Close calls while shooting?

j8064 · Jan 31, 2017

Many years ago my eldest son attended a shoot. Among other firearms, we were shooting a .303 Enfield and a 30-30. I was monitoring him closely - so I thought.

I vividly recall the sound of that one 30-30 cartridge being fired in an Enfield chamber. No issue, but a great teaching moment ensued.

I still have that fire-formed 30-30 case as a reminder of how important due diligence is.

jumpsfromplanes · Jan 31, 2017

VTHokies said:
Figured with all of the shooters here there might be some stories about close calls revolving around firearms. Whether it be a gun you forgot was loaded, or a simple muzzle sweep that made your heart stop. I don't have any personally but I am interested to hear what others had to say. This can also serve as an education for things you may not have known or identified as a danger.

Apologies if this has been posted before, I have not been around too long.

I had a soldier doing reflexive fire where she was supposed to turn around face the target, raise her rifle, move the selector from safe to semi, fire, move the selector from semi to safe, point the firearm at the ground and turn back around facing me. She shot the ground between us. I told her that I was going to beat her within an inch of her life. First time I actually considered getting violent outside of law enforcement.

F8L_Funnel · Jan 31, 2017

While spending a summer working at Philmont Scout Ranch in NM, I was at one of the mountain camps that had .30-06 reloading and shooting. They shoot at steel targets on a hill. I had taken some photos of a group, finished, and was walking behind the firing line on the walkway which put the shooters at thigh level. Line officer said commence firing. :gun2:

After about volley of shots I heard a "ting" and a second later it felt like someone hit me in the head with a rock.

Ricochet hit me on my right eye-socket in the eyebrow. I don't remember if I stumbled or dropped, but the line officer freaked for a few seconds because of the blood running down my face. That's about as close a call you can have and just walk away with a little scar.

kraftyone · Jan 31, 2017

Took my son and his friend both new marines shooting thanksgiving. His friend wanted to shoot my 1911 "he had never shot a handgun". Not thinking about the fact all the .45 ammo I brought was a new reload recipe with bullets I had never used I let him shoot it first. Two mags in he gets a failure to feed racked the slide and the slide stops just short of locking up. I couldn't find anything wrong loaded another magazine same issue. I put the gun away and when I got home and tore it down found a bullet lodged in the barrel. Scared shit out of me thinking what that squib could have done to my gun and my sons friend. Luckily the bullet was in a position to keep slide from locking and touching off the next round

JohnnyE · Jan 31, 2017

Kiwiknoll said:
RSO told me this one.... a new shooter at hap baker was sold a snub nose sw500 as his first handgun. Shot exactly two rounds before going home. One at the target and the second through the roof of the building.

That is why, when I try something new like this, I load only one round. Same when taking a kid to shoot for their very first time.

BigCountry14 · Jan 31, 2017

campns said:
I grew up hunting in NW PA, doe season was always interesting when people from out of town or even locals have the "if it's brown it's down" attitude.

I have always hunted with a camo blaze coat and you could see me a mile away... but apparently some nit wit thought that shooting his 30-06 that the bullets go away after a hundred yards... I'm thankful to this day for brush piles and big live oak trees as I wouldn't be here today.

Had a former best friend paint me white with this shotgun as he was swinging for a pheasant, he hit the bird 4 feet above my head... that was the last day I talked to him.

I learned the hard way that mechanical safety's fail... I was holding my 22 mag while stalking squirrels a button from my jacket sleeve got caught in the trigger guard and the dirt flew about 12 inches from my foot.

and I am also guilty of BB Gun wars when I was younger, atleast we thought we were smart just using red ryders and safety glasses...

If we are including bb guns, I have a bb lodged in my lower left leg, been ther for 20 years now. Friend was being stupid and shot me while I was walking away.

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Mr.Blue · Jan 31, 2017

When I lived in Wisconsin I was at an indoor range. Some asshat next to me was shooting his AK47, and couldn't handle it. He shot high and hit the steel target holder and it ricochetted back and hit me in the shoulder. Thankfully I had two sweatshirts on and have shoulders made of granite (LOL)

JohnnyE · Jan 31, 2017

Mr.Blue said:
When I lived in Wisconsin I was at an indoor range. Some asshat next to me was shooting his AK47, and couldn't handle it. He shot high and hit the steel target holder and it ricochetted back and hit me in the shoulder. Thankfully I had two sweatshirts on and have shoulders made of granite (LOL)

Did you find out if he has a glass jaw? :innocent0

Reptile · Jan 31, 2017

I was bow hunting feral pigs when I was a teen ager in central Georgia and snapped a twig while walking through the woods. I caught some movement to my left and, before I could turn, an idiot with a shotgun swung toward me and fired. Fortunately, he aimed high and some pellets rained down on me. No damage done, but I haven't been bow hunting since.

JBinDC · Jan 31, 2017

protegeV said:
I let the oldest start shooting 22s at 9. He didn't shoot my AR or 9mm pistols until age 11 and he's 12 now.
The next youngest is now 10 and has only shot 22.

I have a 6 and 8 year old who I have let shoot a single shot 22 under careful supervision.

Even the oldest doesn't shoot anything without CLOSE supervision. They are all well versed on gun safety, but they don't have the muscle memory and it's much easier for them to have a brain fart that could end up being very dangerous.

Good deal, I was thinkin a single shot 22 would teach them patience to settle down and actually aim, then I could move them up to the lever gun if they could heft it - Henry Octagonal - and then finally the 22 auto pistol and 10/22 once they were maybe double digits in age, and a lil more mature. Appreciate you sharing your experience. --JB

JBinDC · Jan 31, 2017

d33rhunt3r said:
This is mostly why I stay away from MSAR.

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Yeah I hear ya, but it is the closest/cheapest long gun range to us in MoCo, and yeah, it is a blessing and a curse being a wild wild west kinda range.

You do however get to holster, do timed draws, etc.. Also, if you report idiots, the management will actually do something about it - counsel individual, or let you move lanes/ranges. That being said, when it is off duty cops being the asshat's, some do get a wee bit righteous and testy, but they are still handled diligently like any other. You shoot long guns somewhere close to MoCo? --JB

d33rhunt3r · Jan 31, 2017

JBinDC said:
Yeah I hear ya, but it is the closest/cheapest long gun range to us in MoCo, and yeah, it is a blessing and a curse being a wild wild west kinda range.

You do however get to holster, do timed draws, etc.. Also, if you report idiots, the management will actually do something about it - counsel individual, or let you move lanes/ranges. That being said, when it is off duty cops being the asshat's, some do get a wee bit righteous and testy, but they are still handled diligently like any other. You shoot long guns somewhere close to MoCo? --JB

Machine gun nest and AGC for long guns, nest is in Frederick but it really doesn't take long to get there. I take ICC to 270 and I'm there in 30ish. If it's just for fun, I'll go to the best for long gun. If I mean business and need to zero or practice long range I do AGC

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Art3 · Jan 31, 2017

JBinDC said:
Good deal, I was thinkin a single shot 22 would teach them patience to settle down and actually aim, then I could move them up to the lever gun if they could heft it - Henry Octagonal - and then finally the 22 auto pistol and 10/22 once they were maybe double digits in age, and a lil more mature. Appreciate you sharing your experience. --JB

Did you start them on air rifle/BBgun? You can do all the fundamentals (including and especially safety) before introducing noise, recoil, and lethality.

JBinDC · Jan 31, 2017

VTHokies said:
Good lord I never would have even seen her again after that. There is a line between "uneducated" and just plain stupid.

Hopefully this woman I am insulting isn't your wife now

Hehe, I was thinkin as I was readin his post about going back - "man, musta been some chick!"

JBinDC · Jan 31, 2017

d33rhunt3r said:
So far I haven't run into a problem at On Target, but I always went during the week when it was quiet. I do wish every range had an RSO on the line like TMGN

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I do the same when I can based on experiences during peak times. However they have at least 1 bench there with some bullet holes! :sad20:

JBinDC · Jan 31, 2017

d33rhunt3r said:
Machine gun nest and AGC for long guns, nest is in Frederick but it really doesn't take long to get there. I take ICC to 270 and I'm there in 30ish. If it's just for fun, I'll go to the best for long gun. If I mean business and need to zero or practice long range I do AGC

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Cool, I do both MGN and Heritage up in Fredneck - regular at the latter. Haven't been to AGC in about a year due to work schedule, but need to. Wished either of the Frederick indoor ranges were longer.

rob · Jan 31, 2017

2 incidents, both at AGC.

1) on the pistol range. It was just me and one other guy. Line is hot, we're both shooting. He stops shooting and walks downrange, pistol in hand, to look at his target. As soon as i saw him i stopped and cleared my weapon. I Walked over to him and explained the issue. His response was 'then how else are you supposed to see where you hit the target?'.

2) shooting my AR at the 100 yd range. Line is hot, my loaded AR is laying on the table (safety was probably off). The RSO walks in front of my table (gun at nut height) stops and starts talking to me completely oblivious. I grabbed his arm and pulled him around to the safer side of the table and asked him what the hell he thought he was doing. Granted the table was not as far forward as it should have been, but you got to be pretty thick.

Rob

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highli99 · Feb 1, 2017

I was at AGC last summer and a 10 year old kid ran out to a target in the middle of a hit range. Someone spotted it immediately and called the range cold but it was scary and dangerous obviously. Tough situation for all involved and just very lucky no one was hurt.

jimbobborg · Feb 1, 2017

I was at the sight in range at a wildlife management area. Line was hot, everyone had started shooting when two local cops decided they wanted to hang up targets 100 yards downrange.

At Bob's Gun and Tackle in Norfolk, there's a guy who would constantly take his loaded pistol behind the firing line to talk to someone on a different lane, finger on the trigger. He should have been thrown out, he was doing this every time he went to the range.

Boondock Saint · Feb 1, 2017

One day on the pistol line at Elk Neck, a guy wandered down range during live fire to change out his target. His reasoning was that it was OK because he was on the end of the line and his target was the closest to the shooting line. :sad20:

Had a (former) hunting buddy muzzle flash me with a loaded 12GA. After I told him, in colorful language, to never paint me with his muzzle again, he told me that the safety was on and that there's no way the firearm could ever discharge. After asking him if God made that particular safety, or if man had anything to do with it, he slowly seemed to realize that maybe pointing the business end of a firearm at someone/something he didn't intend to destroy wasn't the best idea he had ever had.

Close calls while shooting?

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