pg123 Posted October 16, 2013 Report Share Posted October 16, 2013 Have just applied for my first FAC. While waiting for my interview I have been brushing up on safety. Found this article on a deer stalking site and wondered what the more experienced members on here thought of it. Does it cover most of the stuff I need to know? "This is an important subject and one which is crucial to get right. One careless incident in the field and your host or stalking partner can lose confidence in you and you can very easily get yourself a bad reputation. The repercussions of course can also be far, far worse. As a deer stalking guide I have seen my share of poor rifle safety, from accidental discharges to rifles that have been loaded when they shouldn't be. I do not intend to reveal specific incidents or to provide here a comprehensive list of all the do's and don'ts, however perhaps I can take a moment to highlight the most common mistakes that I have witnessed and the rules which to my mind are the most important to remember. A regular South African client of mine and lifelong hunter Brad Rigden coined a phrase passed on to him from his father which I have since used myself, it is a phrase which will stay with me because I think it makes an important point. "The devil loads your gun when you're not looking". As with many routine manual operations and especially when distracted, the mind has an extraordinary ability to perform an action without any conscious thought. We do not register all the many manual tasks that we carry out in our daily lives, turning off the gas on the cooker, putting on our seat belts etc. It is possible therefore to perform a task without committing it to conscious thought. Loading and unloading your rifle should not fall into this category! For this reason my first rule is always, always double check your rifle. Do not assume that you have unloaded it or indeed that someone else has done so. Check, check, check. Ninety nine times out of a hundred you will be simply going through the motions but one day I can assure you, you will be extremely glad that you did! The next two rules are the two golden rules that I insist upon when out stalking with guests. The first of these is that we should always be sure of a safe backstop when taking a shot. In our crowded country with walkers often in places that they shouldn't be and with high powered rifles who's lethal potential can travel miles, we must know where our bullet is going to end up. There is nothing that leaves a sicker feeling in the stomach than not being sure where your shot went. One wayward shot and you will have lost your shooting, your licence and maybe very much worse. It's just not worth the risk. The second golden rule is with regard to muzzle awareness. No matter if your gun is loaded or supposedly not, your muzzle should never be pointing at anyone. I say to beginners that they should imagine that their rifle whether loaded or not is firing a constant stream of bullets and with that in mind they should always be aware as to where the muzzle is pointing. Careful as I am you would be amazed how often I have turned around to see a full bore rifle pointing up my a**se and to be frank when it happens it is enough to make my blood run cold! On this point I have found during many outings hunting that man has not lost his natural inclination to become extremely tunnel visioned when hunting. As a result keep in mind that muzzle awareness is usually at its most lax when our prey is in sight. It is during these final moments that the mind has an extraordinary ability to cut out all other stimulus and this includes a detailed awareness of our actions and peripheral surroundings. It is crucial therefore to above all remember where your weapon is pointing. Another regular occurrence worth mentioning in relation to muzzle awareness is with regard to rifles slung muzzle up and over the shoulder. It makes me smile as I write this because it is with such frequency that this happen's that it has become second nature for me to know where to stand! With a moderated gun remember that the rifle muzzle will weigh down and sag backward over your shoulder, not in a vertical position as intended but usually in a diagonal position which, let's just say, tends to sag about face height of anyone stood behind you! This is particularly so when a pair of binoculars are raised in both hands. So to recap these three simple points to good rifle safety in the field: 1) Firstly be conscious of where your muzzle is pointing. It is a simple fact that if you never point your gun at someone then that someone will never accidentally get shot. 2) Secondly be sure of a safe back stop. There will always be another chance at a deer. There won't be however if you have placed a shot the night before through Mrs Miggin's bedroom window. 3) Finally always check if a rifle is loaded and then double check cos' one day you'll be very grateful you did!! " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bull dog Posted October 16, 2013 Report Share Posted October 16, 2013 Sound advise there mate adopt that attitude you won't go far wrong good luck with your interview Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted October 16, 2013 Report Share Posted October 16, 2013 If you are after a deer calibre, you will need to know your quarry and its seasons. If its just a vermin rifle then what you have posted is pretty much it. However, you may want to know about ricochets, .22's are prone to them on dry or rocky ground, even with hollow point subsonic ammo. You may also want to know that bullets will skip on water if the angle is small enough, so any shot which might contact water should be taken at 50 degrees to the horizontal surface (just to be sure). You will know about safe storage; gun, ammo and bolt. You will know never to leave your firearm unattended for more than minutes, even then it must be locked and hidden in a car and you carry the bolt and ammo with you. Just be sensible and know a little firearms law (Guidance is pinned above) and you'll be fine - good shooting and good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted October 17, 2013 Report Share Posted October 17, 2013 Its very good especially the bit about the devil loading your gun when you are not looking! The only missing bit is crossing fences etc is responsible for very many of the accidents- unload and prove it being the best action to take. On the first point sooner or later you will find an unloaded gun loaded but you will have to re-check to ever find it so! I suspect being as things are now you will be politely asked to take part in some officially recognised training though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted October 17, 2013 Report Share Posted October 17, 2013 can add nothing to these posts, hope everything pans out for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pg123 Posted October 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2013 Thanks for the feedback. Will let you know how it goes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pg123 Posted October 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2013 Just checked my account and my cheque has been cashed. Hope that's a good sign.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullet1747 Posted October 19, 2013 Report Share Posted October 19, 2013 If you are after a deer calibre, you will need to know your quarry and its seasons. If its just a vermin rifle then what you have posted is pretty much it. However, you may want to know about ricochets, .22's are prone to them on dry or rocky ground, even with hollow point subsonic ammo.You may also want to know that bullets will skip on water if the angle is small enough, so any shot which might contact water should be taken at 50 degrees to the horizontal surface (just to be sure). You will know about safe storage; gun, ammo and bolt. You will know never to leave your firearm unattended for more than minutes, even then it must be locked and hidden in a car and you carry the bolt and ammo with you.Just be sensible and know a little firearms law (Guidance is pinned above) and you'll be fine - good shooting and good luck. Disagree with leaving fire arms even for minutes ,never leave it in my view Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pg123 Posted October 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2013 What happens if you are on a long journey for a stalking trip in Scotland. You may need to leave the car to nip to the toilet or to grab a sandwich on route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted October 19, 2013 Report Share Posted October 19, 2013 Although not strictly legal, my shooting friends tend to try to leave at least one of us with the vehicle. In lawful terms that means that you are leaving your firearm with someone who doesn't have lawful access - in reality it means that they won't get stolen and are constantly under the supervision of a trustworthy minder. The muzzle awareness has to be right up there when it comes to rules to stick to. I am almost constantly amazed by the lack of discipline in this area. Comments like "the safety is on" or "I wasn't anywhere near the trigger" need pulling up straight away no matter who you are with, A rule that I will admit to breaking, although it may get me some negative comments, is unloading before crossing a gate etc. If in twos I rarely unload and the rifle is passed, keeping muzzle awareness right at the top of the list, to my colleague who has already crossed the fence. Yes the gun is loaded, but it remains pointed in a safe direction and under full control of one of us. When at all possible, unload, but at times the noise of a rifle being cycled will spook your quarry. It's pretty much a matter of whenever you're not sure, unload. But if you have a safe procedure that you are both aware of, it's not always required. When on your own, unload always - one slip can be the end of you and it's just not worth the risk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harnser Posted October 19, 2013 Report Share Posted October 19, 2013 (edited) I always carry my rifles when out stalking in condition 2 . That is loaded magazine and bolt forward on empty chamber and safety catch on . When I spot a deer I draw back the bolt and load a round into the magazine . This condition is achieved in a non detachable magazine by loading one less round into the magazine and pressing the rounds down into the magazine with the thumb and sliding the bolt forward over the ammo in the mag . This is the safest way to carry a rifle in the field .I will always insist that anybody out with me carrys in the same way .Carrying in condition 2 eleveates all the senerios of falling over ,crossing fences and ditches and in my younger days crawling on my hands and knees .Carrying in condition 2 there is a round in the chamber only when you are about to make the shot . Condition 1 = Loaded magazine and a round in the chamber safety catch on . condition 2 = Loaded magazine and bolt forward on an empty chamber safety catch on . condition 3 = Empty chamber and empty magazine safety catch on . . Harnser. Edited October 19, 2013 by Harnser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted October 20, 2013 Report Share Posted October 20, 2013 Re the 'leaving firearms' it happens to us all - pop in for some fags en route to the shoot, bottle of water. Petrol sometimes. Whilst you always take the bullets and bolt with rifles, shotguns are just left hidden for a moment. Try taking one into a shop with you. I try the best alternative - park right outside the door and keep my eye on the car. I often end up parking on yellow lines to get close to the shop. Once asked why, I replied (on my return) that I had a rifle in the back, end of conversation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pg123 Posted October 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2013 Had my interview this afternoon. All went well and FEO was happy to see amount of research on safety I had done. Just waiting for land checks to be completed. Thanks for all your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pg123 Posted October 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2013 http://www.thedeerinitiative.co.uk/uploads/guides/173.pdf Had printed this off before my interview and the FEO was very impressed with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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