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Old November 6, 2013, 10:36 PM   #41
reynolds357
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 10, 2012
Posts: 6,161
Powderman, I would have to disagree with the extreme safety measures. I do not run civilian ranges, but on rare occasion when I am compelled to instruct a SWAT training session, I let common sense dictate how my range is safe. First and foremost, my range is idiot proof. How do I make it idiot proof? I kick the idiots off of it. When we are down range, I could not care less if the rifles have rounds in the magazines. I don't even care if there is a round in the chamber. All I care is the bolt is up and slid back about a half inch. When I went to Master Swat operator school, one of the exercises we did at least 100 times, involved our sniper shooting a small water balloon that was 18" above our point man's head. The sniper was shooting it from 100 yards. Forgive me, but I am just not very paranoid about being downrange of loaded and even attended, loaded weapons. I am extremely paranoid about even being on the range with a person who is not competent and proficient in firearms handling.
Messing with scope caps on an obviously unloaded firearm while the range was cold? That would not even cause me to bat an eye. Unloaded rifles do not kill anyone, unless someone uses them as a club and beats you to death with them.
The only training accidents I have seen came from a ricochet, which is just a chance you take when shooting steel poppers. I got hit in the arm by a piece of #4 buck that ricocheted off the wall of a shoot house. That is pretty much unavoidable as well.

We have a remote 1000yd range that we shoot at regularly. A couple of "contractors" were shooting there not too long ago. Both are ex military snipers. Conditions were less than ideal and they could not see where they were hitting. One of them went down range and stood about 30 feet away from the target and radioed back to the other one where he was hitting. I was not there that day, but the story was relayed to me. It was shocking to the one telling it. To me, it is just a testament to the confidence they have in each others level of ability.

Last edited by reynolds357; November 6, 2013 at 10:46 PM.
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