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Rules For Hunting Gun Safety

Sudip Paul
There are certain rules of gun safety that you should follow at all times to minimize any potential accidents. As a gun owner, you have committed to knowing the rules and following them. Responsible gun ownership requires you to learn and practice these behaviors to ensure that accidents, theft, and injuries are avoided.

Always Treat Your Gun Like It Is Loaded

At the range, you will be considered a responsible and knowledgeable gun owner if you inspect and show that your gun is clear before you handle it any further. You need to take the time to treat every gun you have as if it is loaded.  You should never assume that someone has given you an unloaded gun.

Never Let The Muzzle Cover Something

One of the critical factors of firearm safety is situational awareness. Before you have made contact with your firearm, you need to take in your environment and determine what your safe direction is. If you are unsure in an indoor or outdoor range, you need to ask.
You are responsible for pointing your gun in a safe direction at all times whether you are loading, reloading, setting up the work area, showing clear, shooting or simply laying down the firearm. When you transport the gun, the muzzle will need to be up or down and it should be unloaded.

Keep Your Finger off the Trigger

Trigger finger discipline is a skill you need to learn and is vital to maintain safe conditions when handling a firearm. Your trigger finger needs to be your safety finger as well. Your finger should be straight from the moment you make contact with the firearm and should rest on the side of frame.
This is the indexed position your finger needs to stay in through all administrative actions including loading, picking up, fixing malfunctions and resting. Your finger should only move from this position when it is appropriate to shoot. You should only move your finger once your target is in sight and ready to pull the trigger.

Be Sure of the Target and What Is Beyond It

You are responsible for everything your round comes in contact with. This means you need to take time to determine your surroundings before shooting. Particularly when long range shooting, height of your target should be considered as well as the angle you will shoot at.
If the round is likely to go through your target and will come into contact with something other than a bullet safe berm, you should not take the shot. This means you should never fire or point your gun at something you cannot clearly identify as a target. You should not do this if there is any danger of the bullet straying.