Air guns and rifles can be thrilling to use when plinking, hunting, or simply enjoying friendly competition at your favorite shooting range. Though shooting air guns can be enjoyable, you must be responsible for handling them. Not doing so can lead to serious injury to yourself and others – or even worse. Our air gun team at Palm Beach Airguns discusses important air gun safety tips to help you be a more responsible shooter.

Air Guns Are Not Toys

When handling air guns, you must always assume they’re loaded as they can damage objects and seriously harm others. Therefore, you must do your best to not accidentally set off your air guns. As a universal rule, remember to:

• Always keep your finger off the trigger unless you’re focused on a target and ready to fire.
• Ensure the gun is pointed in a safe direction at all times.
• Turn on the gun safety switch when you’re not shooting.
• Never look into the barrel.

Keep Your Air Gun Clean

One of the most neglected air gun safety tips is keeping the air gun clean. Regularly cleaning your PCP air rifles will ensure they work every time you go hunting or enjoy a session of plinking. Knowing how to clean an airgun will help save you money, time, and the stress of missed shots as you’ll reduce the chances of the air tank leaking or lose pressure when firing off rounds.

Wear Eye Protection

Whether you’re shooting with an Athlon Optics or similar air pistol accessories, there’s always a possibility you’ll experience blow-back to your eyes. Though they may not look stylish, wearing safety glasses is a much safer alternative as opposed to risking losing your sight. It’s common for pellets to ricochet off targets or objects, and not wearing protective glasses is one of the most important air gun safety tips so you can avoid a trip to the hospital.

Know Your Target and What’s Beyond It

Since air pistols or other large caliber rifles can shoot through a target, you must always be aware of what’s behind it. For example, when aiming at a target this Florida deer season, ask yourself if there are other people, property, or a road beyond the target that can be harmed or destroyed. Also, knowing the range of your air gun or rifle can help you determine if objects behind your target are at risk.

There’s a lot that goes into safely handling an air gun or rifle. However, as long you’re attentive to your weapon and your surroundings you’ll lower the chances of harming yourself and others. If you’d like to learn more about air gun safety tips or would like to explore our vast inventory of popular FX Airguns, feel free to get in touch with a member of our staff by calling 561-331-6731 today!