Is it up, or down!?

SilentKnight

I like to go to shooting classes, most of the kids(around 15-19) there are beginners learning to shoot, and they are some like me who have been shooting for a while. But you always get alot of shooting time on the rifle range, so what the heck I sign up. Heres the problem. Almost everytime I attend one, and im on the firing line, and ill have my rilfe pointed down, and one of the instructors will tell me "keep your firearm pointed up!" Then Ive been to others were I have my rifle pointed up, and the instructor tell me to "Keep your firearms pointed down!" WHICH IS IT! UP OR DOWN! I almost feel like yelling back to them "I know what im doing!"

So which is UP, or DOWN?

.

PATBUZZARD

I always thought the correct answer would be "Down range."

May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't.
- General George Patton Jr

He Dog

It is what ever the instructor of the day says it is! Either is safe (I prefer down, I would rather hit the ground before something else) but a lot of instructors/ranges insist upon up. If the shooting pad is concrete, up is probably better.

He Dog

SilentKnight

Its happened even when we were moving from station to station, so you really couldnt have your rifle pointed down range. Either up or down.

Big Sky Redneck

I like my rule, Action is always open untill I am bedded into the gun ready to shoot[:D] Unless the pasd is concrete then down would be safer, ever wonder why so many get into a hissy over shooting in the air?

matwor

I myself like down, unless of course down is concrete. According to .22 LR boxes they can travel 1.5 miles. I'm sure higher powered stuff goes even further. I hate to think what might happen when a round is fired into the air, not knowing what is "beyond."

We all have heard stories of incidents on New Years Eve when a stray round from someones celebration came down miles away.

Yes, down is defintely better. But like He Dog said, whatever the flavor of the day is, is probably the way to go.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

Edmund Burke

Pinhead

Most instructors try to handle things like that in diplomatic and easy going manner. Situations can change according to local terrain(concrete pads, etc.) Sometimes you run into that odd individual who has been told something and it is set in stone to him. I think you run into this. I ran into one of these at an IPSC match a few years back. I walked to the line at a station with an empty pistol, slide back, no magazine inserted and holding it by the the forward end of the frame. This station did not require a draw as it started with an unloaded pistol on a table with two loaded magazines and the shooter sitting in a chair. When I laid the pistol on the table and started to put my ear muffs on He said very loudly so everyone could hear him "Don't ever come to my station again with an unsafe gun". I looked at him sat down and proceeded to fire the station as directed. When I showed clear and stood up to leave He again said very loudly to remember what he had said and to study up on my gun handling. At that point two waiting shooters behind me spoke up. One told him just as loudly as he had spoken to me to "stop trying his Barney Fife routine and just run the match, everyone but a damn fool could plainly see that there was no range violation involved." I just grinned at him and proceeded to the next station. When the two guys caught up with me they informed me that they knew him well and he was getting a reputation for pulling stunts like that. I never run into another situation like that but some people don't seem to handle a little power very well. The local situations will sometimes make changes as to what is safe but I understand what yu are talking about, I've heard it both ways also.

Colt Super

From Basic Training: "Keep that weapon up, and downrange". Still do it that way.

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