Chapter 3: hunter's safety terms

Percussion cap

A cap placed on the nipple under the hammer of the muzzleloader. The cap explodes when it is hit. This sends the flame to the main powder charge, which fires the firearm

Primer

A cap that sets fire to the powder when it is struck by the firing pin

Semi-automatic

A firearm that fires, ejects the spent cartridge and chambers a new cartridge with a single pull of the trigger

Muzzleloader

A firearm that is loaded through the muzzle instead of the breech

Solvent

A liquid that can dissolve powder and other substances that can build up inside a firearm

Projectile

A missile that is pushed out of a firearm by force

Repeater

A rifle that holds more than one cartridge, and can fire several shots before unloading

Cartridge

A round of ammunition that includes primer, powder, case, and the bullet or shot. Cartridges can be either rimfire or centerfire

Firearm

A tool which shoots a projectile by burning gunpowder

Rimfire

A type of ammunition in which the primer is around the inside bottom rim of the case

Centerfire

A type of ammunition in which the primer is in the center of the base of the cartridge

Pump action

A type of firearm that loads and unloads ammunition by pumping the firearm between shots

Bolt action

A type of firearm that loads and unloads ammunition by working the bolt

Break action

A type of firearm that opens at the breech. Shells are loaded by hand. This kind usually comes either as a single-shot or a double-shot barrel

Sliding lever

A type of shotgun safety. It is a small device that stops the firearm from firing if the trigger is pulled accidentally

Ammunition

Any powder, shot, cartridge, or shell used in a firearm

Obstacle

Anything that gets in the way or obstructs

Binoculars

Field glasses used to identify game by making it look larger

Rifling

Grooves in the metal of a firearm barrel. They make the bullet spin

Prone

Lying flat; the safest, most accurate of the four rifle-shooting positions

Sights

Mechanical parts of a firearm which help in aiming. Including open, peep, and telescopic

Shot

Pellets commonly made of lead, steel, tungsten, iron, or bismuth that are fired by a firearm

Terrain

Portion of land

Fundamentals

Rules, laws, or facts which are a basis for knowledge

Shotshell

Shot and other parts of ammunition for shotguns that come all together in a container, or shell

Marksmanship

Skill in placing a shot or hitting a target

Pellets

Small, round balls of lead or steel that are shot in a pattern

Muzzle

The end and smallest part of a barrel

Recoil

The kick-back of a firearm when fired

Bore

The measurement from one land to the opposite land in a rifle barrel

Caliber

The measurement of a rifle bore. Usually it is the distance between the lands

Land

The metal between the grooves in a firearm barrel

Breech

The part of a barrel at the opposite end to the muzzle

Action

The part of a firearm that loads, fires, and ejects the cartridge. There are 5 parts: bolt, lever, pump (slide), and break (hinge)

Choke

The part of a shotgun at the muzzle that controls the spread of the shot and its pattern

Chamber

The part of the bore into which a cartridge is placed

Magazine

The part of the repeating firearm that holds ammunition until it is ready to be fed into the chamber

Forearm

The part of the stock under the barrel

Gauge

The size of the bore of a gun. It is measured by the number of lead balls equal to the size of the bore which weigh one pound

Barrel

The tube that the bullet goes down when a firearm is fired

Stock

The wood or synthetic frame that holds the barrel and action. It helps you get and keep aim, and it absorbs recoil when you fire

Sight-in

To adjust a rifle's sights so that the bullet hits a target at a given range

Prevention

To stop or keep from doing something

Vechile

Used for transpiration, such as a car, sled, or cart

Waterfowl

Water birds, especially those that swim, such as ducks and geese