Surprises at the gun range....

[bessiedog]

Ever have them...? Feel free to share your stories.


Took the boy out to get some target time in. Had a buddy come with.. he’s shooting a new 30-06 with a decent Weaver scope... he’s hunted with it for two years now and it shoots well.

Something at the range gave us a huge WTF moment. He couldn’t hit paper at 100..... we moved him to 50 yards..... and nothing.... whaaaa?

I look at the scope setup.. and the whole scope has shifted forward in the rings.
I couldn’t believe it! We tightened stuff back up and discovered that the whole setup was loose!

He’s shooting good at 100 yards now and planning more trips to the range.
So wow.... thanks for nothing whoever set him up at Wholesale sports. I’ve always had trusted people install my scopes.

Funny that it shot well for two years. Wonder if locktight would have prevented this.

FYI.... I’m not a super well versed on scope technology and particulars.... I use it.. I can sight in stuff...

As for me..... imma gonna get more time in just shooting. I need it.

[elkhunter11]

I use loctite on the base screws, but never on the ring screws. If you torque the ring screws properly, they won't come loose.

[Stinky Buffalo]

Had a similar thing happen with my Father-in-law... Whoever set up his scope didn’’t tighten it down after checking the eye relief.

He dumped many shots downrange before he noticed that his scope shifted in the rings.

He was pretty upset!

[Smokinyotes]

On my 300 wm I had put Talley rings on it with blue loctite. Prior to putting on the loctite and torquing the screws were cleaned with brake clean. Long story short, after about 50 rounds on the bench the rings had came loose. They won’t becoming loose ever again since I put JB weld on them.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

On my 300 wm I had put Talley rings on it with blue loctite. Prior to putting on the loctite and torquing the screws were cleaned with brake clean. Long story short, after about 50 rounds on the bench the rings had came loose. They won’t becoming loose ever again since I put JB weld on them.

And yet the Talley lightweights have worked excellent on my 7mmstw and 300 RUM rifles, with no loctite on the ring screws. I did however lap the rings.

[Smokinyotes]

Elk that’s the only set of Talley’s that I’ve ever had come loose. I don’t even generally lap Talley’s unless their is an issue. On my last 270wsm I bought, it was the worse shooting Tikka I have had until it was bedded and the rings lapped.

[Norwest Alta]

I use clear nail polish on my bases. Never had a problem

[JWCalgary]

I had one happen with my rem 597. Was sighting in to a small target. Wasn't on paper couldn't see the impacts. Put one in the pipe, fired (seemingly normal) no hole in target... darn i thought. Raised the poa to see where I may be off fired another BANG. Face covered in powder, magazine in pieces, action smoking.... WTH!!!.

Turns out the first bullet only pushed into the rifling and did not exit the barrell allowing the second to chamber. Bloody hell that'll teach me to know where all shots go. Big mistake on my part but could have been much worse. I guess i was fortunate it was a .22

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[rpcw]

I was checking rifles on the range one day before putting the range to safe. Someone had put a 10/22 in the rack and the slide was closed. He was in the club house signing in.

I popped open the slide a an unfired shell pops out.

I picked it up and found the owner. Apparently it was in there since last range session.

I gave him hell and he promised to be more careful. Could have been a bad day.

[260 Rem]

I have seen two “bad bangs”. One separated the barrel from the action, bent the scope, and injured the shooters hand through the magazine...caused by firing a 308 cartridge in a 270. Second was a tube fed .22 repeater which separated the barreled action from the stock...caused when the rim of the cartridge in battery blew out on the bottom and set off the cartridge from the feed tube ... caused by someone filing a “ramp” into the back end of the chamber to improve feeding. No injury. Both were “human” error ... not the fault of the firearm.

[3blade]

This was years ago but still makes the hair stand up...met an acquaintance at the pistol range, we’re both doing the old “two in the chest, one in the head” thing. Around 50 rounds in he invites me to try his new HK 45...bangbang, bang..(second string)bangpop...don’t know how I backed off the third shot, muscle memory had pressure on the trigger but fortunately the pop was different enough it stopped me. Sure enough, bullet was partway down the barrel with a fresh cartridge in the chamber. Handed it back to him and have never fired anyone’s handloads since. Lesson learned.

[Don_Parsons]

Yes, lucky shooter that day, deffinatly an eye opener at the shooting match.
A bolt stop made of tin will most likely not stop a bolt from a blow-out since the pressure is to much.

Remington model 700 was the rifle. Yes, purhaps the shooter had a hang-fire,,, then was unloading when it went off.

The range master and the rest of the group did not find the fired case, the bolt looked just like new,,, lugs and bolt handle all in tact.

Pretty scary situation none the less, the only person that really knows what happend was the shooter him self, I'm still trying to imagine how the bolt cleared his face without taking a hit.

Good call on the hang-fire as this makes sense. He might of had the click, lifted his head to open the bolt as the charge finally ignited.

Had he been in the cheek -weld position, he would of most likely took the hit.

Its making sence now looking at it from that angle.

[Mulehahn]

Originally Posted by rpcw

I was checking rifles on the range one day before putting the range to safe. Someone had put a 10/22 in the rack and the slide was closed. He was in the club house signing in.

I popped open the slide a an unfired shell pops out.

I picked it up and found the owner. Apparently it was in there since last range session.

I gave him hell and he promised to be more careful. Could have been a bad day.

Used to work at a gun store casually. Guy came in looking for a scope for his Lever Action. Brings the rifle in in a case and puts it on the counter, no big deal. We get to talking and he shows me the gun. I open the action to make sure the gun isn't loaded. This is just habit, I have probably done it over a thousand times and have never seen a round come out so I wasn't really paying attention. I clearly remember my jaw dropping when heard that little ting sound of a round being ejected. I may of said few choice words but stopped pretty quick as nothing I could say could make him feel worse than he already did. This fellow was well known, a very respected shooter. He just got complacent.

As for range stories, the only time I have seen anything "unusual" is at those drop in rental places.

[Chewbacca]

My brother had just bought a Rem 7mm mag and asked if I wanted to try it out. Hands me the rifle all loaded up and I head down to corral where he told me that the target was set up a 100 yards out. Line up and pull the trigger and that’s when the world went all funny. There was a blast of hot something that hit me in the face. Stood there fo a minute trying to get the proverbial kaka together, my eyeglasses right lens was almost totally black, left one not so much and the right side of my face was hot. I’m thinking what just happened?
Took my glasses off and wiped my eye to get some of the crap out and that was when I noticed all the blood on my hand. All the cartridges got kicked out when the magazine popped open,so I picked them up and went back to the house.
When walked in my two brothers looked at me and asked what the hell happened to me. I told my bro that his rifle didn’t like me much when I handed it back to him.
He tried to open the bolt and no way it was opening. Took a stick of firewood that as by the stove and after tapping on it for a bit it opens and out pops a case that was split and tore up bad.
On closer examination we found that it had been loaded with .270 ammo.
They picked the unburnt powder out of my face and off to town I go for new glasses.
To this day I
Always wear glasses. I feel they saved my eyes that day.
Check the ammo to make sure it’s right.
Refuse to shoot a left hand rifle.

[rpcw]

Originally Posted by Chewbacca

My brother had just bought a Rem 7mm mag and asked if I wanted to try it out. Hands me the rifle all loaded up and I head down to corral where he told me that the target was set up a 100 yards out. Line up and pull the trigger and that’s when the world went all funny. There was a blast of hot something that hit me in the face. Stood there fo a minute trying to get the proverbial kaka together, my eyeglasses right lens was almost totally black, left one not so much and the right side of my face was hot. I’m thinking what just happened?
Took my glasses off and wiped my eye to get some of the crap out and that was when I noticed all the blood on my hand. All the cartridges got kicked out when the magazine popped open,so I picked them up and went back to the house.
When walked in my two brothers looked at me and asked what the hell happened to me. I told my bro that his rifle didn’t like me much when I handed it back to him.
He tried to open the bolt and no way it was opening. Took a stick of firewood that as by the stove and after tapping on it for a bit it opens and out pops a case that was split and tore up bad.
On closer examination we found that it had been loaded with .270 ammo.
They picked the unburnt powder out of my face and off to town I go for new glasses.
To this day I
Always wear glasses. I feel they saved my eyes that day.
Check the ammo to make sure it’s right.
Refuse to shoot a left hand rifle.

You are real lucky. Buy a lotto ticket!

[rpcw]

Originally Posted by Mulehahn

Used to work at a gun store casually. Guy came in looking for a scope for his Lever Action. Brings the rifle in in a case and puts it on the counter, no big deal. We get to talking and he shows me the gun. I open the action to make sure the gun isn't loaded. This is just habit, I have probably done it over a thousand times and have never seen a round come out so I wasn't really paying attention. I clearly remember my jaw dropping when heard that little ting sound of a round being ejected. I may of said few choice words but stopped pretty quick as nothing I could say could make him feel worse than he already did. This fellow was well known, a very respected shooter. He just got complacent.

As for range stories, the only time I have seen anything "unusual" is at those drop in rental places.

You know that reminded me of something else.

I was visiting a buddy at his store and we were behind the counter. An old timer wanted to get rid of some guns. He lays this 12 gauge pump on the counter pointed at my balls. Nothing intentional just happened to be pointed that way. Then the got spun towards the lad to the right of us.

The young lad that worked there noticed the action is closed - which he is trained to look for, so he picks it up and ejects 3 live slug rounds.

The dam safety was off as well.

Good thing the fellow gave up his guns - it was time.

Young lad was real upset because somebody could have easily been killed.