essayons21
Member
Something happened on the range the other day that made me wonder.
I went shooting with 5 of my friends, we are all in our mid to late 20s, at a very nice private range which I belong to. One of the ranges is a long-distance range, but recently 25-yard hanging steel was added for pistol ranges. We were shooting my AR, my bolt gun, and 2 handguns, generally having a good time. Two other older gentlemen were shooting, looking like they were getting good dope for a high-power match. I was wearing peltors and kept hearing the gentlemen making comments like "watch the guy in the hat," and I noticed they had stopped shooting and were staring down my friends who were shooting pistols. I don't think they knew I could hear their comments.
At no time did I observe anyone doing anything unsafe, and my friends are extremely conscientious about firearms safety, yet the comments persisted. I finally went and asked them (politely) if their was any problem with the way we were shooting. They grumbled something about locking the slides back on the pistols when we set them down on the firing line bench. The pistols were pointing down range at all times, nobody was down range (all steel) and when he made the comment I looked over and both were sitting with their slides locked to the rear. I told them that if they observed anything unsafe please let us know. They shortly packed up and left.
Now this is what bothered me. As they left, one called out the window of his car, "Be careful with those handguns, it's not like your video games, they hurt in real life."
To put this in perspective, he was speaking to a group of 5 combat veterans, 2 with Purple Hearts, and all with extensive and formal firearms training (beyond basic training). Definitely a group of subject matter experts on how much bullets hurt, but stereotyped by our age.
This is not the first, nor will it be the last time myself or my gun-nut friends will be stereotyped by the older generation because of our age. It happens on a regular basis, at ranges, gunshops, and gunshows. It bothers me most because this treatment by our "elders" serves to alienate a younger generation of shooters and collectors. I have always been taught to be polite and respect my elders, but mutual respect is needed in our gun culture.
The older generations of shooters need to embrace and respect the younger generation, who may very well be influenced by video games, as well as their military and combat experience. There is nothing wrong with scary looking black rifles or putting lots of lead downrange if done in a safe manner. Simply because you have come to the range to put 20 rounds downrange over a 3 hour period, don't begrudge the group of guys who want to see how fast they can ring the gongs next to you. This is the next generation, and will be the ones who advance the shooting sports into the future.
I'd like some input from some of the older gentlemen on THR. How do you feel about the younger generation who likes scary looking rifles and high round counts? Why do you think such a large generational gap exists between the age brackets of our gun culture? I can appreciate a nice 45-70 and the skill it takes to hit a steel ram at 200 yards offhand, so why don't those gentlemen appreciate a well built AR-15 and the skill necessary to consistently ring gongs with a hi-cap XD from 25 yards?
I went shooting with 5 of my friends, we are all in our mid to late 20s, at a very nice private range which I belong to. One of the ranges is a long-distance range, but recently 25-yard hanging steel was added for pistol ranges. We were shooting my AR, my bolt gun, and 2 handguns, generally having a good time. Two other older gentlemen were shooting, looking like they were getting good dope for a high-power match. I was wearing peltors and kept hearing the gentlemen making comments like "watch the guy in the hat," and I noticed they had stopped shooting and were staring down my friends who were shooting pistols. I don't think they knew I could hear their comments.
At no time did I observe anyone doing anything unsafe, and my friends are extremely conscientious about firearms safety, yet the comments persisted. I finally went and asked them (politely) if their was any problem with the way we were shooting. They grumbled something about locking the slides back on the pistols when we set them down on the firing line bench. The pistols were pointing down range at all times, nobody was down range (all steel) and when he made the comment I looked over and both were sitting with their slides locked to the rear. I told them that if they observed anything unsafe please let us know. They shortly packed up and left.
Now this is what bothered me. As they left, one called out the window of his car, "Be careful with those handguns, it's not like your video games, they hurt in real life."
To put this in perspective, he was speaking to a group of 5 combat veterans, 2 with Purple Hearts, and all with extensive and formal firearms training (beyond basic training). Definitely a group of subject matter experts on how much bullets hurt, but stereotyped by our age.
This is not the first, nor will it be the last time myself or my gun-nut friends will be stereotyped by the older generation because of our age. It happens on a regular basis, at ranges, gunshops, and gunshows. It bothers me most because this treatment by our "elders" serves to alienate a younger generation of shooters and collectors. I have always been taught to be polite and respect my elders, but mutual respect is needed in our gun culture.
The older generations of shooters need to embrace and respect the younger generation, who may very well be influenced by video games, as well as their military and combat experience. There is nothing wrong with scary looking black rifles or putting lots of lead downrange if done in a safe manner. Simply because you have come to the range to put 20 rounds downrange over a 3 hour period, don't begrudge the group of guys who want to see how fast they can ring the gongs next to you. This is the next generation, and will be the ones who advance the shooting sports into the future.
I'd like some input from some of the older gentlemen on THR. How do you feel about the younger generation who likes scary looking rifles and high round counts? Why do you think such a large generational gap exists between the age brackets of our gun culture? I can appreciate a nice 45-70 and the skill it takes to hit a steel ram at 200 yards offhand, so why don't those gentlemen appreciate a well built AR-15 and the skill necessary to consistently ring gongs with a hi-cap XD from 25 yards?