Put my $$ where my mouth is, and went shooting today.

[Dameon]

Just wanted to share.... had a really good afternoon today going to Red's Indoor Range today in Austin. I've always been active on the political front, fighting for gun rights. However, until today I'd never actual fired a firearm myself. Well, rented a .22 caliber pistol (ruger) and blasted off a couple of cheap boxes of .22 ammo. I just was honest and went up to the guy @ the counter and said I don't know jack about guns, and I'd like to learn & shoot today. Really enjoyed the experience, had some guy next to me shooting off a .45 caliber next to me... was hard to hold straight when he fired "BOOM!"
Liked the second pistol I used better, one of these these
. Liked it alot better, found that I was able to be much more accurate with it, liked the way it felt better and all that. ran thru 250 rounds a little over a couple of hours.
Overall a good learning experience, and I'm sad I didn't try shooting as a hobby earlier.

Honestly, for those of you rabidly against firearms, I would ask how many of you have actually been to a firing range and squeezed off a few rounds?

 

[HellRaven]

Congrats, it is alot of fun isn't it?

I remember the first time I went shooting. I was about 13, and my much older brother (an ex-marine) and my much older cousin decided we would head to Mexico from San Diego and have some fun camping in the wilderness and shooting targets . It is illegal to take weapons into or out of mexico but we did anyway since we crossed through the wilderness

Anyway, I think I shot at least a full box of .22 ammo out of my cousins .22 rifle. My bro brought along his .357 magnum revolver
and I got to shoot that too except the kickback on that sucker was wicked. It was really powerfull too. We picked out a cactus and literally cut it down with rifle and pistol slugs, mostly the pistol though.

 

[MC]

hell ya, shooting is cool!
I like that very much.

I was using the .22 for the first time and it's unforgetable experience. My friend was using Magnum and i could hardly stay close to him as he was shooting.

 

[dude]

Proud member of the NRA.

My first time to fire a gun was when I was 14 at the range with dad. He let me shoot the AK-47. That was a blast back then. I don't remember how it kicks anymore though... Gotta ask him to borrow it sometimes.

I usually borrow my friend's 9mm S&W or Glock at the range. Sometimes I bring my Shorty 40 but rarely, because of the cost of ammo. But, I just love the kick from the larger guns. The .22 is too weak for me. It's too small and doesn't freel "real" enough.

 

[cxim]

Yep alot of fun. I have an earlier model of the Browning 22.

You have one caution... that slide can bite !! if your hand is up some on the grip. this usually happens outside plinking. I still like the gun but I have cussed it a few times.

 

[Dameon]

Well dude, for now according to everyone I've talked to, they reccomend sticking w/ .22's until I've gotten form and balance down. Starting off with high-caliber pistols can result in learning bad habits like overcompensating and predicting the recoil...

So I'll probably go for another 200-300 rounds on 22's for my next visit, reinforce good techniques, make sure I've got the feel for the class of weapon and how to hold. Probably will try two different models, see what I like.

 

[PCAddict]

Another good point is that .22 ammo is dirt cheap.

 

[sweetrobin]

Truly ... people who are so opposed to guns for sport probably have very little experience with them ... My dad had a gun for about every room we had in our house as a child. And he taught my brother and I at early age not mess with any of them unless it was when we were out shooting with him. I think I was 9 the first time I got to go out shooting with him and my brother.

 

[desy]

Spent the weekend sighting in my new Remmington .270 700 custom
with Redfeild Low profile scope, getting ready for hunting season.
Off the hood of the truck I was 3 in 3 at 100, which for the amount of shooting I do will be good enough.
I don't push many shots past a couple of hundred anyway, don't really have to. Went Mule deer hunting with the Father in law but didn't see any just one white-tail and three coyotes.

 

[Electric Amish]

Cool Dameon!

I have one of those Buckmarks. Shot my friends, and liked it so much I went and bought one. Had it for 3 years now and have never fired it..

I also shot my friends 9mm (forget the make). I couldn't hit sh!t with it. I don't know what my problem was, but I couldn't even hit a 50ft target. At the same 50ft with the buckmark I could hit a pop can 8 or 9 out of 10 shots, fired as fast as I could pull the trigger.

I really need to go shooting again.


amish

 

[creedog]

I shot my .45 and .380 this weekend. I have a parttime job at a gun store and i wear a gun at my job (on weekends) so I need to stay in practice.

Took my girfriend with me and she hated it.

 

[Cable God]

I shoot long rang comp matches sometimes at the local range here. Normally it's with my "large" deer rifle, a Remington Sendero in .300win mag. I load all my own ammo also, which makes it much more fun to me. www.gunlinks.com is a good site for shooting, etc. also.

 

[bigvince]

<< I have one of those Buckmarks. Shot my friends, and liked it so much I went and bought one >>




you shot your friends and bought new ones? I didnt think you could buy friends.....

 

[BoberFett]

Amish

Larger caliber handguns will take quite a bit of practice if you really want to be proficient with them. It took 100 rounds just to start getting the feel for my SIG P226 .40, My groups were getting tighter, and after a few hundred (thousand?) more rounds I might be able to say that I'm a decnet shot. I've got quite a bit experience with rifles, bolt and automatic, and I was a bit surprised at how terrible I was shooting with that handgun.

 

[beat mania]

Shooting is cool, but I like my bow and arrows better - don't have to buy bullets all the time too.

 

[BoberFett]

beat mania

Compound or recurve? Real men use recurve.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

hair trigger... NICE.

I'm looking into getting a .45 and a berretta. With my permit, I'll get a custom dual side-arm. :Q

 

[cxim]

BoberFett,

Nah... real men hunt naked in the snow with just a knife in their teeth !!

 

[beat mania]

BoberFett: Recurve of course!



<< Real men use recurve. >>

So true, so true. I call my bow 'The Man Bow'

 

[BoberFett]

cxim

Tried that, but it just seemed unfair to have a knife. Now I just rassle the bears.

 

[Daniel]

Was the first guy a Mark II, that was my first pistol, you are right it is fun and that 22 ammo sure is cheap. Plus like one of the other posters said, being a good shot with a rifle or shotgun and a pistol are totally night and day.

 

[Electric Amish]

That was the funny thing, tho. I'm a decent shot with a rifle. It was the first time I'd fired a pistol and when I picked up that Buckmark I was nailing tin cans at will. I picked up the 9mm and spent 2-3 clips and didn't hit sh!t.

I also love to shoot my bow. I have a Browning Nomad compound that I bought when I was 15. Haven't shot that for awhile either.

amish

 

[BoberFett]

Amish

The last time I qualified with an M16 I qualified expert, so I'm no slouch. But I totally suck with a handgun.

I picked up this cool target thing, I'll try to draw it.

.....o
__|__
|....|....|
|...O...|
|.........|
|.........|


It's 3/4&quot; thick iron, the paddles on each end are about 4&quot; or so acroos, hit either of the paddles and it spins. At about 50', I emptied a 10 round clip and hit the damn thing once. Frustrating, to say the least, but at least I've got room to improve.

Edit: ASCII art ownz j00! Fusetalk takes out all my nonbreaking spaces that were making my drawing pretty. Just ignore the periods.