Taking an inexperienced person to the Range.

[k0ua]

I though there was some really good content here in taking an inexperienced person (commonly girlfriend or boyfriend) to the range. But the content and advice will will work for pretty much anyone.

 

[k0ua]

Oh, I almost forgot, when he refers to the "beer situation", that refers to the pandemic we are all currently in.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Makes me wonder what scares me the worst. An inexperienced person handling a firearm, chainsaw or tractor.

 

[k0ua]

Makes me wonder what scares me the worst. An inexperienced person handling a firearm, chainsaw or tractor.

I did some calculations of the time I spent and the numbers I ran thru each session and I came up with about 600 females I instructed in how to (safely) shoot a handgun. I survived. This was done over a period of about 10 years. I still have the same number of holes in my body I was originally equipped with ...

 

[Industrial Toys]

Bothers me when people don't want to hang onto something firmly that they consider dangerous. How many Youtube videos have I seen where the firearm flies out of the newbies hand? Or don't plant the stock firmly in their shoulder for fear of getting hurt.

Really, why would you ever show someone how to fire a larger caliber, without starting with a .22, handgun or long gun?

 

[om21braz]

I did some calculations of the time I spent and the numbers I ran thru each session and I came up with about 600 females I instructed in how to (safely) shoot a handgun. I survived. This was done over a period of about 10 years. I still have the same number of holes in my body I was originally equipped with ...

Sounds like you were taught well and did a great job of passing it along!

 

[ovrszd]

I Deployed to Desert Storm as a Platoon Sergeant. Had a female SSG that by her MTOE assignment was to carry a 45. I prepped her the best I could and put her on the firing range next to me. Firing two handed standing. After a couple seconds I realize I see dirt flying up in front of me. I stop firing and look at her. She has her eyes closed and is pulling the trigger. After a couple shots I was able to get ahold of the pistol and stop her. I moved her to a position that authorized her to carry an M16......

To defend female Soldiers, I've also saw males that couldn't hit a bull in the Azz with a scoop shovel.

 

[NorTracNY]

Makes me wonder what scares me the worst. An inexperienced person handling a firearm, chainsaw or tractor.

For me it is definitely chainsaw!

 

[kenmbz]

A newbie driving a tractor with a running chainsaw with a gun attached.
Now we have a new Liam Neeson movie scene!

 

[oldballs]

When first married I took my new wife down to the Missouri river to introduce her to my double barrel 16 gauge shotgun. I position the stock up against her shoulder and told her to aim out into water and pull the trigger. Well Dah-h-h- She pulled both triggers, screamed and threw the gun up into the air.
Geeze,,,,,,was I mad. That's no way to treat my treasured gun....says I. Well ....there goes another cold night in bed.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[Industrial Toys]

Ken. Put a leather mask on the driver and you might be on to something.

 

[bigtiller]

I was pulling the throw rope on the skeet thrower and 4 people were taking turns shooting. They would step behind the action to reload while others would shoot. A 40ish yr. old woman finished her turn shooting and went behind to reload. This woman had enough rank in the national guard that she was the boss at a tank maintenance division.

I just happened to look behind me and seen she had her 12 ga shotgun pointed right at me while finishing reloading. We stopped shooting immediately and she was never invited to shoot again.

 

[Industrial Toys]

People just loose focus so easily it seems. Is it the age we live in with endless distractions?

I can just imagine all the people that have had a firearm pointed at them as the other person fiddles with the safety. Like you can point the firearm in a safe direction or fiddle with the safety but not both at the same time.

 

[cjoffutt]

A newbie driving a tractor with a running chainsaw with a gun attached.
Now we have a new Liam Neeson movie scene!

Nahhhhhhhh, that's the next SharkNado plot!

 

[TheMan419]

Nahhhhhhhh, that's the next SharkNado plot!

Sharknado 17: Revenge of the Tracsawgun! In theaters now!

 

[k0ua]

I am sure many people have some horror stories of careless firearms handling. The point is to do something about it. And that something is called education. People can be made aware of their mistakes and can be taught the seriousness of their actions and to not repeat those actions. In most cases.

 

[Industrial Toys]

If they are scatter brained, how do you tell them not to be scatter brained? Or not to freak out when their senses are over loaded.

 

[k0ua]

If they are scatter brained, how do you tell them not to be scatter brained? Or not to freak out when their senses are over loaded.

I am not saying all can be "fixed". Just most of them can be calmed down. Speak slowly and calmly to them and reassure their fears, Treat them as you would like to be treated and a good helping of patient engaging discourse will often work to calm a person down. If they have done something unsafe, a calm yet firm "talking to" to show them where they erred will often suffice.

If you are hyper and have no patience yourself, you cannot calm a person down. I have had good success at helping people overcome irrational fears, and to accept responsibility for their actions. Along the way they have learned skill and confidence in themselves and perhaps even made a friend or two along the way.

 

[Liquidsilver]

I just happened to look behind me and seen she had her 12 ga shotgun pointed right at me while finishing reloading. We stopped shooting immediately and she was never invited to shoot again.

This reminds me of one at my place.

My best buddy is a gun aficionado, super safety conscious, teaches my kids to shoot better... letting them use all of his own guns and ammo... fairly regularly. He gets joy out of teaching them and others. My kids call him Uncle Darin. I can teach them basic safety, but not how to be a technically proficient shooter like this guy can.

So, one day, after he told me about it, he invites a guy from our church, the father of a young army private, to come to my place so the young soldier can practice his marksmanship on some steel targets my friend put out at 50 and 100 yds. The kid is going for some sort of 'high-level' certification or something. My friend is teaching him techniques with his own .308 rifle. Nothing unusual. The kid seems to know about safety and how to manage the firearm and all.

(I start sweating just thinking about what happened next.) After the solider had fired several magazines and several walks downrange to examine the targets, talking, learning, etc... they stop shooting, set the guns down and my friend is walking downrange to prop a target or something while the solider was standing near the table with the rifle on it. None of us thought he would touch it with a man walking downrange, but while none of us could fathom it, the boy got the idea to fiddle with the rifle on the table. None of us had our 'ears' on. When that .308 discharged on the table it wasn't pointed at my friend, but it was the general direction. I can still feel that boom in my bones.

This friend of mine is the most even-tempered guy you'll ever meet, but he was so mad he literally turned shades of red and purple. He didn't even have to yell at the solider as he shrugged over like a dog that had been whipped. My friend was madder than I've ever seen him and his color stayed red for a long time. I've lived through some traumatic circumstances in my life, and I'm pretty good at turning the fear off immediately, but 'wow.' My friend had seen his life flash before his eyes unexpectedly. Part of his anger may have been that he had let his guard down. Can you imagine what would have happened to this solider at a military range if he had an accidental discharge there? The kid would be in big trouble.

I guess the moral of the story is: you positively CANNOT be too careful.

- -

When *I* was young, gun safety was drilled into me. I won't even let a toy gun be pointed at somebody. When I was about 13, standing behind a clay pigeon thrower that my dad was re-setting, the 16-guage Remington 870 in my hands, with the safety on, discharged for no reason at all. (There have been stories about those Remington firing pins) My dad knew the gun would be pointed in a safe direction so he wasn't even alarmed. He saw how white my face was and said, "well, there's your gun safety lesson for the day." I still remember it like it was yesterday.

 

[/pine]

IMO safe firearm handling (education) should start long before a person even thinks about going to a range...actually before they ever even pick up a firearm...