DANGEROUS RANGE

DANGEROUS RANGE

In order to shoot a firearm safely, you need to know not only your target but also the dangerous range of your ammunition. The dangerous range is the distance that a bullet can travel. Most ammunition can travel at least a mile, with some having the capability of traveling MORE than two miles.

Therefore, even though you may fire at a target only a few feet or yards away, your bullet could travel far beyond your target. As it travels, the potential for damage widens. The importance of the dangerous range is that you must consider how much farther the bullet can travel beyond the target because a bullet that misses or passes through a target could strike a person or object. If you think only of your target and not the dangerous range, you
might mistakenly think someone or something is ³too far away´ to be in danger.


Another important point to remember is that most ammunition can easily penetrate the interior walls of a house and still travel some distance before losing its energy. High velocity or magnum ammunition has even greater penetration and distance capabilities.

Remember: Once you fire, you are responsible for any damage or injury your bullet causes.

STOP FIRING!

KEEP THE GUN POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION.

WAIT TEN SECONDS.

SEEK COMPETENT HELP.

27

MALFUNCTIONS

Any machine can malfunction. A firearm is no different. If your firearm malfunctions, always keep the basic safety rules in mind and do the following:

N O ITU AC

If you are at a range, the usual procedure to follow when a malfunction occurs is to keep your firearm pointed down range, keep your finger off the trigger and raise your non-shooting hand until a range official arrives. You have a potentially dangerous situation!