NV Safety

[cliveward]

Hi All,

Posted this a while back and thought it would be useful in this new section.

"Now this post is not directed at anyone personally so please nobody take offence. Most of you will know that I manufacture, import, sell and more importantly use night vision rifle scopes. I've read some alarming practices over the last few months on several boards so I thought I would throw this in the mix:

Shooting with an NV rifle scope or attachment often breaks the 2nd law of shooting. "Never point a firearm at something you do not intend to shoot." The obvious danger of this can be reduced by knowing where buildings, habitation, livestock, vehicles, etc. are on your shoot and planning your route to avoid muzzle sweeping these high risk areas.

The danger can be again reduced further by following the 1st law of shooting. "Treat every firearm as if it were loaded." This means finger well clear of the trigger. You may also want to use the safety or lift the bolt but the rifle will only discharge if you actually pull the trigger or subject the rifle to some considerable mechanical shock.

The final law, "Be sure of your target and backstop." is the one that people seem to have the most trouble with. People seem to be taking pot shots at anything that reflects IR including bottle tops, stones, dew, road signs through hedges, etc. And these are the ones people are openly admitting to!

Even if the only substance in the world that reflected IR was a rabbits eye...it's still a waste of time shooting at just a reflection unless you know the orientation of the target. Are you shooting the rabbits brain or it's nose?

The simple rule of thumb I follow is that if I can't positively identify a target within the first few seconds of having it in my sights I don't shoot. Then I can decide to either leave it or stalk closer until I can get an instant indentification. If you look at something too long then the 2D image of the NV and your mind will eventually make it look like what you want it to be."


Cheers





Clive

[C3PO_1]

Excellent advice. Last night I had a rabbit in the NVRS scope sight at 15 yards but it was sitting at an odd angle. As I was only 90% sure it was a rabbit I'm afraid he eventually sauntered off to boast about his lucky escape.

[Mr. Gain]

Excellent advice

Seconded!

One of major advantages of night vision IMO is that, being invisible to your quarry, it gives you lots more time to think than conventional lamping.

After all, few bunnies will sit in white light for more than a few moments, but with NV you can watch their movements for as long as you like until the right shot presents itself, giving you plenty of time to assess the backstop, range, and anatomy of your quarry.

[stink£r]

And make sure you know what the eye (s) belong to before pulling the trigger. Been talking to a couple of lads we know who also have NV, and we heard some real horror stories!!!:eek:

[Mod]

>Shooting with an NV rifle scope or attachment often breaks the 2nd law of shooting. "Never point a firearm at something you do not intend to shoot." The obvious danger of this can be reduced by knowing where buildings, habitation, livestock, vehicles, etc. are on your shoot and planning your route to avoid muzzle sweeping these high risk areas.<

Reading this - it seems that the 'second law of shooting' doesn't apply when using NV! ie - you either DO or DON'T look through the shouldered rifle.

I take it that folks using NV feel its fine to scan with the scoped rifle.

Appreciate that there is a cost element that mandates against many using NVGs - however, is it not realistic to scan with a monocular - then attach same to your scope with a QD cage?

Interested to see what folks think on this one - especially as the majority are doubtless using NV for foxing.

Rgds Mod :)

[Nealsey]

When I scan with my NV the rifle is not cocked and the breech empty.

It takes seconds to cock the rifle and I would rather lose a shot than shoot something,
or even worse somebody, due to poor gun handling technique.

Nealsey

[cliveward]

Excellent advice. Last night I had a rabbit in the NVRS scope sight at 15 yards but it was sitting at an odd angle. As I was only 90% sure it was a rabbit I'm afraid he eventually sauntered off to boast about his lucky escape.

This happens with even the best kit.

I was out the other week with a Gen3 scope on the .22 hornet and had just taken a couple of rabbits in one field at 130 yards.

There was (what seemed to be a rabbit) about 90 yards out but I just couldn't say 100% that it was, due to the backdrop, so I didn't bother with the shot. Walked over to it and had another look and it was 2 rabbits sitting one behind the other creating an unfamiliar image.


Cheers





Clive

[Baldie]

Reading this - it seems that the 'second law of shooting' doesn't apply when using NV! ie - you either DO or DON'T look through the shouldered rifle.

I take it that folks using NV feel its fine to scan with the scoped rifle.

Interested to see what folks think on this one - especially as the majority are doubtless using NV for foxing.

Rgds Mod :)


At the risk of putting my head in a noose...... :o


I'm aware that deer shooters use bino's for browsing, and best practice suggests the only time a loaded rifle is pointed, is when the shot is to be taken.

Your assertion that an NV scoped rifle is often used for browsing is correct. This may also apply to a lone shooter with a lamp attached to their rifle. Whether the rifle (or airgun) is loaded at the time, is a matter of (safety) choice for the shooter.

In my own group, we have more recently acquired very competatively priced (digital) NV monoculars that make 'browsing' with a rifle, a lot less necessary than it used to be. But expecting someone to shell out on £299's worth of NV on top of a £100 lamping kit, isn't realistic. Cheaper/low budget systems don't have the range, so are less useful anyway

The nature of the (NV) beast means it's unlikely to be used toward urban dwellings. Streetlights for example, produce blinding light from the NV when enhanced over 2,000 times.

Usually the system is setup to shoot over a fixed area of land, all known to be safe to shoot. As an airgunner, I might pitch up outside a warren or embankment and stay for a couple of hours, essentially shooting over 40 yard square of pasture.

As a rimfire/fullbore shooter, I tend to keep the rifle unloaded until I'm ready to take a shot, or have reasonable expectation of taking one. The only time the rifle is loaded with safety off, is on the point of taking a shot. In fact in some circumstances, the only time the rifle is unsheathed, is if there is some reasonable prospect of taking a shot.

In >> this (http://www.airgunbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=170999) << example, the rifle only came out for one shot. I had used another rifle during the earlier part of the evening, but a cartridge was only chambered when taking a shot or expecting to take a shot. Once taken, unless another 'prospect' came into view (or I was directed to the target by a spotter) the rifle often stays with an empty round in it. [Keeping noise to a minimum.]

...

[C3PO_1]

When I took out my Gen 1 NVRS system to the farm the other day, I could clearly see the branches of trees against the night sky at 200 yards, if not more. I could see rabbits easily at 80 yards. It was a moonlit night and out in the fields not very dark at all.

[Steyr]

When I took out my Gen 1 NVRS system to the farm the other day, I could clearly see the branches of trees against the night sky at 200 yards, if not more. I could see rabbits easily at 80 yards. It was a moonlit night and out in the fields not very dark at all.

try it again when there is no moon