Ricochet and stupid people!

[runtocover]

let me first set the seen I have 8 acers bordering hunting land and I am able to shoot from my porch down a range into a hill 15 feet tall dirt as a back ground. Also if I was the center and the target was 0 degree nothing and no one is in <270 to >90 degrees and they are several hundreds of yards behind me! in short I have a well thought out safe set up. Now lets decuss a neighbor. First no damige was done and my wording and temper was well placed.


Story as I was out my back door no more than 25 feet from the door doing electrical pluming I can plainly hear that their is shooting\plinking taking place and Ricochets buzzing like flys knowing that the sound they make is one hard to judge on how close or far that it truly is. As lead hits a tin shead that I just came out of for tools doing no damige it gave me reassuraence that it sounded close becuse it was.


My action was to walk over and correct their actions as I made a big circle form my back yard to the 20\25 year old kids about 7 of them taking turns plinking some 2x4 wood scraps with loose lava rock flat back drop I noted that if their spot of standing was the center and wood 2x4 was 0 degrees about 20 yards away it placed my house at 10 degrees left and 400 yards out. as I made the few closing steps to making contact the kid holding what looked like a glock I would say 40s&w with the spent caseings that he was standing on.


With attiude written all over his face as he decides to greet his buddys neighbor or me with *what* as at the same time he has the semi auto pointing down doing a im a punk charging of the fresh clip he had loaded. I will finsh the story in two weeks. but I am curious to what you would have said, or done at this point. And in sommery I work hard to keep the right to bare firarms and strongly aggree that good gun control is the use of two hands but stupid people still piss me off.

 

[runtocover]

I’m sure the problem as been solved the owner of the home that is the 20\25 year olds dad. He was not home, but is to shoe some horses for me in the next couple week’s hints why the story stopped. He the dad Is a great person and I’m sure when he gets word of the actions of this troubled young man he will take the proper Corse of action.

The neighbor boy was embarrassed his lippy buddy on the other hand wow he had this attitude of I know guns and this hand gun won’t shoot that far. It was more than the attitude he said those exact words to me. Ha I am shocked he knows so much about guns!
Having lead fly my way no problem no fun but no problem no damige was done. Having an s***h*** telling me I’m the Dum one that’s true anger! I truly hope for the sake of the neighbor boy he finds better friends.

 

[Der Stro]

Paragraphs would go a long way here, it's a bit difficult to read.

I would ask them to change their backstop because you're catching shrapnel in your property. If they refuse and are rude about it, I'd call the sheriff before a chunk of lead cracks a window. If he gets really nasty you can always have him booked for assault/brandishing.

It's not so much stupid people as it is those who have no respect for anyone or anything that make me angry.

 

[TwoWheelFiend]

I understand your frustration

I live in a town in VT in pretty much the middle of nowhere. My house is right on the boarder of thousands of acres of state land.

A few months ago i was outside splitting wood and i could hear gunshots off in the distance. Then I started hearing bullets whiz by me and through my yard! I'm outside, my dad is helping me and my two dogs are running around. Turns out there are some kids (mid teens i'd guess) down at a camp about 200yds through the woods shooting at targets on the woodline right in the direction of my house. I got in my truck, drove down there and very nice and calmly told them they were almost hitting me and asked them to stop shooting. Thankfully they apologized and said they were done.

I find most of the time an armed society is truly a polite society.

 

[theCloud]

Depends on who is armed.

You meet some good and decent people who just happened to be armed and you couldn't imagine nicer people. And at the same time, if you go to the bad part of town, plenty of people there are armed- but they have no qualms about shooting somebody in the head during a robbery (for a hundred dollars) or somebody outside of a club or bar getting shot because they bumped into somebody else.

 

[TwoWheelFiend]

I base that comment on the fact that most people are good. So if 70% of people own guns and most people are good that math works for me.

 

[AethelstanAegen]

I think Der Stro has the right idea. If someone isn't embarassed and sorry they nearly killed you with richochets and refuses to change their shooting set up, I'd say it's time to call the police before they kill someone and give all shooters a bad name. If you can't be bothered to have a propper backstop and aren't sorry that you nearly killed someone, you're either too stupid or too irresponsible for gun ownership and probably both. So depending on the rest of your story, I'd say a call to the local police or sheriff might be in order if it happens again.

 

[gamestalker]

The fact that firearms are inherently risky should be enough for the average person to take steps to reduce the risk. However, having been nearly killed multiple times over the many years of shooting and hunting by those less than aware of the obvious, has left me more than cautious, as well, careful about where I do my firearm related recreating.
I would most deffinitely address the issue face to face with a tone of concern but presented with respect. if they respond with a rude tone and refuse to take responsibilty by assuring you they will fix the issue, I would not hesitate to take it to the next level, law enforcement intervention. Most folks are understanding and as stated, even embarrassed they made a mistake of such severity. But not everyone is responsible, those individuals have earned the revocation of their firearm privilages. Trust me, your not being harsh or over reacting, guns don't kill people, people kill people!

 

[doc2rn]

Ok so your neighbor has what he considers a reasonable range, but the issue is ricochettes which can do significant harm and dammage. First, cool down, I have been shot at before and nothin gets your adrenaline flowing like a close call. Second, how you approach the neighbor is either gonna make him regret using lava rock, or put him on the defensive (bull seeing red aproach). Remember you are aproaching and individual who is holding a firearm, so if this alarms you DONT GO.
Most will simply apologize, and correct the issue before attempting further shooting. It may also behoove you to offer to assist with ideas on how to build a better backstop. You can either make a new shootin buddy or you can start a backyard war, the choice is yours.

 

[Shadow 7D]

Call the neighbor and explain the next time you will be sending him the bill for whatever get's hit and offer to help him set up a shooting range that is safe.

In many to most places in the country, you can shoot what you want. but once the bullet leaves you property, you start having legal issues.

 

[RAINS]

I know how you feel. I nearly got shot in the head by some folks shooting across a paved road. I mean we are talking landing craft scene in saving private Ryan close. When i talked to them they told me it was my fault for riding my bicycle on a paved public road. I let the Sheriff take it from there.
If you get the slightest flack or scene that your neighbor might do it again file a police report. If the police won't do anything call your lawyer. If you can't afford a lawyer then call a local TV station. Give'em Hell! As a responsible gun owner it is your duty to do so. Hope it all works out for you! Good luck buddy!