Hello all friends,
What is the reason you shoot? Simple enough question.

I personally shoot to "relax" and blow off steam/stress.
Also gives me good quality time with my friends and family.
The laughs and camraderie with buddies at the range is priceless.
Sure i shoot to sight in loads before a hunting season opens
but mostly it's for my enjoyment. I believe shooting to be
the best fun you can have with your clothes on.

For me it is not about group size, speed, training.
Nor is it for competition, or end of the world preparation.

No wrong answers here, just interested to know why you all
like to shoot your handguns and rifles.

Have fun, Chuck

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They hold no Quarter

Well Chuck, I spend time with my shooting pard and grouse him every chance I get. I get trigger time and have a good BS session with a friend. We attempt to show off to each other with our trigger prowess, but usually end up laughing at our misses. It is very relaxing and a great way to stay in touch with accuracy. Plinkers to bear busters are brought out every time we hit the range. It is nice to run into other friends and people that have an interest in shooting also. Occasionally we get to answer a few questions and we get to ask some too. It's a BLAST!! Sorry, couldn't help myself.............

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Go big or stay home

i shoot for two reasons.

the first is recreation. i love shooting. always have. screw cigarettes and therapy. Shooting is the best stress reliever i know of.

Second i shoot for perfection. I shoot to stay alive. I carry my firearm 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. To defend myself, my friends, loved ones and total strangers if needs be from evil things in this world that mean to harm them. I train brutally hard in this aspect. I do not belong to a gun club that has a 1 shot per second rule, or any other rules for that fact. I do quick draw from concealment exercises , i do rapid fire. i do not shoot from a rest, i shoot while running forwards, backwards, sideways, from cover, diving. I shoot to make sure that if trouble comes knocking. i slam back into it with a force that will keep me alive.

that is why i shoot.

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6906,6904,g23,g21,RIA1911,40c

Well since I cannot hunt anymore I shoot for stress relief. I get tired of dealing with idiots and God must love idiots cause he made a mess of them. That plus its a BS session with some shooting buddies and sometimes the BS and goofing can get pretty deep. Get some fresh air, watch the snakes, punch holes in paper and have good company while doing it. Can't get any better than that. Frank

Shooting and reloading are my main hobbies and a great source of personal enjoyment. Unlike most guys in AZ, I don't golf so shooting is what I do! It is the perfect past time for me because I tend to be kind of a loner and it is just as much fun for me to shoot alone as it is with a friend (though that can be fun too). I also agree with youseeme in that I take personal protection seriously and carry religiously so I consider shooting as training but I would do it for enjoyment regardless!

I didn't start shooting any kind of weapon until I joined the Army, then found that I really liked it. I have no idea why.

20 years later, I own a shotgun and a pistol. I shoot for self defense. I carry on my property, and sleep with the pistol under a pillow on the bed.

Lately there's been a lot of break-ins in the area, some involving tying up the homeowner and torture. I'd rather be prepared.

Dad gave me a shotgun when I was around 12 or 13 and I have always liked guns and shooting. When I was younger I liked camping, going to the lake, and fishing but the guns were always there. At one time I did hot bath bluing and stock refinishing. I then started shooting bulls eye competition and was president of our club for several years. I also reload so I can shoot more.

You ask why I like guns and shooting. It's because I enjoy it. Don

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"Don't worry be happy"

I like this question. One of the main reasons I joined the community...to share with others that have the same love and appreciation for the sport. I see too many posts where members criticize others about the type of gun or ammo they use. What's the right caliber or what is a good conceal carry...on and on and on. The bottom line is there is no right answer other then the answer that is right for you.

To answer your question. I grew up in an environment where firearms were the tool of the trade for both parents. I had my first gun when I was 8. Learned very early to appreciate the awesome power and responsibility of owning/handling one. Having a firearm in my house growing up (and even now) was no different than having a refrigerator, a car, or any other household item. It was an imbedded part of our lives...and still is. I have a total of 28 family members that are in some type of job that requires the expert knowledge and use of firearms.

Why I shoot in my free time? I like hangin with others that come out to the range/LGS for the friendship and love of firearms as a sport and not a way of life...that's my only escape and it helps me understand there is another side to the work I'm doing and that firearms are more than just a tool.

What drives me? The attitude that nobody is responsible for protecting me and the people I love except me...and ensure they can carry on when I'm gone. I trust nobody else ( other than family members and a few colleagues), especially the law enforcement community...they don't have the training or manpower. That's my responsibility. I've taught my family everything they need to know. I'm confident they can handle themselves in any threat situation. Firearms are an important part of my life...they are apart of me.




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I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?lzeux4

I shoot because it's one of the few things I do well, and I find it relaxing spend a day at the range putting tiny holes in paper at distance. Another reason I shoot is I enjoy finely tuned machines from Swiss watches to old Singer sewing machines, firearms fall right into that category, and since I can't sew and looking at the time only takes a few seconds, shooting gives me an activity where I can actually use one of these fine machines for extended periods.

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Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II

Why do I shoot? Because I can.

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Dick

Have you not heard of "group therapy" thats what my friends and I call it.
That actually is the name of our league team.
Cracker57

Love it!!!!


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I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?0zqsbs

As others have said, recreation and practice as well as stress therapy. It's a good way to clear your head of negative thoughts. A couple mags usually makes me forget the traffic I have to drive through to get to the range.

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sticks-n-stones&hollowpoints

Wells, Just to please myself....


Oh yeah, It's a time honored family tradition.


Sumtimes I even invite the neighbors to BBQ and a lit'l pistol match out by the corrals.


Su Amigo,
Dave

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

I carry because I did not like the way it felt to be staring down a very large knife which was attached to a very large urbanite trying to borrow my car....

But I shoot for the same two basic reasons that everyone else here does. HD and SD are a serious enough business that it should require some practice.

But...why is the sporting side of shooting fun? To do it well requires skill. And anyone can get better at it. While you're practicing, you hang out with some very nice ladies and gentlemen. It's easy to learn, difficult to master, it will always keep you interested.

So...why is shooting so relaxing? For several decades, I have worked in some of the most stressful job descriptions out there. To take a sport, which is inherently dangerous, requires great concentration, makes a lot of noise, uses neat bits of machinery...well, what more could you want.

The nature of shooting is such that you simply must forget everything else while you're doing it! I call that a great way to take a mental vacation!

Len

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Qui me amat, amet et canem meum

I like owning guns, and shooting them is the best way to enjoy them.

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Buy American
Vote Responsibly

Because for some reason I like stuff that cost a lot of money to do. Golf is another hobby and well cars.

Then there's my wife.

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LIVE FROM THE DAWGHOUSE

Mostly because it's fun. Not just shooting and getting better but the whole day of it. Driving out to the park, setting up and shooting and getting to see what else shows up. Then getting home and making something to eat, then cleaning them for the next session. It's a very good day and I feel better for it.

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Dum vivo cano

I shoot because I enjoy shooting. Period. It doesn't matter what. I enjoy shooting all three types of sporting arms - rifles, shotguns, and handguns.

In fact, I enjoy shooting more than I do almost any other leisure activity - but it is not just the shooting. I also very much enjoy the company of a few people I have met while shooting. These folks have taught me a lot not only about shooting-related subjects, but many, many other things as well. Some of them have been my best friends for many years now.

I've always enjoyed shooting and hunting. Got into and shot mettalic, IPSC/USPSA, PPC, bowling pin and plate's and lastly CASS for many years. Always enjoyed compitition untill it sorta wore out for me. Since I've retired I get out to the range three times a week in temperate weather. It's relaxing to have just me,the gun and the target to deal with, even on those day's that im not shooting as well as I expect. Funny thing is that I enjoy reloading as much as the shooting.

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Stay safe people!

Not much provides the stress release like the ring of a bullet on steel.

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What would Josey Wales do?

Proficicency with a firearm is a perishable skill. So I practice as often as I can. But I also shoot because I like too.

When I really want to blow off steam, I shoot at exploding targets. Nothing like 2 pounds of Tannerite!

I love working on guns and then going to see if what I did works without blowing my hand off. I like learning to shoot each gun well. I don't compete, nor do I plan to, but I think that having guns is only a small part of defending yourself and your own. You have to be able to shoot well all the time for a gun to do you any good.
I do forget eveything else when I shoot. I shoot by myself, just me, my gun, and the target. I'd shoot all the time if I could afford it.

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Hold on. SWAT's at my door.

yep . . . . /\/\ . . . .this . . . . .

I am therefore I shoot

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Buy American
Vote Responsibly

All of the above...

Because I'm so good at it!!

Like the reasons some of the others have posted, it is fun, it is legal, and my wife doesn't have to ask questions, or worry what time I'll come home when I've been out doing it. I also find that when I'm shooting, I get a chance to clear my head of all of the day to day distractions that come from everyday life. Shooting just seems to clear the mechanism for me. I always go home refreshed and relaxed after shooting.

I have found that God does indeed love all of us, which would include "idiots" as described by whom so ever, but they are all self made individuals.

Never cared for tennis ....

Reasons I like to shoot:

1. It was something my dad taught me to do, and he left me with my starter set of guns. Every time I shoot, I remember my dad (he is gone now).

2. I like to have nice guns - especially beautifully-made mechanisms of steel & wood. As someone else pointed out, shooting gives you a reason to have them.

3. It allows me to exercise my rights.

4. I like to learn things, and the training and study that has come from gun ownership and usage has been very interesting.


Things that are NOT reasons that I shoot - these might not be popular here, but we all have our reasons:

A. Hunting. To each his own, but I don't like the idea of killing things. (I'm not a city guy or left-winger, either.)

B. Competition. I don't participate in organized events, or try to "beat" anyone. I like to shoot on my own, or with a good friend, for pure enjoyment.

C. Self-defense. I know there are BG's out there, but I choose to avoid living in or even going to places where they are likely to exist. In roughly half a century I have never had one moment where I felt threatened enough to wish I had been carrying a gun. (But I DO have a carry permit, but just because it is my right to have one, and I learned a lot from the required training.)


I think of my dad every time I go out shooting, which is more than reason enough to do it.

I shoot as a stress release, and I like activities where I can gauge my progress (or lack of). I Love the connection to history my older guns have (M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, 1903, etc...)

I have fond memories:
Going shooting and hunting with my dad.
Running around the woods (now a strip mall) with 22s with my brothers (one of which is passed).
Taking my son (now USAF) and daughter (now USCG) shooting.
Shooting during my 22yrs in the Army (shooting weapons I would never been able to shoot anywhere else).

I try to shoot every other week, and wish I could shoot more (because for me it's still fun).
I've carried guns for a living since I was 18, and I've lost friends and a brother to firearms (I don't blame the guns).

I’ve been shooting so long it’s almost second nature to me, you would think after 50 + years I would finally gotten better at it than I am.
As a police officer I believed I needed to be able to properly use any and all of the tools I may have to use. Finally, now retired and 60 something I find I don’t enjoy shooting nearly as much as I used to, but as I do C/C and have several ready guns around the house, I make a monthly trip to the range. Depending on which revolver I’ve brought I shoot 100 – 150 rounds.

Holy cow, you mean we are supposed to shoot all of these guns we buy?

I like shooting because as much as I like knives, it is so much harder to practice with a knife -- hard to get someone to hold still while you parry and thrust at them.

With shooting, you simply need a good range, lots of bullets and targets, a few good friends, a little wager money (on occasin) and a source of beer at the end of the afternoon.

Great thread by our friend, Chud.

I really enjoy shooting firearms. It isn't any more complicated than that.

One is stress relief. When I worked in the Jacksonville reservations office for Delta, many of the phone calls we got were from the Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach area of Florida. Not to stereotype but some of these people are not the most pleasant to deal with over the phone. Many days I would ride out to Gateway Rifle and Pistol Club to let off some steam. I would imagine the bullseye on my target was South Florida and each .45 out of my Commander was a small nuclear device. Amazing what it did for my accuracy.

Second, when we were kids, my cousin and I spent a lot of time walking the 200 or so acres belonging to my uncle. When you walked out of the house even as early as age 8, you picked up a gun. It usually ended up with my cousin carrying his single shot Winchester .22 and me carrying my aunt's Savage over & under .22/.410. Many times we would walk a couple of miles up or down the creek that ran through the property and there were some BIG cottonmouths on that creek.

Third, I just like things that go bang.

CW

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μολὼν λαβέ

I shoot because I find it incredibly fun, relaxing and a chance to share with my comrades in arms (pun intended)... i.e., the cameraderie. I like it because I can shoot against myself; the more I shoot the better I get... I can see an improvement. I like the tools, the guns, the history and the men and women I have met here on the forum. It makes for an incredible extended family that shares a common interest, respect and admiration for a piece of the American frontier.

Hog

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Isaiah 55:8-9
Phil. 4:13

I shoot because I need the practice for the zombie invasion !!!!

Actually, it relaxes me. It's my version of fishing. And I don't get to do it much with our busy schedules.

It's a shame to leave a good tool unused, and I have all these guns...

More seriously, I think it's just stress relief -- pushing the reset button. Maybe there is some notion that practicing an action on the grounds that whether one is good at something or not, there is no reason not to try to get better at it.

And I want to let the tool perform at its best if it can be adjusted to do so. I'm kind of a tinkerer and like to adjust old guns to smooth out rough spots and tighten up the loose ones so they are a little closer to their original operating condition. Then after I do whatever it is I do, I like to shoot them to see if I have actually achieved any improvement. (Easier to rehab a Smith than a Colt, I assure you, though most of the improvement I get on either type stems from a serious deep cleaning.)

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David Wilson

I shoot because I enjoy it and to become more proficient

Many thanks to all you good people here on this fine Forum.
A special "Thanks" goes out to Lee and all the Mods. for all the
hard work done to keep us all in touch and informed.
I've made alot of good friends and contacts through the S&W forum.

Everyone shoots for a different reason and it's "All Good" as far
as i'm concerned. It's part of me and what i grew up doing
and enjoying. I hope i have the physical ability to shoot and hunt
until the day i pass on.
Everyone be safe and keep on pulling the trigger.
Chuck

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They hold no Quarter

Like everyone else, I shoot because it is fun, relaxing and a great means of camaraderie with friends, both old and soon to be. My love affair with shooting starting with my Dad getting ready to go to the UP in Michigan deer hunting. I was way too young to hunt but we always went along. The 8 to 12 hour waits to catch the ferry across the straits. It always started with Dad getting his Winchester Model 55 (breakdown lever-action) out of the closet, along with the red-plaid hunting outfit. I couldn't wait until I was old enough to go with him to hunt the White-tail. When I got old enough to hunt with him, which I loved, I realized that while I liked the hunting, I wanted to shoot a lot more then what the hunting allowed.

I would echo most of what has been said. The trouble for me is that I don't feel that I have much time to shoot recreationally. Probably 80% of my shooting practice is defensive. I returned to the gunowner fold around 10 years ago when I had been studying the self-defense issue and decided that it was important to take it seriously. Consequently most of my shooting practice is not all that fun, since I'm laboring to become better able to defend myself and my own. I enjoy shooting much more during the 20% of my practice when I'm just trying to tighten groups on paper.

Andy

My dad started me at 6. I don't really know why I love it so much. When I got into LE it became even more enjoyable. I think the skill at arms has always been an enjoyable fascination for some men. (generally speaking of course ladies)
It is a discipline that requires training, practice and commitment. You get out of it what you put in it. When I get to Heaven I fully expect to see a range there.

[QUOTE=jbull380;136476550 When I get to Heaven I fully expect to see a range there.[/QUOTE]

It wouldn't be heaven without.

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Dum vivo cano

Now wait a minute......

I thought if your at the range, your in heaven.

What the heck are you guys waitin for!?

I could give gobs of reasons like staying on top of the game, or praticeing for HD, possible CCW (I WISH!). But the real reason is...IT'S FUN!! Sure I practice like I mean it with my SD/HD weapons, but what I really enjoy is busting tin cans with what ever I happen to have on hand, it takes me back to bein a kid again! Dale

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"Long live the S&W 3rd. Gen.!"

how else am i gona try out my reloads?

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WILL WORK FOR AMMO!

Probably Thursday. I ain't waiting for heaven.

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Dum vivo cano

I hate paper. It must be punished......

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Even older, even crankier....