If your dad didn't teach you to shoot , who did?

[mbliss57]

My dad was an avid fisherman but not into guns. My "girlfriend" in Jr high had a Dad who was an avid hunter. He showed me how to shoot and hunt as well. I hunted with him until he died at the age of 86. He was like a 2nd family. Funny thing is he didn't like to fish.. my Dad didn't like to hunt. But between the 2 of them I learned both sports well.

 

[Len]

Same as others...learned in the Army, then built on that teaching...

I can still hear SSGT Forbes saying "keep your booger hook off the bang switch until I yell at ya!!!!"

 

[Marshwheeling]

My Dad had no interest in guns, but neither did he have anything against them. The father of a friend first taught me to shoot a .22 rifle when I was ten or eleven. A few years later, I spent a week at another friend's cabin. We spent most of our days roaming the woods with a .22, taking turns shooting anything that moved.

A few times over the years, I got invited to go bird hunting, under the supervision of a parent until I was older, and always with a borrowed shotgun. I always enjoyed hunting, but had other interests (motorcycles, auto racing) that took priority.

The first handguns I shot belonged to a friend. He had inherited a 1911 and a BHP from his grandfather. I liked them both, but any money I might have spent on guns went first to motorcycles, tires, chains and touring gear.

A BIL had a Model 29 and a 1911, both of which I shot a bit. I got a little bit of a bug for a 1911, but once again, motorcycles used up all my discretionary income.

Finally I acquired some guns of my own when a friend decided that his CZs deserved to be in the hands of somebody who was already keen on the CZ bikes. Or maybe he just wanted to clear his deck so he could buy some Smiths. Either way, the price was right.

 

[SW_shooter]

My grandfather taught me with a bolt action .22 rifle and then when I was in high school I took a gun safety class and learned how to shoot and handle a shotgun (my one and only time to ever fire a shotgun, 30 some years ago). My dad was an avid hunter and trap shooter but never ever showed me how to handle or shoot a gun of any kind. He never took me hunting or even talked about guns. His cousin was a reloader but I never got to learn that either. I used to listen with great joy as my dad's uncle (Otto) would talk about fox hunting. His stories were awesome about how he and the fox would have a battle of wits. It was like the fox knew he was being hunted and could read Uncle Otto's mind. Great memories/

Everything I know about handguns I learned here from the great people on the S&W Forum. Guess I spend too much time here.

 

[golfrj1]

"Uncle Sam"..

 

[jeepmcd]

My dad had very little interest in firearms but my mothers father has been a hunter all his life. My grandpa taught me how to shoot in the field with ground-hogs, red fox, squirrels and whitetail providing most of targets.

I remember when I was five and deer hunting with my grandpa, I didn't have a hunting license but when we saw anything he handed the shotgun to me. A five year old shooting an antique Remington pump 12 ga... great start. I did kill two deer before the age of 8 and HAD to field dress both of them, his rule.

My grandfather is 93 now and isn't doing great but he still spends up to 8 hours a day on a tractor. He has more hunting/shooting stories than I have time to hear. Every time I see him I enjoy asking him to tell me about his hunting trips in Canada, Montana, Colorado and everyday else he has gone though out his life.

It makes me sad to think about life without my grandfather, but he has 23 great-grand kids and a loving family. So I hope everyone is as lucky to live that rich of a life. I find my self more recently getting back into firearms more. I have recently purchased a few extra handguns and hope to find a good MSR in the near future. Any new firearm will not be nearly as precious though as the ones he has given me.

 

[minimalheight]

Man I must be a late bloomer. Didn't fire a gun till I was about 26, not counting pellet guns. Can't remember what it was but it was a bullet jamming 9mm. Then my army buddies came back home and showed me the proper way to take apart, clean, hold, shoot, store, and well everything. Now I'm 29 and a S&W 40 owner Pretty good shot now too

 

[mr-mom]

My Father was not a hunter or fisherman and wanted nothing to do with firearms, the result of having a friend, as a youngster, who was killed by his own firearm while hunting. My Grandfather, on the other hand, was an avid hunter and gun collector. During the early 1950's he taught me the necessities of safety, gun handling, maintenance, and the appreciation of fine metal and wood, but we never went shooting together. Marksmanship was learned as part of a high school rifle team in competition with .22 cal. rifles. I purchased my first gun at age 16, an Iver Johnson 16 ga. single shotgun, and learned to hunt pheasants with my high school buddies. I have had the opportunity to hunt and compete with firearms ever since, guns are just a part of my life. When my Grandfather passed away many, many years ago, I inherited a large portion of his firearm collection. I sit here in my office today surrounded by my Grandfather's collection of Winchester and Smith & Wesson firearms. The appreciation of fine metal and wood is deeply ingrained.
Dave

 

[timn8er]

My Dad never had any interest in guns. The "gun gene" may have skipped him but it hit me full force. As A teen, I bought a H&R 22 revolver, unbeknownst to my parents. I fiddled around with it some & actually went to a range with it. I knew nothing about "eyes & ears", & apparently the range didn't care if you had them or not;it was on you. The headache from the noise concussion lasted about a week. I later sold the H&R & bought a Browning 380, which I wish I'd never sold. Years later my interest in guns was rekindled, & I bought my first S&W, a Model 686. Still have it. I then got into semi's. I go to the range a lot more these days & have taken a few classes besides the CCW class. The classes have helped me to move from "broad side of a barn status" to more of a pie plate size in my groupings. The main thing is it gets me out of the house & I have Big fun doing it.

 

[vytoland]

first gun i fired was an M1, basic training, usaf, 1963. in, 2008, my son had a few firearms and enjoyed shooting and encouraged me to take up the sport.

went to the range with him, rented a few different handguns, and then purchased a used S&W model 686-4PP off the internet. well, you all know how the story goes from here....once you touch a S&W revolver , your addicted for life.

since then, several more S&W revolvers have joined that first .357 magnum. the "wanted" list is still incomplete and I thoroughly enjoy going to the range with my son and my self taught shooting ability.

 

[rwsmith]

Boy Scouts

I shot a single shot .22 in the scouts, first time handling a 'real' gun.

 

[El Bombardero]

The internet

 

[JeffNW]

BB gun + .22 rifles on Sat. mornings at post firing range.

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

Gil Hebard, R.I.P., taught me to shoot back in the days when his catalog was half catalog, half instructional articles by him and several other of the nationally and internationally known bullseye shooting experts. Most of his stuff is still available in The Pistol Shooter's Treasury.

 

[BuckeyeChuck]

I taught myself to shoot. I studied the rules of gun safety, good pratices for gun handling, and the basics of firing a handgun. Then I went to the range and did it.

 

[cmort666]

My mother wouldn't allow any guns in the house when I was a kid, so although I knew how to field strip an MP-40 (from Smallarms of the World) when I was in fifth grade, my first real exposure to firearms was in college.

I was taught to shoot in the Basic Rifle Marksmanship and Basic Pistol Marksmanship classes by SGM Gus Wilson. He was a good instructor and what I learned from him has stuck with me all of these years.

 

[Malpasowildlifer]

My mother did. Her grandfather was on the rifle team at Yale in the 1920's. Still have his Remington 514-T

 

[DeathGrip]

I shot this when I was 5 or less. It's still around. What was the question?

Bottom gun.

It's shot lose. How many old Winchesters can you say that about?

I damn near shot my foot with it when Dad wasn't looking.

 

[D Binx]

I taught myself to shoot. I learned the rules of gun safety and convinced my father to take me to the range one day. He had only been to a shooting range once before when he was younger so I ended up being the one to teach him how to shoot handguns.

 

[BlueOvalBandit]

My Uncle Sam, free ammo was a nice perk