why do you shoot

RETG

New member
A few reasons; one, because I am used to shooting (due to the job I retired from) and it has become a habit.

Two, since I am 71, and even though I am still in great shape, I don't want to run, so if needed, I will be able to aim at something and shoot it if necessary. And that is for four and two legged animals. (Last week, walking with the dogs about two miles from my house, there were some nice fresh big cat tracks in the snow and the dogs were acting very jumpy.
 

bill460

New member
I find at my age, (67), shooting relaxes me. For a brief while it allows me to forget about all the crap going on in the world, relax and enjoy life. It's simple, fun, and uncomplicated.
 

Hal

New member
Ok - got past the whoopi part - - (wife's latest biopsy came back -negative, no cancer/no pre cancer cells - -going to be a good Christmas in Casa Hal this year - I make no apologies for being scared.....)

We should be good for the New Year & able to celebrate - ahem...in style ;) ..

Anyhow now that that horrible experience is behind us - we can get back to shooting our firearms,, :D :D

Which we will both do for enjoyment of shooting and time spent together..
 

handlerer2

New member
I have been shooting longer than I can remember. My father would hold me in his lap, and let me pretend I was shooting bottles with his pistol, or so I was told.

I shoot now for relaxation. I must add that there is satisfaction in hitting what you aim at. I never shot at a target until I had to zero a M-16 in 1971.

Mine was a military family. Really my mother was a wave and my father a sailor. I was born at the naval Hospital in Oceanside, Ca. That's on Camp Pendelton.

Later on my father was a SeeBee. One of the 1st navy personell, sent to Viet Nam in 1964. He did three tours, and was KIA in October 1967, on his third tour.

Between tours 2 and 3, he would bring home arsenal equipment, M-16, M-14, and M1911's, occasionally, to shoot on the weekends. My father could do this because he was the senior NCO in his battalion, and had the keys to the arms room. This was in 1966, I was 13. I cant think of a better way to spend quality time with his 3 sons. He also had the keys to the bivoac area at PT. Magu, so we had the best place to shoot ever.

So, in 1971, I went contrary to family tradition, and went into the army, I was nearly as familiar with a M-16 as my instructors. I was astonished at how ignorant some people were when it came to firearms.

I was always a very good shot and I enjoyed being a little better than my buddies. We almost never set up bullseye type targets. We could shoot pretty long range in an old gravel pit, not 5 min from my pad. I got several of my pals reloading for themselves, and reloaded for others.

With one of my 1st GI bill checks,after deros I bought a Marlin 336. I also bought a RCBS press and I was off and going. I became interested in magnum riflery, for a while. I hunted some, mostly to show myself that I could.

I will not deny a fascination with things grossly overpowered. I used to shoot and reload for 300 and 340WBY. For me there was a satisfaction in some degree of mastery of the elements necessary to shoot fairly well.

I , as my father did with me, raised my son around all kinds of firearms. He is an excellent shot. My grandson, unfortunately has severe allergies to almost everything, but he can eat deer and elk and loves them. My son gets great satisfaction in being able to provide this this for his son. My Weatherby's now reside with him.

So I shot to see the effect of a heavy magnum on a hunk of bentonite. My son shoots to provide a safe food source for his son.
 
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7.62 man

New member
Yes it is very relaxing to go to the range & just unload.
But there is another reason I shoot................................I also reload so unloading gives me something to do when I'm not at the range. LOL
 

Dreamsinger

New member
It used to be for the pure Zen of hitting the target but as the sociopolitical climate grew more polarized, I decided that the right to be liberal needed to be defended by the same means that won it in the first place. I still compete in boring Bullseye and long distance rimfire silhouette matches but AR's, M1A's and a nasty KSG found their way into my. They get shot a lot.
 

NobodyJones

New member
I find shooting fun and relaxing. Relaxing because when I am target shooting I am thinking about nothing else but shooting.
 

reynolds357

New member
How many people shoot to relax & help oneself to concentrate other than protection? Yes the 1st. response would be for protection. However the other reasons in this post are just as important. All response are welcome as always.
Merry Christmas to all!
Because my wife does not like to shoot.
 

bamaranger

New member
discussion

There is a very eloquent discussion, an entire chapter, on this very topic in Jeff Coopers book, "The Art of the Rifle".

I shoot because it is just sort of a lifestyle for me. All males of my acquaintance in the family were hunters and I followed suit. Later, firearms became an aspect of my employment as well. Retired now, I don't shoot as much as I thought I would, but I still hunt as much as I can stand.

My circle of close friends are all shooters and about half of them hunt as well.
 

vito

New member
I used to enjoy shooting a lot more than I do now. I'll admit that it no longer is much fun for me. Between my diminishing visual ability, arthritis in my hands making recoil less pleasant, and damage to both shoulders which makes it hard for me to hold even a lightweight handgun as steady as I need to be, shooting is just barely more than a chore. I still belong to a pistol club, and go to their to shoot at least once a month to try to keep my shooting skills at least up to a minimally acceptable level. But I do this because I rely upon my handguns for home and personal protection and don't want to get so out of practice that I might not be able to hit my target when I need to do so to defend my life.
 
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