[jsalcedo]

Tell us about the shooting experience that stands out above all others
as the most memorable, enjoyable or rewarding.

For me it was going shooting with my best friend, his mom , her boyfriend and his son when I was a teenager. They took us up to the Texas Hill country with a van full of guns and crates of ammo.

We were 16 year old gun nuts that had up to that point only fired .22's and maybe a 30-30. We were given free access to :

Sten
BHP
Ruger Redhawk
SKS
S&W 686
Browning Auto 5
45-70 Levergun
STG 44
FN FAL

They let us shoot up the whole crate of Ammo and destroy bowling pins, Trashcans full of freezer-burned meat etc....

The only downside was we had to put 9mm in our ears for hearing protection.

[illuminatus99]

went with a bunch of friends for a day of shooting, lots of rifles pistols and shotguns to play with, picked up a few cases of cheap beer to use for skeet/reactive targets.

[cool45auto]

Me and the guys from work, my fiance and some of their kids all got together and went to a range a couple of months ago. That was fun. Everybody shot everything!:cool:

[Border]

The first time I ever shot a rifle I was in a boyscouts competition. It was a .22 and I beat everybody for first place including my older brother! (THAT'S exciting to an 11 year old)! Of course I begged my father to let me take up the sport but he wouldn't even let me read gun magazines! Oh well. Although I have been a stickbow hunter for a few years now, at 45 I just recently started clay and pistol shooting and am having the time of my life! The first time I tried trap I shot 23 out of 25! Never too late to have a happy childhood! :D

[El Tejon]

No one specific time but thinking of times, from 5 on, going shooting with my greatgrandfather, my grandfather and my father always makes me smile.:)

[Orthonym]

Shooting my friend's .58 cal Enfield Rifled Musket, thinking about all the loathesome damyankees my Great-Grand-Daddies killed with similar weapons, smiling while dodging the bumblebees who came up to smell the bullet lube.:)

[Standing Wolf]

The first time I shot a target of 100. It's happened exactly twice.

[goon]

A couple months ago there were these three Irish guys that were at a Highpower Rifle Competition not far from me. They ended up in a gunshop, manhandling every firearm they could get their paws on.:D (Can't fault them for that.)
Anyhow, they mention to the guy behind the counter that they would love to shoot an AK, but that the gun laws in Ireland make that impossible. At this point, he mentions that he knows a guy who owns an AK (me). He informs my brother that my services are needed, and my brother informs me.
We showed up that night with five guns and all the ammo we could carry.
Muzzle flashes light up the PA sky.:D
Not suprisingly, my AK was the favorite. They also enjoyed my M-39, especially the oldest gentleman in the group. He was well educated and even knew what it was.
Since the laws in Ireland only allow you to own a few rifles, no handguns and nothing over .27 caliber, these guys were really thrilled to get their hands on all that hardware.
I didn't get to shoot much that night, but that was OK.
It felt good to give those guys a chance to do something that they may never get to do again.

[Majic]

Watching my son's face go from a "I don't know about this" expression to a big ol ear to ear grin the very first time he pulled a trigger on handgun.

[Steve in PA]

Took my 17 year old son shooting this year. He lives across town with the ex.......but we see each other often. Anyway had him shooting a Beretta 92FS, Sig P-220, S&W 6906, Ruger MKII, Colt AR-15, SKS and a M1 Garand. Now all he wants to know is when we are going shooting.

I've created a monster!!!!

I knew I was in trouble when shooting the SKS.......and the smell of gunsmoke was in the air.....he turned, looked at me and said....."mmmm, I love that smell!!" :D

[P95Carry]

Single experience?? ....... man that makes it hard.!

I guess like many this is something that can involve the kids (not kids any longer!) .......... so one choice would be first time my son and daughter actually fired their first shots ... tho they had been coming to range before that.

I first put them thru a session with Rem semi-auto rifle in .22 and then - Colt Trooper in .22 ... heavy gun but easy otherwise ...... and finished that day with each having a cylinder full thru my 686 ... just target 38 spl loads but oh my .... their grins!!:)

I'd have to include also ... when in uniform, I was able at a mil range to fire an old ''25 pounder'' .. Brit field gun ...... something awesome about pulling the lanyard on something of that sorta caliber!:evil:

[lycanthrope]

Drilling a whitetail doe at 330 yards in the head with my 7STW. She was laying on a hillside and I used a Beanbag from Wal Mart as a rest. I love that gun.

[denfoote]

For me, it was the day that my wife unexpectedly showed up at my shooting club during my scheduled shooting session. she has never been antigun, but doubted the therepudic (SP) (sorry, I'm typing this on a friends computer, who does not have a competant spell checker) value of shooting on my emotional well being!!!! After seeing how relaxed and happy I was after the two hour session, she decided that I was to do this every weekend!!! :D

Gott im Himmel!! I love that girl!!!! :)

[Chugach]

Family stuff ranks highest, but...

Getting a short course in MP5 from one of our local CIRT members, then rocking a hanging bowling pin back and forth like a swing with controlled bursts.

[Sunray]

Has to be my trips to Second Chance. Got to play with all kinds of automatic weapons, met Massad Ayoob (even though I was so stunned that a celebrity actually talked to me first and didn't say a thing to him. He's the only high roller/pro who did initiate a conversation. Good guy.), shot a .50 Browning, a water cooled MG and an American 180 and a Reising SMG. The next year I got to shoot an M-16K. 9mm SMG provided by the Colt Rep. Our ammo. Bitchin' accurate too. No sweat hitting a man sized target up hill at 150 yards.
One other time at a shoot stands out too. A Canadian shoot in Sudbury. And another Colt rep let me shoot a, then brand new, Delta Elite in 10mm. His ammo. Hmmm. Seems the Colt reps are worth talking to. Next time you're at a match and one of 'em are there, go talk to him. Nice people. Oh, and if you're at a shoot where Ayoob is, introduce yourself. He's ok.

[hso]

Two events tie. --

Bustin clay with a Winchester Defender in SWAT furniture on a nice spring day. We had several low/mid level shotguns and I had a police surplus Defender with choat furniture. Seems every time I had a clay in the air the Defender found it. The others couldn't say the same about their guns.:D


I used to help train defensive handgun using Simunition in a shoot house laid out like a strip mall office or standard single storey rancher. Once class was just tooo much fun. While I got shot a couple of times the good students were very good and the bad students "died" in the most inglorious ways:evil: .

[4570Rick]

Age 10...I was at a YMCA ranch camp in Southern Arizona. I had to be the worst shooter in the world. I don't believe I had ever hit a target in my life.:(
Then an NRA instructor came over to my shooting position and watched me struggle. After a few shots (no holes in the paper), he suggested that I shoot left handed. But I'm right handed! But you're left eye dominent. :what:

Long story short, 10 min. later there was a ragged hole where the bulls-eye used to was.:D

[DWS1117]

There are two.

First was when a friends and I atteneded our first (and only until next year) machine gun shoot. Holding and feeling that big thump from the BAR was exhilarating. Although neither of us shot the big tripod mouted .50, the feeling of the ground shaking whenever someone rattled off a belt caused just about everone around to produce that familiar ear to ear grin.:D :D :D

Second was the qualification two weeks ago. Out of a possible 250 I shot a 249. I think it was the best I have ever shot. Nice little fist sized hole in the center of the chest on the target. 20 rounds at 3 yrds, 20 rounds at 7 yrds, and 10 rounds at 15 yards. I was actually a bit miffed that I didn't get to keep the target.

[Blackcloud6]

Shooting a WWII Soviet PTRS 14.5mm Anti-tank Rifle. Big boom, big recoil, big flash. Lotsa fun!

[bdhawk]

back in about '74 a friend and i were at the shootin' range. a couple of texas highway patrol officers pulled into the range. they set in their car and watched us for a few minutes. they got out of the car and challanged us to a shootin' contest. one of them was a very young looking cocky/arrogant punk. he looked like he should have a baby rattler sticking out of his holster instead of the mod. 28 smith.
anyway my friend and i both outshot both of them. then the punk said ok you are better with hand guns, but nobody beats me with a shotgun. my friend had an 870 in the trunk with a partial box of clays and one of those plastic hand throwers. the punk used the shotgun mounted in the patrol car.
my friend out shot him by a substantial margin.
i walked up to the punk and said. i am bigger than you, meaner than you, and i can out shoot you. you have a job protecting me, that just don't make sense.
back then that was a great day. but looking back, i guess i was a cocky/arrogant punk, too.

[AZgunstudent]

Mine was a "toys for tots" type charity pistol match back in December of (I think) '93. It was just the local members of the gun club, for the most part. Temperature was hovering around freezing, but the turnout was surprisingly good for Connecticut, with about 50 or so shooters. I showed up with my usual carry gun, a Commander .45, but my then-father-in-law Dan had just added a red dot sight to his 6" S&W 586. He was at the shoot, too.

The targets were six 8" falling plates at ten yards, and it was a man-on-man elimination. Lose two bouts and you're out. I hadn't brought much ammo, since I hadn't shot a match in almost 18 months and expected to do poorly -- but it was a good cause.

Funny thing, I just kept beating the guys and gals against me. Admittedly, I had nine shots (rules said you could load up to ten), and a lot of the shooters were using 6-shot revolvers. I did well enough that I ran out of ammo. Hmmm.

Dan loaned me the 586. I'd never used a red dot sight before. Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang ("Wow, can you miss with this thing?"). I still kept beating the other shooters, somehow. Finally, I had to face Dan -- but had no gun! Naturally, shooters being the best people in the world, one of the guys who had been knocked out of the running offered to loan me his custom 686 with dot sight, along with a box of ammo. I beat Dan in a tough bout.

Then it was just club champion Dave and me. Dave was a good shot, a class A IPSC shooter who'd gone to the Nationals, etc. Used a compensated, dot-sighted .38 Super, the hot IPSC gun at that time. It was high drama! Dave beat me in the first bout, I came back and beat him in the second. So we had a tie-breaker, in which Dave edged me out. Everyone applauded, Dave and I shook hands, Tony counted the funds for the kids, and we all retired to the club house for coffee, warmth, and gun talk. It was a great, fun day.

Mike

[P95Carry]

Welcome Mike ...most enjoyable story.

Many in fact on this thread ....... some good reading. :)

[lee n. field]

Single most enjoyable?

Finally taking a handgun class last spring, after many years of plinking away on my own. I shot all day, in the company of 20 or so civilized people who didn't have a problem with me shooting, and I learned a lot.

I hope to repeat it (but reference recent "how much to do make?" thread).

[happy old sailor]

the afternoon the woman and i were doing the shooting portion of CCW class. she aced three targets with her three chosen carry guns, surpassing everyone, including self. everyone was in awe, including self. i was choked up proud. she was wearing amplified muffs, and as i went to help her clear and put stuff away, she asked me what the hell i was giggling about back there. absolutely my most enjoyable time shooting.

[Dave T]

Mine would have to be the first time I went to Gunsight in December of 1977. Got to spend a week with two legends in the practical pistol business, Jeff Cooper and Bruce Nelson (Bruce became a friend up till his death in 1994. What a loss that was to us all).

I was a new Detective and decided to go through the class with my carry gun, a Commander (alloy frame) in a Milt Sparks Summer Special (designed by Bruce Nelson). At the end of the 5 1/2 days I was not only the number one ranked student but Cooper wrote on my cirtificate "Special Merit" for being the first student to "clean" the Fun House.

I stayed elated over that experience for weeks and because of it I got to go back as an instructor about a year later. That too was quite an experience but it didn't top that first week.

[mormonsniper]

Some years ago, my grandfather passed away leaving my Dad a little money. He asked me what WE should do with it. I "suggested" that he order a pair of left handed, consecutive serial numbered Remington 11-87 12 ga. shotguns:what:. It took a while to get them needless to say (I think they only make them once a year). We then went out, bought some clay birds and a hand thrower (the orange & plastic one). He found a place we could go and shoot and did we ever. We had more fun throwing the birds and shooting them than you can believe. We still talk about it. We have kept them as a "matched" set. Bought some deer barrels for both and I had compact padded cases custom made for them that are identical. Both my children are left handed so they will get them one day! It will be interesting to see how long they can "stay together".

[greyhound]

30 years old, never fired anything but a BB gun. Bought a revolver, went to the range. Looked at the GF, said "Here goes nothing", acquired sights, cocked hammer, let fly.

Whole life changed.

Later she said she knew all along I was a gun nut waiting to happen.
Something to do with love of history.

[lycanthrope]

Hey Greyhound.

I spent YEARS avoiding a GOOD .45 ACP.

Join the Dark Side.

Don't fight it.

[Phil Ca]

There are two instances that stand out beyond teaching my kids to shoot.

In the early 70s I was working for the US Treasury Department in SF, CA. I decided to take the SFPD Reserve Officers Training program. On the day of the revolver qualification I had borrowed a friends Colt revolver as I had not bought a suitable revolver with a 4 inch barrel at the time.

It was raining and cold on the SFPD outdoor range at Lake Merced. It was fogguy and miserable as only San Francisco can be sometimes. We were shooting really bad SFPD surplus ammo that smoked something terrible. I fired the course to the best of my ability and went back to the range shack to get warmed up. After everyone finished and the range sergeant came in with the results I was resigned to whatever fate would be mine since I was not confident using an unfamiliar firearm and ammo. The sergeant went to the front of the room and said he would read the names off according to the highest to lowest score. Imagine my surprise when my name was called first and he said,"400 over 400!" I almost fell out of my chair! Some one spoke up and said, "Those Treasury guys always shoot good."


The other time was in Bern Switzerland at the Canton Police Training Range in 1983. I was visiting as a member of the IPA and my daughter was with me. She was attending school in the French Alps and we were travelling to Germany to see my old military barracks from the mid 50s.

Hugo the rangemaster was showing us the Sig-Sauer pistol in 9mm and a .22 LR handgun. I asked him why we would be taking the .22LR to the range. He said in his Swiss-German,"It is for your daughter to use as she is a petite lady and the backblast of the 9mm might be too much for her." I thought about what he said and then told him in my best German that I had learned 25 years prior that my daughter had been trained in the use of .357 Magnum and .45ACP and I was not concerned about the "backblast" of the 9mm. Besides, I reminded him, if we took two firearms to the range there would be two to clean. He took this good-naturedly and put the .22LR back in the cabinet.

On the range he loaded 6 rounds in the magazine and layed it on the table next to the pistol. My daughter told me she had not fired since she started college. I just told her to remember what I had told her and to use a good, steady two-handed hold. She loaded the pistol and fired all 6 rounds and hit the paper inside the rings each time, although it was spread quite a bit. Hugo had stood behind her, ostensibly to catch her if the "horrendous" backblast of the 9mm was too much for her. When it was my turn I had to shrink the size of the group since I was carring a handgun for a living at the time.



:cool: :D