Host please move as needed. Just a safety reminder; it could be the other guy that hits your car! I couldn't think of another description. Lovely day, take the 1926 Ithaca NID out for a ride. Went to shoot skeet today at my local range. Focused on getting ready, happy to run my lovely SxS again. So I sat at the picnic rest table about 15 yards behind Stations 2-3 while waiting for the on-field crew to complete their round. I noticed a couple guys in the crew were of latter age, however one seemed to move about like my father (early 80's in age). At least he's still ambulatory, I Know! However, what i really noticed was this gentleman, decked out rather richly in shooting attire, was having minor trouble keeping his muzzle directed "downrange" while fiddling with loading. And also while concluding a shot and while still in the box.

Then, while he was standing in the box at low house Station 7, he took one shot but had some malfunction. He proceeded to try to clear the malfunction by partly bending over at the waist and leveling the shotgun with his paws all over the receiver. Yes, w/ his back against the house, while trying to clear the gun he proceeded to intermittently sweep the field with the muzzle, occasionally swinging it even PAST my direction.

Pretty much simultaneously, my gut told me to take cover so I stood up and told the fellow who just came off the line the issue and we both hopped back some yards and stood behind a very thick concrete light post. I wasn't going to stand around exposed or walk across a field to address this right then. I presumed that during my distraction to move to cover in haste that the RO handled it.

As we muttered to one another, the malfunction appeared fixed and the crew moved to the center, Station 8. He attempted to take a shot, then again bent over to help clear a malfunction by way of same process above. Bent over, muzzle leveled and swinging erratically this way and that while he fixated on the receiver. And BANG! Shot the damn high house Station 1 wall in an area about 4 feet up above ground level. If the gun was pointed another 30 degrees wide it would've been a decent total body shot on us. He never much reacted, was allowed and proceeded to shoot the station, and walked off to the picnic table. His compatriots (none of whom seemed to know him) were seething. Yet this man, who for all sense didn't care a wit as to what just preceeded, went about his chatty business and eventually picked up and left. I chastised the range officer.

It reminds me of an octgenarian who being parked in front of a store on Main Street just up and starts the car and plows forward into the building. Always they stand outside as though they were simply a witness and seem none to bothered of loss of property, much less potentially of life and limb. I'm afraid the range was being much too polite today and I have a scathing letter to write the county which runs it.

Maybe it's just his being callous, perhaps too proud, I don't know but I see a little of my dad in him, no harm no foul with a touch of in my dad's case his latter age results in this aspect of losing the ability to process things in three-dimension, that is, his being too uni-dimensionally focused on a task without paying attention to the bigger picture.

The gentleman above had a really nicely stocked semi-auto (didn't pay much attention to make) which may have been part of the problem, however, my point is ALWAYS take care to observe the field and firstly protect yourself. We may have looked silly out of all caution hiding behind the concrete post, but "it" could've happened.

There comes a time for all of us..... I think it is better to be the bad guy and insist that the old guy be disarmed and removed from the range than to have to watch his agony after he maims or kills someone.....and it's much better for his prospective unsuspecting victim.

too bad...but, maybe he learned something that day as well?

Thank you for posting this. The RO should have intervened. But since he didn't, it would have been perfectly acceptable for you to say something.

I have seen similar things and am myself getting into that precarious age. I'm in my 70s and most of the guys I shoot and hunt with are also. We are all aware of the possibilities of our frailties and we do watch each other and will comment if necessary.

We also use only doublegun shotguns and bolt-action or double rifles. I personally will not hunt with someone using an autoloader.

There does come a time when we all have to pack it in. And hopefully we do it before we cause a tragedy.

Well this thread is a downer. I hope I'll realize it when it comes time for me to put it all down. My wife and children are already on my back about hunting alone...Geo

My son had a "negligent discharge" while shooting sporting clays two years ago(he was 8 YO). I think that when he used his thumb to push forward the safety his fingers instinctively came back and tripped the trigger. The reason I mention it is that other than there being no target in the sky you could not tell he didn't intend to fire. The gun was pointed safely downrange, exactly where he was going to shoot at the target. Proper muzzle control is, to me, the most important part of safe gun handling. Even if there hadn't been a shot fired at that skeet range today the response should have been swift to remind the old guy where his gun was pointed. I will, right or wrong, tell anyone if they sweep people with their muzzle. I would thank anyone who would tell me the same thing if I were in the wrong.
CHAZ

The members of the squad are responsible for this shooter's behavior. They should have intervened. End of story.

And, if I read the map correctly- lower bottom left- they have a shooter's table named after a Navy ship- the US Picninc--wonder what class- must have occurred on a USN Base- where they have a Base recreation Skeet Field--

Some years ago, in Nov-- our area Rod and Gun Club had their annual running deer target competition- A man had his 13 year old son on the range, in the middle peg of a five man stand- each shooter took his turn in order, from peg one to peg five-- Three shots, with various scores on the moving targets at 75 yards-- The boy had a M-1 Carbine with a short magazine, and fired the first shot, the apparently had either a hang-fire or a miss-fire- if he had kept the muzzle pointed either at the ground, or down range towards the target, OK- the RO could have taken charge- but he turned around 180 degrees with the bolt closed and the muzzle sweeping the crowd- old USMC Boot Camp and ITR training took over- I hit the deck- others didn't- fortunately the weapon didn't fire- RO took over, and the boy's father couldn't understand what his son had done wrong-- Nowadays, except for sighting in Day at fixed targets, I don't use Rod and Gun clubs for sighting in, and as I have never been a clays shooter, don't do much of that either. But I agree- NO gun is ever safer than the man holding it, but I feel less threatened by a potential disaster like this when others are using break-action shotguns, and not pumps or autoloaders--

His squad members should have been all over him the first time that muzzle wandered from pointing down range.I've even seen it happen with younger shooters who thought they knew it all.I'll never forget the autopsy of a guy, shot by an irritated husband, that was so far away that the #6 shot was spread from his head to his ankle. He died instantly from one #6 in his temple. The shooter was sure that all he would do was dust him with shot and scare him away from further contact with his wife.

If you still think Obama is the best man to run this country, your time already has come!

I don't understand Keith's comment as it pertains to the quote. I most certainly don't understand the comments about range officers. Range officers don't have a whit to do with immediate correction of bad shotgun range behavior. It's all about the squad members or a spectator in close proximity.

Let's see now...

Repeated function problems.

Idiot.

Fancy stocked semi-auto.

Somehow it all fits.

Just as very young children have their own reality so do many older citizens.We think it cute in 4 year olds but not so much with 80 year old drivers and skeet shooters.

Hopefully we will all get to reach this age and still be able to shoot, but age does not have to bring on stupidity. It seems to me that he has always been this way with no regard to safety. And yes, the squad should have said something to him. When the discharge incident happened, he should have been led off the field by the RO who had been told about it before, after all it is his job.

eightbore, to explain my comment on Gnomoron's post... he was one of the guys who adamantly (and dishonestly) insisted that Obama was no threat to the Second Amendment. He continued to do this even though it was obvious that Obama was an avowed anti-gunner through his Operation Fast and Furious, his anti-gun Supreme Court picks, his anti-gun V.P choice, his administration's reversal of the Bush position on the U.N. Small Arms Treaty, his disagreement with the Heller and McDonald Supreme Court decisions that affirmed the 2nd provided an Individual Right to Keep and Bear Arms, his promise to Sarah Brady to pursue gun control "under the radar", his appointment of an anti-gunner to head BATF, and his 100% anti-gun voting record as an Illinois and U.S. Senator.

I was just trying to say that one could cause damage to a high house skeet station through an accidental discharge, or one could cause even greater damage to their country by voting for someone like Obama who has an obvious agenda to erode and eliminate one of our Constitutional Civil Rights. That's all.

Typical liberal response from a Obama supporter, blame the gun and not the person-or those that where there to prevent this from happening.

Select fire,Semi Auto,double barrel,bolt action it does not matter if the guy does not control his muzzle then its just a matter of time until something like that happens.

I don't get the disdain for anyone shooting something that doesn't have two barrels. In this day and age we need to encourage every shooter we can, and enforce safe gun handling practices on all of them. I like SxSs, but I also like to shoot clays with my semi autos. I know I have pissed off many a shooter over muzzle direction, and quite frankly I don't give a damn, and I will do it again and each and every time I see an infraction. Too late after something goes bad wrong.

I attend continental hunts with some frequency. I find this to be the common theme that certainly relates:

Doubleguns = proper attire + proper sportsmanship + proper respect for game + good shooting.

Pumps and Autos = a$$h@le in jeans + crappy shooting + unsafe gun handling.

A properly trained gentleman can shoot anything safely, however stereotypes are telling 95% of the time.

Good grief. How 1950s.

I find the statement above beyond ridiculous. Although I shoot and hunt with doubles 99% of the time now, my Dad and Uncles who brought me into the sport and shaped my attitudes toward safety were all pump and auto guys. I was allowed to use only single shots until I could prove safe gun handling habits and shooting prowess. I was continually warned that even one minor infraction such as swinging my muzzle at any other person for any reason... loaded or unloaded... was grounds to be banned from ever accompanying them again. I had no question that they meant this. They flat out told me they would never hunt with anyone who might accidently shoot someone. No second chances! Period!

Most of the folks I've hunted and shot with since those days also use something besides doubleguns. Very very few have exhibited poor shooting and unsafe gun handling in spite of the fact that many wore jeans and shot pumps and autos. I think the fact that most states have mandatory hunter safety courses now for beginners, some of the bad habits that were passed on from one generation to another have slowly been bred out of the sport. The statistics for accidental shootings and fatalities among hunters and shooters bears this out. To say that "Pumps and Autos = a$$holes in jeans+ crappy shooting + unsafe gun handling" is just wrong and it gives factually incorrect ammunition to anti-gunners.

You know, as we American's love to rip on the aristocratic, Tory loving, "pompous Brits", I'd like to remind you that they have few of the safety problems we do in the States.

So you may take my statements to be as arrogant and aristocratic as those Brits that seem to better regulate their shoots than we do.

I thought if only I'd join an American club that was built like a prestigious country club, some of those British sensibilities towards safety and etiquette would prevail. After spending what I consider a kings ransom, and having shot with several affluent shooters known in the US business world, I have to report no such luck.

In 40+ hunts and shoots this year, I've had guns aimed at my head too many times to count, misfires twice, hunts with idiots carrying guns with safeties off numerous times, etc.

Steroeotypical person that will get you shot: 50 year old avid hunter. Just old enough to not have been required to take hunter safety by law in any state. They also abide my previous MO. Curiously, they tend to be the most affluent of people with the least pleasing attire. It all seems to tie together as a pervasive stereotype.

I think familiarity breeds contempt,or at least the perception of such.I have seen poor muzzle control among elite combat troops in dangerous situations where an unintended discharge would likely have seriously impacted the outcome whether anyone was hit or not.One of my best friends was killed in Vietnam by such a discharge. The guy behind him had his muzzle pointed at Bob's back and when he stumbled he pulled the trigger and sent a bullet into Bob's rear end. Bob died on the operating table. I have never been polite when correcting an errant muzzle and make no apologizes for it.

A properly trained 'Person' can shoot anything safely.

Stereotypes are just that,,stereotypes.

Everyone has favorites when it comes to firearms,,everyone has friends they like to shoot with,,or not.
To judge simply by their clothing and the firearm they choose as to wether someone is a skilled shot, a safe gun handler and an all around a$$hole or not is quite a system.

Lot's of Vets would have a problem with the formula.

Cowboy Shooters use SxS's all the time.
They're about the safest group of range shooters around.
Is their attire OK..?

To the OP,,one of the skeet squad should have stepped in and taken charge when the older gent was having a problem.
Waving a loaded shotgun willy-nilly around the skeet grounds no matter the reason & no matter the shooter is not a time for anyone within reach to be silent about it.

We all need to be reminded at some point. A little wake up call perhaps that we noticed ourselves and no one else did,,yet. Or something that is loudly brought to our attention by the squad.
Hurt feelings are one thing,,but an ounce & 1/8 into someone's body hurts a lot more.

"Cowboy Shooters use SxS's all the time.
They're about the safest group of range shooters around.
Is their attire OK..?"

I was going to say something about cowboy action shoots. I played that game for a while, and they are very safely run. They had a 170 degree rule about guns pointed downrange, and anyone breaking the plane was warned about it immediately.
CHAZ

As a retired master sgt I have run many ranges as either a range officer or range safety officer. I have run ranges at Boy Scout camp as a shooting sports director. I have coached junior shooters for many years. I shoot frequently on my club's range. Youth, if properly trained usually are very safe. As we get older we tend to know it all and become sloppy.
When I train youth I tell them that there is one range command that they must give. If they see an unsafe act they are to call cease fire. Anyone who sees an unsafe act has the obligation to call a cease fire and get the situation rectified. If anyone on a range points a firearm at me I will assume that it is loaded and will call a cease fire! I have had people upset with me, but it is better to have them upset than to be dead.