Thread: it can happen to anyone! Please be safe

I just heard today that my wife's colleagues heard "bullets" flying around their lifestyle property. The couple in their 60s were gardening.

The guy walked up to his neighbour 2 properties away and spoke to him.

That guy was shooting rabbits & the bullets ricocheted. He was an ex cop!

I am presuming the rifle was a .22.

Apologies to anyone reading this who is or was a member of the police.

It is my observation that being a policeman / policewoman doesn't guarantee proficiency in either firearms safety or firearms use.

Originally Posted by Cyclops

Apologies to anyone reading this who is or was a member of the police.

It is my observation that being a policeman / policewoman doesn't guarantee proficiency in either firearms safety or firearms use.

mate a frontline copper with no firearms training apart from the day or two they get at police school is an absolute danger not their Falt they just don't get enough training


however, the fact that this guy is or was a copper is pretty immaterial if he's shooting bunnies, he's a FAL holder (unless he has gone to the other side of the law)
this means he has more experience than his basic police training

Originally Posted by rambo-6mmrem

mate a frontline copper with no firearms training apart from the day or two they get at police school is an absolute danger not their Falt they just don't get enough training


however, the fact that this guy is or was a copper is pretty immaterial if he's shooting bunnies, he's a FAL holder (unless he has gone to the other side of the law)
this means he has more experience than his basic police training

Obtaining a FAL doesn't require actual shooting experience.
It isn't a requirement to be an experience shooter before obtaining a FAL.

I'm an example of that. I obtained a FAL then learnt how to shoot (and how to shoot safely).
So a police officer with a FAL may not have any more experience than the occasional police training.

In keeping with the thread title - when I first got my FAL a couple decades back, the firearms instructor running the test told us all the the previous instructor had to quit as he'd accidentally shot his mate in a hunting accident (non-fatally), thinking he was a deer. I think he thought it was a useful example to share, however it didn't instil a lot of confidence that being a firearm safety 'expert' made you any safer in the bush...

Originally Posted by Cyclops

Apologies to anyone reading this who is or was a member of the police.

It is my observation that being a policeman / policewoman doesn't guarantee proficiency in either firearms safety or firearms use.

But it should

Originally Posted by Maca49

But it should

And it better, if they end up armed, like many apparently (from Cahills lips, so...) want.

I wouldv rang the cops regardless.Not good when you cant potter around in yr garden with bullets flying around.

So third hand information.... .22lr whizzing past..... Something not right,missing in the details there.and personally I've found territorials to be far worse than coppers in regards to firearms safety.

Yip I have had projectiles bounce away in weird directions at times but not/never, multiple of them at same time....not so much.it does however remind us to ensure safe backstop at all times when others are nearby.

Last year we had a nice Christmas day interrupted by a few "zings" that sounded just about overhead. Turns out a friend of the farm owner was out shooting hares in the paddock our house was in (obscured by a hedge). Went up and told them what I thought, their reply was "he used to be a shepherd he knows what he's doing". Can't fix stupid

Had a 22 bullet hit the flashing at home a couple of months back. About 10pm, couldn't work out what the big "clank" was. Coming back inside, I heard 22 shots from a few properties over...Dent rather visible in the flashing in the morning.

22's are notorious for ricochets and more so over summer when the ground gets harder.

That's another reason why I like the 17 HMR... BUT... never assume anything and always think about where your bullet could potentially go!

Try a 150 grn at subsonic speed and you really start to worry.man can them whizz off super easily.

A .22 bullet 'whizzing' would probably be deformed and ricocheted from a hard object (stone, fence post, water pipe etc.) and would have lost a fair bit of velocity but still have enough power to cause a wound. Such things can easily turn 90 degrees from the line of the shot. Lifestyle blocks are bad news for that sort of thing, especially as many 'lifestylers' are frequently lacking basic country skills and common sense. I will refrain from commenting on Police and firearms use!