[Crankylove]

My dad had me out shooting at about 2 years old. He’d hold the gun (usually a Sterling .22 pistol at that age) and I’d empty the magazine just as fast as I could. Worked up through 9mm, .357, 44 mag, .223, .270, ‘06 and .375 H&H by about 8 years old, and started my own accumulating as soon as I was of legal age.

Dad, grandpa, and one of my uncles were always into hunting and target shooting, and we were always taking trips to grandpas pasture to target shoot, out to Utah’s west desert after bunnies, or chasing elk and deer in south east Idaho.

Started “helping” dad and grandpa reload when I was 5-6, started on my own on dads equipment in my mid teens, then moved on to my own equipment and components.

On my moms side, well, they mostly despise firearms, so they really haven’t had much influence on it. My mother’s dad used to have a rifle and shotgun, but put them away in the 70’s after a close call on a deer hunt and grandma freaks out. The shotgun is in my brothers hands now, after sitting in a closet disassembled for close to 30 years. Nobody knows about the rifle, one of his sons borrowed it, and lost it, has no clue where it went, hasn’t been seen in 25 years or more.

Have 4 of my own kids now, who love to “help” dad reload and go shooting. And the older 3 (youngest is only 3) have already started claiming some of dads guns.

My wife grew up with hunters and enjoys going out as well, when she’s not on Pintrest finding new items for her honey-do list.