Harriw
Member
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2018
- Messages
- 282
I like these threads... They're entertaining, and still serve as an "educational reminder" of sorts. I'm relatively new to shooting (compared to many of you), but realized I actually have a story!
Our local trap/skeet club has 4 skeet fields arranged adjacent to each other such that the "firing line" is one continuous line across all 4 fields (i.e. the cinder-block building that serves as the low house for field 1 also serves as the high house for field 2, etc. A wooden fence further separates each field, so you aren't distracted by what's going on in the field next to you. I suspect this is a fairly standard layout, but don't really know personally.
Anyway, there were only 2 of us on my field and we were finishing up our round. I stepped up to station 8-high, loaded a shell, went through my swing, found my hold-point just off the corner of the high house, finger on trigger, and was about to call "pull..." Just before I called for the bird, somebody on the adjacent field walked out from behind the high-house (their low house) across the firing line and started picking up empty shells that had been thrown 5-10 feet across the line from their station 7. Keep in mind we were at station 8... meaning we'd been shooting for a good 10-15 minutes now (going through stations 1-7 at a fairly brisk pace with only 2 shooters)... There was no mistaking that this was a live range, and people were shooting on this field.
Skeet fields work slightly differently than your typical rifle/pistol range with shooting benches, etc. for obvious reasons. But it's an obvious rule to not go beyond the firing line - that is, don't walk beyond the line drawn between the two houses if ANY field is in use, not just yours. If you do, you're in the field of fire from the fields to your right and/or left. Shells ejected at station 7 are supposed to be left where they lay. If you REALLY want those shells, wait until the entire range is cold (not just your field) and go pick them up then.
Realistically, a typical station 8 shot is taken after the bird travels a short ways and not while aiming just off the corner of the house where my initial hold was... But it was incredibly disconcerting to see a person walk into my sight picture as I was about to shoot... I immediately pointed the muzzle at the ground and put the safety on, while my squad-mate and I discussed whether we were really seeing what we thought we were seeing. I'm ashamed to admit I was so surprised that it took me a few seconds to realize I should eject the shell I'd just chambered.
Being so new to shooting (and to this club) at the time, I didn't feel comfortable going around to their field to say something (and I think to a certain extent I was taking ques from the much-more-senior member I was shooting with). But in hindsight I really should have said something to them regardless. Instead, we just waited them out patiently. I commend all of you who DID say something... Confrontation isn't easy, but the stupid mistakes described in this thread NEED to be addressed. Otherwise these actions continue and somebody gets hurt.
Our local trap/skeet club has 4 skeet fields arranged adjacent to each other such that the "firing line" is one continuous line across all 4 fields (i.e. the cinder-block building that serves as the low house for field 1 also serves as the high house for field 2, etc. A wooden fence further separates each field, so you aren't distracted by what's going on in the field next to you. I suspect this is a fairly standard layout, but don't really know personally.
Anyway, there were only 2 of us on my field and we were finishing up our round. I stepped up to station 8-high, loaded a shell, went through my swing, found my hold-point just off the corner of the high house, finger on trigger, and was about to call "pull..." Just before I called for the bird, somebody on the adjacent field walked out from behind the high-house (their low house) across the firing line and started picking up empty shells that had been thrown 5-10 feet across the line from their station 7. Keep in mind we were at station 8... meaning we'd been shooting for a good 10-15 minutes now (going through stations 1-7 at a fairly brisk pace with only 2 shooters)... There was no mistaking that this was a live range, and people were shooting on this field.
Skeet fields work slightly differently than your typical rifle/pistol range with shooting benches, etc. for obvious reasons. But it's an obvious rule to not go beyond the firing line - that is, don't walk beyond the line drawn between the two houses if ANY field is in use, not just yours. If you do, you're in the field of fire from the fields to your right and/or left. Shells ejected at station 7 are supposed to be left where they lay. If you REALLY want those shells, wait until the entire range is cold (not just your field) and go pick them up then.
Realistically, a typical station 8 shot is taken after the bird travels a short ways and not while aiming just off the corner of the house where my initial hold was... But it was incredibly disconcerting to see a person walk into my sight picture as I was about to shoot... I immediately pointed the muzzle at the ground and put the safety on, while my squad-mate and I discussed whether we were really seeing what we thought we were seeing. I'm ashamed to admit I was so surprised that it took me a few seconds to realize I should eject the shell I'd just chambered.
Being so new to shooting (and to this club) at the time, I didn't feel comfortable going around to their field to say something (and I think to a certain extent I was taking ques from the much-more-senior member I was shooting with). But in hindsight I really should have said something to them regardless. Instead, we just waited them out patiently. I commend all of you who DID say something... Confrontation isn't easy, but the stupid mistakes described in this thread NEED to be addressed. Otherwise these actions continue and somebody gets hurt.