WASHINGTON STATE MOUNTED SHOOTERS
2007 SAFETY GUIDELINES
ALL RIDERS MUST READ, UNDERSTAND AND ADHERE TO THE FOLLOWING
Safety
in Gun Handling:
Safety is the single most important rule to practice in Mounted Shooting, as it is in any sport that involves guns. Even though Mounted Shooters do not use ammo that has a projectile, a shooter should always be aware of their surroundings when handling their weapon, and treat it as though they have live ammo loaded into it. Mounted Shooting is fun and exciting, but that excitement should always remain second to safety. As shooters, we are responsible for everyone around us, including other competitors and spectators, and for maintaining a high standard of safety. Gun handling is a very serious responsibility, as any firearm can be lethal if used improperly. Guns should be treated with the utmost respect at all times and the potential power of the weapon should NEVER be taken lightly.
Guidelines:
Always treat your firearm as if it were loaded and always point your gun in a safe direction. Loaded or not, you should NEVER allow the muzzle to cover anything which you do not want to destroy (ONLY your balloon target). Your gun should ALWAYS be pointed either straight up or straight down. Remember, when you take your gun out to use it, watch the muzzle and keep it pointed in a safe direction. Never point your firearm at or anywhere near other people.
Learn how your gun operates. At the very least, you need to know how to determine if the gun is loaded, how to load and unload it, and what to do if the action "jams". Get an experienced shooter to help you if you need to. Never be afraid to ask questions. Experienced shooters take questions as a sign of healthy interest, and are happy to help a novice. Whenever you handle any gun, open it and make certain that it is unloaded. If you do not understand a gun which is new to you, do not handle it until you learn how it works (e.g. Ruger vs. Colt - they operate differently).
Gun check: Never cock your hammer until you are ready to pull the trigger. This means, you should not cock the hammer until you are within a few feet of your target. Not only is this a safety issue, but it could cost you missed target penalties if you accidentally discharge your round prior to engaging the target. As a safety issue, and for example, if your horse stumbles or balks and your gun is cocked, you could accidentally shoot your horse or yourself. This could not only injure you, but could also injure your horse... and as a result, would take you some time to get him to forgive you. It could be detrimental to the training progress and willingness of your horse to accept gunfire.
Never allow your loaded firearm out of your control. If you can not be absolutely certain of its status and who might have access to it, be sure to unload it. When you hand a firearm to someone else, make sure it is unloaded or that you have made it clear to them that it is loaded. Verbalize the expectation that it to be handed to you in the same condition.
Never accept a firearm that you are not certain how to operate safely. A lack of knowledge constitutes extreme danger to you and those around you. Until you understand how the firearm operates, leave it alone.
If you determine that those around you are not operating in a safe manner, consider pointing this out to them. If you are uncomfortable with approaching them, or if they continue to operate in an unsafe manner, leave the area and inform a range officer.
It is important to remember that we are all responsible to keep Mounted Shooting a sport that we can all participate in freely. If even one person lowers their guard on safety and becomes injured somehow, it could fuel the fire of those who are "anti-gun", and it could hurt all of us.
Never hesitate to ask questions of your match or practice official. Knowledge in safety is the key to prevention.
CMSA RULES
14) SAFETY
a) All contestants are responsible for their own personal safety and that of their horse. They should also remain alert for other unsafe conditions and/or unsafe conduct by others. All contestants are considered line judges and should take immediate action to remedy an unsafe condition or confront anyone whose conduct is unsafe.
15) Safety Rules and Guidelines:
a) All firearms shall be treated as if they are loaded.
h) No firearm shall be cocked until immediately prior to engaging a target.
i) Competitors are expected to compete safely within their individual capabilities at all times. Do not try to “over ride” your own horsemanship skills. Control your firearm’s muzzle direction at all times.
Safety is the single most important rule to practice in Mounted Shooting, as it is in any sport that involves guns. Even though Mounted Shooters do not use ammo that has a projectile, a shooter should always be aware of their surroundings when handling their weapon, and treat it as though they have live ammo loaded into it. Mounted Shooting is fun and exciting, but that excitement should always remain second to safety. As shooters, we are responsible for everyone around us, including other competitors and spectators, and for maintaining a high standard of safety. Gun handling is a very serious responsibility, as any firearm can be lethal if used improperly. Guns should be treated with the utmost respect at all times and the potential power of the weapon should NEVER be taken lightly.
Guidelines:
Always treat your firearm as if it were loaded and always point your gun in a safe direction. Loaded or not, you should NEVER allow the muzzle to cover anything which you do not want to destroy (ONLY your balloon target). Your gun should ALWAYS be pointed either straight up or straight down. Remember, when you take your gun out to use it, watch the muzzle and keep it pointed in a safe direction. Never point your firearm at or anywhere near other people.
Learn how your gun operates. At the very least, you need to know how to determine if the gun is loaded, how to load and unload it, and what to do if the action "jams". Get an experienced shooter to help you if you need to. Never be afraid to ask questions. Experienced shooters take questions as a sign of healthy interest, and are happy to help a novice. Whenever you handle any gun, open it and make certain that it is unloaded. If you do not understand a gun which is new to you, do not handle it until you learn how it works (e.g. Ruger vs. Colt - they operate differently).
Gun check: Never cock your hammer until you are ready to pull the trigger. This means, you should not cock the hammer until you are within a few feet of your target. Not only is this a safety issue, but it could cost you missed target penalties if you accidentally discharge your round prior to engaging the target. As a safety issue, and for example, if your horse stumbles or balks and your gun is cocked, you could accidentally shoot your horse or yourself. This could not only injure you, but could also injure your horse... and as a result, would take you some time to get him to forgive you. It could be detrimental to the training progress and willingness of your horse to accept gunfire.
Never allow your loaded firearm out of your control. If you can not be absolutely certain of its status and who might have access to it, be sure to unload it. When you hand a firearm to someone else, make sure it is unloaded or that you have made it clear to them that it is loaded. Verbalize the expectation that it to be handed to you in the same condition.
Never accept a firearm that you are not certain how to operate safely. A lack of knowledge constitutes extreme danger to you and those around you. Until you understand how the firearm operates, leave it alone.
If you determine that those around you are not operating in a safe manner, consider pointing this out to them. If you are uncomfortable with approaching them, or if they continue to operate in an unsafe manner, leave the area and inform a range officer.
It is important to remember that we are all responsible to keep Mounted Shooting a sport that we can all participate in freely. If even one person lowers their guard on safety and becomes injured somehow, it could fuel the fire of those who are "anti-gun", and it could hurt all of us.
Never hesitate to ask questions of your match or practice official. Knowledge in safety is the key to prevention.
CMSA RULES
14) SAFETY
a) All contestants are responsible for their own personal safety and that of their horse. They should also remain alert for other unsafe conditions and/or unsafe conduct by others. All contestants are considered line judges and should take immediate action to remedy an unsafe condition or confront anyone whose conduct is unsafe.
15) Safety Rules and Guidelines:
a) All firearms shall be treated as if they are loaded.
h) No firearm shall be cocked until immediately prior to engaging a target.
i) Competitors are expected to compete safely within their individual capabilities at all times. Do not try to “over ride” your own horsemanship skills. Control your firearm’s muzzle direction at all times.
