Man Accidentally Kills Self Practicing Cowboy Action Shooting

[Ian David]

Man Accidentally Kills Self Practicing Cowboy Action Shooting

POSTED: 10:54 pm EST December 18, 2005
UPDATED: 8:03 am EST December 20, 2005

A man died this weekend after he accidentally shot himself at a gun range near Ocala, Fla., according to a Local 6 News report.

Authorities said the 39-year-old man was practicing a sport called cowboy action shooting when he shot himself.

The sport uses older-style guns and the shooter tries to hit as many targets as he can in the quickest amount of time, Local 6 News reported.

More:
http://www.local6.com/news/5572231/detail.html

[GrumpyGreg]

1. I feel bad for his family but he was an idiot.

[Wcross]

48. Do you know the specifics?

It wasn't to clear in the body of the story about how he was killed. It could have been anything, right? A ricochet? An unintentional discharge?
Is he an idiot for enjoying the shooting sports? How about someone that is killed parachuting? How about bungee jumping? How about skiing?
I admit, cowboy action shooting doesn't appeal to me in any way, shape or form. How is this guy an idiot? If you die in some silly way what will be said of you?

[wake.up.america]

2. Good grief!! How do you anything that makes sense without being mean?...

My heart goes out to his family.

[Ian David]

4. I blame Brokeback Mountain. Damn coyboy movies. n/t

[porphyrian]

3. I wonder if that's connected to Six Gun Territory.

I went there when I was a kid. It's a Wild West theme park. There's not much else in Ocala except horses.

[Botany]

5. I deer hunt and I am a liberal too.

"The sport uses older-style guns"

Guns have improved as far as safety in the last 100 years. Even so they are not toys
and running and shooting is not the smartest thing to do. Especially with old fashioned
single action pistols.

My heart goes out to his family.

[Vinnie From Indy]

6. I guess they should revamp the lessons at that range

The pointy end of the gun with the hole is the dangerous end. Don't put your face in front of it. EVER!

[CrispyQ]

7. Sounds like a Darwin nomination to me.

I'm sorry for his family, but holy crap, guns are not toys.

[Jara sang]

9. Second that, what an idiot.

I'm just sorry that his genes were aloud to infect the gene pool before his death.

[RamboLiberal]

14. Jara Sang - that's cold - it was an accident

Guess you stay safe and snug in your bed all day! They guy had a wife and kids. Probably not all that different than most of us. How dare us to say he's an idiot!

[Jara sang]

21. I don't have kids, so he is vastly different than me.

And to behave so recklessly when YOU DO have children, again what a total idiot.

[RamboLiberal]

22. Crossing the street is more dangerous than Cowboy shooting

Guess you all stay in bed all day and never cross the street, drive a car, ride a bike or motorcycle, get in a bathtub, go down the stairs, eat a steak, swim in the ocean, fly on a plane, go skiing or roller skating, use a knife, etc.

I've been involved in competitive shooting for near 10 years, compete nearly every weekend Apr-Oct and have never seen an accident on the range.

Some comments here are what is idiotic!

[RamboLiberal]

13. Read on - tragic accident - not a Darwin moment

Bet we've all had things happen that in retrospect could've gotten us killed or injured. Hell it can be as simple as not making sure the bathmat is adhering to the surface of the tub.

[kliljedahl]

17. That was my first thought too

Darwin in action for sure.



Keith’s Barbeque Central

[melody]

8. It's those western movies these days

They cause kids to act out and do things they wouldn't do otherwise. It's violent and unhealthy, all this John Wayne stuff! :sarcasm:

Seriously, what a tragedy all around. The penalty for stupidity shouldn't be death -- if it was, where would this administration be by now?

[RamboLiberal]

10. Tragic Accident - Sport of Cowboy Action Shooting has good record

It's one of the fastest growing sport involving firearms. To me it's just a bunch of baby boomers living out the fantasy of the Western TV shows and movies they grew up watching. And it's a very safe sport.

I'd have to hear more details of how this accident happened to comment on it, but I think too many here automatically react negatively and with sarcasm when a gun is involved.

If I had the money to buy all the gear I'd like to compete in this. Gets a bit pricey to have to buy the handguns, holsters, shotgun and rifle, costume, ammo, etc.

Here's link to Single Action Shooting Society website if any of you want info.

http://www.sassnet.com/

On edit - I decided to visit the SASS forum. They speculated there that he accidentally lost his grip on the firearm - maybe while cocking the hammer. His finger was in the trigger guard. The weight of the types of revolvers they shoot could've caused the gun to spin on the finger towards his abdomen and also pull the trigger. Some said the weather at the time was wet and cold.

Again folks, this is a tragic accident that happened to a guy who was practicing a hobby he loved. I'm sure there are those of us who have some hobby that could get us killed or injured. Drop the sarcasm!

Authorities said the man appeared to be a cowboy action shooting fan, and he was at the range practicing. Eyewitnesses told them he had two single-action revolvers - a .357-caliber Magnum in each hand - and was firing .38-caliber rounds in the weapons back and forth.

They determined that at about the eighth shot, the weapon somehow rotated toward him and discharged, striking him in the abdomen.

"I heard him say, 'I'm shot,' " said Bill Hayter, an employee of the Star-Banner who was standing next to the man. "I saw him slumping to the ground and I called 911."

http://www.ocala.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051218/NEWS/212180390/1001/news01&template=printpicart

[TomInTib]

12. I have done this myself ( not shot myself, tho) and if one is firing

with both hands at pop-up targets it can be difficult to stay in synch.
I would imagine one of his thumbs went slack and the pistol swung in a downward arc, iring on pressure from trigger finger.
This almost happened (pistol dropped but did not fire) to me and I have a lot of experience and large hands. That was my last time with mulitple pistols.
You should try it, it is a lot of fun. Just work your way up and don't try to play O K Corral.

[newportdadde]

11. Lot of hateful posts on this thread, he might not have been being stupid.

I've actually seen this type of sport on TV and its pretty damn impressive. These people know a lot about firearms and firearm safety because doing this type of thing is risky. His weapon could have misfired accidentally or jammed etc.

Lets cut this guy some slack for now and not beat up on him because he enjoyed firearms as a hobby and lived in the south.

[melody]

42. Even if he wasn't, it's still tragic

For the record, my family is from the south and they use firearms.

The point people I was making in my own post was that it would be easy for the freepers to link this to western movies, if they didn't love western movies.

Beyond which fact, some people take life too seriously. This man is beyond the help of our opinions. So long as he's mentioned as an abstraction, he's not going to be dishonored by the humor.

[DanCa]

15. Does a John Wayne impersation

"I'm not going to hit you, I'm not going to hit you, like hell I am not."
Why the hell are these inbreeds allowed to vote?

[RamboLiberal]

18. I'm getting sick of the crap like inbreeds on this topic

We sound like a bunch of Freepers! Like none of us have hobbies that someone doesn't understand and could laugh at!

How the hell does Cowboy Action Shooting harm any of you?

I've met some people who compete in this and they are rational, nice, good people. Now sure many are Republicans and Bush voters, but I bet there are some Dems too.

Hell I do Defensive Pistol shooting and last I checked I'm a liberal and a Dem. But if I had an accident on the gun range you guys without knowing who I am would be calling me a Darwin candidate, an idiot, etc.

SAD!

[Bushy Being Born]

23. I second your post!

And I thank you for the information in post #10; how it happened would've been my first question. Thanks for making pretty much the only contributions to this thread so far that weren't completely senseless.

[gulfcoastliberal]

28. I agree. I think more dems need firearm experience.

I grew up visitng grandparents in Mississippi and Tennessee who taught me to fish and hunt. Am I a knuckle dragging freeper because I inheireted a few guns and bought a few more? Give me a fucking break. If you know anyone that died in an automobile accident - now there's a Darwin award! Who the fuck thinks they should be driving if they obviously did not have the skill, perception, and reflexes to handle it? :sarcasm:

[dkofos]

16. Good for him.

Just thinning the heard.

[RamboLiberal]

19. The way most of you spell here I'd say we have some

Darwin candidates right here!

[dkofos]

20. Excuse me for not turning on the java script just to run the fucking

spell checker

[BurningDog]

30. The "fucking spell checker" wouldn't have caught that.

You used the wrong word.

[Renew Deal]

34. Here's a "wicked spell checker"

:rofl:

[Renew Deal]

32. Now is that nice?

:spank:

[Kralizec]

24. He forgot to not include himself as one of the targets.

[RamboLiberal]

25. And you forgot to your heart when you got out of bed this morning

eom

[Kralizec]

37. this from someone named RAMBOliberal. gimme a break. (nt)

[Squatch]

26. WTF is up with the cold-hearted assholes responding in this thread?

I take it none of you have had accidents before.

[billbuckhead]

27. USA has multiples more gun deaths than rest of advanced nations

Darwin in action. I hope the taxpayers don't have to pay too much for this needless incident.

[Squatch]

33. And those deaths give people license to be assholes?

"I hope the taxpayers don't have to pay too much for this needless incident."

The next time you slip and fall in the shower, I hope nobody says the same about your "needless incident".

[billbuckhead]

38. Having a gun around raises risks tremendously , it's a fact

According to the Brookings Institute gun mayhem costs over $100 billion in damages and most of this ends up being paid by taxpayers.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

29. May God Bless His Soul and His Family. That Sucks.

[LostinVA]

31. See what "Brokeback Mountain" has done already?!

[Doctor_J]

36. .

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[LostinVA]

39. Gay cowboy sex is just ruining America

[Doctor_J]

35. And the fundies don't believe Darwin!

This guy's tombstone should read "here lies another victim of evolution"

[xchrom]

40. another reason why i don't want to live near people with guns.

[RetroLounge]

41. Stupid fuck

Sucks for his family. Too bad they let him breed.

RL

[DS1]

43. Intelligent Design

:-)

[Greyskye]

44. Isn't this similar to Al Franken's sport of choice?

Maybe I'm hallucinating, but I could swear that I remember that Al Franken is a quick draw champion. Would the folks above who are calling this guy an idiot have said the same thing about Franken, if this tragedy had happened to him? :shrug:

[realisticphish]

47. yes

unfortunately, i think they would

[Paladin]

45. It's A Wonder There Aren't More Such Incidents

Considering the growing trend to treat guns as toys, rather than the serious objects they in fact are. Cowboy action shooting sounds like a prime example of the whole sorry guns-as-toys movement. Really unfortunate.

[realisticphish]

46. My heart goes out to his family

and my contempt goes to the people who mock his death. Accidents happen to anyone, doing anything, and I think it is sick, hateful, and frankly immature to laugh and joke about someone's death. This bullshit happens all the time on DU, and I'm sick of it.

Next time I read about someone dying in a car accident, would it be ok to laugh about him/her being an "inbred moron" who couldn't keep their car on the road?

Pathetic.

[Redneck Socialist]

49. Jesus, that's awful

My heart goes out to his family

There is a lot of ugly sentiment in this thread. I'm not too impressed with some of the DU community tonight.