Videos like this one are terrifying and unfortunately are an occurrence in the gun ranges in our country. No matter how good the staff are, there are always some people who defy the rules and do some ridiculous things at ranges.
Have you made the choice to buy a firearm and hit the range? Wonderful! Gun ownership is something I strongly promote, in fact the only thing I promote more than gun ownership is gun safety. Seriously, I can’t remember the exact stat but the amount of “accidental shootings” are staggering and they are most likely to occur at a gun range where your gun is loaded.
As a result, I’m going to educate you with 5 simple rules that will not only make your experience at the range safer, keep fellow shooters and range safety officers happy but also may save your life.
1. Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction
This is literally the most basic safety rule of firearms. Do not point your firearm at anything you don’t intend to shoot.
2. Don’t rely on your gun’s safety
There are many firearms that have a “safety” feature and while that’s great to have you should NEVER rely on it. The safety you should rely on is you and your finger, specifically your trigger finger which should never be on the trigger until you are ready to shoot. See this fantastic clip from Black Hawk Down which covers this so well:
3. Use the correct ammunition
This seems like a pretty silly one but you’d be surprised how many times a shooter at the range has brought the wrong ammo. Make sure you use ammo specifically for your firearm.
4. Wear eye and ear protection
No need to look tacticool at the range, wear your eye and ear protection at all times while on the range.
5. Know what to do if your gun fails
Do not panic, it will happen and you should know how your firearm works in order to fix it. Whatever you do, don’t drop your firearm, place it down, or start moving around the range with it.
There you have it, enjoy shooting!
