A rifle shot can be right on target or it can trigger tragedy, as happened in Watertown Thursday when a 16 year old boy was apparently shot by accident and in the woods in Denmark on Sunday when one hunter allegedly shot another.

(See our reports on the shootings in Watertown and Denmark)

Ask the experts, like the folks at the Watertown Sportsmen Club, and they'll tell you both of these tragedies are textbook examples of how ignoring the rules can be deadly.

"Treat every firearm as if it's loaded," said gun safety instructor William Scott Jr.

That's rule number one - one apparent forgotten Thursday and made worse by several other violations of basic gun rules.

"You should never have a loaded firearm in the vehicle," said Scott.

"So the action was closed with the safety off and it's definitely a potential accident waiting to happen," said Watertown Police Detective Stephen Backus.

In the woods, there's something known as buck fever. 

Bagging a trophy can trump good judgment.

"They're anxious for a deer. They want a deer right away and whatever they see, they shoot," said Scott. "If you're going to point the gun at something, know what you're pointing at."

Here's one way of looking at it - one moment of carelessness  is like a bullet out the end of a muzzle.

"You can't take it back and it happens so quickly," said Backus.

Officials also say that if you're not familiar with guns, just don't touch them at all.