Only peripherally involved a firearm in the sense we were at the range shooting.....
Kids were off school today so a friend and I decided on taking the kids to see the new museum the Collins Foundation opened up than stop by the range and let the boys shoot twenty twos until they could shoot no more.
Sucks but the Heritage Museum wasnt open - seems a lost opportunity with all the kids out of school. We heade to the range anyway and with the extra time I figured Id bring a sixteen gauge Im looking to sell and a case of clays. I want to deplete my supply of 16 gauge shells and clays.
Kids blasted up hundreds of .22s using a S&W M&P, a Winchester 67A , 10/22 and a PPK. They had a ball.
We went over to the shotgun range.
It has throwers set on poles that stay permanently set up for members to use. Just bring your clays and the throwers are always there.
First thing I said to everyone is to stay away from the throwers, they are spring loaded axes and if you get hit by them it wont be good. They scare the crap out of me actually. I think this is the third or fourth time Ive used the shotgun range and I give those throwers all kinds of respect for their ability to maim.
My friend shot first to get an idea of the recoil on the 16 gauge and figure which of his boys would be up to it. It a Browning "Sweet Sixteen" and it really is a sweet gun. When I got it it came with some light #6 loads that dont even operate the action. I figured those would be the ones for the kids to shoot.
Ken shot a few rounds and hit a clay. I operated the thrower.
My son was up next. I loaded the thrower than went over to load the gun and supervise while my son shot the single loaded round.
Kenny pulled the string when my son called ready and a lone pellet may have hit on his first shot as it looked like a piece of clay flew or it could have been the wad but whatever he was happy it was his first firing of a shotgun and the fact the shotty is probably as long as he is tall excited him.
All was good. I was helping to load another round in the shotty when my sons expression took on a look of shock and he looked through me to my side.
I turned and I saw Ken with both hands up to his mouth and a look of surprise in his eyes.
I asked "Did you get hit by the clay thrower?"
While I was helping my son Kenny figured to load another clay. I didn't hear him messing with the trap due to my attention being on pushing a shell into the gun magazine with my son and my wearing ear plugs.
He must not be familiar with the gear and didn't realize that if the trigger is not set the arm will swing straight through. He pulled it around to cock it and sure enough it swung through and got him square in the mouth.
I hadn't been intending on anyone else loading the clays but me so I fucked up by not telling everyone to stay completely away from the gear.
The strike was probably as good as it could get. I asked him to let me see and expected when he took his hands down he would be holding a handful of teeth. No teeth lost but he looks like he was born with cleft pallet. Top lip was split clean though almost up to his nostril and he had a puncture below his lower lip.
A big wad of kerlix from the range bag first aid kit saved him from looking like a murder victim covered in blood.
We drove to the emergency room where three hours and ten stitches got him good enough to celebrate his wife's birthday tonight.
I cant keep from feeling the sick pit in my stomach and marvel at how lucky he was.
The traps are on poles about 4.5 feet off the deck.
If the arm had caught him in the throat I'm thinking a crushed trachea and some pretty life threatening stuff. In the jaw likely he would be eating through a straw for the next few weeks. In the eyes a life changing tragedy, In the scalp some severe bleeding, concussion, probably loss of consciousness.
Not being totally familiar with clay throwers I'm kind of wondering why the bar trigger isn't spring loaded at the bottom of the arm so that the default position is "locked".
That way you pull the arm through it stops on the sear bar and you have to pull the cord through the spring pressure to release the arm.
For all I know that's perhaps how they are but being outside all the time the springs in the club gear may have corroded away or have been lost through use. The gear actually looks in good shape and the shotgun range is probably the least used range on the whole property. The machine gun range probably gets 10 times more traffic.
Anyway my PSA is watch all the hazards at the range, have a first aid kit, and pray if something bad does happen its the best possible - ie least harmful - type of bad.
Kids were off school today so a friend and I decided on taking the kids to see the new museum the Collins Foundation opened up than stop by the range and let the boys shoot twenty twos until they could shoot no more.
Sucks but the Heritage Museum wasnt open - seems a lost opportunity with all the kids out of school. We heade to the range anyway and with the extra time I figured Id bring a sixteen gauge Im looking to sell and a case of clays. I want to deplete my supply of 16 gauge shells and clays.
Kids blasted up hundreds of .22s using a S&W M&P, a Winchester 67A , 10/22 and a PPK. They had a ball.
We went over to the shotgun range.
It has throwers set on poles that stay permanently set up for members to use. Just bring your clays and the throwers are always there.
First thing I said to everyone is to stay away from the throwers, they are spring loaded axes and if you get hit by them it wont be good. They scare the crap out of me actually. I think this is the third or fourth time Ive used the shotgun range and I give those throwers all kinds of respect for their ability to maim.
My friend shot first to get an idea of the recoil on the 16 gauge and figure which of his boys would be up to it. It a Browning "Sweet Sixteen" and it really is a sweet gun. When I got it it came with some light #6 loads that dont even operate the action. I figured those would be the ones for the kids to shoot.
Ken shot a few rounds and hit a clay. I operated the thrower.
My son was up next. I loaded the thrower than went over to load the gun and supervise while my son shot the single loaded round.
Kenny pulled the string when my son called ready and a lone pellet may have hit on his first shot as it looked like a piece of clay flew or it could have been the wad but whatever he was happy it was his first firing of a shotgun and the fact the shotty is probably as long as he is tall excited him.
All was good. I was helping to load another round in the shotty when my sons expression took on a look of shock and he looked through me to my side.
I turned and I saw Ken with both hands up to his mouth and a look of surprise in his eyes.
I asked "Did you get hit by the clay thrower?"
While I was helping my son Kenny figured to load another clay. I didn't hear him messing with the trap due to my attention being on pushing a shell into the gun magazine with my son and my wearing ear plugs.
He must not be familiar with the gear and didn't realize that if the trigger is not set the arm will swing straight through. He pulled it around to cock it and sure enough it swung through and got him square in the mouth.
I hadn't been intending on anyone else loading the clays but me so I fucked up by not telling everyone to stay completely away from the gear.
The strike was probably as good as it could get. I asked him to let me see and expected when he took his hands down he would be holding a handful of teeth. No teeth lost but he looks like he was born with cleft pallet. Top lip was split clean though almost up to his nostril and he had a puncture below his lower lip.
A big wad of kerlix from the range bag first aid kit saved him from looking like a murder victim covered in blood.
We drove to the emergency room where three hours and ten stitches got him good enough to celebrate his wife's birthday tonight.
I cant keep from feeling the sick pit in my stomach and marvel at how lucky he was.
The traps are on poles about 4.5 feet off the deck.
If the arm had caught him in the throat I'm thinking a crushed trachea and some pretty life threatening stuff. In the jaw likely he would be eating through a straw for the next few weeks. In the eyes a life changing tragedy, In the scalp some severe bleeding, concussion, probably loss of consciousness.
Not being totally familiar with clay throwers I'm kind of wondering why the bar trigger isn't spring loaded at the bottom of the arm so that the default position is "locked".
That way you pull the arm through it stops on the sear bar and you have to pull the cord through the spring pressure to release the arm.
For all I know that's perhaps how they are but being outside all the time the springs in the club gear may have corroded away or have been lost through use. The gear actually looks in good shape and the shotgun range is probably the least used range on the whole property. The machine gun range probably gets 10 times more traffic.
Anyway my PSA is watch all the hazards at the range, have a first aid kit, and pray if something bad does happen its the best possible - ie least harmful - type of bad.
