Who taught you to shoot?

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Sky

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My first gun was a BB gun. Dad said if I shoot one of the farm animals he would take the gun away from me.

My next gun was a single shot 16 gauge shotgun with the same restriction only he also added I had to break the gun open when I went through a fence and if I shot one of the farm animals he would break the gun across my butt and then I would not see another gun.:what:

Finally when I was 12 I got my first 22...the Butt thang and farm animals was reiterated along with the range of the 22 and neighbors animals.

Dad was back from WWll where he did the bulge thing and felt it his responsibility to insure his off spring could shoot and hit what they aimed at. Guns were not that big of a deal as long as you hit what you aimed at and left other people's property alone.

Dad was not a gun guy but instinctively knew that every generation is called upon to war. Some go some do not but at least he gave me the tools and a knowledge base that served me well past, present, and hopefully future.

I guess this thread came about for he is coming to South Padre Island for his normal winter base. He is now 85 and likes to fish every morning he is down here. I am going to take him to the range and let him shoot a couple of ARs and maybe a pistol or two..He ain't all that with a pistol he likes long guns or a machine gun. Anyway I was thinking what kinda wise A$$ remark I could make to him when I hand him his first AR to shoot???:evil:
 
I pretty much taught myself as a youth and then USMC did the rest and then LEO training put the final touch...Now it is just a maintaining issue...69 in December still shoot better than about 90% of others I have noticed and the 10% are all in the 10 ring also X ring I still hit regularly...

Regards
 
The United States Military. They seem to be experts at it as they do shoot more rounds that anyone else!
 
Dad bought me my first BB rifle (the lever action Winchester-type; I think it was made by Daisy) when I was 10, my first BB pistol when I was 12. He was not a gun guy, but knew I was interested in them, and taught me the 4 Rules. I took the NRA Hunter Safety Course when I was 14, so I could get my first "real" rifle.

But who really taught me to shoot?

Have to admit it - the U.S. Army...
 
My dad taught me on a pellet gun first, and later a .22 and 20 gauge. Unfortnately, I don't have any of those guns.

I have a pair of Marlin 795s and a pair of S&W M&P15s set aside to teach my boys with when they are old enough, and at some point they will get to keep them. I use them some so they can each know they are getting a pair of "Dad's guns."
 
My grandfather (WWII vet.) taught me. First with a daisy BB gun, then .22 short pump. I was 8 when I was allowed to walk the farm and plink at anything. God only knows how many rounds I put through that .22. I shot everything!!! (No farm animals though! I woulda been toast!!!) - That was entirely too much fun! Later an Ithica 20 gauge pump on up to his 22-250. He learned from his dad (WWI vet) and was an avid hunter and trapper.
 
Daddy.
Red Ryder at 5 or 6, .410 bore at 6 or 8, 20ga at 9, got a Daisy single shot bolt action .22lr for my 11th birthday.
Daddy was USMC, and I can proudly say that he always brought home the rifleman and never the drill instructor. But he taught us how to aim small and miss small. How to SAFELY negotiate the woods and bayous with the weapon of the day to forage for the table. How to respect others' property and safety. How to honor the 4 Rules while hitting a squirrel in the head so ya don't mess the meat up ;)
 
I taught myself firearms technology in grammar school from the books and magazines my grandmother bought me. I got my first "Smallarms of the World" between 7th and 8th grade.

I learned how to SHOOT from the basic rifle and pistol courses I took in college, followed by participation in the rifle team and coaching those same classes. I had further training in ROTC and the Army.
 
A co-worker gave me my first safety lesson and trip to the range. Since then, however, my son has been my instructor and mentor. Unfortunately, he lives in Colorado and I live in Virginia, so our lessons have been few and far between. He learned a bit from his dad as a kid, and more from the army.

My husband often offered to teach me to shoot, but early on I hated and feared guns. Eventually I only feared them. By the time I finaly realized that learning to shoot would eliminate the fear, I had no interest in guns. It wasn't until a few years after my husband died that the interest surfaced.
 
Essentially I taught myself, though I did get some help by reading about such matters from Col. Jeff Cooper and others. My father used to hunt and target shoot with a .22 before W.W.II, but after the war, he really didn't have the slightest interest in guns.
 
My Dad mostly. BB gun, .22, then big bore.
Rifle team in High School JROTC in the '60's. Our rifle range (ROTC) was under the enclosed bleachers.
 
My brother purchased a bb gun when I was about 11
We shot on that until he cut me with a grazing shot & good old grandma rapped Red Ryder around our elm tree.
Dad was in WW1 & 2--he hated guns---when I was 13 I typed a letter of permission to purchase a rifle. Took the streetcar 9 miles downtown & purchased a Savage 22/410.
I could ride on my bike about 4 miles & practice. Today I have to drive 70 mles.
Ain't life wunderful//////////////////
 
dad and uncle (pair of ex WWII paratroopers) mostly uncle, dad mostly just worked his rear off to keep us in food & shoes, but uncle (married or not) pretty much lived a singles lifestyle, enthusiastic hunter, pretty good wingshot for a guy with one arm, uncompromising about gun safety & hunting ethics

(probably hurt none that I was raised knowing that a man expected to tell a boy something/anything but ONCE, and the boy best learn quickly to pay attention, no overs)

on long guns anyway, which is not a bad place to start
handguns (other a pair of Mattel Fanner 50s), mostly "self taught", some reading, a lot of watching and listening to those who really do know how it should be done (like some of our mod/mentors on this forum), and a lot of practice

worth the trip, all of it

PS
I try to do what I can to pass it on to the three generations worth following me
some of 'em have caught on (even the ONCE part), still hope for some of the others
 
Funny I qualified expert in the military (Army) but I only remember the final day of qualifying with my M-14 where two of the targets did not fall down even though I was sure I hit them.

That's really all I remember about the training; I am sure there was more to it! Range was a pain yet fun.

I tend to remember the long marches and salt tablets during the summer at Ft. Polk La. and kids getting heat stroke and falling out along the way. I was glad I was a farm boy.
 
My grandfather and grandmother. My grandfather was a reserve police officer when he was younger, so he had a few revolvers an old double barrel shotgun and a .22lr semi automatic. One day as a complete surprise he and my grandmother took us to the shooting range. They only allowed you to fire one shot at a time, which worked out just fine. We started on the .22lr and on subsequent trips my grandpa let me shoot some .38 specials out of his .357. I even got to touch off a few .357 mag loads which is a great experience for a ten year old :D The funny part to me though is that even though my grandfather was a reserve police officer and a good shot, my grandma is a great shot. I don't know if it has something to do with her growing up on a farm that gave her pretty much unlimited opportunity to just go shooting whenever she wanted (probably) or if its just because women in general seem to be pretty good shots. However while i learned to shoot a rifle and shoot handguns a little bit, I would have to say that my true passion... handguns... was mostly learned via reading books and THR even. I couldn't hit squat with a handgun until I read Massad Ayoobs article on how to properly grip a handgun, and how to stand properly. I quickly was able to narrow my groups just by those two things alone. And numerous people on here suggest learning to shoot with a .22lr pistol which while it didn't help me (I hadn't shot one until I had shot many more handguns) it helped ease my fiance into the world of shooting handguns.
Sorry for the long post, but I just thought it would be important to give as much credit as possible to the many wonderful people who helped me with my shooting passion.
 
Hmmm....

A better question would be: How many have YOU introduced to firearms?

But to answer the OP.... my friend taught me to shoot.
 
My drill sergeant,

Though my neighbor did give most of the basics a more than a few pointers as a kid, but I think that may have been to make sure I didn't shoot his window with my BB gun.

Oh, and My DS didn't really like the 300m fire, said that was for the MG guys
 
My Dad, he bought a Remington single shot .22 and a box of BB caps, set up a step ladder in the back yard to rest the rifle on, I was too little to be able to hold it all by myself. We shot at tin cans and it was still one of my most memorable days. About 55 years ago. Wish I still had my Dad and that .22.
 
My father.

Some years after my parents divorced, I learned that my dad used to own several guns. When the first kid entered the picture he got rid of them. And his motorcycle. To this day I can't imagine my father riding a motorcycle but he also used to race his car as a teenager. Back on topic - this is about learning to shoot.

Mom was (and still is) rabidly anti-gun. Once he was on his own, he started to buy guns again and took us kids to the range during our visits with him. I think I was 13 or 14 the first time (my sister is 4 years older). We started with a .22 pistol, moved on to a .38 revolver, and finally the 1911 in .45 - I enjoyed shooting but my sister only did it as long as Dad made her. Once he decided she could shoot reasonably well, he let her stay home while he and I continued going to the range.

My experience was limited to pistols and I was fairly good. One year Dad was the Match Director for Steel Challenge and wanted me to shoot in it as a junior. It didn't work out - the timing wasn't right and I'm not sure my mother would have allowed it.

The first rifle I shot was a 16th birthday gift, a .22 Winchester bolt action. Later I learned more about rifles in the Army, but Dad taught me to shoot. The Army just taught me a little more.

Now that my father's getting up there in age, he's looking to gift most of his guns to me - including his SASS collection. It sucks that he doesn't shoot anymore, because shooting with him was always fun and memorable, but I'm excited about getting his collection. He's got some really nice stuff!
 
A. A. Yuryev. Read his classic book "Competitive Shooting" as a teenager.
 
My dad started us out shooting BB guns when we (my brother and I) were 5 or 6. I graduated to a .22 when I was 7. We would sit on the back porch and shoot cans and such with Dad's single six and an old Winchester 190.
My grandfather and father are both gun guys, and taught me over the years. Many family get togethers would involve shooting of some type. We did it all...from clays to cans to gallon jugs at 400 yards.
Once i was in my late teens/early twenties I began to buy my own guns and expand my horizons and do research on shooting. Now, I do the load work-ups for Dad and Grandpa and do a lot of the smith work...at least what I have the tools and knowledge to do.
 
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