Drizzt
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Safe shooting can be a stress-reliever
By Jeff Mitchell
VACAVILLE - Most people would agree, guns can be a topic that can generate strident legal arguments.
But for a steadily growing segment of the population, the ownership of firearms isn't about staking out part of a vociferous Constitution argument.
Shooting guns, some folks say, is an act that's just plain fun - maybe even therapeutic.
"It's hard to explain, really," said Sherie Smalley, a Fairfield pathologist who took up target and sport shooting seriously just last year.
"There's something about shooting that allows me to release tension after a long day and re-center myself," Smalley said during an interview at The Shooting Gallery in Vacaville. "It's become one of my favorite hobbies."
Smalley's not alone.
While a significant number of the estimated 300 million American gun owners do claim to keep their firearms for personal protection, a healthy chunk of those - 40 million - keep and shoot guns almost exclusively for the enjoyment that comes from plinking at a target, according to the Connecticut-based National Shooting Sports Foundation.
And, in addition to those who enjoy just the Zen-like challenge of target shooting, the sport branches off down many competitive avenues involving pistols, revolvers, shotguns and rifles. There's even something called "cowboy action shooting" where competitors dressed in period costume test their marksmanship using Old West-era rifles and pistols.
Never looked back
Before Marcia Arnold-Serrao entered the gun world in 1992, she was a successful jewelry salesperson.
But after an initial visit to the Commerce Place range and pro shop, she's never looked back, investing herself fully in the sport.
Now a veteran shooting instructor, Arnold-Serrao said the act of being an accomplished target shooter involves mastery of the mind and full control of one's body.
"It's not hard to fire a gun. Most people can pick up a firearm and shoot it," Arnold-Serrao said. "However, to do it consistently well requires both concentration and practice."
Like any athletic endeavor, a person must dedicate themselves to the sport to become an accomplished marksman, Arnold-Serrao said. This involves a fair amount of both muscle and breathing control.
But mostly, the hard-to-describe feeling many people get when firing a gun boils down to one word: Fun.
"It is enjoyable," Arnold-Serrao said. "I can be having a bad day and come here and spend some time on the range and leave feeling 100 percent better."
However, the very nature of shooting demands that neophytes quickly learn and demonstrate an orthodox respect for the safety and mechanics of firearms. California law, by the way, requires it.
So, when Joseph Brooks, 47, decided sport shooting might be a cool thing to share with his 20-year-old college-bound son, Jermaine Brooks, they signed up for a three hour gun safety and orientation class at the Vacaville range.
The class ended up being a good refresher for Joseph Brooks, an Air Force veteran, and a primer for his son.
"This has been a good class - you can never be too safe when you're dealing with firearms," the elder Brooks said. "That said, I think we're both looking forward to getting out on the range and seeing what we can do."
http://www.dailyrepublic.com/articles/2005/02/22/local_news/news01.txt
By Jeff Mitchell
VACAVILLE - Most people would agree, guns can be a topic that can generate strident legal arguments.
But for a steadily growing segment of the population, the ownership of firearms isn't about staking out part of a vociferous Constitution argument.
Shooting guns, some folks say, is an act that's just plain fun - maybe even therapeutic.
"It's hard to explain, really," said Sherie Smalley, a Fairfield pathologist who took up target and sport shooting seriously just last year.
"There's something about shooting that allows me to release tension after a long day and re-center myself," Smalley said during an interview at The Shooting Gallery in Vacaville. "It's become one of my favorite hobbies."
Smalley's not alone.
While a significant number of the estimated 300 million American gun owners do claim to keep their firearms for personal protection, a healthy chunk of those - 40 million - keep and shoot guns almost exclusively for the enjoyment that comes from plinking at a target, according to the Connecticut-based National Shooting Sports Foundation.
And, in addition to those who enjoy just the Zen-like challenge of target shooting, the sport branches off down many competitive avenues involving pistols, revolvers, shotguns and rifles. There's even something called "cowboy action shooting" where competitors dressed in period costume test their marksmanship using Old West-era rifles and pistols.
Never looked back
Before Marcia Arnold-Serrao entered the gun world in 1992, she was a successful jewelry salesperson.
But after an initial visit to the Commerce Place range and pro shop, she's never looked back, investing herself fully in the sport.
Now a veteran shooting instructor, Arnold-Serrao said the act of being an accomplished target shooter involves mastery of the mind and full control of one's body.
"It's not hard to fire a gun. Most people can pick up a firearm and shoot it," Arnold-Serrao said. "However, to do it consistently well requires both concentration and practice."
Like any athletic endeavor, a person must dedicate themselves to the sport to become an accomplished marksman, Arnold-Serrao said. This involves a fair amount of both muscle and breathing control.
But mostly, the hard-to-describe feeling many people get when firing a gun boils down to one word: Fun.
"It is enjoyable," Arnold-Serrao said. "I can be having a bad day and come here and spend some time on the range and leave feeling 100 percent better."
However, the very nature of shooting demands that neophytes quickly learn and demonstrate an orthodox respect for the safety and mechanics of firearms. California law, by the way, requires it.
So, when Joseph Brooks, 47, decided sport shooting might be a cool thing to share with his 20-year-old college-bound son, Jermaine Brooks, they signed up for a three hour gun safety and orientation class at the Vacaville range.
The class ended up being a good refresher for Joseph Brooks, an Air Force veteran, and a primer for his son.
"This has been a good class - you can never be too safe when you're dealing with firearms," the elder Brooks said. "That said, I think we're both looking forward to getting out on the range and seeing what we can do."
http://www.dailyrepublic.com/articles/2005/02/22/local_news/news01.txt
"Cowville". 
I must be using mine incorrectly. 