how do you meet fellow gun owners?

[9mmepiphany]

I had to actually think about it for a while.

I have shooting buddies from out monthly IDPA matches, but there aren't but a couple that I communicate with between matches.

Surprisingly, I've met most of them through the forums.
1. Some I've met through the local forum when I've offered to let them try a hard to find pistol, some I've met when I offered to straighten out a problem they were having with either their pistol or their technique.

2. I've met 4-5 through this forum, besides other moderators, who happened to be not too far away from me. Some were a 1 time event, a couple became regular shooting buddies.

3. I've met the most through Sigforum, mostly from traveling around the country teaching with that forum's shooting/gunsmithing guru.

Locally, the easiest thing to do is either offer or ask for help with technique at the range or offer to let someone try your gun...sometimes it clicks, sometimes it doesn't. I even met a new shooting buddy when picking up ice for our State match...he was the clerk who helped me carry out the 18 bags

 

[Warp]

Appleseed

 

[ahtoxa]

Thanks Ranger, I'm a younger guy (23) and I don't see all that many people my age out where I normally go (hot shots) Daytona Beach. Haha it doesnt seem like people my age don't really shoot or play golf for that matter

I try to get younger people into golf, tennis, shooting and even driving stick shift haha (lost art) like writing in cursive

I feel ya, man.

I'm 30 and sometimes still feel like the youngest buck at the range. My range buddies are all older than me, but I tend to 'run' with an older crowd for some reason. I met most of my range buddies at work. Depending on where you work, it's not a bad place to talk about guns, you just can't come into the office and start asking people if they shoot. I suppose it comes with time.

But yeah, I'm one of the few people in my friends circle that shoots, drives a manual and doesn't watch sports. I'm good with that

 

[Krogen]

Try wearing an NRA hat or a coat with an NRA emblem on it. There are a number of folks at work that shoot. I'd have never known, except they spotted my jacket. Another time a guy tried to get a technical point across in a meeting. He said ". . . like a Damascus barrel." My ears perked up. After the meeting I caught up with him and mentioned that most people don't know what a Damascus barrel is. Turns out he's a big shotgunner.

They're out there, but a lot of shooters aren't very open about the sport, especially at work. Keep your eyes and ears open for subtle comments, wear an NRA hat, make a few subtle comments of your own. You may find all sorts of shooters around you than can become range buddies.

 

[ahtoxa]

That reminded me. I was sharing an office with a fellow manager and I guess he heard me talking about something firearm related at work, I can't recall. Next day I get into the office to discover a few recent gun mags on my desk and the office neighbor smiling broadly.

 

[stellarvore]

I meet some through work. I used to post on a local forum, but I didn't care for the content there anymore so I went searching for somewhere else and landed here. I never really made friends with anyone on there though. I actually took my CHL class with my supervisor and one of the chaplains, and have gotten a few nurses interested as well. Many of my friends are gun owners, because of jobs they've had, or whatnot.

 

[herrwalther]

Meet? People actually meet others? I thought that is what THR was for?