Who taught you to shoot?

My first gun was a BB gun. Dad said if I shoot one of the farm animals he would take the gun away from me.

My next gun was a single shot 16 gauge shotgun with the same restriction only he also added I had to break the gun open when I went through a fence and if I shot one of the farm animals he would break the gun across my butt and then I would not see another gun.:what:

Finally when I was 12 I got my first 22...the Butt thang and farm animals was reiterated along with the range of the 22 and neighbors animals.

Dad was back from WWll where he did the bulge thing and felt it his responsibility to insure his off spring could shoot and hit what they aimed at. Guns were not that big of a deal as long as you hit what you aimed at and left other people's property alone.

Dad was not a gun guy but instinctively knew that every generation is called upon to war. Some go some do not but at least he gave me the tools and a knowledge base that served me well past, present, and hopefully future.

I guess this thread came about for he is coming to South Padre Island for his normal winter base. He is now 85 and likes to fish every morning he is down here. I am going to take him to the range and let him shoot a couple of ARs and maybe a pistol or two..He ain't all that with a pistol he likes long guns or a machine gun. Anyway I was thinking what kinda wise A$$ remark I could make to him when I hand him his first AR to shoot???:evil:

I pretty much taught myself as a youth and then USMC did the rest and then LEO training put the final touch...Now it is just a maintaining issue...69 in December still shoot better than about 90% of others I have noticed and the 10% are all in the 10 ring also X ring I still hit regularly...

Regards

The United States Military. They seem to be experts at it as they do shoot more rounds that anyone else!

Dad bought me my first BB rifle (the lever action Winchester-type; I think it was made by Daisy) when I was 10, my first BB pistol when I was 12. He was not a gun guy, but knew I was interested in them, and taught me the 4 Rules. I took the NRA Hunter Safety Course when I was 14, so I could get my first "real" rifle.

But who really taught me to shoot?

Have to admit it - the U.S. Army...

Taught myself mostly. Then tried to get rid of bad habits from instruction later down the road.

My dad taught me to shoot as his dad taught him. I come from a very long line of sustenance hunters

My dad taught me on a pellet gun first, and later a .22 and 20 gauge. Unfortnately, I don't have any of those guns.

I have a pair of Marlin 795s and a pair of S&W M&P15s set aside to teach my boys with when they are old enough, and at some point they will get to keep them. I use them some so they can each know they are getting a pair of "Dad's guns."

Dad taught me to shoot every gun we had back in the mid 70's. His father taught him. I taught my kids.

My grandfather (WWII vet.) taught me. First with a daisy BB gun, then .22 short pump. I was 8 when I was allowed to walk the farm and plink at anything. God only knows how many rounds I put through that .22. I shot everything!!! (No farm animals though! I woulda been toast!!!) - That was entirely too much fun! Later an Ithica 20 gauge pump on up to his 22-250. He learned from his dad (WWI vet) and was an avid hunter and trapper.

Daddy.
Red Ryder at 5 or 6, .410 bore at 6 or 8, 20ga at 9, got a Daisy single shot bolt action .22lr for my 11th birthday.
Daddy was USMC, and I can proudly say that he always brought home the rifleman and never the drill instructor. But he taught us how to aim small and miss small. How to SAFELY negotiate the woods and bayous with the weapon of the day to forage for the table. How to respect others' property and safety. How to honor the 4 Rules while hitting a squirrel in the head so ya don't mess the meat up ;)

I taught myself firearms technology in grammar school from the books and magazines my grandmother bought me. I got my first "Smallarms of the World" between 7th and 8th grade.

I learned how to SHOOT from the basic rifle and pistol courses I took in college, followed by participation in the rifle team and coaching those same classes. I had further training in ROTC and the Army.

A co-worker gave me my first safety lesson and trip to the range. Since then, however, my son has been my instructor and mentor. Unfortunately, he lives in Colorado and I live in Virginia, so our lessons have been few and far between. He learned a bit from his dad as a kid, and more from the army.

My husband often offered to teach me to shoot, but early on I hated and feared guns. Eventually I only feared them. By the time I finaly realized that learning to shoot would eliminate the fear, I had no interest in guns. It wasn't until a few years after my husband died that the interest surfaced.

Self-taught. Read forums and other online articles.

Essentially I taught myself, though I did get some help by reading about such matters from Col. Jeff Cooper and others. My father used to hunt and target shoot with a .22 before W.W.II, but after the war, he really didn't have the slightest interest in guns.

My Dad mostly. BB gun, .22, then big bore.
Rifle team in High School JROTC in the '60's. Our rifle range (ROTC) was under the enclosed bleachers.

My brother purchased a bb gun when I was about 11
We shot on that until he cut me with a grazing shot & good old grandma rapped Red Ryder around our elm tree.
Dad was in WW1 & 2--he hated guns---when I was 13 I typed a letter of permission to purchase a rifle. Took the streetcar 9 miles downtown & purchased a Savage 22/410.
I could ride on my bike about 4 miles & practice. Today I have to drive 70 mles.
Ain't life wunderful//////////////////

dad and uncle (pair of ex WWII paratroopers) mostly uncle, dad mostly just worked his rear off to keep us in food & shoes, but uncle (married or not) pretty much lived a singles lifestyle, enthusiastic hunter, pretty good wingshot for a guy with one arm, uncompromising about gun safety & hunting ethics

(probably hurt none that I was raised knowing that a man expected to tell a boy something/anything but ONCE, and the boy best learn quickly to pay attention, no overs)

on long guns anyway, which is not a bad place to start
handguns (other a pair of Mattel Fanner 50s), mostly "self taught", some reading, a lot of watching and listening to those who really do know how it should be done (like some of our mod/mentors on this forum), and a lot of practice

worth the trip, all of it

PS
I try to do what I can to pass it on to the three generations worth following me
some of 'em have caught on (even the ONCE part), still hope for some of the others

Funny I qualified expert in the military (Army) but I only remember the final day of qualifying with my M-14 where two of the targets did not fall down even though I was sure I hit them.

That's really all I remember about the training; I am sure there was more to it! Range was a pain yet fun.

I tend to remember the long marches and salt tablets during the summer at Ft. Polk La. and kids getting heat stroke and falling out along the way. I was glad I was a farm boy.

My grandfather and grandmother. My grandfather was a reserve police officer when he was younger, so he had a few revolvers an old double barrel shotgun and a .22lr semi automatic. One day as a complete surprise he and my grandmother took us to the shooting range. They only allowed you to fire one shot at a time, which worked out just fine. We started on the .22lr and on subsequent trips my grandpa let me shoot some .38 specials out of his .357. I even got to touch off a few .357 mag loads which is a great experience for a ten year old :D The funny part to me though is that even though my grandfather was a reserve police officer and a good shot, my grandma is a great shot. I don't know if it has something to do with her growing up on a farm that gave her pretty much unlimited opportunity to just go shooting whenever she wanted (probably) or if its just because women in general seem to be pretty good shots. However while i learned to shoot a rifle and shoot handguns a little bit, I would have to say that my true passion... handguns... was mostly learned via reading books and THR even. I couldn't hit squat with a handgun until I read Massad Ayoobs article on how to properly grip a handgun, and how to stand properly. I quickly was able to narrow my groups just by those two things alone. And numerous people on here suggest learning to shoot with a .22lr pistol which while it didn't help me (I hadn't shot one until I had shot many more handguns) it helped ease my fiance into the world of shooting handguns.
Sorry for the long post, but I just thought it would be important to give as much credit as possible to the many wonderful people who helped me with my shooting passion.

Hmmm....

A better question would be: How many have YOU introduced to firearms?

But to answer the OP.... my friend taught me to shoot.

My drill sergeant,

Though my neighbor did give most of the basics a more than a few pointers as a kid, but I think that may have been to make sure I didn't shoot his window with my BB gun.

Oh, and My DS didn't really like the 300m fire, said that was for the MG guys

My Dad, he bought a Remington single shot .22 and a box of BB caps, set up a step ladder in the back yard to rest the rifle on, I was too little to be able to hold it all by myself. We shot at tin cans and it was still one of my most memorable days. About 55 years ago. Wish I still had my Dad and that .22.

My father.

Some years after my parents divorced, I learned that my dad used to own several guns. When the first kid entered the picture he got rid of them. And his motorcycle. To this day I can't imagine my father riding a motorcycle but he also used to race his car as a teenager. Back on topic - this is about learning to shoot.

Mom was (and still is) rabidly anti-gun. Once he was on his own, he started to buy guns again and took us kids to the range during our visits with him. I think I was 13 or 14 the first time (my sister is 4 years older). We started with a .22 pistol, moved on to a .38 revolver, and finally the 1911 in .45 - I enjoyed shooting but my sister only did it as long as Dad made her. Once he decided she could shoot reasonably well, he let her stay home while he and I continued going to the range.

My experience was limited to pistols and I was fairly good. One year Dad was the Match Director for Steel Challenge and wanted me to shoot in it as a junior. It didn't work out - the timing wasn't right and I'm not sure my mother would have allowed it.

The first rifle I shot was a 16th birthday gift, a .22 Winchester bolt action. Later I learned more about rifles in the Army, but Dad taught me to shoot. The Army just taught me a little more.

Now that my father's getting up there in age, he's looking to gift most of his guns to me - including his SASS collection. It sucks that he doesn't shoot anymore, because shooting with him was always fun and memorable, but I'm excited about getting his collection. He's got some really nice stuff!

A. A. Yuryev. Read his classic book "Competitive Shooting" as a teenager.

My dad started us out shooting BB guns when we (my brother and I) were 5 or 6. I graduated to a .22 when I was 7. We would sit on the back porch and shoot cans and such with Dad's single six and an old Winchester 190.
My grandfather and father are both gun guys, and taught me over the years. Many family get togethers would involve shooting of some type. We did it all...from clays to cans to gallon jugs at 400 yards.
Once i was in my late teens/early twenties I began to buy my own guns and expand my horizons and do research on shooting. Now, I do the load work-ups for Dad and Grandpa and do a lot of the smith work...at least what I have the tools and knowledge to do.

(the lever action Winchester-type; I think it was made by Daisy)

MY first BB gun also

DAD taught me just as i have taught my girls, wife's, some friends.

My brother-in-law. First guns I fired were his; a Mossberg 352 and single-shot 12 ga. Loved the .22, the 12 ga-not so much. Later his was the first handgun I fired also; a Ruger RST-4. Liked it enough to get my own RST-6 a few years later.

Started out with BB guns and sort of self taught til about 12 then an uncle who was a ranger in WW2 who spent alot of time behind enemy lines, he took my brother and I out and diligently explained gun safety and the basics. I only found out after he died that he had been with the glider units through the war; they were plywood boxes with wings that were towed behind enemy lines at night and dropped. They had a 50% loss rate, they had to do recon and sabatage and make back across the lines, where they got a week off and started over again. He had an extensive collection of German weapons, but when he needed money he would pawn them, so by the time I was old enough to ask about them, they were all gone.

My Dad and his two younger brothers (USMC at the time) taught me rifle marksmanship and safety, Dad and my Mom's 2 BILs (Cops at the time) taught me handgun shooting and safety.

Now that I'm older, my son in law (USMC) has added a few new points concerning the AR format. He's also a pretty good shot with my M1A. His father (retired CSM, USA) does a real fine job teaching handgun, rifle and shotgun, squirtgun and long range precision shooting.

Ya live, ya learn. From oldsters and youngsters.

I taught myself to shoot. First a Crossman 760 BB gun then a single shot .22, then a bolt action .22 followed by some inherited semi-auto pistols and revolvers. Later in life I received some training prior to competing in Bullseye.

When I was about 10, my mother gave me her target rifle (she was on the high school team). It was a beautiful High Wall Winchester with a bull barrel, Lyman globe front sight, BSA vernier tang rear sight, and a custom hand-checkered stock. I was then enrolled in a NRA four-position, small-bore rifle course. I really learned the skills of marksmanship and gun safety through that wonderful experience. That was 50 years ago! Although I love shooting handguns and shotguns, accurate rifles have peaked my interest the most ever since.

About the same time, I received my first bb gun and roamed the woods a lot with it. I was the first in the neighborhood to have a break-open pellet rifle - what a squirrel killer that thing was. When I move to Missouri at 12, I was then able to roam the local woods with with a shotgun and .22 hunting rabbits, squirrels, and groundhogs. This was all done with buddies my own age as neither of my parents were shooters as adults.

Also important in my development as a shooter was my grandfather who died when I was about five. He left behind gobs of books, gun parts, shooting trophies, and a decade's worth of American Rifleman magazines. My parents sold all of his guns, though, when I was too young to effectively protest. My step-grandfather worked at Springfield Armory and tested guns for a living. He did not enjoy recreational shooting, but he did contribute to my knowledge of firearms. When he died, I obtained his books and manuals including original manuals on the 1911 (printed in 1917) and other guns of the era. I also have a manual on how to set the timing on airplane mounted machine guns so the bullets don't shoot the propellers off (the bullets actually were mounted behind the propellor and shot between the blades as they rotated).

I still love shooting and have my own backyard range. I don't shoot lots of ammo, but shoot several times a week. I was just practicing IDPA shooting this morning with my 1911.

DAD!

My dad, with an old remington pump action .22LR. i was turned loose with countless BB/Pellet guns before this though.

I was one lucky kid. I was 12 (1966) and was taught by certified NRA instructors with real target rifles at summer camp. We started prone with the sling and worked our way through the different classification levels. It was cool to learn the right way from the very start. The importance of marksmanship has been with me all these years.

Thanx, Russ

"Who taught you to shoot?"

Initially? My father.

My dad (Santa) got my my first bb gun and first 20ga. youth edition. My dad is also not that big of a gun guy, but knows it is a tool that has to be used at times and wanted me to know how to safety and accurately fire a weapon when needed. He does have a few rifles and shotguns, but rarely shoots them.

Started with a BB Gun.....got my training from Roy Rogers, Hoppy, Gary Cooper, John Wayne, Hugh O'Brien, Chuck Conners, Richard Boone, James Arness, Jimmy Stewart, Glenn Ford, Randolf Scott, Audey Murphy, Clayton Moore, and many others.

Rembrandt

Started with a BB Gun.....got my training from Roy Rogers, Hoppy, Gary Cooper, John Wayne, Hugh O'Brien, Chuck Conners, Richard Boone, James Arness, Jimmy Stewart, Glenn Ford, Randolf Scott, Audey Murphy, Clayton Moore, and many others.

hahahahehehe those were the days....Good guys always won and there were no gray areas. Right was right and wrong you were in jail or dead....

My Dad was a former vet and NRA instructor. I was nine when my he sat me down and handed me his M1:uhoh:. He taught me the basics rules of marksmenship and safety as well as a love for firearms its been a blast since then :D

My dad taught me how to shoot, and the fundamentals.
but a few various professional instructors have taught me how to Fight.

Dad taught me the basics. Bought me my first gun, a Marlin golden 39A. Everything else has been self taught.

My father in law and my wife.

My father was a Gunner in the Navy, he retired after 32 years, We went shooting most week ends.

My dad. Back when his hands were steady, he was a crack shot and he showed me the ropes. Great memories!

Dad the first 18 years of life. My ROTC Rifle Coach for 2 years and selfstudy since I was 18. Daisy 110 at 5, single shot 410 at 7, 22 rifle and Grandpa's 16 gauge at 12, my 870 12 gauge at 16 and my 30-06 at 18. Got to shoot Dads pistols growing up and started buying my own when I got 21.

Self taught....My uncle, however is responsible for refining those skills... My Uncle Sam...

Had a BB gun as a kid, but nobody taught me anything about it (other than "don't shoot other kids in the eyes, and don't break anything!")

Real teaching came from Uncle Sam.

Oh, and My DS didn't really like the 300m fire, said that was for the MG guys

Hah. Yea. Our instructors at Sand Hill told us the same thing. :)
Unless you were shooting 35+ in the pre-qualification, they'd scream at us for wasting a round on a 300m target.
Save the round and use it if you miss a closer target.

I grew up with out a father to teach me this kind of stuff. My first instructors were two of my Scoutmasters. Thanks to Mr. A and Mr. K, both of who have passed on. Thanks to all of the other men who take the time to work with our youth. Those of us who grew up in the inner city, in single parent families owe you a debt we can never repay

My dad and a older cousin dad always hunted/fished with. :D

My father taught me, as his father taught him, and so on, same as I've taught my sons and they will teach their's.
I'm proud to say we come from a long line of American military/hunters/shooters. I've got a boy on his second deployment to Afghanistan putting those lessons to use every day.

My Pop started my older brother and I in the Junior NRA when I was 8, bought us our first .22 target rifles that Christmas. My OB and I had BB guns up until we got a little older 13-14, Pop had us shoot his rifle, 99, .300 Savage to see if we could hit anything with it, I loved that rifle, was left to me 3 1/2 years ago when our Pop passed on. Pop and his Dad were very good shots, they both taught us how to shoot these rifles growing up. I shot Expert in the Navy back in '67, had a fun time qualifying too, damned Marine DI's. LOL I've hunted and shot since then, have several pistols and revolvers, my most fun revolver is my 629 6" SS, a beauty. I have several rifles that I shoot frequently, .223, 22-250, '06. I sure miss Pop out at the range though, man he could still shoot at 76, we had a lot of laughs even when I did out shoot him, which wasn't often.

WC145, tell your son thank you for serving this great country of ours, and thank you for raising a son like you have! Semper Fi;)

Although my father taught me many things, guns weren't one of them. I had to beg for months to get a BB gun in my teen years. My first introduction to a firearm was a friend in 6th grade who let me shoot his 22 rifle, plinking on his family's land. Fast forward 16 years later another friend let me shoot his Glock 27 at a local range. He taught me some basics of shooting and it had me hooked. Since I was married by then and my wife is pro-gun, it was only a matter of time until we acquired our own firearms and shoot regularly together. We befriended the range officer at our local gun club who more directly taught me how to shoot.

I am fortunate to have a wife who not only accepts this hobby, but is enthusiastic about it herself. In fact, the other day I told her I was considering purchasing a 1911 and she said "well, if you do, you better get a 22 conversion kit for it too!"

I love my wife :)

Fort Benning, Georgia. The United States Army. :)

My dad. My family on my fathers side have always been heavily into firearms.

B.S.A. (Boy Scouts of America)
It was a merit badge: summer camporee. Wouldn't you? There were a lot to get to qualify all the way to Eagle.
22 LR bolt action with a peep-like sight I have never seen since. Shame too, I'd love to have one on my 10/22.
Got my marksman achievement that summer, I was 12 or 13.

no guns in my house growing up
japanese mom irish dad from new york both antigun.
i learned late from a variety of folks many of whom i met at clark bros who took the time to show a new guy how not to hurt himself and then the basics. i had way too much time and income as a young man spent a lot of it on that range. had a ton of military friends and hunted in va and wva

My first air gun was a Crack A Jack. Like a 94Win but you pushed down on the barrel to load it. Next was Win 67,22 single shot my Granny gave me and I still have it 60 years later. She called it a pea rifle. Then I was given a 303-22 by my Dad, great rifle. Then back to a Krico 22 Semi Auto. After that 25-20, 303, 12gauge. Now I wish I still had all of them.Plenty of room in the gun safe. Oh yeah, I had a 1885 bolt action 12 gauge, maker unknown, and I'm hunting it down. Memories eh! :D

I taught myself to shoot. Bought a BB gun when I was 9 or 10. Got my first firearm when I was 12 (Savage 22/410). Since there was no one around to teach me, I taught myself. That was like 1965 and we lived in the country...a totally different era.

I pretty much taught myself when I started shooting at 17. None of my parents or other people in my family had firearms or if they did they never went to the range with them. As stupid as it may sound but most of the basics about stance, grip, trigger control I learned from the internet. In my country most shooters only train for sport shooting competitions. When I first started going to the shooting range they always tried to tell me I have to hold my pistol one handed, stand sideways and all that crap. Kinda like this http://i20.servimg.com/u/f20/11/50/35/28/standi10.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=364&u=11503528)

They just couldn't understand why I wanted to shoot more rapidly and with both hands or why I even bought a gun with non adjustable sights:eek: Also shooting under 25 meters is frowned upon on many ranges :banghead: That's pretty much why I started looking up videos of IDPA/IPSC or other more practical/combat oriented shooting styles on Youtube to learn from them. I also started visiting American online forums because you guys know there's more to shooting that 25m pistol and 100m prone rifle shooting :D

The US Air Force and then the US Army and then the US Air Force.

My parents were anti's. Didn't even own a cap gun growing up.

AFS

3 people: Me, myself and I. That is until I signed up with Uncle Sam's Army. Since way back then I'm still in learning mode. I will occasionally watch shows and read about the latest and greatest forms of shooting. I take what works for me then discard the rest.

I have three Brothers and my Father. We were always shooting something....Russ

Absolutely nobody. Nobody ever taught me a thing. I learned, what I learned, by trial and error.

Self taught on my first BB gun at 10 years old, then a few more air rifles and pistols through my teens. I didn't get my first real firearm until I was in my early 20's, after the USAF had given me some professional instruction and (mostly) broke me of a few bad habits.

I'm still learning, actually. I pick up something new every time I take a class or go to the range.

R

Funny you should ask! My dad let me have a gun when I was 14. When I became 14, he asked what I'd like to get (I had saved up my lunch money, he was going to "sign"). I told him I wanted a pistol. He replied, "What the hell you want that for? You can't hunt anything with a pistol!" Well, he signed for a CYQ German P-38, which I just had to have, and it cost $55 in 1966. I couldn't wait to go out and shoot at the best target available: a one gallon empty paint can.....my dad was a house painter. You guessed it........I couldn't hit the can consistently at 15 yards. I was SURE it was the gun!:rolleyes: I was pretty depressed. Dad loved to hunt, but had no interest or experience with pistols (although he owned one for defense), and I couldn't admit that he was right, so I never asked him to show me how to shoot it. I had been pretty good with his .22 single shot rifle, and fair with an H&R 922 revolver, but this 9mm was TOO much. While at the next gunshow (to buy 9mm ammo, I think foreign surplus ammo was about $2 a box, and the vendors didn't care how old you were:)), I saw a small hardback "pocketbook" about general marksmanship, shooting, etc, and it had a pistol section. I forget the authors name, but he was one of the respected author/shooters of the 1950's-eary 1960's. The book taught trigger control, sight picture, breathing, follow through, etc. I started to hit the can, then started putting ALL the shots on the can, then progressed to moving back to 25 yards as my groups kept getting smaller. It wasn't rocket science, but it did take self-discipline, and determination. With limited funds, I had to make every shot count. I feel like I still have the same overview and discipline today. Thanks to whoever wrote that book; any one of 10 famous gunbook writers of the day.

My Dad.

Started out with my first BB gun at the age of 5, graduated to a .410 bolt action at 10, and from there it was a .22 (browning) at 14. I was extremely fortunate to come from a family of outdoorsmen and have property in the country to hone my skills. By the time I was 14 and running around with that .22 I would go through a brick of ammo a weekend. When you shoot that much you can't help but get proficient. In 1998 the USMC put the finishing touches on my shooting skills with more long distance training. Still learning more every day :D

My dad. And then LE training mastered my skills

My college rifle team taught me to shoot rifle ... back in the day when colleges had such things.
A number of professional trainers taught me how to shoot handguns.
And my father-in-law gave me some pointers with a shotgun.
Taught myself how to shoot a compound bow.

Dad taught me rifle and then BSA taught me shotgun. Shot my first pistol in the navy and been hooked ever since.

My grandad when I was young, then the Army.

First, my Dad, then a few very fine police officers, two of which were special operations.

Sky--
Your dad sounds like a fine old gentleman. Enjoy the time you get to spend with him. It is a lesson I learned too late.

My dad got me started, but wasn't around long enough to get too far. It was enough--he let me shoot his 1911 when I was eight or nine. :)

Forty-five years later, I'm still learning, and still shooting 1911s.

Going to take him out to eat on Wednesday and then to the range for his first AR experience. Thanks

My mother taught me to shoot when i was 6 or 7 years old

The United States Army

As with most, my father taught me to shoot and hunt. Started a 5 with a BB gun and a .22 at the tender age of 7. I still have that first .22 my father bought me back in 1968. {Ithaca mod. 49} :)

My grandfather was also an avid hunter back in the old days. I was lucky being able to grow up shooting on weekends at my grandfathers farm. Never shot at an actual range until 2 yrs. ago.

Dad taught me how to point and pull the trigger. The United Staes Marine Corps taught me how to shoot.

Um, nobody.
Nobody in my family was into guns and I didn't have friends that I really wanted to go shooting with so I had to learn everything from the start.

I think I lucked out and didn't pick up any real horrible habits.

Bought first gun when I was at Graduate School.
A used nickel plated S&W .357 4 inch barrel

Before I ever shot it, I saw a target with holes in it pasted on the wall in front of the desk of one of the secretaries at the school.

I asked her if she knew how to shoot. She said yes and I asked if she would teach me.

She brought me and her semi auto .38 special to the range and I shot about 25 rounds

Then I shot a few rounds from my revolver.

Nice lady!

My Dad. And a brother-in-law.

Taught myself mostly. Then tried to get rid of bad habits from instruction later down the road.
+1
Dad wasn't a big gun guy but he showed me the basics with a Beretta M70 pistol in 32acp when I was 10. My first "gun" was a Crosman pellet pistol. He gave me a copy of the NRA safety rules and told me to read them and never forget them.

I'm the only one in my family that own firearms. I bought my first (a Mosin) when I was 24 and living in the Mojave desert. Went through an entire case of surplus ammo getting used to it.

my mischievous young uncle bought me a bb gun and my dad was mad uncle didn't ask him first. Then dear old dad taught me safe gun handling. Dad was infantry in korea, LE after war

My uncle [Sam]

I wish I had someone to teach me. I am learning on my own.

Dad,.(WWII Vet),..Uncles, (WWII and Korea Vets) and Grandpa,...just,..well ...Grandpa,...and the US Army put on the finishing touches......

Like most my daddy taught me to shoot everything we had. I never could out shoot him no matter how I tried. Made me strive for excellence and never give up. He died this year at 81 years old........I sure miss him.

My father and my uncle taught me. We are a family of hunters. I learned to shoot when I was 10. From then on, I'm obsessed with guns. Shooting is one of my hobby now.


https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dEhjUThVaUJQbmFBeV9oajFVTDZmbFE6MA#gid=0

Dad's eyes have gotten so bad that unless it is total brightness he can not see much. Really bugs him. macular degeneration. His hunting and shooting days are over which is really a shame; he is relegated to fishing and has given up driving. Funny, no matter who or what you think you are when young if you live long enough old age will get you.

My Dad, though I never had a BB gun or a pellet gun. Dad started me off with a .22 rifle

for me it was a combination of my father and the Boy Scouts

The USN and the USMC.

First time shooting a gun (30 carbine with help) at 4 with my mothers father. At 5 a .22 single shot with my fathers father. My father at 6, went into the 4 rules and shoot at what you want to destroy only. Both my grandfathers were of the opinion one bullet-go find dinner-clean kill, no suffering animal. I am a good shot to this day due to this IMHO. I find that I can do with a 44 MAG pistol what most are able do with a 30-30 at a distance. Never realized this until recently shooting with others at the rifle range 100 YD targets.:confused: My first memories of my mothers father are of helping him reload ammo when about 4 years old.:D I owe a lot to him.

Gand dad, with BBs 22s and shotguns.

He taught the importance of knowing the piece or caliber and how to use sighting techniques without fiddling around with a lot of adjusting.

The army affirmed that as range training rarely involved anything more than adjusting the sight picture instead of a bunch of twisting and clicking.

Some guys can really over complicate things at general use levels.

Thanks Gramps!

I was taught to shoot by my Uncle Carroll, who was taught to shoot by Uncle Billy Tilghman, "the Marshall of the Last Frontier," and one of the "Three Guardsmen of Oklahoma."

I can remember Uncle Carroll explaining how he told Uncle Billy he couldn't hold a pistol steady enough to shoot it well, "And Uncle Billy would say, 'It don't have to be steady. It just has to be on target' BANG! 'when it goes off.'"

Mostly I've taught myself, however, I was introduced to shooting by an ex who thought it might be a way of relieving stress! And let me tell you, it worked...an hour or so at a shooting range and I feel great!!!

Dad, then Camp Thunderbird, and then later a friend since high-school who is now a weapons and tactics instructor for the local PD, Sheriff's Dept, and the CJ program at the local Community College. This doesn't mean I'm a real good shooter though. I try.

Les

My father, with a .22 revolver, then with a Daisy BB gun. Then shooting with my older brother sneaking guns out when dad wasn't home. I learned absolutely nothing in the Navy.

Lots and lots of range time. Reading. Dry fire practice.

I consider myself decent, with lots of room to improve, especially with a rifle. Looking forward to some trigger time with my dad over the coming holidays.

The basics were covered by a friend's dad one afternoon. He is the reason I figured out that I am cross-dominate. I was 13 or 14, and we'd been shooting a .22 pistol and a mini 14. I was doing so bad with the mini 14 that it was comparable to missing the water if you fell off a boat...

So he says:
"Zach, why not try left handed?"
"You think it'll help?"
"Well, it aint gonna hurt..."

At that point I started knocking bottles off the fence. It went over my head at the time, but today, I cant keep myself from chuckling when when I think about him saying "Well, it aint gonna hurt..."

My step dad bought me a red ryder and we used to set up those little plastic army men in the yard and shoot them. He also taught me how to fight and I am grateful.

He was a retired drill sergeant and I was a teenager needless to say to say we butted heads a little.

My fathers father at 7 with a 20 ga skeet o/u (he was the state skeet/trap
champ for yrs) and my father later with every weapon he owned
from.22 thru 30-06
And i loved every moment and still do,as well as my father teaching me
the ethics of being a hunter and sportsman whilest we shot at
the back yard range/skeet/trap field

The United States Navy.

Self taught in order: Pellet Rifle .22 ---> AR15 .223 ---> .22 Pistol ---> 9mm Pistol. Not sure what will be next.

My family doesn't have any history of shooting; I'm pretty well the first. When I was about 12 my dad took me to the local pistol club that has a junior smallbore rifle program that happened to be run by some of his coworkers. It started from there and when I was 22 I started buying my own collection. Now the little buggers seem to keep breeding :evil:

Who taught you to shoot?Me.

At age 8 with a BB gun.

From there, pellet gun, .22 LR (Remington Nylon 66),
shotgun (Remington 870 in 16 gauge).

Marlin 336C in .35.

From there, see sig line.

shooting- self taught
reloading- ditto
Didn't get into it until my mid 30s. But I have taught some and even converted some non-owners into getting into it.

My dad and mom divorced when I was quite young...9 years old. I remember that my dad left a box of 30.06 cartridges in the closet and I was fascinated with them. They looked so cool!! A friend of mine was older at the time and lived on a farm. We shot his BB gun at cans off the fence. He taught me some safety rules and how to use the sights and I took it from there. I didn't have anyone else to show me about guns or shoot with me beyond that Daisy 10 pumper, but when I turned 21 that changed. I read alot about handguns, politics and I saved up and got my first handgun when I was 24. I took an NRA course when I got my first gun, A Taurus .357. I have been shooting for 16 years now and that Taurus is long gone...too bad it was a nice shooter. So basically I taught myself, but would love more training from some competent professionals.

Sgt. Radi, on a cold wet day in February, 1967.

My dad.

First with his 1920's Daisy BB gun.
like this:
http://www.nicholscapguns.com/jmt/items/48-2.jpg

He set up an apple crate, made a paper target and taped it to the garage wall.

Then I graduated to his seriously hard shooting military Daisy 40. (which we still have and STILL shoots hard)
http://www.pyramydair.com/blog/images/04-03-09-04.jpg

I got a gun for Christmas every year from the time I was 6 until I was 13.

This was my fav at age 8:
http://www.nicholscapguns.com/classifieds/paid_ads/3-25/bbgun-6.jpg

My dad's 89 now, and I thank him for teaching me to be shoot safely.

My dad taught me to shoot. We shot trap nearly every wknd. Eventually winning the parent/child trophy at the Ill st. shoot in 1981. 394X400. Not the highest score ever...but good enough that day.

Self taught.

My father and my oldest brother -- and my grandmother. When my grandma was about 67 years old she shot her .410 shotgun with me and my younger brother. He and I were 13 and 12 at the time. Grandma just wanted to make sure that we knew how to use guns correctly.

My uncle taught me to shoot an old pump pellet gun he had when I was 6 or 7. Then my father got me a bb gun a couple of years later, then got me a .22 when I was 11 or 12. I wasn't allowed to shoot even the bb gun unsupervised until I was about 10, the .22 until I was maybe about 14. My father also taught me to shoot an old .32 S&W revolver he had when I was about 14 or 15. My father and uncle were both ex-military and drilled safety into me along with hitting my target and taking care of my weapons. I'm grateful to them both.

self-taught

I took my fiance to my brother's back yard today to teach her how to shoot an auto handgun. Apparently, very little lessons were needed. She never shot a gun in her life. Today, she shot my Ruger Mark Standard and hit a can consistantly at 15 yards. Never missed! I'm so proud of her!

She also mastered all the saftey rules.

The United States Marine Corps.

In started out rabbit hunting at age 8 with my uncle and cousins but, shotgun only. They pretty much taught me the basics. However, I really lucked out when I was stationed at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas. There is where the AF Marksmanship school was. I got to know a few guys who were in that orgainization when I worked part time in the Rod & gun Club. Two in particular where Leslie ( Tank) Young and Hugo Legg. Both where perennial Camp Perry placement shooters in pistol (big & small bore) and both big and small bore long guns. These two guys took me under thier wing and REALLY pounded marksmanship skills Vs "shooting" into my head from off hand, sitting, kneeling, prone and most of all bench rest. We had a Running Boar range where I learned to shoot moving targets. We had non duty hours access to the ranges and it was really nothing to shoot up 200 rounds on a Saturday afternoon. To be quite candid, when I look thru a scope I get a mental image of those guys and can almost hear thier instructions.