Thread: A reflection and a reminder - Unsafe act

Just wanted to make a reflection and put out a reminder following an unsafe act over the weekend.

I took a newbie out in search for some wallabies on Doc land. He doesn't have a firearms license but has expressed strong interest in hunting and shooting. I took him to the range once before to familiarise shooting and operating the 22 and 223.
We did not go far into the block before my mate got exhausted from walking. While waiting for him to recover, we stood around and glassed for a bit.

Here is where it went wrong. I was looking around using my naked eyes and binos, focused on searching for animals, and did not pay attention to what my mate was doing. Then I heard him yelling behind me "there are two people on the hill there". When I turned to look at him, he was looking at those people through the rifle scope!

I immediately told him to put the rifle down, and explained to him that it is dangerous practice to search or identify game through the rifle scope. That's what the binos are for. My mate said the rifle was unloaded, I said it doesn't matter, how would you feel seeing someone pointing a muzzle at you while you are searching through the binos?

Today I received a call from the local police. The other hunting/tramping party has caught my mate looking at them through the rifle scope. They recorded our vehicle rego and reported it. I explained and apologised to the officer. Fortunately he was very understanding of the situation, and said it was more of an educational phone call. He was happy that I am well aware of what is safe and what is unsafe, and left it at that. Thank you officer.

Obviously I was not happy with my mate, but reflecting on this, I should really be blaming my own lack of supervision. As a license holder, it is my responsibility to provide IMMEDIATE supervision to a non-licensed novice. The word "Immediate" means I should have instant control of what my mate is doing with the gun at all times. Looking around for animals or enjoying the scenery are distractions to that immediate control.

I do wish to sincerely apologise to the other party. This won't happen again, and I hope others don't repeat my mistake.

A reminder from the Arms Code:

As a new AO did to a mate of mine in a police station, mate sorted the young guy out. No one likes looking at the muzzle of a rifle.
You think they’d practice what the teach

mate.....I have a little "thing" I do with a accomplice that will sink that message home in young fella brain FOREVER...will PM you.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

mate.....I have a little "thing" I do with a accomplice that will sink that message home in young fella brain FOREVER...will PM you.

It’s against the law to Smack people

Originally Posted by Maca49

It’s against the law to Smack people

Still allowed to pinch though, well that was my wife's take on it.

While I'm sitting here guilty and ashamed of myself and revising the Arms Code, a different newbie mate just texted me asking when I will be going hunting next

Originally Posted by Synthetic

While I'm sitting here guilty and ashamed of myself and revising the Arms Code, a different newbie mate just texted me asking when I will be going hunting next

a good opportunity to put a different way of doing things into practice. let them glass and when they spot something and it's confirmed you can hand over the rifle. it's hard to do things differently when you are very accustomed to things. you have to imo you\we have to devise a new system for yourself\ourselves to make it manageable when trying to teach others

my 2c.fwiw

Originally Posted by ilikepie

a good opportunity to put a different way of doing things into practice. let them glass and when they spot something and it's confirmed you can hand over the rifle. it's hard to do things differently when you are very accustomed to things. you have to imo you\we have to devise a new system for yourself\ourselves to make it manageable when trying to teach others

my 2c.fwiw

Sounds like the perfect plan

I hope you have told your newbie mate that the police have got involved - it will help him realise just how much of a no-no it is

Originally Posted by Cigar

I hope you have told your newbie mate that the police have got involved - it will help him realise just how much of a no-no it is

Yes I have told him. He is very remorseful, which is good. To be honest I wouldn't mind taking him out again, although his extreme lack of fitness and fantasy to shoot 100+ animals a day from a ute window suggests he will never be out on the hills again

Fantasy...meet reality

I realise that people have got all up in arms the last little while about this, but to be perfectly honest "scoping" has been going on all the time, and about everyone I know does it.
But scoping people is something you wouldnt do.

OK confession time.
A long long time ago I was guilty of that myself after seeing an experienced hunter using his scope, rifle was empty so I didn’t see the problem.


Until one day I did the same when really tired and exhausted while out for a rabbit.

Only I’d closed my bolt on seeing a rabbit then heard a chainsaw going about 400 yards away so had a look through the scope - then realized my colossal blunder.

NEVER EVER EVER again!

Monkey see - monkey do has its dangers

Originally Posted by Finnwolf

OK confession time.
A long long time ago I was guilty of that myself after seeing an experienced hunter using his scope, rifle was empty so I didn’t see the problem.


Until one day I did the same when really tired and exhausted while out for a rabbit.

Only I’d closed my bolt on seeing a rabbit then heard a chainsaw going about 400 yards away so had a look through the scope - then realized my colossal blunder.

NEVER EVER EVER again!

Monkey see - monkey do has its dangers

Similar combination of mostly thick bush and the odd longer sight path, clearing.
Young days, didn’t even own a set of Binos ,the hugh cheap 4X fixed power scope did it all. These days Binos are take precedence,and are the most expensive part of my kit.
Brilliant rule newbie’s on glass only and only one rifle.

A customer came into my shop one day with a Parker Hale .308 Norma Magnum for minor repair. As the muzzle swung towards my head I grabbed the muzzle and pushed it up, then took the rifle from him. "It's not loaded" he said indignantly then just about crapped himself when I opened the bolt and ejected a live round! He said it had been in the back of his car for three weeks since his last hunting trip. He was a serving Detective Sergeant.