Hunter Safety

Additional Rules About Firearm Safety

-Check your barrel and ammunition -Unload firearms when not in use -Point a firearm only at something you intend to shoot -Don't run, jump, or climb with a loaded firearm Store firearms and ammunition separately and safely Avoid alcoholic beverages before and during shooting

Hunter Education Funding Sources

-Federal Government -State Government -National Hunter Education Organizations Industry, Business, and Clubs

All modern firearms have three basic groups of parts

: action, stock, and barrel

gunpowder

A mixture of powders used in guns and explosives

firing pin

A pin that strikes the primer of the cartridge, causing ignition

wad

A seal and/or shot container made of paper or plastic separating the powder from the slug or shot in a shotshell. The wad prevents gas from escaping through the shot and holds the shot together as it passes through the barrel.

primer

An explosive chemical compound that ignites the gunpowder when struck by a firing pin. Primer may be placed either in the rim of the case (rimfire) or in the center of the base of the case (centerfire).

Today, hunter education programs are important because they

Decrease hunting-related shooting incidents and other hunting injuries and... Promote responsible hunter behavior, including compliance with hunting laws and regulations.

bore

Inside of the firearm barrel through which the projectile travels when fired

receiver

Metal housing for the working parts of the action

"a discharge of a firearm in a motor vehicle.

Never carry a loaded firearm in a car, truck, motor home, or boat.

victim is mistaken for game.

Never fire at a sound or movement. Always use binoculars to identify your target and backstop. Never use your rifle scope as binoculars. Never wear the color of any game animal found in the area, and wear hunter orange to help identify yourself as a hunter.

victim being out of sight of the shooter

Never shoot over a hill. If you do not have a safe backstop, do not take a shot. Never shoot into dense brush or any other area that it is difficult to see into. The only safe shot to take is one where you have fully identified your target and what lies beyond it. Remember: A bullet or shot charge can travel far beyond or through your target.

breech

Rear end of the barrel

Hunter education strives to instill

Responsibility, Safety Skills, Knowledge, and Involvement

Pittman-Robertson Act

The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (also known as the Pittman-Robertson Act) was approved by Congress in 1937. Through federal excise taxes on sporting arms, ammunition, and archery equipment, the act provides funding for managing wildlife habitat, hunter education programs, and public target ranges

zone-of-fire

The area in which a hunter may shoot safely

chamber

The breech part of a firearm that holds and supports the case for firing

Careless handling

is the cause of many hunting-related firearm incidents

projectile

The object(s) expelled from the barrel. A bullet is a projectile, usually containing lead, fired through a rifle or handgun barrel. A slug is a solid projectile, usually of lead, fired through a shotgun barrel. Shot is a group of lead, steel, tungsten alloy, or bismuth pellets fired through a shotgun barrel.

Stock

The stock is the part of the firearm that is held by the shooter

discharge

To fire a gun

Fire arm injuries

Treat every firearm as if it were loaded. Always point guns in a safe direction. Most firearm deaths happen at home. Never handle any firearm if you are unfamiliar with it. Always unload and open the action before handing a firearm to anyone. Accept a firearm from another person only if the action is open.

Young Hunters Have More Firearm Incidents

True

The Four Primary Rules of Firearm Safety

Watch the muzzle, treat every firearm with the respect due a loaded gun, be sure of the target and what is in front of it and behind it, keep your finger outside of the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot.

victim is injured by a shooter swinging on game, the shooter is almost always using a shotgun

Wear hunter orange. Know your "zone-of-fire" and stick to it. Identify your target and what lies beyond it before firing

Rifles and handguns use

a cartridge containing a single projectile (bullet)

In 2014, IHEA-USA adopted

a set of education standards for basic hunter education courses.

The first mandated hunter education program

began in New York in 1949 to reduce hunting incidents.

Barrel

metal tube that the projectile travels through as a result of pressure from burning gunpowder, compressed air, or other like means

Shotguns use a

shotshell containing either a single slug or a large number of small projectiles (shot or pellets)

Action

the moving parts that load and fire the ammunition and eject the shells or cartridges