Shooting Range Deaths

[Texican]

All within the last month; what the heck is going on?

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5431368.html

http://blogs.chron.com/dougpike/2007/12 ... _at_t.html

http://www.caller.com/news/2007/dec/20/port_shooting/

[Sixgun]

So sad to see people loose their lives because of (I'm assumming) well, not paying attention. As the #1 rule I ALWAYS watch where my muzzle is pointed. Last year, my good friend Tom, who owns Targetmaster gunshop and indoor firing range had an individual who committed suicide on the firing line. He was just a young guy in his twenties. ---------Sixgun

[1886]

I rarely shoot while others are at the range. Once there are more than three individuals on the firing line I leave. I have just seen too much careless, sloppy behavior at various ranges. Be safe. 1886.

[joakleigh]

I rarely shoot while others are at the range. Once there are more than three individuals on the firing line I leave. I have just seen too much careless, sloppy behavior at various ranges. Be safe. 1886.

I do the same myself. At times ive noticed that even with a large group of careful and conscientious shooters things can get scary. At our local shooting range the regulars have their own native language and sometimes forget that not everyone understands what they are saying. A "HOT RANGE" can mean something totally differant to someone new. I always tryed to state things as clearly as possible and make darn sure everyone on the range knows what i'm talking about but like 1886 said i rarely go to the range anymore . Luckily the farm that bumps up to my property has a nice one set up

[jazman]

One of the indoor ranges I shoot at has a policy of not renting guns to people who come in alone (singles)...they figure they may not have target practice in mind. Probably a good policy, and may help some one to not shoot themself.

[CaptainFinn]

There were only two fatilities at my range that I know of, besides a heart attack on the skeet range a few years back. The two 'deaths' attributed to the range we both suicides, and both occurred off of the firing line--one fellow parked on an access road while driving out of the park and shot himself, and was found in his automobile the following morning.

The second guy came into the range, fired a few rounds with his .38 Taurus snub, and then checked out and went into the parking lot and capped himself in the head while sitting behind the wheel of his car.

My rangemaster came over from the trap tournement to oversee the police reports, etc. After all was said and done he went back to the tournement. One of the senior VP's from Taurus Miami was a member of the trap club. My boss walked up to him and said "Bob, I got some bad news. Taurus is gonna get some negative press."

VP: "Why ?"

Boss: "Some nut just committed suicide in the parking lot. Shot himself in the head with a Taurus .38 Snub."

VP: "Did the gun fire when he pulled the trigger ?"

Boss: "Yeah."

VP: "Then the gun worked as it's supposed to."

[Marlin .35]

I am retired and can shoot any time I want to, and the weekends are off limits for me. More solitude from Monday to Thursday, and much, much safer!!!! Art

[Ysabel Kid]

The last line in the middle story says it all. "Safety first. Every time. No compromises."

That goes for guns, vehicles, boats, planes, power tools, etc...

[Travis Morgan]

One of the indoor ranges I shoot at has a policy of not renting guns to people who come in alone (singles)...they figure they may not have target practice in mind. Probably a good policy, and may help some one to not shoot themself.

Sounds like a good way to end up with groups inexperienced idiots doing stupid stuff.

[Rebel1972]

One of the indoor ranges I shoot at has a policy of not renting guns to people who come in alone (singles)...they figure they may not have target practice in mind. Probably a good policy, and may help some one to not shoot themself.

Sounds like a good way to end up with groups inexperienced idiots doing stupid stuff.

If iI didn't have my kids with me,I would probably be by myself .If they didn't let me shoot they would lose a customer and I would tell everyone I knew about it.I'm glad I can walk out my back door and shoot.

[Mike D.]

I belong to a local club, but haven't visited their facility for a few years. Most of my shooting is done at one of our ranches, where I can be by myself and don't have to worry about other's "mistakes". I have witnessed enough of those to last for a long time.

[jazman]

"Travis Morgan wrote:
jazman wrote:
One of the indoor ranges I shoot at has a policy of not renting guns to people who come in alone (singles)...they figure they may not have target practice in mind. Probably a good policy, and may help some one to not shoot themself.


Sounds like a good way to end up with groups inexperienced idiots doing stupid stuff.
If iI didn't have my kids with me,I would probably be by myself .If they didn't let me shoot they would lose a customer and I would tell everyone I knew about it.I'm glad I can walk out my back door and shoot."

What I wrote was they don't RENT guns to singles...

[Griff]

When I lived in CA, I made it a point to go to the range most Saturdays and Sundays. I'd show up just b4 lunch & closin' time. You don't think I bought all of those 7,000 pieces of once-fired .30-30s, do you?

[North Bender]

I'm not certain if the ranges had anything to do with the posted stories. The first person probably killed herself, the second person never got to the range - killed himself getting his rifle out of his truck - and we may never know what happened at the police range because they put a lid on the story.

But I like the poster's comment that if 3 other shooters show up he's outta there. I'm the same way; I won't shoot with a crowd of strangers. My opinion is there are too many people who don't practice gun safety to the level I think they should.

[jdad]

I shoot at my club's indoor rimfire range, usually alone, at the outdoor rimfire range, alone or with some responsible BR types, or at the silhouette range, 99% of the time alone or with some other silhouette shooters or BPCR shooters.

I will never shoot at the 100yd "General Purpose" range. I was an RSO for 3 years, it was like the "wild west", and I witnessed too much scary stupidity and ignorance of common sense. I'm no longer an RSO because I don't want to be the one on duty when bad times.

[TedH]

I rarely shoot while others are at the range. Once there are more than three individuals on the firing line I leave. I have just seen too much careless, sloppy behavior at various ranges. Be safe. 1886.

Same here.

[Ram Hammer]

I read in local news late today that the indoor pistol range event here in the Houston Area will probably be ruled a suicide. Here is the story:

Rice University officials have identified the woman found fatally shot Saturday night at a Pasadena shooting range as graduate student Emma Lundgren.

Lundgren, 28, was a violinist studying at the Shepherd School of Music and is from Sweden, said university spokesman B.J. Almond.

Investigators with the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office believe Lundgren committed suicide, officials said today.

Lundgren was found lying face-down on the firing line, dead from an apparent gunshot wound to the head. She had rented a weapon at the Pasadena Gun Center and Shooting Range at 206 Shaw, Pasadena Police Department spokesman Vance Mitchell said.

"Apparently she went back to the firing line and was firing this pistol for about 20 minutes when management came over the PA system and said for everyone to leave so they could clear the line," Mitchell said.

Employees discovered Lundgren's body shortly before 7 p.m.

"Right now there are no details as far as exactly what happened," said Almond, adding that the university is also grappling with the disappearance of undergraduate computer science student Matthew Wilson, 20, who has been missing since Dec. 14.

Lundgren was the recipient of a Dorothy Richard Starling Foundation Scholarship in violin.

[jsimmons]

I have no sympathy for people who don't practice gun safety. The 2nd story in the original message is a prime example of two counts of supreme stupidity.

The first act of stupid was to not making sure the action was clear, the gun unloaded, and the magazine was removed (if possible) before putting it away after it's last use.

The second act of stupid was to not ensure that the safety was engaged.

The guy that got shot by his dog a day or so ago was the same kind of idiot. What possessed him to put his shotgun in the bed of his truck - WITHOUT THE SAFETY BEING ON - pointed towards the back, especially when there's a rambunctious dog flailing around wanting to get out of the truck?

These people simply cleansed the gene pool a little, and deserve no respect or pity. This kind of stuff just makes the uneducated anti-gun lobby stand up and point and say "we told you so!"

(I have a low tolerance for absurdity).

[jnyork]

.

The guy that got shot by his dog a day or so ago was the same kind of idiot. What possessed him to put his shotgun in the bed of his truck - WITHOUT THE SAFETY BEING ON - pointed towards the back, especially when there's a rambunctious dog flailing around wanting to get out of the truck?


).

Why would he have a round in the chamber. You dont need a round in the chamber of your gun lying in the bed of your truck!!

[jsimmons]

I was talking to a guy at the range last weekend who was proud to say he had a bench-rest gun with a 1-ounce trigger.

I mentioned that sounded like an unsafe gun to me, and his response was, "I only use it here at the range". Sorry, but that doesn't change the inherent lack of safety where the gun is involved.

[Travis Morgan]

JSImmons,

Those guns are loaded one round at a time, and only loaded and shot from the bench.
His one ounce trigger would actually be considered heavy, by some in the sport of benchrest shooting. Fractions of an ounce are commonplace. Some even use remote firing systems, where nobody is actually touching the gun, at all!
Really, it's not a shooting match; it a gunbuilding and reloading match. Kinda like competitive rocket building, really.

[Rebel1972]

Just goes to show What one man thinks is dangerous anotherman thinks is commonplace.

[jsimmons]

JSImmons,

Those guns are loaded one round at a time, and only loaded and shot from the bench.
His one ounce trigger would actually be considered heavy, by some in the sport of benchrest shooting. Fractions of an ounce are commonplace. Some even use remote firing systems, where nobody is actually touching the gun, at all!
Really, it's not a shooting match; it a gunbuilding and reloading match. Kinda like competitive rocket building, really.

The only time I shoot from the bench is when I'm sighting in a scope or testing new ammo. Any other time I shoot offhand. None of my triggers are lighter than 2 pounds.

[Retro]

I was talking to a guy at the range last weekend who was proud to say he had a bench-rest gun with a 1-ounce trigger.

I mentioned that sounded like an unsafe gun to me...

Can have a tenth of an ounce trigger, you obey rules 1 to 4, it's safe.

[Travis Morgan]

JSImmons,

Those guns are loaded one round at a time, and only loaded and shot from the bench.
His one ounce trigger would actually be considered heavy, by some in the sport of benchrest shooting. Fractions of an ounce are commonplace. Some even use remote firing systems, where nobody is actually touching the gun, at all!
Really, it's not a shooting match; it a gunbuilding and reloading match. Kinda like competitive rocket building, really.

The only time I shoot from the bench is when I'm sighting in a scope or testing new ammo. Any other time I shoot offhand. None of my triggers are lighter than 2 pounds.

You're just NOT getting it! These rifles are shot from the bench ONLY!

[Mark Taylor]

jsimmons,

Please chew on what Retro and Travis said.

[gak]

...Last year, my good friend Tom, who owns Targetmaster gunshop and indoor firing range had an individual who committed suicide on the firing line. He was just a young guy in his twenties. ---------Sixgun

Same here in Phoenix (Scottsdale) recently.

[Travis Morgan]

Hmmmmm, may be a market for teflon coated shooting ranges..... easier cleanup!