Upper Susitna Shooter’s Association announced they would be open for shooters

The Upper Susitna Shooter’s Association (USSA), at Mile 94 Parks Highway, announced they would be open for shooters starting May 22, this past Monday. Their new days and hours are Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday are workdays where the shooting ranges are closed to the public. The hours are from 10 AM until 6 PM on Monday through Saturday, and from 1 PM until 8 PM on Sunday.

Speaking of the USSA, as an RSO (Range Safety Officer) working at that facility, I attended a training class at the clubhouse this past Saturday which taught us how to deal with bleeding injuries. The class is called Stop The Bleed and presented information on how to deal with significant bleeding wounds using pressure, wound packing, and tourniquets. Tourniquets are a last resort, but contrary to what I have been taught in general first aid classes, they do have their place in treating a large bleeding wound. While this class is not mandatory for RSO’s yet, there’s a good chance it will be in the future.

To my knowledge, there has never been an accident at the range where these types of skills would have been necessary. However, the shooting range isn’t the only place where accidents could happen. We have all encountered automobile accidents with nasty injuries. Using a chainsaw or ax while camping or working in the woods can lead to bad cuts. There are many places where having the knowledge to stop bleeding from a major cut could definitely save somebody’s life. I appreciated the refresher and updates I got from previous training I’ve had, and I had never been exposed to the use of packing to stop bleeding, so I learned a new procedure.

Two weeks ago, I presented a safe gun handling discussion to dozens of young people and their parents who were attending the annual Turkey Shoot weekend on Dan Moore’s

property in Big Lake. This year’s event marked the 30th year this event has been held. The kids shoot 22-caliber rifles, high-power rifles, shotguns, archery equipment, slingshots, and throw tomahawks – all under the immediate and direct supervision of the parents and other adults volunteering to help supervise things.

I only had an hour to work with, so things were pretty basic, but I concentrated on emphasizing firearms muzzle control – always knowing where the muzzle of the firearm is pointed. There has never been an accident during this event, primarily because of the watchful eyes of the adult volunteers.

We show a short video we use in Hunter Education classes, titled The Last Shot, to further emphasize what can happen during even a momentary lapse in safe gun handling. A few years back, a young man was frightened by the graphic video portrayal of a situation. We explained to him that if he followed the rules of safe gun handling, nobody would be hurt, and he would have a fun time shooting. I saw him the next day with the biggest smile on his face because he was having fun.

This year, we had two young boys almost pass out because of the graphic nature of the video. Both kids’ dads were present and explained the same thing I just said. I haven’t followed up yet with Dan, but I would suspect both kids had a very enjoyable experience. They also now have a deep understanding of what a firearm can do if not handled properly.

The BATFE has issued a final ruling on the use of stabilizing braces on firearms. Owners have until May 31 to comply with the ruling, which states the following options: remove the short barrel and attach a 16-inch or longer rifled barrel to the firearm; permanently remove and dispose of, or alter, the “stabilizing brace” such that it cannot be reattached; turn the firearm into your local ATF office; destroy the firearm; or register the firearm tax-free by May 31, 2023.

I don’t know what the penalty for noncompliance would be but given the anti-gun position of the Biden administration, I suspect it would be significantly more that the equivalent of a parking ticket! I would also expect lawsuits to be filed over this final ruling. I suspect the possible outcomes may depend on which federal court and which judge hears the case.