change things up: where did you learn to shoot?

[W2MC 1,699]

Interesting reading, all!

 

 

For me, my grandfather was quite the shooter, and introduced me at an early age whenever we went up to visit.

 

My brother and I did a lot of shooting in the basement with his bb gun...he was more of the shooter than I was at that time. Also went out once or twice with the boy scouts.

 

Fast-forward to college...at the time, they had both a rifle and pistol team, and I shot with the pistol team.  I still have the team jacket, tho sadly it must have shrunk  

 

After graduation, I returned home, started work, and a year later was married.  Soon after I purchased a .22 pistol and got a membership at both Crossroads indoor range in Pennsauken (now long gone) and also at Delran Jr. Marksmen. Did a little 3-gun shooting....back when 3-gun meant .22/centerfire/.45 Bullseye pistol...DCM rifle, shotgun, etc etc etc, but along come the kiddies, and the time for shooting gets reduced, as you make room for gymnastics, team sports, girl/boy scouts, and finally High School Marching Band.  

 

Several moves later, the children are now older, and I'm back shooting again!

[maintenanceguy 510]

I don't think I ever learned to shoot.  I learned to use guns earlier than I can really remember.  I mean, growing up on a farm and in a hunting family guns were used to hunt, kill livestock and eliminate problem animals.   I don't think I really thought about guns as anything other than tools until I was a teenager and bought my first rifle.

 

I met a bunch of modestly anti-gun people in college who were great people but had strange ideas (to me) about guns.  It seemed strange to me because guns were still just tools to me and I couldn't fathom being against hammers.  I invited them all down to the farm to shoot one weekend and it became a regular event. That's probably when accuracy, other than what's needed to kill an animal, became something that mattered. 

[BigBlueQ 7]

I first started in about 5th grade shooting .22 revolvers at the hometown range's turkey shoot. Nothing much after that until about 5 years ago, when I bought a 12 gauge, a 10/22, and several 9mm pistols. I learned to shoot them at the same range in Waldwick that I did the turkey shoots at. Safety first, second, and always. Great bunch of men and women, all local from the area, and a nice diverse crowd who hangs out in the lounge when not on the line. It's humbling when you complain about a pistol being "off," you let an "old-timer" try it out, and he nails bulls eyes every time. Then corrects you on your stance, grip, etc.

 

I'll admit that I'm STILL learning!

[HavocMan 13]

I learned at the Ft. Benning School for Boys.

[Malice4you 627]

The same place all kids learn about shooting - TV, movies, and most of all, computer games.  Those were the first guns I ever got to play with...  I believe specifically Wolfenstein 3D...  I did also have Beretta 85? looking squirt guns, and a couple super soakers.

 

I got into airsoft guns - first spring powered pieces of crap I bought out of the back of some magazine; the guns barely shot 15 feet, then "better" ones that shot 30 feet and sometimes even left a slight dent in a soda can, and now the high end ones I own now, with ranges of up to 75 feet on handguns and shotguns, and up to 325 feet on my most powerful rifle.

 

A buddy from airsoft took me to a range in PA a few years later, and the first real firearms I ever got to shoot were a suppressed Beretta M9 and suppressed M4.  I went and applied for my FID the very next day.  The same friend is also responsible for my very first fully automatic experience earlier this year. 

 

Other than some quick help/tips from ROs and friends, I'm pretty much self taught.  I'd like to do some real training, but money is always an issue...

 

I have been responsible for introducing a few other new shooters, and reintroducing some old shooters...I always enjoy seeing someone else get as into the hobby as I am...

[The_Matrix 105]

The United States Government spent thousands on my training.

[Gunnz 49]

My father bought me a Daisy 880 pump BB gun was I was 7. Shot many thousands of metal cans in my back yard. Graduated to a compound bow and different caliber rifles through the years.

 

My father and grandfather were both LEO, and my father was a NYS certified pistol instructor and was his departments firearm instructors for years, and he got me into handguns when I was 18. The first handgun I ever shot was his Glock 22 service gun. I was hooked. I still go with him routinely to the range, and though he's in his 60s, he still out shoots me.

 

This evening he finely gave in and said he will transfer me his old Colt Trooper revolver he used back in the 70's as his duty weapon!

Pretty excited to have it, I've been wanting it for years.

[Mach16lt 0]

Treasure Island Scout Reservation

[blksheep 466]

1990 ish small 22 @ Brookville summer camp. Maybe a few years later FATS system on an M-16. Pop took me out a lot @ Range 14 and blew off some rounds.

[Cmor1701d 0]

My neighbor taught me on a Crossman CO2 pellet gun before moving on to a .22 revolver and Marlin .22 followed by a 12 gauge. That was when I was 12-13. Then Boy Scouts for merit badge. In high school shot a bit with a friends 357 in Lakewood, Jackson, Toms River chicken farms and gravel puts that are now housing development. Also a bit of rabbit hunting on the farms.

Didn't pick it up again till last year when I went to Brick Armory with a friend who started while recovering from a bone marrow transplant. That got me back unto the sport and started on my collection. Mostly self taught with help from the ROs at HG I. Easton.

[Blake 50]

Neighbor got me a Red Ryder when I was 11 and I got plenty of practice in the garage/yard. Boy Scouts taught me to shoot rimfire and shotgun in my teens.

 

My parents arent really gun ppl so all my modern gun skills have come from the internet, fellow shooters, and practice.

[scarecrow 0]

Used to be and indoor range in Pleasantville back in 1983, now long gone. Took a basic course. Still remember the instructer his name was Vansant. He was great and took extra time to teach a newbie the proper way to do things. Wish I still had the gun I used. S&W model 581 357 magnum/38

[Blacksmythe 71]

The hood, and the U.S. Government

[NJSigfan 218]

I started in 1990 when I turned 18 I went shooting for the heck of with my neighbor.  Days later I was applying for a FID and permits.  I remember going religiously to Ray's on rte 22 every Saturday for hour for about a yr until that neighbor went away to college.  Fast forward to 18 months ago I got back in to the sport and have been self taught by reading, watching videos and the occasional cool RO that would offer some hints and advise.

[ronhonda 86]

As a kid in the Dominican Republic, as an adult The Paterson Rod and Gun Club. RIP.

[olderguy 0]

As a kid in the Dominican Republic, as an adult The Paterson Rod and Gun Club. RIP.

What happened there?  Lack of business or something else?  I pulled up one day to shoot and they were gone.

[CageFighter 236]

BB guns growing up, then 1st pistol @ a GFH class.

afterwards w/ Tony from TJs, Luis, Maks, Bry@n, and others @ BA during an NJGF meet up.

 

still owe a huge thanks to Anthony from GFH and Tony @ TJ's for the introduction.  

 

...from there, that's all she wrote!!!

[mcbethr 42]

As a kid, my dad would drive me and my younger brother to this lake somewhere in South Jersey.  We would take old soda cans and throw them into the lake and then blast them with a .22 rifle.  It wasn't until years later that I realized that we were not only littering, but shooting at water with lead round - and God knows where those ricochets were going.  I don't remember wearing hearing or eye protection either.

 

I can remember carefully building model airplanes and then blowing them to bits in the backyard with a BB Gun that my dad kept in the garage, unsecured.

 

And the funny thing is nobody ever got hurt and we never pointed it at each other.  Different times...

 

It wasn't until the Army that I actually *learned* how to shoot.  With my dad it was just kind of putting holes in floating cans until they sunk.  But still, good memories.

 

My dad is 76 now.  I just saw him today.  His memory is going - I once lost him in the Philadelphia Ikea once and it took me over an hour to find him.  But I still treasure that time we had together.

[ronhonda 86]

What happened there?  Lack of business or something else?  I pulled up one day to shoot and they were gone.

Dom. Rep. still there.

Paterson Rod and Gun Club; I believe the owner Mike had some type of cancer and was getting surgery/going to get chemo or radiation and was not going to be able to run the place. Had no one to run things, so he sold. That was the story I was told and I'm sticking to it.

Regardless of what anyone says, that range was enjoyable.

[Michael2013 56]

I grew up in a country with a gun respect culture but no civilian gun ownership, except for hunting, and most hunters were military officers who had access to guns anyway.  Learned Kalashnikov in high school as a part of military intro training, shoot once.   But long before that, when I was 8 or 9, my friend and I had a habit to save our "snack money" and spend it in a basement pellet gun range.  There were plenty in town.
Small caliber, one-time shooting, was a part of school Phys Ed.  Same in college.  Done some shooting in military, again Kalashnikov, not a lot though.

 

Always wanted a firearm, but didn't know where to start.  Eventually, when I thought that Obama was going to win his second term, I decided that it's time.  Applied for FID and P2Ps in September 2012, and received it shortly after Sandy.  By a weird coincidence, was buying my first firearm in the morning of the Newtown school shooting.  Learned about it when came home with my new handgun.

 

Now go to the ranges more or less regularly, not as often as I want.  Usually with my wife who enjoys shooting.

[Malsua 1,422]

I learned to shoot off the hood of a truck.  It was my future step father's truck.  I shot my first gun when I was 6, but I learned how to shoot when I was 10.   

 

Where I grew up, we had a massive Starling invasion.  The pushed out all the song birds and other locals.   We spent summers competing for kills.

 

My step father was in Khe Sahn in the Marines and did 2 tours, and got 2 purple hearts.  The most important thing he taught me was the respiratory pause.  stop breathing, squeeze the trigger.

 

I am a decent shot with a pistol, but with a rifle and a scope, I'm minute of man out to 1000 yards without a struggle.   I take ground hogs with a 22-250 at 250-350 yards every time.  I will put my rifle skills up against anyone and make 'em sweat.

[RUTGERS95 890]

great background everyone...very interesting

[njJoniGuy 2,131]

I am a decent shot with a pistol, but with a rifle and a scope, I'm minute of man out to 1000 yards without a struggle.   I take ground hogs with a 22-250 at 250-350 yards every time.  I will put my rifle skills up against anyone and make 'em sweat.

You should come out for one of the 3 remaining Frozen Nutz matches at SJSC

It's an all prone 3x300 match with 60 record shots plus sighters.

Jan 19, Feb 16, Mar 16

[Malsua 1,422]

You should come out for one of the 3 remaining Frozen Nutz matches at SJSC

It's an all prone 3x300 match with 60 record shots plus sighters.

Jan 19, Feb 16, Mar 16

 

What calibers are you shooting?   I do have a boat in New Gretna, but I don't get to South Jersey much.

[njJoniGuy 2,131]

What calibers are you shooting?   I do have a boat in New Gretna, but I don't get to South Jersey much.

I shoot .223 (69gr Sierra HPBT) at 300

 

Link to match bulletin in your mailbox

[Smokin .50 1,907]

BUMP!

 

Time for more of the Lurkers to spill the beans!  Let's keep this going....it gives readers a better idea of experience and abilities, and it MIGHT cut-down on some of our Keyboard Commandos, lol!

[Holeshot 3]

Police academy.

 

X2 

 

Great instructional movie.  I learned the most from Tackleberry.

[Blacksmythe 71]

I learned at the Ft. Benning School for Boys.

Great place! lol AA School was the best of times.... my shines still hurt

[HavocMan 13]

Great place! lol AA School was the best of times.... my shines still hurt

 

Here's the most motivating memory I have from  Benning...

 

It's right at the beginning of basic. We had been there for just a couple of weeks. We're all still trying to figure out what we've gotten ourselves into, ya know? It's November, so it's kinda cold and it's early in the morning, so it's still dark too. The company is running PT and one of the drills is calling a cadence, as usual. Now, I was in 1st platoon and I'm tall, so I was near the front of the formation. Nearly an entire COMPANY is behind me calling cadence - and we were running in boots this morning. So, it's pretty loud, right? Or so we thought...

 

Suddenly, we hear a different cadence coming from behind. It is LOUD - and getting LOUDER fast!

 

A platoon - A PLATOON - of Rangers goes BOOKING past us on the left like we were bums sleeping on a bus stop bench. We couldn't hear ourselves anymore. We were awestruck. They were wearing shined jump boots, bloused BDU's, patrol caps and black sweatshirts with a big "RANGER" tab printed across the shoulders. I'll never forget that morning. They were larger than life.....

[illy 1]

X2

 

Great instructional movie. I learned the most from Tackleberry.

Lol