Shooting and drinking?

What is the most dangerous amateur sport in NA? Golf, as it has the highest liability insurance and the most deaths. The safest and the one with the lowest rates, organised shooting! Why? Because we all care and make sure that if the action is closed, we do something. If someone is handling a firearm unsafe, we do something. If someone had too much to drink, we DO something!

In Europe where firearms are so well controlled, there are NO restrictions on booze except, when someone had too much. In Austria at majors shoots, I saw Austrians drinking beer at 7.30 AM and in between Parcours. There were no drunks, they had one and then shot. In Italy even at this year's World FITASC beer and wine was consumed at lunch and other times. The Europeans can control their intake and not go wild. I have shot in France, England, Belgium and Czech Republic, they all consume some booze. They only start serious drinking AFTER the shooting.

Meanwhile here in NA, the antis have created a panic kneejerk reaction among us. Have one beer or glass a wine and your out! You must be pissed drunk after having one during lunch. Please give me a break. One just needs to look at all the antis having beer and wine at lunch and then getting on their bicycles on city streets!

But this thread will surely make headlines in Canada and the major cities in the US! "Shooters aproove booze at shooting ranges"!

It is all about self control and peer control! One does not let a drunk drive or pilot a boat, the same in shooting.

Regards,
Henry;)
 
What's wrong with a beer or two? Nothing, but shooting and hunting are activities that require responsibility, awareness, concentration and consideration for others. The problem with drinking and doing them is that performance and personal judgment deteriorates quite quickly with alcohol and, while our record for accidents has gone down over the years, it doesn't take much for accidents to happen with impaired judgment. Some people don't restrict themselves like others when it comes to booze either and you are just giving them more to contend with by encouraging it. Finally, there are also very large individual differences in reactions to booze, just like any other drug. Take drinking and driving as an example. If I recall correctly, research back in the day suggested that some people might be even slightly better drivers after about an ounce of liquor. The vast majority had some signs of impairment, by the second ounce. Does anyone here expect an improvement in driving statistics if we engage in drinking and driving or maybe just have a couple before we do. Personally I get a slight buzz with my second Bud. For me, the guns go away before the bottle comes out, and I don't shoot or hunt with people that do it differently. I just don't see the need to drink in order to enjoy shooting and I can see a good reason to stay away from it. My $0.02 worth.
 
i've been in switzerland 4 times in the last 15 years, and almost ALL range have a lounge settled next to the range itself, i never heard of anything happening linked to this.

...and dont tell that drinking a glass of wine or a beer before shooting is dangerous to a swiss shooter, he will simply laugh big time at you.

but again, switzerland isn't a socialist country at all and peoples there are far from the typical canadian fearmongers,they're responsible peoples and they dont give a single fu** to the rest of the socialist country around like france,and it's not a glass of beer who can change their attitude toward firearms.

you're a responsible person, or you're not,a beer cant shift that.
 
As Henry mentioned drinking is more prevalent on European and UK shooting grounds. A pub lunch and a couple of pints is pretty typical in the UK as is wine at lunch while pigeon shooting. What those experiences taught me was that while I was a long way from impaired I felt a little sluggish if I had a couple at lunch and didn't shoot as well. I don't imbibe before shooting but will definitely make up for it afterward.

But even with their more relaxed attitude I've never seen people drinking on the range itself in the UK nor anyone shooting who'd had too much.
 
I'm not a big drinker, but I think we'd do the sport a favour if we took a long deep look at why golf clubs are so successful.

Having a reason to be at the club beyond the match or practice, and to bring the friends and family with you is the key in my not so humble opinion. Having a decent club house, with a decent kitchen and a bar would go a long way to making the gun club more a part of family life, instead of a distraction from family life.

Alcohol on it's own isn't a make or break to this equation, but it is part of the whole package.

Being able to get lunch and dinner at the club is a draw. Being able to hold a proper after match banquet is a draw.

Somehow golfers can play 18 holes, put the clubs in the trunk, and lie to each other over a beer or two without ending the day whacking the piss out of each other. I don't see a problem here.
 
glockguycalgary said:
I think it's fine if it's monitored properly. I went to a shoot in Florida earlier this year. Once we were done, we de-gunned, went to the clubhouse and grabbed a couple of beers. After ordering, the bartender stamped our hand and he explained that we were done shooting for the day.

After this, I wandered around to some of the bays to watch a few friends shoot and every RO asked to see my hand and then checked to make sure I wasn't carrying. It was just part of the SOP at this range.

Really wasn't a big deal and it was sure nice to have a cold beer on a 30 degree day!
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Civilized, I say! :D

I frequented two similar establishments in the Great State of Oklahoma. Lots of excellent discussions were participated in and overheard in the lounges. You think CGN'rs argue! LOL And I never saw any gunfights in the parking lot. ;)
:D
 
././

hnachaj said:
What is the most dangerous amateur sport in NA? Golf, as it has the highest liability insurance and the most deaths. The safest and the one with the lowest rates, organised shooting! Why? Because we all care and make sure that if the action is closed, we do something. If someone is handling a firearm unsafe, we do something. If someone had too much to drink, we DO something!

In Europe where firearms are so well controlled, there are NO restrictions on booze except, when someone had too much. In Austria at majors shoots, I saw Austrians drinking beer at 7.30 AM and in between Parcours. There were no drunks, they had one and then shot. In Italy even at this year's World FITASC beer and wine was consumed at lunch and other times. The Europeans can control their intake and not go wild. I have shot in France, England, Belgium and Czech Republic, they all consume some booze. They only start serious drinking AFTER the shooting.

Meanwhile here in NA, the antis have created a panic kneejerk reaction among us. Have one beer or glass a wine and your out! You must be pissed drunk after having one during lunch. Please give me a break. One just needs to look at all the antis having beer and wine at lunch and then getting on their bicycles on city streets!

But this thread will surely make headlines in Canada and the major cities in the US! "Shooters aproove booze at shooting ranges"!

It is all about self control and peer control! One does not let a drunk drive or pilot a boat, the same in shooting.

Regards,
Henry;)
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Well Said Henry.

Cheers
George (BMW)
 
Edward Teach said:
Fish and Chips...
Bacon and Eggs...
Liquor and Firearms...
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2w72sz9.jpg
 
fuse said:
I think it's a fair question. I play hockey and after the game it's nice to sit down and have a cold beer. I don't think the original poster was asking about getting drunk while shooting, but a relaxing drink with your shooting partners after before you go your separate ways. Well, that's the way I took it.
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If thats the case, do what we do, leave the range, and go to a Restraunt and have a beer and a burger.
 
my opinion.... drinking before or while shooting is a bad idea. Once the guns are put away then fly at it.
The key here, like any other situation, is doing it responsibly.
Most of the time I'd say who cares what other people think but unfortunately gun ownership is under so much scrutiny in this country right now, public perception is important. We know that the majority of gun owners are extremely careful and responsible when it comes to our firearms but most of the non-gun owning public only knows us through media reports.(many of which are slanted against us)
We need the support of that part of the public which may be undecided on the subject of gun ownership, registration, etc.
Therefore, whether we like it or not, we need to portray the best image possible to the public.
 
Opposite directions from the range to home I should have said.

Or you've just shot with someone new for the day and wouldn't mind spending 20 minutes chatting over a beer at the range instead of asking them out on a date for dinner and drinks.
 
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