The Top 5 Rules Every Safe Shooter Follows

Now, before we get started, let me state that this is not an exhaustive list of rules for firearm safety. There are many other rules that accompany and enhance these rules. This list is simply the top 5 rules that every safe shooter follows religiously.

Contrary to popular belief, hunting and shooting is an incredibly safe sport enjoyed by men, women, and children. It is a sport for the whole family, a great way to put food on the table, and a very effective way to protect and conserve our awesome native animals from predation and the environmental impacts of feral animals.

To emphasise the point about how safe shooting is, in NSW alone we have roughly 250,000 licensed shooters with roughly 1,000,000 firearms between us. Sounds like a lot, right? Well, when was the last time you heard about a hunting or shooting incident? I’m betting you haven’t, since it’s incredibly rare. The truth is you’re far more likely to get injured while driving to the range or your hunting location.

And with that, let’s dive in and check out the top 5 rules every safe shooter follows.

1. Always Assume A Firearm Is Loaded Until Proven Otherwise

Every single time you pick up a firearm or a firearm is handed to you by someone else, check to make sure it is unloaded and the chamber is clear. Don’t just cycle the action and assume the chamber is clear. Open the action and sight the chamber. This will ensure a stuck round isn’t hiding that failed to eject. Then and only then can you be certain a firearm is unloaded and clear.

2. Keep The Muzzle Pointed In A Safe Direction At All Times

Even after following rule #1, always ensure the muzzle of the firearm is pointed in a safe direction. A safe direction is generally pointing the muzzle straight at the ground, straight up toward the sky, or directly down range.

Here are a few more examples of which I personally follow:

• If I’m two-up shooting off the back of a quad, I will always point the muzzle to the sky.
• If I’m shooting off the back of a ute, I will always point the muzzle to the sky.
• If I’m inside a buggy or other vehicle, the muzzle will typically be pointed to the floor but may also be pointing up if appropriate for the situation.
• If I’m out hunting, the muzzle will generally be pointing to the sky. If I’m stalking in on a target, the muzzle will be pointed down until I’m ready to bring it up to fire.
• If I’m at the pistol range, my handguns will either be unloaded and locked away, holstered, or pointed down range at all times.

I think the point is pretty clear. Never point the muzzle of a firearm at anything other than a safe direction or a target you wish to engage.

3. Always Keep Your Finger Off The Trigger Until Ready To Fire

Trigger discipline is paramount. Keeping your booger hook off the trigger until ready to fire is something all shooters should continually practise, even once it is second nature. Only ever place your finger on the trigger as the final step before firing.

4. Know Your Target, Your Surroundings, And What’s Beyond

Know Your Target

Knowing your target means you know exactly what your target looks like. It also means when you are out hunting, you have clearly identified your target beyond all doubt. For example: you can clearly see your target is a feral pig and not a native wombat. Never assume what your target is based on eye-shine at night under a spotlight or any other characteristic. The only time you can be confident is with an absolute positive identification of your target.

Know Your Surroundings

Always maintain situational awareness. It doesn’t matter if you’re hunting in a state forest, target shooting on a rifle range, or performing a contract shoot for feral animal control, always maintain a clear and ongoing awareness of your surroundings. What are people around you doing? Are there any farm animals around you? How close are you to houses or other infrastructure?

Once aware of your surroundings, you can then identify a clear shooting lane. A clear shooting lane is clear of anyone and anything other than your target. An example of this when out hunting is, let’s say, you spot a deer across a gully. Is the deer in a clear, open space, away from any livestock or other infrastructure? Do you have a clear line of sight? If you miss the shot or the deer runs off, will it pass across livestock, other hunters, or other infrastructure, meaning you no longer have a clear shooting lane? All these things need to be assessed before finally assessing what’s beyond the target.

Know What’s Beyond

I cannot stress how important this point is. Knowing what’s beyond your target is the final check before you can safely take a shot. 

Assuming the bullet passes through the target, how far will it continue to go? Is there a safe backstop behind the target like a hill where you can be confident the bullet will stop? Are there large rocks or water like a dam that could cause a ricochet? Is there livestock or other infrastructure beyond the target? Only once you’re confident you know what’s beyond your target is safe are you then clear to take the shot. 

As a safe shooter, we have an obligation to ensure any projectile remains within the boundaries of the property we are shooting on and has a safe backstop in the event of passing through.

One last thing, I think it’s important to point out some good general reminders:

• It’s never safe to shoot at a target on top of a hill.
• It’s never safe to shoot at a target on the edge of a gully.
• It’s never safe to shoot at a target near a dam or large rocks that could cause a ricochet.

5. Store Your Firearms And Ammunition Safely And Securely

The final major rule every safe shooter follows is ensuring their firearms and ammunition are stored safely and securely.

Safe Storage While Hunting

As a general rule, when you’re finished hunting for the day, your firearms should be unloaded and locked away in a suitable location, like your vehicle. Ammunition should be in its own locked container within your vehicle or other suitable safe storage location. A bit of common sense goes a long way when it comes to this. For example, if you’re in a camp site, locking up firearms in your vehicle is a suitable location. Don’t leave them in your tent where they can easily be accessed by others or, at worst, stolen. Remember: as firearm owners, we are always responsible for safe storage at all times.

Safe Storage At Home

To ensure you’re compliant, the best place to check is your state’s firearm registry policies, as each state varies. If you happen to be in NSW, you can check the requirements here: Safe Storage - NSW Police Public Site