Could have really hurt someone today

Yall I feel horrible right now. Was out plinking at a target I had set up in the cow pasture with the .22 . Now I set it so the big oak tree behind it would be the back stop and there's about 30yd of thick brush behind it. Well there's a road behind that to the other property but I foolishly figured it's no big deal since this folk are never back there except once in a blue moon. And there would be little to know way a .22lr coul make it though all that crap. Well apparently today was one of them blue moons. A fella about the same age as me came marching across the field in a turkey vest with a 12ga and was understandably pretty up set. Ends up him and a youth where back there turkey hunting randomly. So met him half way in the field and at first there was talk about calling the sheriff ,again understandably so , I apologized profusely which seemed to confuse him a bit, a but after a minute we both calmed down a talked for a little . Ended up smiling, shaking on it and agreeing eveything was ok ,he even asked for my number because he's having coyote problems. I went moved the target and left him a 100rd case of winchester shells and a apology note offering my help fixing fences, or clearing trails and such tied to his gate just to try and make sure thing are all good.But guys I feel beyond terrible because that was such a rookie move that could have gotten some on seriously injured or killed . Honestly not sure what else I should do to try and make up for it at this point .. Anyhow go ahead rip me a new one I deserve it , lesson over.

No ripping from me. EVERYONE gets complacent at times. Thank the Lord this was one of those "lucky" times! Use it as an educator for the next time!

Thing's happen it's over move on. God knows I have done my fair share of oops.

we've all made mistakes Wolfie.
!you handled it well.

My question is.....why aren’t you turkey hunting?

Glad it all worked out and no one got hurt.

Lesson learned, nuff said.

WS

Wolf ,

Glad to hear that nothing serious happened, it only takes a second and one mistake. I'm not dogging you tho.

I got shot about 6 years ago, long story short it was a complete accident that happened because of a momentary lapse in safety.

Build a sand bag back stop and make sure you stay safe. I still think back and it gives me the chills of what could have been.

Glad It worked out for yall. That's the way it should go.

You’ve covered it in your post. Live and learn. It’s a scary feeling I know.

We were duck hunting a private swamp and had a cripple sail on us. Well I took the dog to about where I thought it was and got out in the water with my dog. He flushed him up out of some brush and about the time I threw the gun up to shoot, two GW jumped up screaming don’t shoot. Scared me so bad I got really really ticked off. After a few choice words back and forth and the youngest saying I was attempting to shoot a LEO, the older GW finally realized they were in the wrong and calmed both us down. They had heard shooting on the back road and instead of driving around and following the open road in, they had left their trucks on the dirt road and walked almost half a mile through the swamp from the backside and had hid watching us shoot. They would have been fine except that one bird sailed and they said they never expected us to look for it.

Now imagine had I shot and killed one or both of them...I would be labeled a murderer without knowing they were even around. Even knowing I was on private ground and never expecting someone to be “trespassing” just shows it can happen. Most land around here has dirt mounds behind their firing ranges or always have the shooting benches on an incline shooting at a downward angle.

I know the feeling well.A few years ago,a couple of days before deer season I was on the family property scouting around and decided I wanted to see how a 8mm Mauser that I hadn't shot in a few years was shooting.There's a couple of 2 tracks that are on the property,one cuts thru the middle of it,which is seldom used,and the other runs around the perimeter.I was in the middle of the property so I set a target at the base of a tree,the old road was about 30 yards behind the target.I hadn't heard o r seen a truck go down that trail in I don't know how long,but just as I was squeezing the trigger a white pickup came into my peripheral vision.The rifle fired,but the driver kept cruising thru like he hadn't heard or seen me.I shook for the rest of the day.

Thanks everyone, sorry if I sounded like I was looking for a pat on the back or something, it just always seems to help when when I talk to y'all.

Wolf I'm glad no one was hurt and it ended on a good note. Lesson learned.
I've been on both sides of your story. I'm anal about backstops.

The last time I almost didn't make it home as a ricocheted bullet flew next to my ear.
I was bow hunting on BLM land, tracking a couple bucks. Shots started ringing and the bucks got spooked and took off into a refuge. On my way back head hung low the shooting was more frequent and I could not tell where they were or which direction they were shooting. I had to cross a large Arroyo (dry river bed) to get to my truck, so I was extra cautious. I'm about halfway through and a ricocheted bullet comes towards me and passes my ear within a couple inches. I still couldn't tell where they were. I booked it and made a video. I finally got to my truck and finally saw they were parked about 1/3 mile away next to the road. I say for a bit had a snack and smoke. The wife was very sorry the husband and kids not so much. They were shooting west and the Arroyo runs E-W with the banks N-S. I almost called the sheriff and wardens.

From where they were set up to where the ricocheted bullet flew by me was 3/4 miles. It was a 9mm.

I live near an abandoned gravel pit, always have people shooting with no problems.
One September evening sitting down for supper we heard something that sounded like a board falling over in the garage went out looked around saw nothing. About a week later we had relatives over so I went to get an extra table from the garage and found a 9mm slug had gone through the table and embedded itself in the garage wall. I'm sure that was the noise we heard as that was the only time the garage door was open for the bullet to travel in without hitting the door.
You just never know.

a lot of people need a ND to really learn

if everyone had a nice safe ND where no one got hurt , it would Cement things in their heads solid. (other than the people who always blame some one or something else they never learn)

call this your safe ND even though you intended to shoot , you didn't intend bullets to go where they did


lesson learned and one you won't soon forget

ND = negligent discharge

you took responsibility and learned and worked it all out

well done

know your target and what is beyond it.

1. Treat every gun as if it were loaded.
2. Always point your gun in a safe direction.
3. Never point your gun at anything you don't intend to shoot.
4. Keep your finger off the trigger until your ready to shoot.
5. Be sure of your target and what's beyond.

That's the real beauty of Trapperman, Wolfie. A lot of us have a lot of years and miles on us, and have been through a lot, some of which were mistakes we have made. It seems there's always somebody on here that can relate to what's going on with you, and while they may not be able to offer solid solutions, just the act of talking with them seems to put us to rest. Even though we sometimes get into squabbles, the Trapperman family is a good one. We are all lucky to have it.

Moosetrot

Not sure if it was said yet...but if recreational shooting it's never a
bad idea to holler out...."hey! I'm gonna shoot my gun this way!"
At least gives anyone in earshot a chance to holler back or move out.

You did it, you owned it and hopefully you learned from it. Good no one was hurt.

Nuff Said

My cousin was shot similarly to that while roofing his lake house. Guys were target shooting 900 yards away.

I left a deer hunt early last season when I heard bullets smaking through the woods . The neighbors kids decided to shoot with no back stop. I text their dad thinking it was him he told me it must bee the kids he wasn't home.

It happens .

I'm amazed you're willing to admit it in Hope's others will remember your experience and not make the same mistake. That speaks volumes to your character.


Ps. I shot my cousin once. But with a 12g and 6 shot at 80 yards and on purposes when rabbit hunting. He shot two shots in my direction shot hit all around me so I shot his legs. He yelped, but has never shot in my direction again. We were 14 at the time and 40 now so seems to have worked.
In our early 20s he was complaining about a sore spot in his leg for over a month. Finally he saw a dark spot and dug it out with his knife. He handed me my piece of 6 shot back.

Anytime he brought a friend hunting with me for the first time I always told the new guy" if you shoot towards me , my dog, or my cousin I will shoot you". They always laughed like i was joking . That smile disappeared quick when my cousin stone cold seriously says" you think he is joking he is not he shot me when I shot towards him" it must have worked I never got close to getting shot again small game hunting.

I grew up on the north side of Flint Michigan, stray or not so stray bullets are not uncommon. I will say a ricochet deformed .22 LR has a sound all its own. The old man his army buddy and I, had a campfire conversation one night. Both had plenty of real world, south Pacific experience with zingers and zippers they called them. Both agreed the slow moving .22 deformed slug has a distinct sound. Then my uncle came by and added his input as to the distinct sounds of German weapons. All agreed, you never hear the one that gets you. I take their word on that.

Big oak tree and 30 yards of "brush". Did a bullet actually get past all that or did you just not see the turkey hunters? I wouldn't beat myself up to bad. Nobody got hurt and I have no doubt you will have a little better look around next time. As much shooting as your doing I am surprised you haven't built yourself a backstop someplace.

My favorite place to shoot is down by a local river. Spot floods a lot. Railroad built a berm about 12 feet tall to put their road on. Makes a great bullet stopper. Its pretty easy to tell when a train is coming. They blow that whistle at every county road crossing.

a guy I worked with was shot laying in his bed with his wife ,opening morning of deer season, 7mm when thru the wall of his house and in to his butt, some one shooting at a running deer 1/2 mile away all fields in between.

A few years ago i watched a show on tv(guns &ammo i think) it was on home defence but after seeing it i hoped it opened a few peoples eyes up(and not what they see in a movie) anyways they made a bunch of random walls standing about 10ft apart and fired different calibers basiclly to remind people that bullets dont stop after the first impact if i remember correctly it was only bird shot that was safe to use in a house and not put your family in danger from friendly fire i think buckshot travelled through two walls


shooter-10ft of travel-wall-10ft of travel-wall-10ft of travel-wall- etc

i know this isnt open range but still knowing what is behind your target and beyond is a must

Yes, yes, and yes! My Father instilled those words in us kids from day one. He's been gone 30+ years now and i still live by those rules.

so I found a box of shells I tried gifting them as apology on the front porch this morning so I'm not really sure how to take that

Sounds like he is saying not needed leave it be.