anything that pretty much invites shell casings to burn your tender parts.

All the best,
GB

See What Happens When You Don't Wear Eye Protection

If you are lucky, you wind up like this lady who was maybe rubbing a slight bit of powder residue out of her eyes (then again, it could have been tears remorse or happiness for just having shot her husband).

All the best,
Glenn B

Airsoft Never Appealed To Me Before...

...but for some reason it sure does now!

 

This could make a man want to hop on the next plane to
Hawaii to sign up at Impact Games for some Airsoft fun.
Model: Christine Mendoza, © Oseas Dagdad, Island-Foxes.com

Yet another example of a woman without her finger on the trigger - as it should be unless ready to fire.This image posted here for the purposes of firearms safety education and for that aone. I mean, why else would I post a pic like that here.

 

A hat tip, my thanks and an aloha to Oseas Dagdag of Island-Foxes.com for his generous permission to use this photograph (and others) in my blog. More like this one to come!

 

All the best,

Glenn B

A Woman & Her Gun

There is just something about this image that stands out.

 

 

I guess its the big gun, and the fact that she does not have her finger on the trigger as should be the case - don't ya think! As usual, this image was posted here for firearms safety education, why else would I post a pic like that in my blog!

 

All the best,

GB

 

They Cut Off The Muzzle In The Photo...

... and darn it if that doesn't just ruin the whole thing!

And by the way, did you notice it appears as if she indeed has the right ammo and her finger off of the trigger. Very important aspects of firearms safety and why else would I post a pic like this here if not for firearms safety education.

All the best,
GB

Yet Another Woman With...

Well, certainly not with her finger on the trigger!  As you can see her finger is off of the trigger as it should be.

As usual, this image was posted here for firearms safety educational purposes and nothing else. Why else would I post a pic like that here.

All the best,
Glenn B

Yet Another Woman With The Wrong Ammo...

...and with her finger on the trigger at an inappropriate time. Always make sure to keep your finger off of the trigger until ready to shoot (well almost always as there are some exceptions) and always (and there are no exceptions) make sure to use the right ammo in your gun.

Once again, this image is posted here for firearms safety educational purposes and nothing else, I mean why would I post a pic like that here for any other reason.

All the best,
GB

Yet Another Woman With The Wrong Ammo

One should always be certain that the ammo you have on hand is the correct ammunition for the firearms you are loading and shooting. Take for instance the young lady in the photo below who has a nice gun and nice ammo and nice - oh never mind - but the ammo and gun do not mesh.

I posted this pic here, as usual for firearms safety education purposes and that alone; why else would I do so!

All the best,
Glenn B

Yet Another Woman With Her Finger On The Trigger (Nope, Not This Time)

I've posted quite a few photos of women with their fingers inappropriately on the triggers of firearms, all in the name of firearm's safety, here on my blog. So, if you aren't supposed to place your trigger finger on the trigger until ready to shoot, what are you supposed to do with your booger picker in the meantime?

Without further ado, here is a photo of a woman doing just what she should be doing regarding trigger finger placement when holding guns that one is not about to shoot.

Clikety bigety. Photo source.

As usual, this photo has been posted here for firearms safety education purposes - why else would I put a pic like this here for any other reason!

All the best,
Glenn B

Yet Another Woman With Her Finger On The Trigger...

...or should I say a brace of women with their fingers on the triggers!  As usual, I post this photo here, like all the others, purely for firearms safety education purposes, why else would I post them. Again, I will say, that with few exceptions, you should not place your finger on the trigger unless ready to shoot (and if you do you should be observing other firearms safety rules).

All the best,
Glenn B

Yet Another Woman With Her Finger On The Trigger...

...but who cares even if it is a violation of firearms safety.

All the best,
GB

A Gun Toting Model Without Her Finger On The Trigger

Once again, completely for educational purposes relative to firearms, I post a photo of a woman holding a gun. As can be seen in this photo, this gal is demonstrating a safe manner by which to hold a rifle while keeping her finger off of the trigger. Note that she is holding the pistol grip with all of the fingers wrapped around it which is the alternative safe method to the one in which the trigger finger rests above and outside of the trigger guard along the receiver.

I am a married man and thus will not comment on her shooting attire.

All the best,
Glenn B

Yet Another Woman With Her Finger On The Trigger...

...of a firearm. As usual, I just don't get why all these pics are taken with the women apparently violating the rules firearms safety (and it only is for the sake of firearms safety education that I post these photos here). So, once again, for your education as to firearms safety, I post yet another pic of what you should not do unless absolutely ready to shoot:

 

All the best,

Glenn B



Another Pic Of A Woman With Her Finger On The Trigger

What is it with all these woman, with their fingers on the triggers of firearms, when having their photographs taken? Hasn't anyone taken a moment to teach them the rules of firearms safety??? By the way, this photo posted for your education relative to firearms safety and nothing else - yeah right!

Anyway, I would not mind being her firearms instructor as I am sure most men would not mind one little bit.

All the best,
Glenn B

Something About Women With Their Fingers On The Triggers...

...of guns at inappropriate times just seems to pique my interest. Maybe you can look at these images and tell me why that is so. I know, and you should know, that one of the cardinal rules of firearms safety is that you never put your finger on the trigger unless ready to shoot, with some exceptions, but these gals don't seem to be in any of those excepted situations. I guess it just irks me enough, to see these shots of them with their fingers on those triggers, at inappropriate times, that I needed to share the photos with you to help educate or remind you about firearms safety.

 

 

 

 

 

All the best,
GB

Did You Notice...

...that her finger is on the trigger? Took me about 30-40 viewings before I noticed.

All the best,
GB

Preparations For A Safe Deer Hunt

Deer season is almost upon us and if you are a deer hunter then you hopefully have already picked a place to hunt that will hold a decent deer population. I used to do almost all my deer hunting on my uncle's farm near Windsor, NY but since he sold the farm several years ago I now have to hunt on public lands. Thankfully NYS has a good amount of public hunting land, and also has Cooperative Areas that are privately owned but which have been opened to the public, by nice land owners, for hunting. This year as in the past several years I will be hunting on public land owned by the state. Brendan will be hunting with me. Will we be going to a State Forest, specifically a Multiple Use Area.

As a matter of fact I have been up there a few times now to scout out the area for deer sign. Yesterday I made what was probably my final scouting trip to the area. On the first trip, back at the very beginning of September (the Labor Day Weekend) I picked out what I thought would be a good spot to set up a stand. I marked off the stand, and a trail leading to it from the highway with reflective thumb tacks. That way, when walking to the stand at oh-dark-thirty (probably around 0430AM) we will be able to see the trail easily with our Mini Mag Lights illuminating those tacks, which are made specifically for that purpose. The spot I picked is not one that looks all that much like a text book example of a good location for a deer stand. Why not? Well, I suppose because it is not right on the edge of a clearing, and because there are a lot of saplings and bushes to make getting a clear shot not all that easy, and because it simply does not look like the best of spots. The thing is though it is a good spot for deer albeit one that will make a shot difficult because of the undergrowth.

Why is it a good spot. Well it is adjacent to a small field that deer frequent coming and going on their way in and out of the forest. That field is full of deer sign, the best being a well used deer trail that leads right into the area of our stand. I don't think that the deer stop in that clearing to eat what they can find. There was a lot of deer droppings as evidence of that. They also probably go through this way to the farm field a bit further down the hill and across the highway. I have seen them there, saw one there on my first scouting trip. Another reason that it is a good spot is because it is a transition point between the field and the heavier forest above where the deer bed down, and where they also can find an abundance of things to eat like acorns. Furthermore it is a good spot because it acts as sort of a funnel for the deer as it is a relatively easy place for them to make that transition from the lowland to the higher elevated forest. Yes there are a lot of saplings, but almost no brambles that are all around the rest of that small clearing I mentioned. That is important, deer and other animals usually like to take paths of least resistance. This area has had a lot of deer traffic, there were a lot of dropping around to make that evident. There is one other reason I thought this a good area. There was a nice sized couple of scrapes, one under a Hemlock or other evergreen tree, and one a bit further down the deer trail. They are both active scrapes; and I can only hope a bow hunter does not take the deer that made them before I get a shot at it in the regular season. Now I suppose I am setting myself up for that chance by writing this blog, but there is always a chance someone will see my stand and make use of it before the regular deer season (firearms season). I set up our stand about 25 yards from that spot. Since the area is shotgun or pistol only, that is a good distance considering the undergrowth.

Below, I have embedded a video (part one of two) of the stand I set up for our hunt. We will be hunting from the ground either sitting against trees or standing (or maybe sitting in a nice portable chair since this is not all that far from the road and a chair would be easy to bring in). The main point of the video is not so much to show why I think the area is a good one in which to set up a stand, but rather to show the precautions I have taken to assure we have a safe hunt. Safety is paramount when hunting, and I want to make darned sure that when on public property, the other hunters in the area will realize we are there. Of course we will wear hunting clothing with lots of blaze orange (yes deer are color blind), but I have also placed a lot of blaze orange tape on trees around the stand. Those markers are all temporary mind you, and before we leave for the season I will take all of them down. I placed them in a perimeter around the stand so that other hunters will have lots of warning that we are nearby. It is not like it is private property so I suppose that someone could just show up there and plop himself or herself right down where we intend to hunt but I am hopeful that other hunters who may scout or hunt the area are respectful of all the effort I went through to set up that area for use by Brendan and I.

As you watched the video, I guess it was pretty apparent that you could see the marker tape from a distance, and that it showed up very well against the background. Anyone who hunts deer or other wild big-game animals with firearms from a stand who does not mark the stand area like this is, in my opinion, being quite foolish. There are only a few exceptions where I would not mark and area in a similar fashion, and one would be predator hunting where camouflage is key to a successful hunt. Turkey hunting also requires the hunter to be camouflaged, but I have seen many successful turkey hunters who use this tape around their stand for safety. As far as deer hunting goes, I think you are being less than a safe and responsible hunter if you fail to use a lot of blaze orange. It does not guarantee there will not be a hunting accident, but it sure increases the odds toward having a safe hunt.

All the best,

Glenn B

Shooting At An Unidentified Target...

...that you simply think must be your intended target can have devastating results. One of the cardinal rules of firearms safety is to be sure of your target and what is beyond, and there are few if any circumstances where one, let alone both parts of this rule (the sure of your target part and the sure of what is beyond part), should ever be broken. While shooting for sport, for fun, for food, to test a gun, and in almost all other instances of shooting, the shooter must steadfastly follow this rule to remain safe, and to keep others safe. It really is a basic rule of firearms safety. When you do not follow it the chances increase dramatically that something bad will happen, and that bad thing could well be someone being injured or killed.

One of the worst things that could happen, probably the worst, is that the shooter kills an innocent person. It gets even worse though when that person is a loved one; much worse still when that person is your own son. This is apparently just what happened in the case of a turkey hunter who was out hunting while his son accompanied him. You can see the available details here: http://www.startribune.com/local/17956264.html. The man who shot his own son already spent about 1/4 of his 39 years bringing up the boy. He probably will now spend the rest of his life lamenting the fact that he killed his son because of what seems should have been a truly avoidable accident on his part. Mind you, none of this, as I see it, was a mistake on the part of the boy who reportedly had been told to stay put where his father had left him and who then decided to move - after all boys will be boys. It was a mistake on the part of the dad who, in my opinion, exercised extremely bad judgement if the reports are correct. Please understand, I don't say that to condemn the dad. He is going to live with this forever, nothing I can say could make it worse for him and it is not my intent to try to do so. I say this to stress the point that firearms safety is the responsibility of the shooter; and if you are going shooting, or if you will handle firearms, you had best be aware of and exercise the rules of firearms safety. Yes you, because hopefully it is not already too late to get you to follow those rules to avoid a similar disaster.

The loss of the little boy, Hunter Klaseus, is a tragedy, one that no parent should ever have to endure; and that is why I write about it here. If you are a shooter - follow the rules of gun safety. No, not the abbreviated '4 Rules' (as they are called), but all of the rules of firearms safety. Follow them even more than you abide by other safety rules. Don't hedge on them a bit as you probably do with driving safety rules such as when you go just a few miles over the speed limit, or when you sort of stop at a stop sign, or when you just have one or two or maybe even that third drink before driving. Don't give an inch on firearms safety rules as you may sometimes do when it comes to being safe with electrical appliances such as when you use an electrical appliance near the sink or tub full of water (hairdryer, electric shaver) without a safety breaker outlet, or when you use a knife or fork to pull that stuck piece of toast out of the toaster without first unplugging it (heck you know it is off - right). Don't take a chance with a firearm as you do when you decide to run across the street before the light turns green in your favor, or when you fail to look both ways even though it is a one way street. Don't give an inch when it comes to firearms safety because chances are the resulting 'accident' will be tragic, and you as the shooter will have to live with the result.

Learn the rules of firearms safety, and live them when you are around firearms. Doing so may just save a life, and save you from a lifetime of tragic and devastating grief. There are plenty of places you can look to find firearms safety rules, my site being one of them: http://ballseyesboomers.blogspot.com/2007/06/ballseyes-firearms-tactics-training-1.html. In fact that was my very first post under my Firearms Training and Tactics series. To me safety is the number 1 concern when shooting. Another source for firearms safety rules is the National Rifle Association at http://www.nrahq.org/education/guide.asp. You can also go to firearms manufacturers to see their version of the rules, such as at Remington: http://www.remington.com/pdfs/safety/sftybklt.pdf or to a more generalized page at: http://www.remington.com/safety/safety_center/. Hunter safety courses, firearms safety courses, basic shooting courses, are all out there, and all teach about, or should teach about, firearms' safety rules. If you are going to shoot, be safe about it, or face the consequences as terrible as they may be.

My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and loved ones of Hunter Klaseus; and I dedicate this to his memory in the hope that you all learn from this sad and tragic mistake, and therefore that you keep it safe when shooting.

Respectfully,
Glenn B