Beer and skeet, Am I being oversensitive?

could you imagine the headlines? Our club has a no drug/alcohol on premises policy. It may be alittle much at family functions, but there are no questions or problems, and if there is any problem (hopefully) our policy would save our club.
I've had one worse, when someone walked up inbetween rounds and offered a funny smoke, I think the look on my face told him to pack it up and leave, I didn't even say a word.
 
A famous ATA hall of famer had a few at the gun club one day and while driving from the club had a felony DUI (injury accident). It took a while, but he was able to get his guns back since he used them for his "work", but there was a time that it wasn't so rosy......


"Also, let's say you're done shooting and have a beer. Ya gonna get in your car and drive home?"
Click to expand...

Some folks have a higher tolerance for alcohol than others, and one or two do not have the same results as they might on others. Everyone needs to know their limitations, whether it is alcohol, scrip meds, highway speed, etc.....
 
This past spring I was searching the internet for area rifle ranges. The range I shoot at now is 35 miles away. Doable, but something closer would be nice. I stumbled on a place only 15 miles away that is new. By the looks of the web site they focused on trap and skeet, but did have a 25 & 50 yard .22 range and a 100 yard rifle. So I decided to pay them a visit. Pulled up on my motorcycle near a covered picnic table area where about 20 guys were sitting, near a trap range. No one was shooting, but uncased shotguns and open beers were sitting on the picnic tables. By the looks of a few of the guys, it wasn’t their first beer of the day. I found the owner, asked about the rifle range. Then someone with a beer in hand shouted out let’s shoot some more clay birds. I left, and haven’t been back since. Too bad because the fee for the rifle range is only $10 a day. The place I shoot at now is $25 a day. Alcohol and firearms do not mix. One beer is one too many while shooting. Anyone that attempts to justify it has a problem, and should seek help for it.
 
The presence of alcohol, regardless of the quantity brings about an air of casualness and relaxation that can easilly translate to slacking of safe behavior. I would leave.
 
I don't drink but if one beer is too many to shoot skeet, then one beer is too many to drive home.

You are putting far more people at risk driving home than at a skeet range.
 
Last edited:
The difference is that drinking WHILE shooting means the alcohol is in your system full strength during the activity. Having a beer at dinner and driving home usually means you drank that beer over a period of a 45 min - hour long dinner, with food, and has been metabolized to a large degree. I learned in driving training you should allow one hour per drink (assuming moderate amounts).

The proper comparison would be is it OK to drink while you drive if you think drinking "just one" while shooting. I think in most states it is entirely illegal to drink alcohol WHILE driving. For good reason.
 
Okiecruffler said:
At the skeet range nothing went wrong, no one shot anyone or even acted in an unsafe manor, but I still feel kinda bad about the whole thing. Am I just being oversensitive? You guys shooting on smaller, good old boy ranges, is beer drinking allowed?
Click to expand...

I'm a member of a relatively small local range that prohibits alcohol on the club grounds. Being seen drinking alcohol would mean instant membership termination.

I don't think you're oversensitive, I believe everyone has to set their own boundaries. Obviously, the fellows at your club have agreed one beer is a reasonable limit. (As long as it was ONE beer, I'd have to say I agree...)

I was shocked when I joined my club by the way skeet shooters rested their muzzles on their toes, among other gun handling habits I consider "sloppy". I posted about that experience here and was quickly told that was skeet custom. Still don't like it, I don't do it, and I wouldn't take a new shooter there because of that.
 
That's more what I'm used to, in fact at my old club you couldn't even use beer cans as targets. As far as the barrel on the toe thing, I was shocked when I first saw that but then decided, if the gun goes bang, at least it's their toe and not my head.:D
 
Okiecruffler said:
As far as the barrel on the toe thing, I was shocked when I first saw that but then decided, if the gun goes bang, at least it's their toe and not my head.
Click to expand...

:) Good point - I never thought about it that way!
 
Don't know if its mentioned but in Texas there is no legal limit if your CCing so no drinks while armed period for me thanks. Stay sensitive lol.
 
No alcohol either on a motorcycle or with firearms. If I'm hot and sweaty, I'll go for a St. Pauli Girl alcohol free - not my preference, but it hits the spot without impairing my judgment or reflexes.
 
"I dont always drink beer while shooting on the range, but when I do I prefer WWB 9mm" :) oh no, I mean DOS XX :) hic, hand me another hic


Only thing mixes with alchohol is more alchohol so stay at home when drinking......

Worked in a bar for years, 1 beer is all it takes to reduce yer senses hic.
 
If its a private range then I would have no problem with someone having 1 beer.

Its actually proven that a beer will help your shooting by calming your nerves and at least me personally one beer does nothing to affect my judgment.

One of these days and believe me it will happen I will have my own range and yes I would have a beer while shooting at my range.
 
i consider you smart. guns and beer are not meant to be mixed, if they were you ccw permit would still be valid when you are smashed.
 
Sure it's only beer.

But a hell of a lot of people are either killed, or kill others, or both, after drinking "only beer" and driving.

I'd have left immediately.

When I worked at NRA we would every once in awhile have a group lunch that included beer. The chili cook comes immediately to mind.

After the beers were opened, the gun vault was closed and no one was allowed back in it the rest of the day.
 
I'm appalled that people here seem to think that drinking a single beer while shooting is a huge no-no, but then seem to think it's ok to drive home.

And the whole "drinking with dinner over 45 mintues" is BS. If you are socially drinking you shouldn't be drinking a beer much faster than that anyways (clearly if you are out shooting and you are beer bonging/shotgunning beeras etc. you're drinking to get tossed).

Don't drive drunk don't shoot drunk.
 
Scubasimmons said:
I'm appalled that people here seem to think that drinking a single beer while shooting is a huge no-no, but then seem to think it's ok to drive home.
Click to expand...

Like they say, familiarity breeds contempt. Driving is so much a part of everyone's everyday life that we forget just how dangerous a car can be. Your car is statistically much more likely to kill or maim you than your guns are.
The difference is even more stark when you consider that nearly all car deaths are actual accidents, not murders or suicides.

The most dangerous part of shooting skeet is driving to and from the range.
 
I am not saying you should have a beer and shoot because we have a safe reputation to protect in shooting community/shooting sports but lets face it 1 beer will not affect you much if at all(depending on how fast you drink it). One beer will help you shoot better and it takes one hour to burn off one beer completely.


I see no problem with someone having a beer with dinner and driving home after 45min and the fact of the matter is they will be just as sober as when they walked into the place. Just remember theres a difference between having a beer and drinking beer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top