Beer and skeet, Am I being oversensitive?

[OkieCruffler]

Was shooting at my local club on Friday and after a couple of rounds one of the guys opened up his cooler and started handing out beers. I declined and said that I didn't think it was a good idea. That was met with a chorus of "It's only one beer."
I grew up in a family of shooters and unfortunately also a family of alcoholics and even amoung them I never saw alcohol being consumed if there was shooting going on. No one said anything about it, it just wasn't done.
At the skeet range nothing went wrong, no one shot anyone or even acted in an unsafe manor, but I still feel kinda bad about the whole thing. Am I just being oversensitive? You guys shooting on smaller, good old boy ranges, is beer drinking allowed?

[hogdogs]

You guys shooting on smaller, good old boy ranges, is beer drinking allowed?

I reckoned it was pert near a requirement...

Heck, even pretty much soused, I haven't witnessed a shooting related incident... Is it wise? NOPE... Is it done? You betcha...

And i hear that some formal clubs have a lounge of either buy it there alcohol or BYOB type set up...

Brent

[Charles Z]

It's completely insane to mix shooting and alcohol. If I saw it, I'd leave immediately. This isn't fishing. You've got a firearm in your hands. Most people don't practice strict safety when they are sober, and now they're high. Be oversensitive, and then get the hell out of there.

[Jim Watson]

Been a lot of beer quaffed at the local Trap & Skeet club.
AFTER the shooting is done.

[TXAZ]

South of you ~ 70 miles is a library named after Walt Manske, a good guy who was killed in a hunting accident, allegedly after the shooter had 1 (or believed several more) beer(s) and mistook Walt for deer.

It might be culturally acceptable in some places, but I'm not sure it's a good idea, and would hate to answer any questions in a formal inquiry about an accidental discharge / shooting.

[egor20]

Beer ....................Good

Guns ...................Good

The mix.................Bad

[zippy13]

I've been to clubs that have a full service cocktail lounge. But, there's a universal rule: First drink only after your last shot -- no exceptions!

I've seen some pretty disappointed comp shooters. This has happened more than once: A shooter gets their first 100-straight in an event and has a beer to celebrate. Later in the day, all of the 100's are called to shoot-off for the championship and somebody says, "I saw you with a beer earlier. Sorry, the rules say you're disqualified from the shoot-off." (see ATA Rule XII, B., 2., a. or NSSA Rule III, G., 17.)

[bamaranger]

I've worked more than one incident, involving accidental injury or death, from what ever source, where the involved parties, sometimes deceased, have BAC's BELOW what would be the the legal limit for a statute type DUI conviction (.08%). That is typically considered one drink ( beer) per hour. The subjects no doubt did not believe they were impaired, yet a serious error was committed in judgment or motor skill that led to the episode in question.

Alcohol, as in types normally consumed, is a drug and will effect motor and mental processes. This good old boy would find another range if drinking was tolerated on the firing line.

[golfballshootr]

Was shooting at my local club on Friday and after a couple of rounds one of the guys opened up his cooler and started handing out beers.

If I understand that the adult beverages were being handed out during live fire, then, just my opinion, NOT ALLOWED.

We shoot often here at our home and have shoots with sometimes fairly large groups of people. It is accepted, understood and agreed by all who attend, BYOB, but after you have even the first sip of whatever your poison is; you are done for the day, not for an hour or two, but done for the day.

[NWPilgrim]

Same thing happened to me with my own family at a reunion. I suggested it was not a good idea and met the same response.i walked away with no regrets (from the pit area not the reunion). I was raised the same as well: beer is good, guns are good, never mix them.

[.300 Weatherby Mag]

I have no problem as long as the alcohol is consumed after the shooting is done and the guns are unloaded and put away... I've been shot, so I don't want to be around anyone that drinks before or while shooting... The two don't mix...

[B.L.E.]

It has always puzzled me how people can be so strict about having even one beer before shooting, yet have no qualms whatsoever about putting away several cold barley pops right before climbing into a 4000 pound guided missile and going down a highway with oncoming traffic only feet away at speeds approaching 100 ft per second.
I understand a club needing to CYA but let's put risk into perspective.

The worst accident I saw at my local skeet range happened when someone forgot to set the brake on his pickup truck and it rolled past a tree causing the open door to be forced closed crushing the driver's leg as he was trying to get out.

[oneounceload]

There is a group at my local club, that after the shooting is done, the cold beer comes out and we collectively solve the world's problems with logical, concise ideas and plans... Some have one, some more than one, but always after the shooting is done.

Now I could tell you stories of one club where I used to live out West with a full bar open from the moment the doors open where bloody marys are the breakfast order for several...........

[ZCORR Jay]

I wouldn't say your being oversensitive. Accidents can always happen but if you start impairing your motor skills your more than likely increasing the chance. If your skeet shooting in a buds backyard and your trust the group your with, hey its your call. If your at a range and its more than just you and your buds well then I believe that not really the place.

Just my $0.02

[Technosavant]

So long as the shooting is over with (and the person remains good to drive or is riding with somebody else), I see no problem. My club also allows alcohol, but like the others here, it's only for when you're done for the day.

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

Best left for after the guns are cased up--then everyone can have a cold one and shoot the bull.

[Wag]

No alcohol and guns should be mixed.

Also, let's say you're done shooting and have a beer. Ya gonna get in your car and drive home?

Better to wait until you get home and have all the beer you want. As long as you're not gonna sit down and do some reloading!

No booze on my loading bench, either.

--Wag--

[zippy13]

"Also, let's say you're done shooting and have a beer. Ya gonna get in your car and drive home?"

Not always.
When I've seen some top shooters get embarrassingly boozed is after the shoot-offs at the Saturday night BBQ of a week-end tournament. They just have to be able to make it back to their motor home without getting run-over crossing the parking lot.

[BigJimP]

No, you're not be overlysensitive....

There should be no drinking before / or during a round of Skeet....and if there is, those shooters should be politely asked to put their guns away. If they wouldn't do it voluntarily ....or if the range master wouldn't enforce it ... / I would pack up my guns and leave. I would not shoot on any squad / where somebody had been drinking - not even one beer...!

I do drink / but the comments about drunk driving make no sense ....having one beer and driving or one glass of wine and driving will probably put you under the legal limit in most states ....but 3 or 4 beers will put you over the limit in every state for driving ......

There is a time and place for everything ....and drinking after shooting is fine ...but never during in my opinion.

[RGPM1A]

+1 what the others said. I can't believe the club would allow such behavior with the current liability/lawsuit environment. If somebody gets hurt or any property damage takes place with drinking involved that club will be toast or will never get insurance again.

[mwar410]

could you imagine the headlines? Our club has a no drug/alcohol on premises policy. It may be alittle much at family functions, but there are no questions or problems, and if there is any problem (hopefully) our policy would save our club.
I've had one worse, when someone walked up inbetween rounds and offered a funny smoke, I think the look on my face told him to pack it up and leave, I didn't even say a word.

[oneounceload]

A famous ATA hall of famer had a few at the gun club one day and while driving from the club had a felony DUI (injury accident). It took a while, but he was able to get his guns back since he used them for his "work", but there was a time that it wasn't so rosy......

"Also, let's say you're done shooting and have a beer. Ya gonna get in your car and drive home?"

Some folks have a higher tolerance for alcohol than others, and one or two do not have the same results as they might on others. Everyone needs to know their limitations, whether it is alcohol, scrip meds, highway speed, etc.....

[Mike38]

This past spring I was searching the internet for area rifle ranges. The range I shoot at now is 35 miles away. Doable, but something closer would be nice. I stumbled on a place only 15 miles away that is new. By the looks of the web site they focused on trap and skeet, but did have a 25 & 50 yard .22 range and a 100 yard rifle. So I decided to pay them a visit. Pulled up on my motorcycle near a covered picnic table area where about 20 guys were sitting, near a trap range. No one was shooting, but uncased shotguns and open beers were sitting on the picnic tables. By the looks of a few of the guys, it wasn’t their first beer of the day. I found the owner, asked about the rifle range. Then someone with a beer in hand shouted out let’s shoot some more clay birds. I left, and haven’t been back since. Too bad because the fee for the rifle range is only $10 a day. The place I shoot at now is $25 a day. Alcohol and firearms do not mix. One beer is one too many while shooting. Anyone that attempts to justify it has a problem, and should seek help for it.

[Catalyst]

The presence of alcohol, regardless of the quantity brings about an air of casualness and relaxation that can easilly translate to slacking of safe behavior. I would leave.

[TMackey]

I don't drink but if one beer is too many to shoot skeet, then one beer is too many to drive home.

You are putting far more people at risk driving home than at a skeet range.