Where did you learn?

LASur5r · August 13, 2002, 07:34 PM

Just curious....where, when, and how did you learn to shoot?

I was raised on a small farm in Hawaii and most of the valleys were our playground. (In fact, I just took my 15 year old daughter and my wife this year to show them where I played, and they think it is a jungle.)...I'm 53 now.

Being born right after "the War", I was raised being made aware of the Japanese sneak attack and the need to be ready...every Good Friday, we had air raid drills with the real air raid sirens going off....so as kids, we played "Army" a lot in the jungles. My Grandpa was good at whittling wooden rifles....so I was always picked to be "pointman" of a jungle patrol because I had a kewl rifle....paid off when I went to 'Nam.

How about you guys?

Oh, by the way, my granpa's farm? we learned to shoot feral animals with a .22 bolt action rifle....usually in the dark.

KSFreeman · August 13, 2002, 08:37 PM

Still learning. That's why I go to skul. If I knew anything about shootin' or fightin', maybe I'd open my own skul. We would serve good foo-foo coffee and have a quality staff of Range Babes at least.

I first remember shooting, a Stevens .22 with CBs, at about 5 (so about `74 or `75) on my great-grandfather's farm in western Indiana.

Hemicuda · August 14, 2002, 07:15 AM

My daddy bought me a Daisey Model 99 BB gun at 4, and then a .22 Springfield Bolt-Cocker single shot at about 5...

I got all kinds of lessons about safety and whatnot for as long as I can remember...

and started to learn shooting at about 4...

Dad drilled that stuff into my head ALL the time (thanks Dad)

and he is still teaching me things... (thanks again Dad)

Logistar · August 14, 2002, 10:36 AM

I will try and keep this short..... kinda funny though.

I grew up on a farm. I wanted to go hunting with my father and his friends. I was young and didn't like to kill animals.

My Dad taught me gun safety and how to shoot. Unfortunately I was an embarressment to him around his friends because when they gave me a shot at a squirrel (or whatever) I ALWAYS missed.

After more and MORE intensive training with targets I could barely see, I got to be a very good shot. Perplexed as to how I could hit tin cans consistently at 50 yards using a rifle and then miss a squirrel at 10 yards using a shotgun, I got even MORE training - until the one day when my Dad "caught me".

Dad: "There he is ... you take him." (Squirrel at close range)
Me: "OK" (I shoot and miss) "Looks like I missed!"
Dad: "No, you hit the tree branch you were aiming at. I watched you as you aimed. You missed the squirrel on purpose. You don't like to kill animals do you?"
Me: "No, but I was afraid that if I told you that you would stop taking me hunting with you."
Dad: "You are still welcome to go hunting with us!"

- Last time I ever hunted with him.... he never invited me again.

Every father should teach their children gun safety and how to shoot. I suppose that should go for mothers too. I just happened to get a few "extra lessons"!

Logistar

hsg2001 · August 14, 2002, 10:58 AM

My dad took me shooting with a Ruger 10/22 a few times.

Then I bought a pawnshop SKS years later and took it to a local range and basically just shot it with no skill or theory behind it.

Then my boss talked me into taking a tactical handgun glass from an ex navy seal guy that owns a private range. He teaches classes similar to gunsite, etc.

Everything changed from that point on, and I mean EVERYTHING.

I can handle a handgun well now, Im more alert, I am pro self defense, etc.

Stray1 · August 14, 2002, 12:37 PM

My Grandfather taught me to shoot out on his farm in western Oklahoma. Learned with a BB gun then .22, and .410g. I hunted quail a lot growing up so a shot gun was nearly all I shot as a kid. I had my first formal rifle training in the Boy Scouts.

T-Rex · August 14, 2002, 01:11 PM

I learned from my Dad, before I could tie my shoes. My earliest memories are of target practice. We used to shoot cans off of a log behind the barn with "my" .22 (Dad still has it).

Blackhawk · August 14, 2002, 01:54 PM

BB gun at 7. No instructions except "Don't ever even point it at anybody or any animal, and be careful."

Self-taught through several rifles, shotguns, and handguns until Basic Training and later Army instruction.

August 14, 2002, 03:05 PM

Well let's see...I was a teen and I was at a friend's house. We stacked a bunch of phonebooks in the corner and let go with a 22LR. Upon removing the phone books, we found all kinds of chunks of wood raised under the carpet. That was hard to explain. Never aim down indoors.

MarineTech · August 14, 2002, 06:56 PM

I got my first BB gun at 8, a Ruger 10/22 at 10, and a Remington 870 at 15. I also borrowed my grandfather's 1903 Springfield to deer hunt at 15.

My father (also former Marine) taught me gun safety and how to shoot with my BB gun. I'm glad he did. Being Series high shooter in Boot Camp got me my PFC chevron and shooting high Expert (235-241) every trip to the range looked good in my SRB.

Wasn't much of a pistol shooter though. Best I could do was Sharpshooter with the Beretta (Possibly another reason I despised the thing).

70-101 · August 18, 2002, 04:32 PM

In the Army...

mons-meg · August 19, 2002, 12:17 AM

Phase 2 of basic training, Camp Pendleton, CA (M16A2). I ended up getting an Expert rating, but barely. I got the distinct impression that the instructors had an easier time teaching people who had never really done that kind of thing before. "Kentucky windage" was a great evil to them.

A coworker of mine a few months ago thought it was impossible to hit anything past a couple hunderd yards without a scope, until I brought my range book in for him to see...I told him the 500 meter line was the easiest part of the course.

shy_man · August 19, 2002, 08:22 AM

I was still a pre-elementary I am already shooting airguns. I was raised in the Jungle too, and educated in the City. Thus I know what is to be a farm boy and work in the "Wall Street (financial District)" of my country after college.

I learned to shoot my colt, S&W, revolvers and my M2 carbine in the jungle. Only I got formal target shooting on pistols 9mm DA & .45 SA when I was at the city because of socializing joining Gun clubs and sometimes participate in IPSC Level IV competition.

Serious training is from my Marine Basic Class in the 80's.

I AM STILL LEARNING HOW TO SHOOT UP TO NOW.

August 13, 2002, 07:34 PM	#1
LASur5r Junior member Join Date: July 20, 2000 Location: pasadena,california,America Posts: 542	Where did you learn? Just curious....where, when, and how did you learn to shoot? I was raised on a small farm in Hawaii and most of the valleys were our playground. (In fact, I just took my 15 year old daughter and my wife this year to show them where I played, and they think it is a jungle.)...I'm 53 now. Being born right after "the War", I was raised being made aware of the Japanese sneak attack and the need to be ready...every Good Friday, we had air raid drills with the real air raid sirens going off....so as kids, we played "Army" a lot in the jungles. My Grandpa was good at whittling wooden rifles....so I was always picked to be "pointman" of a jungle patrol because I had a kewl rifle....paid off when I went to 'Nam. How about you guys? Oh, by the way, my granpa's farm? we learned to shoot feral animals with a .22 bolt action rifle....usually in the dark.

August 13, 2002, 08:37 PM	#2
KSFreeman Senior Member Join Date: June 9, 2001 Location: Lafayette, Indiana--American-occupied America Posts: 5,418	Still learning. That's why I go to skul. If I knew anything about shootin' or fightin', maybe I'd open my own skul. We would serve good foo-foo coffee and have a quality staff of Range Babes at least. I first remember shooting, a Stevens .22 with CBs, at about 5 (so about `74 or `75) on my great-grandfather's farm in western Indiana. __________________ "Arguments of policy must give way to a constitutional command." Payton v. New York, 445 U.S. 573, 602 (1980).

August 14, 2002, 07:15 AM	#3
Hemicuda Senior Member Join Date: September 13, 2001 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,757	My daddy bought me a Daisey Model 99 BB gun at 4, and then a .22 Springfield Bolt-Cocker single shot at about 5... I got all kinds of lessons about safety and whatnot for as long as I can remember... and started to learn shooting at about 4... Dad drilled that stuff into my head ALL the time (thanks Dad) and he is still teaching me things... (thanks again Dad) __________________ Hemi. gun and car collector. Rare cars, and rarer guns.

August 14, 2002, 12:37 PM	#6
Stray1 Member Join Date: February 17, 2002 Location: Tulsa, Ok Posts: 59	GrandPa Knows Best My Grandfather taught me to shoot out on his farm in western Oklahoma. Learned with a BB gun then .22, and .410g. I hunted quail a lot growing up so a shot gun was nearly all I shot as a kid. I had my first formal rifle training in the Boy Scouts.

August 14, 2002, 01:11 PM	#7
T-Rex Senior Member Join Date: June 28, 1999 Location: Fairfax VA Posts: 215	I learned from my Dad, before I could tie my shoes. My earliest memories are of target practice. We used to shoot cans off of a log behind the barn with "my" .22 (Dad still has it). __________________ And you're STILL not voting Libertatian?

August 14, 2002, 10:36 AM	#4
Logistar Senior Member Join Date: October 13, 2001 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 298	I will try and keep this short..... kinda funny though. I grew up on a farm. I wanted to go hunting with my father and his friends. I was young and didn't like to kill animals. My Dad taught me gun safety and how to shoot. Unfortunately I was an embarressment to him around his friends because when they gave me a shot at a squirrel (or whatever) I ALWAYS missed. After more and MORE intensive training with targets I could barely see, I got to be a very good shot. Perplexed as to how I could hit tin cans consistently at 50 yards using a rifle and then miss a squirrel at 10 yards using a shotgun, I got even MORE training - until the one day when my Dad "caught me". Dad: "There he is ... you take him." (Squirrel at close range) Me: "OK" (I shoot and miss) "Looks like I missed!" Dad: "No, you hit the tree branch you were aiming at. I watched you as you aimed. You missed the squirrel on purpose. You don't like to kill animals do you?" Me: "No, but I was afraid that if I told you that you would stop taking me hunting with you." Dad: "You are still welcome to go hunting with us!" - Last time I ever hunted with him.... he never invited me again. Every father should teach their children gun safety and how to shoot. I suppose that should go for mothers too. I just happened to get a few "extra lessons"! Logistar

August 14, 2002, 10:58 AM	#5
hsg2001 Senior Member Join Date: July 16, 2002 Location: Missouri Posts: 104	My dad took me shooting with a Ruger 10/22 a few times. Then I bought a pawnshop SKS years later and took it to a local range and basically just shot it with no skill or theory behind it. Then my boss talked me into taking a tactical handgun glass from an ex navy seal guy that owns a private range. He teaches classes similar to gunsite, etc. Everything changed from that point on, and I mean EVERYTHING. I can handle a handgun well now, Im more alert, I am pro self defense, etc.

August 14, 2002, 01:54 PM	#8
Blackhawk Senior Member Join Date: November 4, 2001 Posts: 5,040	BB gun at 7. No instructions except "Don't ever even point it at anybody or any animal, and be careful." Self-taught through several rifles, shotguns, and handguns until Basic Training and later Army instruction.

August 14, 2002, 03:05 PM	#9
PreserveFreedom Guest Posts: n/a	Well let's see...I was a teen and I was at a friend's house. We stacked a bunch of phonebooks in the corner and let go with a 22LR. Upon removing the phone books, we found all kinds of chunks of wood raised under the carpet. That was hard to explain. Never aim down indoors.

August 14, 2002, 06:56 PM	#10
MarineTech Senior Member Join Date: April 13, 2002 Location: Southern Maine US Posts: 299	I got my first BB gun at 8, a Ruger 10/22 at 10, and a Remington 870 at 15. I also borrowed my grandfather's 1903 Springfield to deer hunt at 15. My father (also former Marine) taught me gun safety and how to shoot with my BB gun. I'm glad he did. Being Series high shooter in Boot Camp got me my PFC chevron and shooting high Expert (235-241) every trip to the range looked good in my SRB. Wasn't much of a pistol shooter though. Best I could do was Sharpshooter with the Beretta (Possibly another reason I despised the thing). __________________ Morituri Nolumus Mori - We who are about to die, don't want to. -

August 18, 2002, 04:32 PM	#11
70-101 Junior member Join Date: August 2, 2002 Location: virginia Posts: 706	In the Army...

August 19, 2002, 12:17 AM	#12
mons-meg Senior Member Join Date: May 13, 2002 Location: North Central OK Posts: 206	Phase 2 of basic training, Camp Pendleton, CA (M16A2). I ended up getting an Expert rating, but barely. I got the distinct impression that the instructors had an easier time teaching people who had never really done that kind of thing before. "Kentucky windage" was a great evil to them. A coworker of mine a few months ago thought it was impossible to hit anything past a couple hunderd yards without a scope, until I brought my range book in for him to see...I told him the 500 meter line was the easiest part of the course.

August 19, 2002, 08:22 AM	#13
shy_man Senior Member Join Date: November 1, 2001 Location: Valenzuela City, Metro Manila, Philippines Posts: 366	I was still a pre-elementary I am already shooting airguns. I was raised in the Jungle too, and educated in the City. Thus I know what is to be a farm boy and work in the "Wall Street (financial District)" of my country after college. I learned to shoot my colt, S&W, revolvers and my M2 carbine in the jungle. Only I got formal target shooting on pistols 9mm DA & .45 SA when I was at the city because of socializing joining Gun clubs and sometimes participate in IPSC Level IV competition. Serious training is from my Marine Basic Class in the 80's. I AM STILL LEARNING HOW TO SHOOT UP TO NOW.