The Four Rules.

I've got more gun stuff coming up soon, and it's going to be good and simple. Like any other Martial Art, shooting as a discipline requires technique and practice, which become skill through repetition. My thoughts on technique begin where they should, the basics. Before we get into any of that, let's talk about the rules.

1. All guns are always loaded. Even if they are not, treat them as if they are.
2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. (Don't point it at anything you don't want to shoot.)
3. Keep your finger off the trigger till your sights are on the target. This is the Golden Rule. Its violation is directly responsible for most negligent discharges.
4. Identify your target, and what is behind it. Never shoot at anything that you have not positively identified.

People may paraphrase the words, but not the concepts. Some of the rules are easier to follow than others. Conditioning yourself to keep your finger off the trigger seems to be difficult for most people, probably because it instinctively rests there. It's far easier to remember to identify your target, while at the same time it seems easy for people to forget about their backstop. TV has long handicapped people by bathing us in false, unrealistic and often dangerous notions about firearms. Speaking directly to backstop; Hollywood suggests that good guys never miss, and bullets penetrate but never exit. The truth is quite different. It's easy to miss the target, even up close, if you don't align the sights correctly. With regards to penetration, I've seen rifle bullets easily penetrate all the way through 14” trees that targets had been tacked to. Seeing splinters where bullets have forcefully exited an otherwise solid mass is enough to give pause. 

Whether shooting at meat or paper, you're responsible for every bullet you fire, no exceptions.

In short, be safe, respect your tools, and stay tuned for shooting 101.