Traditions Tip Up - Manual (Page 11)

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5. Always wear proper eye and ear protection when loading
or firing any firearm.
6. Be sure of your target, and what is around and beyond it.
The projectile fired from your firearm can travel several
hundred yards, and has the potential to kill or seriously
injure someone at that distance! Once you pull the trigger,
you cannot call the projectiles back, so you must positively
identify your target before you fire. Fire only with a safe
backstop behind your target - something that will stop and
contain the projectiles you fire, even if you miss the target
or your projectile passes through it.
7. Do not point your firearms at anything you do not intend
to shoot. Be sure that all bystanders are safely positioned
behind you and that they are aware that you are about to
shoot. Be mindful that this firearm has a range in excess of
a half a mile.
8. Whenever you handle a firearm that, even momentarily,
has been out of your direct control, start by checking its
condition to determine whether or not it is loaded. A
firearm in your hands is a lethal weapon which is YOUR
responsibility, so YOU must check it yourself, NOW, not
later. Do not rely on someone else to check it.
9. Never take drugs and/or drink alcoholic beverages before
and during shooting.
10. Never use any firearm unless you completely
understand how it operates and how its safety features
work. If you are not already an experienced firearms user,
you should obtain training in the safe and proper use of
firearms by attending one of the many firearms safety and
shooting courses offered in all parts of the country by the
National Rifle Association (telephone 703-267-1000), gun