...keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot (repeat 100 times).
...Before cleaning your gun, make absolutely sure that it is unloaded
My college educated daughter was home for the Holidays. We went duck hunting together Sunday morning. With college, we don't spend time together and she does not go hunting enough these days.
After the hunt, and before putting them in the safe, I clean the shotguns. I uncased and opened the breech of the 12 y.o.'s single shot. No problem. I took out my pump shotgun and opened the breech. No problem. I took out the 23 y.o.'s (my other) pump shotgun and opened the breech. BIG PROBLEM.
A 12-gage, 3-inch, 1-3/8 ounce, number 4 steel, unspent cartridge ejects FROM THE CHAMBER. I had it pointed directly at the main electric circuit breaker in the Utility Room at the time.
This gun had been "unloaded" by the daughter, cased in the field, hauled through the boat, PU truck, and house, then uncased (by me) for cleaning, all the while it was loaded. I was shaken.
Thank God for the Firearms Safety Rules, which I have repeated again and again to my boys and daughter. Obviously she needs some "higher education" refresher courses in these rules.
How should I approach this with her? Outright and accusatory sounds like a poor choice for a learning experience - so that avenue is out.