Changing Shooting Habits
Jul 5, 2020 17:05:44 GMT -5
Post by ET on Jul 5, 2020 17:05:44 GMT -5
When I experience an unwanted incident, I try to figure out a way for future avoidance by adjusting my routine.
I often get interruptions from other shooters asking me about what my equipment is for at the range. Before I continue, I always check my bore by dropping my ramrod down into it to confirm if it’s empty. If it’s loaded then I check my witness mark that all is as it should be. Also, when I prepare to call it a day and leave, I do a ramrod check just to make sure the bore is empty. You may think this overkill but after an incident I now check my bore.
While at the range a member from the upper echelon confronted me about not wearing a visitor’s badge. My friend who invited me told this member he had forgotten it and that I was with him. Not good enough and I was asked to pack up and leave. Okay so I packed up to leave and the last thing I usually pack is my SML. For some reason I decided to check my SML and sure enough there was a load in it. I fired off the load before packing my SML. So now I’ve adopted checking the bore before packing away my SML.
Another incident was while hunting deer. I had reached my semi pit blind and secured my SML beside the opening I would crawl into. Once inside I reached out to retrieve my SML and my hand happened to contact the bolt handle. To my surprise the bolt handle shifted slightly downward. This is not good because if the bolt handle is not fully downward it could rob the firing pin from a full impact strike. Of course, this then could affect your shot’s response. Regardless of what shifted the bolt handle I now always double check my bolt handle is down before firing a shot. Most times my bolt handle remains in the downward position when hiking in an open environment but when traversing tight bush, I’ve discovered the bolt handle has sometimes been moved.
I often get interruptions from other shooters asking me about what my equipment is for at the range. Before I continue, I always check my bore by dropping my ramrod down into it to confirm if it’s empty. If it’s loaded then I check my witness mark that all is as it should be. Also, when I prepare to call it a day and leave, I do a ramrod check just to make sure the bore is empty. You may think this overkill but after an incident I now check my bore.
While at the range a member from the upper echelon confronted me about not wearing a visitor’s badge. My friend who invited me told this member he had forgotten it and that I was with him. Not good enough and I was asked to pack up and leave. Okay so I packed up to leave and the last thing I usually pack is my SML. For some reason I decided to check my SML and sure enough there was a load in it. I fired off the load before packing my SML. So now I’ve adopted checking the bore before packing away my SML.
Another incident was while hunting deer. I had reached my semi pit blind and secured my SML beside the opening I would crawl into. Once inside I reached out to retrieve my SML and my hand happened to contact the bolt handle. To my surprise the bolt handle shifted slightly downward. This is not good because if the bolt handle is not fully downward it could rob the firing pin from a full impact strike. Of course, this then could affect your shot’s response. Regardless of what shifted the bolt handle I now always double check my bolt handle is down before firing a shot. Most times my bolt handle remains in the downward position when hiking in an open environment but when traversing tight bush, I’ve discovered the bolt handle has sometimes been moved.
