Lesson learned

[STW]

One of my younger sisters went on an outing with some folks this past weekend that ended with a little target shooting. When she mentioned that she knew how to shoot she was met with looks of disbelief and not a few comments. Not one to back down, she took the .22 and blew the middle out of the target. She credits recreational shooting at a cabin we shared some 35-40 years ago and a USMC veteran father who insisted we learn the right way.

Who taught you or who are you teaching?

 

[DelayedReaction]

Nobody really taught me; I took my NRA Handgun course a year ago, and I bought my first gun (a 1911 that I customized myself to exactly how I wanted it) in December. I'm 22 right now. I did my best to take the safety lessons to heart, and went with a bunch of my buddies who let me try out various things. Before the safety course I had never touched a gun.

In contrast, I've brought at least 20 new shooters to the range. Women, men, anyone who wanted to go (and I trusted to be safe) would go and get a free lesson. I even took my mom and my dad shooting, and neither one of them had ever shot before.

The gun culture has really been a place I've found myself. It's something I love, a great way to meet people, and something that drives me to be politically active at times. It was wild when one of the parents in the theater group I volunteer for turned out to be one of the people who had gone with me to the state capital to support a CCW bill.

 

[Majic]

If the others were target shooting or plinking then why did it surprise them?

 

[dk-corriveau]

My father, US Army/Army Reserve retiere, was/is my teacher. We don't shoot together that often as we live about 11 hours apart, but we did go out about 12 days ago. We started out with my Kimber and I put two 7 round mags through it and shot ok. My old man grabs it and absolutly kills his target, making my "it has to be the gun" excuse completely pointless. Even after all these years he can still take it to me, but I am catching up.

 

[SOFDC]

From the instruction manual that came with my first BB gun, a long gone winchester 94 replica....

 

[Old NFO]

My grandfather- Born in 1886, was in his 70's when I was a kid and he taught me a LOT about shooting. I still have his Peacemaker and 94 Winchester in 44-40
He was an engineer and supervisor for Union Pacific for over 40 years, and used to shoot off the train at antelope and deer out West, then stop the train and go retrieve them for dinner. He had a lot of stories about hauling WW1 and WW2 troops and equipment via rail across the country.

 

[Rob1035]

yup, my dad taught me as a young buck, as well as my grandpa. I went of to college and forgot all about shooting. Within the last year, I've gotten back into, and its a great hobby for my dad and I to share

And yes, he will always outshoot me (he was an instructor for Uncle Sam)

 

[Ryder]

Learned rifles at 16 in a high school basement (ROTC back in the 60's when that wasn't "the in thing"). Learned pistols in boot camp at 17. Took a week long (or was it two?) advanced small arms course a few years after that. I've taught what I was taught to dozens over the years.

The last person I explained pistol technique to was one of the security guards here at work. This was less than a month ago. He missed out on boot camp. Anyhow, he claims to be good with his Super Redhawk but his new XD9SC can't hit a barndoor. I quizzed him on his techniques and explained a few things... Starting with sight picture! WTH? Oh yeah, he missed boot camp and his 44mag has a scope. Haven't got the chance to ask him how things turned out but I could see the little lightbulb go on over his head while I was talking. I have the same model and it treats me good. If worse comes to worse I may have to do a little hands on with the poor guy.

Took me many years to learn shotguns. Slugs were a problem. Slow bullet and fast moving "target" Got it under control eventually but the leads are incomprehensible. I'd choose a rifle anyday, especially on a moving target.

 

[Standing Wolf]

I made it up as I went along until I started shooting bullseye. At that point, the old timers set me straight.

 

[Eightball]

I did it myself. I was an adroit student of learning before I put anything into practice, so that the first time I picked up a real firearm, I followed the four rules and all. First time I fired a firearm, it took a shot or two to hit what I was aiming at, but it was already old-hat by that point (MGS2 & 3 helped me figure out just how to aim using irons , but it works). To each their own. So, I didn't take a class. So I didn't get taught. I'm still the most firearms-friendly and safe person that most people know, and I do my part to help them out as well. And I'm accurate, too.

 

[entropy]

My Dad taught me marksmanship, the Army taught me CQB and such. I am passing both on to my 2 sons, and my sister's sons (and husband, he was Air Force). Only one niece on my wife's side of the family will shoot, she shot the 422 I used to have, and like that.

 

[Art Eatman]

My mother gave me my first BB gun, a Daisy Red Ryder, when I was 7-1/2. Christmas of 1941. I got pretty good with it. My grandfather had already introduced me to his .22 rifle. Along through those years, he'd hand me the rifle and a box of Shorts and sorta point toward the back pasture--anything to get me out from underfoot.

My uncle got me into centerfire rifle and reloading when I was 16. He did the Tom Sawyer routine, "letting" me reload for him, too.

Art

 

[Husker1911]

Dad only gave me the basics. He wasn't a hunter, and I managed all right through my teens. Having a bit of a logical mind helped immensely. In my very early twenties, I took to the gun magazines, Shooting Times, Guns & Ammo, and Survival (mid Seventies magazine). I became quite interested, and basically taught myself gun handling skills. I suppose I could have just as easily taken to photography and cameras, or any other skilled talent. But now at 51, I find myself co-managing a major gunstore in the Omaha area. Life's (and firearms) been good to me so far!

 

[GigaBuist]

Grandpa let me shoot with him some times, but I cannot remember a single safety lesson from that period. No eye protection, no hearing protection.

Parents let me have a BB gun when I was about 8, the same time I was shooting a bit with my grandpa, and the only rule was no shooting at houses. Given that I haven't ever been a psychopath I'm not sure why that rule was even spoken of.

Passed 10 years old I never shot anything. Stopping hanging around grandpa at the time. Family issues.

It was a Marine, my general manager at work, that got me into shooting when I was 21. He'd talk politics and the importance of the 2nd ammendment, and I followed along. Took me shooting with a bunch of co-workers; and I realized that this was something I should do. Took my to my 1st gun show; helped me pick out my first gun. Showed me how to clean my pistol in his garage after I bought it. Showed me the basics of pistol shooting, and took the CCW course with me when Michigan passed that law. Drilled the 3 rules into my head pretty quick. Of course, he had his own set of the 3 rules:
- Always handle a gun as if it's loaded.
- A unloaded gun is useless
- Since you're handlng it as if it were loaded, keep the danged thing loaded!

Gave me some pretty good advice when I got my first pistol too. To keep me from putting my booger hook on the bang stick he said to make sure the pistol was unloaded, and just set it next to you while you watch TV or something. Pick it up with your finger off the trigger, and put it down. Repeat 1,000 times. It worked.

Now, I just need to teach my father what this guy taught me. Sad, I think, but fixable.

 

[P95Carry]

Some folks will have seen this but - here is my dear daughter on a visit over from UK, with her old man - coupla years back.

She and my son were regulars at my then usual range in UK thru much of their childhood and early teens - both were taught all basics and worked up thru over time from .22's to even large cal handguns.

This was daughter with P97 - shooting .45acp like she had never stopped - but in fact she had not fired a round for what - maybe 13 or so years!!!! She was safe, competent and accurate. So for me it proves - early gun education is everything - it is to a degree like ''riding a bike'' - never forgotten.

Sad thing is - she'd like to shoot and own her own gun - but in Uk - forget it!

 

[Husker1911]

P95, I hope you take solace in the knowledge she, and her generation, will someday be venerated throughout Great Britain. She was a citizen, and not a subject. Great Britain is now what America will probably become. You've seen the cop shows from GB. They (the cameras) follow cars nonstop from near beginning to the end of chase, usually with crash consequences.

In the city across the Missouri river from me, citizens welcome thru their poll responses cameras on their traffic lights. If you agree with this, I ask you: Do you sleep more soundly in your beds tonight? Knowing automobiles are being photographed tonight, their drivers unknown? At what point don't you trust your government? When it impedes your right to defend yourself?