Guns and alchohol consumption - Poll

[American_Pit_Bull]

I will drink a serving of alcohol while out to dinner with my wife... I am armed and I am driving home.

If a person is responsible enough to know their limits (in this case a very small limit) then it is acceptable. A 200lb. man drinking one beer is the equivalent to my wife taking a shot of cough syrup.

"Zero tolerance rules" are created for people that lack common sense and self restraint.

I have had my BAC tested, using a federally approved device, after drinking two servings of alcohol with dinner.
My BAC was 0.01... No impairment is present at that level.

 

[19-3Ben]

I'm with DogBonz. I like a good drink. No doubt about it. But I don't get drunk. I actually just drink because of the drink. Not for the effect. I may have, let's say 2-3 drinks a week total. Rarely more, commonly less.

I also CCW everywhere I go. Even at home, I always have guns nearby. If I just have one drink, I don't bother to put them all away. usually I will put all but one, just so that I have one in case I need it. I know for a fact that one drink does not inhibit, slow me down, or do anything else to me.
If I have more than one drink, all guns and ammo get locked up. 2 drinks will STILL have absolutely no effect on me. But I don't take chances. Guns and booze ar a bad mix. period.

 

[BrianB]

I agree that some folks are responsible and can have just 1 or 2 and be fine. But we're talking about firearms here. We follow the 4 rules ALL the time, not just when the gun is loaded, right? I'd rather be 100% sure I'm safe and forgo the acid reflux.

 

[03Shadowbob]

I don't condone drinking and shooting for obvious reasons but when I think of drinking, I think of having more than 4 or 5 beers. In years past, I would say I have been "legally drunk" and fired a gun before however, legally doesn't mean anything when 2 beers in an hour makes me legally drunk.

 

[MrDig]

I have no problem with people drinking. I have no problem with people shooting firearms. I have a problem with people doing both in conjunction with one another.
I am for the record an Alcoholic. I am certain that I have handled firearms Extremely Hung Over, So Hung over I was quite likely still Legally Intoxicated. I learned at a young age from very wise uncles If you are drinking don't handle firearms. But they never said anything about the night before.
Thank God I never hurt anybody and Thank God I am sober Today

 

[pax]

Idiots are idiots, drunk or sober.

Idiots should never handle guns.

Some smart folks become idiots after swallowing a single drop of demon rum.

Idiots should never handle guns.

pax

 

[sansone]

I'm reading posts and wondering if all are answering honestly. I'm 52yrs old and know exactly when feeling impaired. my favorite pastime is when my good old buddy comes over with his 10/22 and a tiny cooler. we split the sixpack of ice cold beer while shooting holes in the empty ones. when his cooler is empty(3 each) we PUT AWAY the 10/22's. Sometimes I go inside and get more cold ones(the guns are gone). after this weekend ritual we can face another week of labors. ok, flame me now

 

[The Canuck]

Hey, where's the "me and my buddies will go for a few beers after the range, but not before"?

 

[Taurus 66]

DON'T DRINK AND SHOOT!

The recoil might make you spill your beer.

 

[Deavis]

ahh yes, the moral weighting in question asking. The poll is worded like a VPC or NRA mailing. Gallup would not be happy.

Go have the beers AFTER shooting, but never while carrying

Why wasn't that an option? To each his own. If you can handle it, fine. If you screw up, I'll be the first to send you to jail with my vote on a jury. Until you screw up, your choice.

 

[MilsurpShooter]

I'm 6 foot 2 on the upper end of 260 pounds. I don't drink often, sometimes I'll have a Jack and Coke, sometimes I'll have a beer as I'm on my computer and it's getting near bed. It's rare that I drink to get drunk, I never liked the buzzed/drunk feeling personally. Anyhow, if I have one beer, it's an automatic hour wait. I won't drive home if I can help it at all actually. Overly cautious, perhaps but I've volunteered at a hospital and seen way to many drunk driving horror stories.

All said and done, I'll never drink alcohol and shoot, my personal belief. I may, very rarely, have one while cleaning however. And that's only after a few certain rules are met. Gun is verified unloaded and ammo is stored in it's proper container (I've a few locking toolboxes that I store it all in). Keys are out of my pocket and on the key hook up stairs. Pretty much the only access to brass is the once fired, re-sized stuff that's not re-loaded yet. I personally look at drinking and shooting the same as drunken driving.

Again, my own personal feelings on it not meant to offend anyone who might.

 

[Deanimator]

Last year, the club to which I belong 86ed a new member for showing up so drunk he actually dropped his firearm on the floor. He wasn run off the range and his dues check returned to him.

Shortly thereafter he made the news by being arrested for drunk driving with several loaded firearms in his car. He was a dentist. If I'm not mistaken, he was being investigated for practicing dentistry while intoxicated.

We don't tolerate drinking and shooting. I consider our club and range the best in Cuyahoga County. One person shot through stupidity, and I could end up having to use one of the essentially unsupervised public ranges.

 

[kellyj00]

alcohol and fishing go along almost as well as alcohol and target practice.

I wouldn't shoot while 'drunk' but I don't see any problem with a little backwoods target practice and a few drinks.

I would say it's not safe, but I've done it many many times and don't consider it a big deal. If you're with someone irresponsible, however...definitely want to get them off the beer when they start talking about shooting things that are unsafe or if they start to lose respect for the power of a bullet, like pointing the gun in unsafe directions.

It's best to drink between shooting, rather than while you're pulling the trigger. After a few magazines have a beer while reloading and bs'ing while you're sitting on the tailgate, then get back to it.

Shooting is a casual thing between us though, if we were shooting distance or tactical practice then alcohol would just ruin the practice. Putting holes in milk jugs after a bud light or two is just good fun.

edit: if you're going to the range, then drinking before hand just isn't a good idea. In an area where folks might be opposed to your alcohol consumption while shooting is just disrespectful. You should respect the rights of everyone interested in shooting sports and take your beer/gun combo out to the backwoods or an open field somewhere where you pose no risk to anyone who isn't drinking.

 

[morcoth]

I used to drink socialy, now I carry, havent had a drink in years, really dont miss it. Would I target shoot drunk? Never, just try to play pool drunk, without touching the table, same situation, but instead of loseing a buck, someone loses thier life.

To all those that "dont mind" or "can handle it", have a nice day, far away.

Nuff said

Morcoth

 

[Biker]

Fair enough. I get the Quaker Oats guy's share. As Martha would say, "That's a *good thing*!"

Biker

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Answer Not Available

As usual, it's almost not possible to craft a survey that has every possible answer.

I don't drink. (Certain holidays, certain wines, certain circumstances excepted.)

Some of my friends do.

Some of them are incoherent after a glass of wine or two.

Some of them are fine after a sixpack.

The ones I shoot with are always in command of their faculties, whether there's been a beer or three or none.

Never been to the range with alcohol. Probably won't either.

If Jim the contractor wants to go shooting after most of a sixpack, I'm cool with that. If Joe the teacher wants to go shooting after a glass of wine, I'm sending him home -- and his wife will drive.

A man's gotta know his limitations.

 

[R33P3R]

I don't go out of my way to drink and shoot, but up the mountains the sunday before opening of whitetail, we almost always shoot in while having a few.

 

[mmissile]

I'll tie one on after shooting, and in an appropriate place. I don't think consumption and firearms go together at all. Too mant accidental dicharges of firearms, without the distraction.

 

[.cheese.]

why is there no option for "I like chocolate milk!" ??

 

[beaucoup ammo]

I don't care for the options offered. For that reason, I didn't cast a vote. I haven't had a drink or tobacco since 1-2-'96. I don't think it's disgusting, and many friends do drink..I drive! Very popular guy in that respect!:O)

I firmly believe that guns and alcohol, marihuchee or anything else that alters your senses... prescription drugs for example..do not mix.

That's my rule of thumb..don't drink and plink!

 

[SoCalShooter]

Well if you dont drink the beer what are ya gonna have to shoot at?

 

[hso]

The poll should include No drinking until after the shooting is done and you'd get a lot clearer responses.

 

[possum]

i couldn't really vote to the exact truth because it wasn't an option but i voted for the one that best describes me. i drank once after i got back from iraq the first time and i swore i would never do it again. i do not think it is disgusting by no means, but just something i don't do. even if i was a drinker i wouldn't drank and shoot, to me it is like drinking and driving. just my .02

 

[trueblue1776]

WOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

-POW-POW-POW-

My AR-15 has a bottle opener on the quad rail and a whiskey flask in the stock.

My barrel mounted 37mm launcher is really a water bong.

 

[CajunBass]

I don't drink alcohol. At all.