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I built this up over the years…if it saves one life, it was worth the effort!

 

GENERAL GUIDANCE

 

1. Treat every gun as if it is loaded.

2. Avoid alcohol and horseplay when in possession of any gun.

3. Never point or fire your gun at anything other than the target. Please always make sure that a gun is open and empty when handed. Know your weapons and keep them clean.

4. Beware the bullet may miss the target and hit a non-target, around or beyond the mark. In addition, a non-target may pass in front of the target and be hit with a bullet aimed at the target. Furthermore, the shell may pass through the target and hit a non-target beyond it, which is called “over-penetration”.

5. The likelihood of ricochet is dependent on many factors, including bullet shape, velocity (and distance), target material and the angle of incidence. Ricochets are a common danger of shooting because after bouncing off an object, that now deformed projectile poses an ‘unpredictable’ and severe threat to bystanders, animals, objects, or even the person who fired the shot. If the deformed shell does hit a bystander or a non-target, it can become hazardous. Instead of cleanly travelling through the “body/object, " the bullet can behave more like a hollow point bullet causing a larger wound cavity or fragmenting and causing multiple wound channels.

Bullets will ricochet off the stone, other complex objects and rock. Pellets can also ricochet off the water, be it a pond or puddle, at an angle of incidence between 3-8°. Most shots will penetrate water at or above 15°. The rise of deflection off water usually is 2-3 times greater than the impact angle but less than the impact angle of solid objects. Be sure of the type of ground you are shooting on, which may vary throughout the farm, etc. Remember, a shot may be safe one day and not the next.

In rare cases, ricochets can return to the shooter. This occurs when the object struck possesses enough resistance to withstand the impact of the bullet whose surface is perpendicular to the shooter. Some shots are designed to deform at the nose, which is the main reason for the bullet ricocheting at such an extreme angle and returning in the shooter’s direction.

These factors require a gun handler to be sure of the target itself and anything along the avenue of travel to and beyond the mark.

6. Do not shoot through hedges/trees for fear of destroying something on the other side, e.g. another person, farm animal, property, aeroplane/helicopter etc. NB some centre-fire rounds can travel up to 4 or 5 miles, depending on calibre and conditions. It is illegal to shoot within 50ft of the centre of a public highway without lawful authority or excuse if, as a result, a user of the road is injured, interrupted or endangered. Be sure you can identify the quarry, e.g. vermin/game/protected species etc., and have a good sight picture and enough light. Aim for a clean kill, not to maim.

7. Never leave your gun in an unlocked or unattended vehicle. It is an offence to possess a loaded gun in a public place. You can always place the weapon out of sight if within a car. You can always secure your shotgun in a case or protective gun cover when you travel. Never travel with a loaded gun. Please ensure to get your weapon (s) unloaded to others who will be travelling in the exact vehicle as you before placing them in the car.

8. Only carry cartridges suitable for the gun you are using at that particular time. Never have a mixture of sizes of cartridges. (e.g. do not mix 12 and 20 bores). A 20-bore will pass down but stick in a 12-bore shotgun barrel, and when someone loads a 12-bore cartridge on top, firing will be disastrous.

9. When shooting clays, never close your gun until you are on the firing mark, and only when it is your turn to shoot.

10. Always safely carry your gun so it does not point at anyone or bump into them. A shotgun is best held open, empty and over your arm. Fixed barrels, e.g. repeaters, self loaders require different methods to show empty.

11. When shooting clays, keep your gun pointing down range until you have opened and emptied your weapon. Then you may turn and walk off the firing point. With semi-autos, there is some bias against their use of clays. This is mainly out of ignorance of how they function and are made safe. Before and after shooting, prove the gun barrel breach and magazine empty to the referee/shooting friend.

12. Always unload your shotgun before moving to the next stance, in the case of DTL. ABT and other disciplines where you move from peg 5 to 1, make sure your gun is empty.

13. Do not place any cartridges in your gun until you are ready to shoot, and when clay shooting, instructed to do so by the referee.

14. Do not leave your gun unattended at any time. Do not lean your weapon against anything that is insecure and may fall. You can unload your gun when you pass over fences/gates.

15. If fitted with a safety catch, ensure your gun is on “safe” until you are ready to shoot.

16. Leave gates the way you found them. Open, rather than climb over gates; if stuck/locked, climb over near gate hangers, not the latch end.

17. Return the dead quarry to the farmer or dispose of it according to the law. Take home spent cartridges. Don’t litter the countryside.

18. When shooting over land, make sure the Police approve it for the calibre you are licensed to use. Always contact the owner/tenant on the day of the shooting so that he knows you are there and not poachers/trespassers. Find out who works in which fields and the location of roads, foot-paths and buildings. Advise him if there are any farm animals injured/loose or any dogs worrying farm animals. Police approval of land depends on the type of ‘open’ FAC held.

19. Always wear protective clothing (including eye and ear protection) appropriate to the task and prevailing weather conditions. Remember the law regarding knives in public places.

(Criminal Justice Act 1988 & Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006)

It is now ILLEGAL to have any sharply pointed or bladed instrument in your possession in a public place without good reason or lawful authority.

There is an exemption in the law for folding pocket knives. These must have at most three inches of cutting edges and blades that do not lock. However, when pocket knives of this type are carried, for example, in a nightclub, at a school or to a football match, they are likely to be viewed as offensive weapons even though the actual knife isn’t an offensive weapon in itself.

http://www.basc.org.uk/en/departments/firearms/knives-advice-and-guidance.cfm

Take food and water. Advise somebody else of where you will be shooting and when you will return that day. Take your charged mobile phone. Also, take a first aid kit (in a vehicle or with you if on foot far from the car). Membership in a shooting organisation like BASC is recommended for advice, information and legal insurance.

20. Keep a copy of permission to shoot from the landowner and your firearm certificates with you.

21. Unload guns when others approach them and point them away. Use licensed moderators not to disturb the public and the landowners.

22. The police officers' guide to shooters…well worth a read.

http://www.basc.org.uk/en/utilities/document-summary.cfm/docid/DE684145-D624-444C-915B521FB03D0766NB

The Range Conducting Officer (RCO) oversees everything on the range.

 

COMMON SAFETY RULES

 

All range users are required to sign in to record books upon arrival.

• Always treat a firearm as loaded until you have personally certified it, and never trust another person’s word that it is clear.

• Never point a firearm at anyone, even in jest.

• All firearms shall have breech flags inserted where practicable and the bolt removed, and the action/chamber open whenever they are out of their transit case/bag but not in actual use.

• No person may uncase a firearm or move it on/off the firing point until the RCO has permission.

• No person may load a firearm until the RCO has given an express command.

• A loaded firearm must always be pointed in a safe direction, i.e. downrange towards the target, always parallel to the ground – even when loading.

• A firearm shall not be pointed at any aiming mark behind the firing point. Whether a breech flag has been inserted or the bolt removed is irrelevant.

• No person shall walk downrange until all firearms have been cleared, bolts removed or breech flags inserted, or the guns have been removed from the firing point and cased, and the RCO has given an express command to move forward.

• Once firearms on the firing point have been inspected and the RCO has given the ‘clear’ instruction, shooters shall not, under any circumstances, touch the gun again until the RCO has given an express command to do so.

• Unless authorised by the RCO, only shooters, their coaches and the RCO shall be at the firing point during the shooting detail.

• No person may distract a shooter during a shooting detail except the RCO or a coach.

• In an emergency, the RCO will use the command “STOP STOP STOP” to suspend shooting. Upon hearing this command, shooters shall immediately stop shooting, place their firearms upon the firing point and step away from them.

• Shooters shall only engage targets directly in front of their firing point. Cross-shooting will not be permitted.

 

SPECIFIC SAFETY ISSUES

 

NEGLIGENT DISCHARGE

• A Negligent Discharge is either a shot fired (whether in a safe direction or not) without the order to fire is given. Alternatively, an image may be fired after the order to fire has been provided but in an unsafe direction. A Negligent Discharge will usually arise from a breach of the safety rules and may occur on or off the firing point.

• RCO Action:

– Make the situation safe.

– The firer may be suspended from further participation and asked to leave the range.

The matter shall be reported to the Committee, who will decide what action to take.

UNSAFE BEHAVIOUR

• This constitutes an immediate threat to personal safety, e.g., a loaded firearm being removed from the firing point or someone using a firearm aggressively or irresponsibly.

 

MISFIRES & SQUIB LOADS

• If a misfire occurs (no ignition of the cartridge fuel) or a squib load is noted (insufficient propellant charge to expel the bullet), the firearm must be held parallel to the ground, pointing at the target butt for a minimum of 60 seconds before the bolt or action is opened.

 

EMERGENCIES

• In any emergency, the RCO will immediately take control, per the NRA “Guide to the Duties of Range Conducting Officers”.

Could you wait to leave the firing point until the RCO clears you?

Please check that the barrel/bore is clear of obstruction before loading.

Always keep your finger off of the trigger until ready to fire.

Permanently remove the bolt from the gun when in a vehicle.

Avoid contra-indicated medicines/drugs when in possession of any gun.

 

Clay Throwers…

Please read in conjunction with the above notes…

Clay throwers are safe when used correctly…

1. Ensure you wear all appropriate safety gear and perform a risk assessment per Health and Safety legislation.

2. Do not allow anyone to stand near the thrower (automatic or manual) when operating or otherwise. There is a risk that clay may be launched toward a spectator or shooter. Do not walk before the thrower; even 40 metres of clay can cause severe injury. Before moving or adjusting, ensure the throwing arm is in the “safe position” and not primed. There is a risk that the component may come into contact with the operator and others when cocking and releasing, leading to the risk of injury. Use safety guards.

3. RCO/Referee to ensure the thrower is ideally out of sight from guns and that guns do not point their weapons at the thrower to engage early. The thrower must be placed so it is impossible to throw clay at anyone or across footpaths. The referee/RCO must ensure that clays cannot land in public areas or fields where animals are kept. Thrower operator to be placed so that pull instruction/ gun report can be heard without difficulty.

4. Ensure the automatic thrower is switched off before adjusting or reloading. One of the most significant risks of modern electric clay traps is someone pressing the release button while another is working on a faulty surprise. Could you take the release button with you? Clays must be loaded only when the thrower is discharged/isolated.

5. Adequate warnings and flags are posted during the shoot.

6. The law and competition rules use appropriate cartridges (shot and wad material) and clays.

7. Securing bolts to be checked before operation. The thrower must be adequately maintained and serviced.

8. Operators must be appropriately trained and of mature age.

9. Horseplay must be avoided.

Do not mix 12-bore and 20-bore cartridges.

 

“Mixing 12-bore and 20-bore cartridges is a hazardous practice. If a 20-bore cartridge is loaded into the chamber of a 12-bore shotgun, the 20-bore cartridge will slip down into the forcing cone, where it will lodge. When the gun is fired, nothing will happen.
Upon opening the gun, it will appear that the chamber is empty, and the gun user may assume that they forgot to load the weapon, especially if there is a long delay between loading and firing. A 12-bore cartridge with potentially catastrophic results may be loaded on top of the 20-bore cartridge. Each year the Proof Houses are asked to investigate a significant number of barrel failures resulting from mixing 20-bore and 12-bore cartridges.”

 

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