Talking about shooting advices

[Alan]

I was at the range the other day, talking with a new shooter. This guy was enthusiastic and driven, but he was also overwhelmed with “advice” from every uncle and neighbor. It reminded me of the useful bits I got when I was starting out… and some of the junk I wish I could un-hear.

So I'm curious....

What’s the best and the worst shooting advice you’ve ever gotten? And if you could offer some wisdom to a new shooter, what would you share? Let’s get some insights from the experts!

 

[cp1969]

I don't recall getting any advice and I sure could have used some.

Like, No closed bolts in cars. Learned that one the HARD way.

 

[Alan]

I don't recall getting any advice and I sure could have used some.

Like, No closed bolts in cars. Learned that one the HARD way.

Would love to know the story behind that....

 

[cp1969]

Would love to know the story behind that....

I think I've already told this story but here goes...

A friend and I had been out deer hunting but were unsuccessful, so we decided to go back to town and get some lunch, then try another place. We were both using Model 700 Remington rifles. My friend had already gotten in the truck and I was just opening the driver's door to get in when my ears were met with the most God-awful blast I had ever heard and the cab of my truck was filled with smoke and melted floor mat particles.

My friend was sitting, motionless, with his hands covering his eyes. His left foot had been right beside the muzzle of his gun when it fired. It must have hurt because he asked me to look and see if his foot was OK, which it was. At that point, he got out and threw that rifle as far as he could, into a muddy field.

As I walked around the front of the truck to retrieve the rifle, I saw liquid running out of the engine compartment. I opened the hood and saw that not only had the bullet deflected upward and poked a big hole in the radiator before it exited through the grill, what deflected it was the starter cable, which was now cut in two. We had a three-mile walk back to my house.

The worse thing was, that gun had done the same thing the day before but he attributed it to the fact that his trigger finger WAS on or near the trigger when he flipped the safety off with the thumb of his right hand. But this time, he flipped the safety off with the thumb of his left hand, with no fingers anywhere close to the trigger.

The TV program 60 Minutes had a segment about the 'Walker' trigger on Remington rifles but this was years before it aired. Remington changed the trigger so that the gun could be unloaded without moving the safety to 'fire.' Our fix was to treat the gun as if it had no safety at all and not close the bolt until ready to fire.

If you want to call us 'stupid', go right ahead: We are in total agreement with you. But keep in mind, neither of us grew up with a father who taught us anything about gun safety--we had to learn most of it the hard way.

 

[Alan]

I think I've already told this story but here goes...

A friend and I had been out deer hunting but were unsuccessful, so we decided to go back to town and get some lunch, then try another place. We were both using Model 700 Remington rifles. My friend had already gotten in the truck and I was just opening the driver's door to get in when my ears were met with the most God-awful blast I had ever heard and the cab of my truck was filled with smoke and melted floor mat particles.

My friend was sitting, motionless, with his hands covering his eyes. His left foot had been right beside the muzzle of his gun when it fired. It must have hurt because he asked me to look and see if his foot was OK, which it was. At that point, he got out and threw that rifle as far as he could, into a muddy field.

As I walked around the front of the truck to retrieve the rifle, I saw liquid running out of the engine compartment. I opened the hood and saw that not only had the bullet deflected upward and poked a big hole in the radiator before it exited through the grill, what deflected it was the starter cable, which was now cut in two. We had a three-mile walk back to my house.

The worse thing was, that gun had done the same thing the day before but he attributed it to the fact that his trigger finger WAS on or near the trigger when he flipped the safety off with the thumb of his right hand. But this time, he flipped the safety off with the thumb of his left hand, with no fingers anywhere close to the trigger.

The TV program 60 Minutes had a segment about the 'Walker' trigger on Remington rifles but this was years before it aired. Remington changed the trigger so that the gun could be unloaded without moving the safety to 'fire.' Our fix was to treat the gun as if it had no safety at all and not close the bolt until ready to fire.

If you want to call us 'stupid', go right ahead: We are in total agreement with you. But keep in mind, neither of us grew up with a father who taught us anything about gun safety--we had to learn most of it the hard way.

I’ve come across plenty of close-call hunting stories over the years, but this one really stands out because you can almost feel how quickly things went south. In just a split second, there’s a loud bang, and suddenly you’re checking on your buddy’s foot while coolant is gushing out of a hole that shouldn’t even be there. That’s the kind of moment that sticks with you for life. I’ve never had much faith in those older 700 triggers, especially after hearing so many similar accounts. That whole “it goes off when you flip the safety” thing isn’t just some internet myth... It’s real, and your experience backs that up. The fix that Remington finally rolled out was long overdue, and you guys were smart to treat the rifle as if it had no safety at all.

What really resonates with me is how openly you shared your experience. Most people would probably keep that kind of incident under wraps out of shame, but you chose to be transparent so that others don’t have to learn the hard way. That’s the kind of honesty that genuinely makes the community safer. I’m just glad that both of you made it out okay, even if your truck didn’t. Stories like this serve as a reminder for all of us to never let our guard down.