Who taught you how to shoot?

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My mother taught me how to shoot. When she was young, her favorite gun game was to put a penny flat atop a wooden fence post and then try to skim that penny off the top of the post from about 10 yards with a BB gun.

She also taught me how to dig bait, put worms on a hook, and fish.

She is an old Arkansas girl.

hillbilly
 
Justin and Chris Rhines about 2-1/2 years ago. It was so cold outside that we had to re-load in the car. I actually kinda miss Indiana winters now, it doesn't snow here.
 
My Dad wanted to be proud of his son and show everyone that he was an excellent hunter and a good shot. He spent countless hours teaching technique with targets. Despite his best efforts, I could never hunt worth a darn. (Hard to actually shoot a squirrel when you intentionally aim 6 feet to the right!)

Eventually he realized that I just wasn't into "shooting animals" but enjoyed coming along for the "hunt". He never invited me to go hunting again but I sure learned to be a good shot with all that practice!!!!!

Logistar
 
Handguns - I taught myself. First handgun was a .44 Mag Redhawk. First lesson learned: Earmuffs should be on when firing a .44 indoors!!!
Lots of reading and experimenting.

Rifles - Boy Scouts .22s at summer camp to earn Rifle and Shotgun Merit Badge.
 
My father taught me basic shooting with .22 rifle, Marlin 30-30 and 12 gauge. He was a good one to teach because he's a safety professional and that invades every area of his life, especially shooting.

Then my uncle came along and taught me a few things about tactical pistol shooting. He lives in Houston and is an investigator with the Harris County District Attorney. He was a good teacher as well and definitely had a different bent on safety than my father. He reinforced basic gun safety but also taught me things such as closing one eye while shooting can completely blind you to someone pointing a pistol to your face point-blank on your weak-eye side and the standard way to clear jams in a fire-fight.

What is it with uncles teaching everyone to shoot?!

brad cook
 
hillbilly, I like the sound of your Mom. My Mom's from Arkansas, too. She grew up shooting. But I grew up in in the city. My Dad wasn't a shooter and my Mom didn't still have a gun. It was my father-in-law who got me back into shooting after my college days. Even today, though, my Mom is far more interested in seeing any new toys than my Dad is.
 
My dad. The first gun I can remember shooting was a .45 T/C Hawkins muzzleloader. It was great and I was hooked to shooting ever since.
 
Another vote for Dad...

Another vote for Dad... He also grew up when hunting was for meals and not for sport. I was taught the safety basics at about 9 or 10 and he gave me my grandfather's .22 that was given to him. I still have it and will hopefully pass it on again.

Newt
 
My uncle, when I was about 9 or 10, took me out shooting for the first time. He taught me fundamentals (breathing, trigger control), and I have been hooked on shooting ever since. The only problem was that I only see him for a few weeks every two years, so up until I turned 18 and bought my own guns I would either have to wait to see him again or to go shooting with friends who were shooters. Since I have my own firearms now, I'm pretty much teaching myself by reading books and practicing at the range (and picking up any pointers from anyone who's willing to share their wisdom).
 
My Dad. He taught me the fundamentals, and safety. Then it was a lot of practice with a Crosman air rifle, moving on to a .22, and so on.

I still remember the first time Dad let me shoot his Ruger Blackhawk .357. I was about 13 at the time, I thought that was so cool. :D
 
My Dad.
JC Higgins .22 rifle with retractable sling in the stock(remember those)
Out at an old gravel pit near our home.
Before I actually fired a real gun I used to go out dove hunting with dad and friends carrying a a double barreled cork gun.
After that I graduated to airguns then to an old Rem Model Sportsman 58 16 gauge.
 
It was so long ago, it's kindy "murky"...

But I think it was my "Granny". (How could a shootin' woman like my Granny,
EVER raise an "anti" like my mother???)
Anyway, my father gave me a .410 when I was six. Sheesh! Close to HALF a CENTURY ago. That's what started it all.

KR (I'm not aging well at all.)
 
My Dad. First with a BB gun, then with a .22. Pistol was myself and then the US Navy.
 
Myself.

I had a bit of experience with Enfield rifle converted to shoot 22lr in the Canadian Air Cadets. They pretty much taught me to fly (at age 13!! in Stinson Voyagers -- fabric covered, duralumin-framed 4 seaters) -- but not much about shooting.

We used a basement range in the armory, all actions were strictly controlled by the rangemaster, and nothing was explained. No safety training -- nothing. We were just handed 5 rounds at a time, then lights out and we did everything on orders.

Years later (1968) I shot, with a friend, a full box of 9mm, in his BHP (I later realized it was) -- plinking at beer cans on a turn off on the Alaska Highway (I knew it was unpaved, but to me that meant gravel. Nope, it was 1300 miles of dirt).

But again, no instructions on safety or anything else. Just told me to point it and shoot it. He reloaded the mags. And he was a bit chagrined 'cause I outshot him. (grin)

And no hearing protection! He was shooting a Colt 45acp. My ears rang for over 6 hours and I felt like there was liquid dripping inside them.

I'm a bit hard of hearing, now. Think there's any connection? :)


So when I finally overcame my anti-gun position, I subscribed to gun magazines, cleaned out the library of gun books (they had 'em in the eighties) and taught myself.



But my 15 year old daughter won't have to say this on some future gun forum.


I'm taking her to the range for the very first time -- this afternoon!!


She has a tendency to act like nothing scares her. E.g. I no longer ride the roller-coasters. She OTOH works on me to take her 1000-1500 miles -- just to ride the tallest, scariest coaster. Nothing seems to scare this kid. And she loves to call me a sissy 'cause I won't ride.

So I set her up :D

I tell her that the guns are extremely loud, kick like hell -- and not to feel bad if it scares her or if it's all too much for her. (Actually I'm starting her on the 22.)

Heh, heh. Now, just to show me, she'll probably become the next Annie Oakley.


Hey, you do what you gotta do, right?.


I love her to pieces; I'm very proud of her -- and I can't wait to get her to the range. Just 2-3 hours left!



I'll post on how it turns out.


Matis:D
 
Family friend whose an NRA instructor, Glock armorer, buys guns like I buy sodas. Unfortunately he lives out in Vegas and so I don't get much instruction.

I just go shoot as often as time/money allows and am somewhat satisfied I can group.
 
Self taught with some from my Uncle. I got a Sears bolt action after 2 years of begging my parents. Still have it and it still shoots. I spent four years working with my Uncle and he taught me how to shoot an M16. OBTW that uncle is called Sam

Mostly reading and application while Dryfiring then on the range.
 
My Dad

My father taught me to start with. He was career army (served in combat in WWII, Korea, and VietNam), so I lived on army bases all my life growing up. This was a long time ago and it was common to have ranges on most of the bases (I don't know if they still have them). After teaching me the basics, he turned me over to experts -- I spent a lot of time shooting 4-position rifle matches (with .22's when young) and earning badges, medals, etc. Then we added skeet and trap shooting, and Dad and I were the terrors of any father-son event in the area!

Strangely though, Dad had no handguns, and did not teach me anything about shooting them. When I was out on my own, I learned handguns from a retired LE instructor and a bunch of old bulls-eye shooters.

Great way to learn!
 
My Dad

I have my Dad to thank for introducing and maintaining an interest in shooting sports. If it wasnt for him exposing me to firearms, i very well could have turned into an anti :what:
 
When I was 4 we moved from the city to the country and I think I got a single shot, break action, Daisy BB gun soon after, killed a ton of starlings with it. My dad must have taught me about sight picture and some safety but I can't remember. When I was 5 or 6 I started going squirrell hunting with him, he used a single shot 12ga.

When I was 7 I got to go hunting by myself for squirrells, single shot 20ga. When I was 8 I got a single shot bolt action .22 for a present and used it for squirrells and rabbits. This was about the time I discovered Bob White quail.

A friend of mine helped to hone my skills. I also had a lot of help from my Uncle Sam. He taught me to shoot the M14, M16, 1911, M50, M60 and some specialty stuff. I shot these well enough to become an instructor for all of the non automatic stuff.

I am teaching one of my granddaughters to shoot. So far she is the only one old enough to be allowed to shoot by her parents. I have had to make a few solo trips to the range to try and get back some of the skills I let slide, just to stay ahead of her.

So I guess it would have been my dad.
 
My Dad got me started when I was 12. He covered the basics. In order to go hunting with him, I had to take the Montana state NRA Hunter's Safety Program. That's where I really learned the rules of safe gun handling. We moved from Montana about a year later, and it was another 3 years after that until I started shooting again. Then it was again Dad who taught me how to shoot a handgun.

Most of my knowledge and skill has actually come from three other sources though: the Army, reading books and magazines, and experience.

Still have to give props to Dad for kindling the initial interest. He always made me buy my own guns though. His philosophy was that a person is more respectful of something they've bought with their own money, rather than something that was just given to them.

Frank
 
My BB gun as a kid.

I shot different BB guns for years, running around in the woods and bayous. Luckily, no one got an eye put out. But I learned enough lessons from it, so that when I learned real gun safety as an adult, it was very easy for me to see the practical points involved and to implement them.
 
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