Vocabulary Section

A

• Accident:  Misadventure, misfortune, or mishap that is unavoidable.
• Action: Those parts of a firearm which load, fire, and unload the gun.
• Ammunition: Shells; cartridges (fully loaded rounds, ready to fire).
• Anchor point: The spot on a bow to which the shooter draws and holds the bowstring before each shot .
• Archery: Sport; recreation using bows and arrows.
• Arrow length: The length of an arrow; must match the draw length for each shooter.
• Arrow spine: The stiffness (or flexibility) of an arrow shaft; must match draw weight.
• Autoloader: Also called a self-loader or semi-automatic; firearm action type which fires, ejects empty cases, and loads a fresh cartridge with each pull of the trigger.

B

• Backstop: Impact area for archery and firearm projectiles.
• Black powder: Highly explosive gun powder mixture made from charcoal, sulfur, and potassium nitrate; used in firearms prior to 20th century; very corrosive .
• Bolt action: A manual firearm action type; after rifle is fired, operating the bolt ejects an empty case and loads a fresh cartridge from the magazine.
• Bolt lock: A button or lever on modern firearms which must be depressed in order to open the action once the firearm is cocked.
• Bore: The interior diameter of a gun barrel; projectiles pass through the bore, out the muzzle, and toward the target.
• Bowstringer: A long bowstring, with special cups at each end, used for stringing a recurve bow; the safest method to use for stringing a bow.
• Broadhead: One type of arrow tip with very sharp blades; used for hunting.
• Bullet: A single projectile fired from a handgun or rifle. It is one part of a cartridge.

C

• Caliber: Measurement of the bore or bullet for rifles and handguns; measurement usually in hundreths or thousandths of an inch; sometimes metric system is used.
• Caplock: Percussion ignition muzzleloading firearm; uses a small metal percussion cap, which is struck by the hammer, creating a flash which ignites powder.
• Careless: Thoughtless; reckless; unmindful.
• Carrying capacity: The number of animals that a given habitat can support throughout the year without damaging the habitat.
• Carrying positions: Ways in which a firearm can be carried safely.
• Cartridge: Ammunition; round; shell; tube containing a complete charge for a firearm.
• Case: Holds the components to form a round of ammunition; often called a “shell”.
• Centerfire: One type of cartridge; holds primer in the center of the cartridge head.
• Chamber: The breech part of a firearm which holds and supports the case for firing.
• Choke: The constriction in a shotgun barrel; choke controls the spread of shot.
• Compass: A device used to indicate direction.
• Components: The parts needed to form a complete unit of ammunition, including case, powder, primer, bullet or shot, and wad.
• Compound bow: Modern bow which uses cables and pulleys to gain mechanical advantage and make it easier to draw (pull back) and hold the bowstring.
• Conservation: The wise use of natural resources.
• Cylinder choke: One type of shotgun choke; a shotgun barrel with no choke at all; used for short-range shooting.

D

• Damascus barrel: Also known as a “damascus twist” or twist steel barrel; easily recognizable by the fine, wavy lines on the barrel; unsafe to use with smokeless powders.
• Discharge: To fire a gun.
• Double action: Type of handgun action which cocks and releases the hammer with one pull of the trigger.
• Draw: To pull back on a bowstring.
• Draw length: The distance from the bow handle to the shooter’s anchor point.
• Draw weight: The maximum amount of effort, measured in pounds, that is required to draw the bowstring to full draw.
• Dry-fire: Drawing and releasing a bowstring without an arrow; pulling the trigger on a firearm without a cartridge in the chamber.

E

• Emergency: A situation which requires immediate attention.
• Extinct: All gone; dead; finished; perished.

F

• Fatigue: Exhaustion; tiredness.
• Firearm: Gun, including muzzleloading firearms and modern shotguns, rifles, and handguns.
• Flintlock: A type of muzzleloading firearm; uses flint and steel to create a shower of sparks, which ignites the powder.
• Forend: Often called a forearm; the forward section of the stock.
• Fracture: Break.
• Full choke: One type of shotgun choke; opposite of cylinder choke; very tight choke used for longer range shooting.
• Fuel: Something that burns.

G

• Game: Animals and birds that may be hunted.
• Gauge: Measurement of shotgun barrels, as in 12 gauge, 20 gauge, etc.
• Grooves: Channels; notches; spiral cuts inside the bore of rifled barrels.
• Gun: Firearm; including muzzleloading firearms and modern shotguns, rifles, and handguns.

H

• Habit: Practice; tendency; pattern; routine.
• Habitat: Wildlife “home”; includes food, water, cover, space, and proper arrangement.
• Hammer: Part of a firearm action that causes ammunition to discharge by a striking motion.
• Handgun: Can be used to describe any type of hand-held firearm, including a revolver, semi-automatic pistol, a bolt action, or a break action pistol.
• Hangfire: A dangerous condition in which the trigger is pulled but the firearm does not discharge immediately; will discharge at a later time.
• Hull: A shotshell case.
• Hunt: Chase; pursue; track; trail; all hunters must possess a hunting license.
• Hunter orange: A bright fluorescent color required for certain types of hunting in Washington.
• Hypothermia: Reduction of body heat; potentially lethal if not treated.

I

• Ignite: To set on fire.
• Incident: Misadventure, misfortune, or mishap that is avoidable.

L

• Landowner: Property owner; may be an individual, a family, a business, or a governmental agency.
• Lands: The raised surface between the grooves in a firearm’s bore.
• Lever action: A manual firearm action type; operating the lever ejects empty cases, moves ammunition from the magazine to the chamber, and cocks the action.
• Lock: The firing mechanism of a muzzleloading firearm.
• Long bow: A traditional bow with long, straight limbs.

M

• Magazine: That part of a firearm which stores extra ammunition.
• Metallic: Made of metal.
• Muzzle: The “business end” of a firearm through which bullets or shot exit the barrel.
• Muzzleloader: A traditional firearm which is loaded from the muzzle.

N

• Nipple: A small metal tube on a caplock muzzleloading firearm; a metal percussion cap fits over the nipple to create a flash to ignite powder.
• Nock: Affixes an arrow to a bowstring.
• Notch (a tag): To cut out on the hunter’s tag the day and month on which a game animal was harvested.

O

• Obstacle: Barrier; hurdle; as in a log, a creek, etc.
• Obstruction: Obstacle; barrier .
• Open sight: Also called iron sights; uses a rear sight, often adjustable, and a front sight.

P

• Peep sight: Also called aperture sight; a rear sight with a small aperture, or peephole, through which the shooter looks at the front sight.
• Pellets (shot): Projectiles fired in shotshells; various sizes of pellets are available, depending on species hunted; sometimes pellets are incorrectly called “bb’s”.
• Pistol: Handgun; more specifically semi-automatic handgun.
• Poach: To steal wildlife; to harvest animals illegally.
• Powder flask: A container made of brass or copper; leather or horn to hold a reserve supply of black powder.
• Powder measure: Very small container designed to hold enough powder for one shot only; designed to disperse powder charge accurately.
• Predator: Animals that kill and eat other animals to survive.
• Preservation: The non-use of renewable resources.
• Prevent: Deter; deflect; hinder.
• Prey: Animals that are killed and eaten by predators.
• Primer: A small metal cup containing an explosive compound used to ignite powder; sometimes called a cap.
• Privilege: Liberty; license.
• Pump action: A manual firearm action type; operating the pump ejects empty cases, moves ammunition from the magazine to the chamber, and cocks the action.
• Pyrodex®: A black powder substitute developed in the 1970’s; may be used safely in muzzleloading firearms.

Q

• Quiver: A container or bow accessory to hold extra arrows.

R

• Ramrod: A rod of wood, fiberglass, or other material used on muzzleloading firearms to seat projectiles firmly; also used to clean firearms.
• Recurve bow: A traditional bow with limbs that curve at each tip.
• Refuge: A habitat sanctuary for wildlife; retreat; shelter.
• Responsibility: Obligation; duty; burden.
• Revoke: Repeal a license; void.
• Revolver: A handgun that uses a revolving magazine.
• Ricochet: To skip, glance, or rebound off an object .
• Rifling: Spiral grooves in a firearm’s bore; rifling aids in accuracy.
• Rimfire: One type of cartridge that contains the priming compound in the rim; typically a .22-caliber.

S

• Safety: A mechanical device designed to prevent the discharge of a firearm.
• Self-inflicted: One type of hunting incident in which the hunter wounds himself.
• Shiver: Shake; tremble; vibrate.
• Shock: Depressed condition in the body caused by a wound, burn, etc.
• Shot: Pellets used in shotshells; sizes range from #12 (small) to F and T (very large).
• Shotshell: Ammunition used in shotguns.
• Single action: A type of handgun action which requires the hammer to be cocked by hand.
• Slug: Heavy lead projectile for shotgun ammunition used for hunting certain big game species.
• Smokeless powder: Also known as progressive burning powder; used in all modern firearms; must not be used in any muzzleloading firearm.
• Smoothbore: Another name for shotguns; shotguns generally have no rifling in the barrel.
• Spine: Stiffness or flexibility in an arrow shaft.
• Splint: Method used to immobilize an injured body part.
• Sportsmanlike: Responsible behavior; good citizenship.
• Stock: The part of a firearm that is used to hold and aim the gun.
• Surplus: Extra; excess.

T

• Tag: A supplemental license document required to hunt many species; tags must be notched immediately after the animal is harvested.
• Telescopic sight: A sighting system on firearms which magnifies the size of the target.
• Tinder: Dry material for starting fires.
• Tourniquet: A device used to stop severe blood flow; use may cause later loss of limb.
• Trespass: Infringe; invade; violate.
• Trigger: The lever on a firearm that is squeezed to fire the cartridge.
• Trigger guard: A loop of metal that surrounds the trigger to help prevent accidental firing.

U

• Unconscious: Senseless; comatose.
• Unsportsmanlike: Irresponsible behavior; slob hunter.

V

• Victim: Casualty or person or livestock injured by the shooter in a hunting incident situation.
• Violation: Infraction; infringement or breach of law.

W

• Wad: Paper, fiber, or plastic insert used in shotshells to seal gasses and protect shot or bore.
• Wound: Bodily injury in which skin is broken.
• Wrench (broadhead): Special bowhunting equipment used to attach a broadhead to an arrow shaft safely.

Z

• Zone-of-fire: The area in which a hunter may shoot safely.