PATH
Member
Who taught you how to shoot? Was it Dad or an Uncle? MAybe you learned from a friend or in the military?
Who taught you how to shoot?
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Thumper
Member
Dad.
He can still beat me with a rifle.
Spanks me with a shotgun, but I have him beat with pistols.
Barely...
He can still beat me with a rifle.
Spanks me with a shotgun, but I have him beat with pistols.
Barely...
chetrogers
Member
A friend of mine took me out one day and was going over the safety aspect of rifles and pistols ..we went out for every weekend for about a month .Then he moved..My dad was never there for me "literally" and none of my moms friends are into guns so unfortunately i didn't get into guns until i was 21/22 and I'm 25 now..
Spieler
Member
My older cousin was the first person to take me shooting when I was 7 or 8, with some old bolt action .22 IIRC, and I was hooked. I didn't really learn the fundamentals until I joined my JROTC Rifle Team in high school though. LTC Heib was a retired SF guy who saw action in WWII, Korea & Vietnam and did a few years as a cop to boot - he really drilled rifle marksmanship into me. I first had (structured) training in handguns in Military Police School - you know the kind, AAAARRRRMY TRAINING, SIR!
tomkatz
Member
my father, may he rest in peace....he always outshot me, he was just a great natural shooter....I have his S&W 686-0 6in, the only gun I got out of his collection thanks to a spiteful stepmother.....tom
The gun shop owner/instructor gave me a quick run down of the really basic fundamentals my first time. I read a few gun rags, surfed a lot of internet, and tried to pick up what I could, but I'm mostly "self-taught", I guess.
A few bona-fide lessons and a less stubborn nature would have made me a much better shooter, much sooner.
A few bona-fide lessons and a less stubborn nature would have made me a much better shooter, much sooner.
sm
member
All dad did was give the rules and show me the basics. At his NG Armory at 6 y/o the 'gunny' ( rangemaster) took to me. Dad never taught me to shoot -and he could shoot, I watched him compete once, he took top honors with a carbine and 1911-but he wouldn't teach. That gunny took to me, later another gunny taught me NRA sponsored rifle stuff, I've had a progession , from an uncle, men at church( Vets) to other kids dads, to meeting one 'old man' , to just begging, bugging and being a pest.
Various instructors whenever I wanted to learn something. I still do. I'm always still learning.
Various instructors whenever I wanted to learn something. I still do. I'm always still learning.
My dad when I was 11. I can outshoot him with handguns, rifles and shotguns now but what he really taught me was safety. He was very strict about me never pointing a gun at someone even if they stepped in front of my barrel. I learned that it is my responsibility to make sure that my gun never crosses the path of someone even if they are stupid enough to walk in front of where I was pointing.
Many people think they are gun safe but until you have heard the roar of your pi$$ed off father yelling at you, I don't think it sinks in.
Many people think they are gun safe but until you have heard the roar of your pi$$ed off father yelling at you, I don't think it sinks in.
I first shot a .22 with dad at around 11 or 12, but not much.
My uncle Sam was the one who really taught me the tricks of the trade. He learned me to shoot a rifle, a pistol, and shotgun, machine gun, submachine gun et cetera. He also taught me to swab a mean deck.
All during four years at the school of hard knocks. You can say that when you're USMC alumni.
My uncle Sam was the one who really taught me the tricks of the trade. He learned me to shoot a rifle, a pistol, and shotgun, machine gun, submachine gun et cetera. He also taught me to swab a mean deck.
All during four years at the school of hard knocks. You can say that when you're USMC alumni.
Orthonym
Member
Books and self; mostly books.
WhoKnowsWho
Member
I think I mostly taught myself.
First with airsoft, then reading about stances, grips etc for the airsoft. The got into the rules for real stuff through that, but hadn't fired any real stuff then.
When I first went out with friends to try a gun, no rules, just "Here, it's loaded..."
Now when I go out with them, I am a rules banger, and I make sure they follow them, and they make sure I follow them. A bit different that before.
First with airsoft, then reading about stances, grips etc for the airsoft. The got into the rules for real stuff through that, but hadn't fired any real stuff then.
When I first went out with friends to try a gun, no rules, just "Here, it's loaded..."
Now when I go out with them, I am a rules banger, and I make sure they follow them, and they make sure I follow them. A bit different that before.
My father taught me the way around a shotgun. Said pistols were only for killing people and 22 rifles were too dangerous for 7 year olds because they travelled too far. Bought me a 20 gauge Savage single shot.
Didn't fire a rifle until I was in my teens.
Didn't fire a pistol until I joined the Army. My drill sergeants were responsible for my basic marksmanship rules and I have been picking up stuff ever since from here and there. Some I have picked up and employed from stuff I have read on THR!
Didn't fire a rifle until I was in my teens.
Didn't fire a pistol until I joined the Army. My drill sergeants were responsible for my basic marksmanship rules and I have been picking up stuff ever since from here and there. Some I have picked up and employed from stuff I have read on THR!
igor
Member
My mom with her air rifles. She was a very decent shooter and taught all of my siblings. Only I carry on the torch but I'm teaching my nephews and nieces as well.
I'm an oddity I suppose in that no one taught me. I learned the "rules" from my older brother, but he went away to college and I didn't get to shoot with him. So, when I turned 18, I bought a .22 and rented a library book on rifles (I later bought the book, which was a adapted version of the British Musketry handbook, an excellent guide btw). I taught myself how to shoot with the book and my own wits.
I didn't do too bad, I can shoot as well as my poor eyes will let me.
I didn't do too bad, I can shoot as well as my poor eyes will let me.
Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
Mom with a 22, probably not too long after I was housebroken. A vague memory of shooting with the rifle propped up on a bench shooting at a tin can come to mind.
Shotguns, centerfire rifles and handguns, Pop, with assists from the Govt.
Shotguns, centerfire rifles and handguns, Pop, with assists from the Govt.
Nightcrawler
Member
My first time firing a gun was a 20 gauge shotgun. It knocked me over (I think I was eight.) My second timewas when I was in the 6th grade at a school weekend camp. I put about 10 rounds through a bolt-action .22 of some sort. (Keep in mind up here many young boys start hunting by the 6th grade, so this wasn't unheard of, even in the early 90s when it was going on.) Then, I did a little bit with pellet guns in JROTC in high school. My first time firing a centerfire rifle was when I joined the Nat'l Guard, before I went to basic. It was February 1999, and it was annual qualification. They handed me an M16A1 and some ammo, went over the basics, and let me bang away on the little 25 meter indoor range we use. I scored expert, I believe. Maybe it was sharpshooter. In any case, I did really good, given my level of experience.
Aside from that, I taught myself. Learned the four rules after I got home from basic; never heard of "rule three" in the Army...
Aside from that, I taught myself. Learned the four rules after I got home from basic; never heard of "rule three" in the Army...
Legionnaire
Contributing Member
Although I'd shot rifles a couple of times previously, my college coach "taught me" how to shoot. I then read up and practiced all I could from Jack O'Connor, Jeff Cooper, etc. Couple of summers ago I took Long Range Rifle I and II at Storm Mountain. Still learning.
I was introduced to pistols by a friend, but then immediately took a couple of classes at LFI and Insights. I read and practice. Still learning.
I still haven't learned how to shoot a shotgun (wingshooting) effectively! Something about "pointing" instead of "aiming" I just don't get.
I was introduced to pistols by a friend, but then immediately took a couple of classes at LFI and Insights. I read and practice. Still learning.
I still haven't learned how to shoot a shotgun (wingshooting) effectively! Something about "pointing" instead of "aiming" I just don't get.
45King
Member
My Dad taught me how to shoot. He gave me a BB gun for Christmas in1961, when I was 6 1/2 year old. Once I got the basic fundamentals of marksmanship down, he moved me on to a shotgun. By the time I was 8, I was going dove huting with him. When I was 10, I went to the Citadel summer camp and honed my rifle skills (Dad didn't own any rifles, only shotguns,) with an NRA certified instructor using .22s. I learned to shoot pistols from reading about it, and the first chance I got to shoot was was when I was about 12 or so and had a chance to shoot a game warden's .38 when we were on a dove hunt.
I had to learn the safety rules myself. Dad had me read "The 10 Commandments of Gun Safety," but that was about it.
I had to learn the safety rules myself. Dad had me read "The 10 Commandments of Gun Safety," but that was about it.
I taught myself. I had my brother to shoot with, and we had lots of woods to run around in here in Florida in the mid to late '70s, and boy, did we do a lot of shooting.
My dad never liked guns, but he let us go our own way, bless him. My mom, too. My son seems to like 'em, though, so we he gets a bit older (he's five now), I'll be passing on the heritage.
My dad never liked guns, but he let us go our own way, bless him. My mom, too. My son seems to like 'em, though, so we he gets a bit older (he's five now), I'll be passing on the heritage.
cool45auto
Member
I watched my dad shoot and shot a friend's rifle some but pretty much have been going it on my own.
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