Who taught you to shoot?

[H Richard]

About age 6 my father took me to a friends house in the country, and he had a .22 rifle. They put a tin can on a stump and I rested the rifle on another stump and sw shot it several times. Later at age 12 spent a few years in the winter going through a American Legion sponsored Jr. training program, taught by "Gentleman", former U S Army officer, who wore O D and combat boots to the sessions on Sat. evenings. Mostly Winchester 52's of various vintage, that all had several million rounds through them and would still hold the 10 ring on a 50 ft. course of fire. The instructor "Barney" had taught kids how to shoot and earn NRA marksman certificates for over 50 years. He probably taught several thousand kids in our town to shoot over the years. I think I earned 6th bar before I got interested in girls, cars, and other such. "Barney" was still around when I had my children and he also helped teach both my son and daughter to shoot, and my son went on to varsity letter on the High School rifle team and earn Distinguished Expert.

 

[4330Inroute]

My brother Jack taught me. He did two tours of Vietnam ’68 & ’69 with the Marines. When he was discharged he asked our Dad if he could teach me to shoot. He started with teaching how to field strip and clean a .22 single shot rifle then into what seemed like hours of learning shooting positions, sight picture and safety before I ever fired my first shot. We went through the same process with a handgun. Considering the instruction and schools I had attended later in Law Enforcement I consider his instruction the best I have ever received.

 

[Armyphotog]

No one, taught myself. But until I attended the police academy I wasn't a threat to anybody. The academy honed my skills.

I didn't mean to leave my Dad out. He put me between his legs when I was probably 8 or 9 and let me fire his police service revolver, a S&W Model 1905, 4th Change .38. That's when I fell in love with guns, but no he didn't try to teach an 8 year old to shoot. (Still have his nickel plated revolver with stag grips.)

 

[DGT]

My grandfather taught me. I'm not sure how old I was, probably around 7 or 8. We shot his Winchester Model 62A. I was lucky enough to get that gun when he passed away and I still have it. I still shoot it and think of him every time I do. I consider it my most valuable gun although I have many that are worth more money.

 

[hsmith9491]

First Time

On my 11th birthday my dad took me in the back field
of our property and there she was leaning on an old fence post
a new 30-30 lever action marlin. We shot 2 boxs of ammo that day.
My shoulder hurt the next day but I was so proud of MY OWN
rifle. That was 51 years ago and I still have her. Me and her brought down many deer.

 

[ACP230]

My dad bought me a Crosman .22 pump air rifle when I was 12 just before we moved out of the U.S.

He gave me a basic safety talk and then I went out and shot pop cans.
Taught myself to hit them with the gun resting on one wall of a dry cistern on a small Pacific island. The pop can was against the other wall. Had some NRA materials on breathing, trigger squeeze, and sight picture to refer to.

Dad sent me out to shoot birds that were after his experimental pepper
crop later. I also wandered the bush behind our house with the Crosman quite a bit.

Formal rifle instruction came in JROTC in high school two years later.
We were back stateside by then.

 

[A10]

Like many here, I was taught by my father. My brother and I both recieved Daisy Model 94 BB guns for christmas one year, I think I was 7 or 8 years old. Dad taught us sight alignment, trigger control, and basic firearm safety rules. The following year I took a hunter's safety course, and two years after that we were given real Model 94's for christmas!

 

[chez323]

I remember my dad taking my brothers and I out to a gravel pit on my uncle's property when I was but a wee lad of 9. Dad brought along a Marlin model 25 bolt action 22 with a low power rimfire scope. That's how I learned firearm safety and how to shoot.

 

[labworm]

The United States Army

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

How did you do that? That's only 9 characters.

The space probably counts, at least between "real" characters.

Gil Hebard, God bless him and grant him long years as fruitful as the previous ones, taught me to shoot. I reckon he taught more than a few folks to shoot. Probably had something to do with his being elected Handgunner of the Year one year.

 

[arjay]

My folks sent me off to church camp at the age of 10.Learned to shoot a 22 rifle and a bow.Had some artsy craftsy classes and had to memorize a lot of bible verses.Really enjoyed shooting and archery.The other stuff,not so much.

 

[Dueeast]

My Dad, who I lost to cancer this past August. I used to go hunting with him when I was 8.( I carried a BB gun) He taught me how to shoot and clean our guns, ( the smell of Hoppes #9 brings back vivid memories).

 

[Straightshooter2]

The first rifle I shot was when my grandfather taught me to use his single shot .22LR when I was around 7-8 and I think that was the same day that he taught me to shoot his old .38 Spcl. I know it was a S&W but I have no idea what model it was. I have that old .22 but the S&W went to one of my uncles and eventually ended up in the hands of one of his son's who would rather sell his father's guns than work for a living.

CW

 

[Shooting Padre]

My grandpa taught me to shoot with a .22 bolt action single shot rifle. We lived in the city so it was on my summer visits to the farm that I learned to shoot and hunt. I started hunting squirrels and rabbits at first. He had a great squirrel dog that never failed to find me a target. My grandmother could could grey squirrels so they tasted just like fried chicken. She could also fry chicken so it tasted just like squirrels. When I arrived on the farm after school was out for the summer, my grandpa would come back from a trip to town and give me a new straw hat, a jack knife and a box of fifty .22 longs. All three were to last the summer, though I was able to talk him into another box of shell. Those were some of the greatest years in my life. I miss my grandparents still, and I have 12 grand kids myself.

 

[westcoast362]

I was taught by my dad when I was nine or ten. I remember shooting at the ranch in Raton, New Mexico with just cotton for ear plugs. I shot a M95 Winchester carbine. My ears are still ringing fifty-five years later.

 

[7shooter]

My Dad who was a WWII vet and my Uncle Sam ( not your Uncle Sam ) a WWI vet.

 

[Evil Dog]

First organized shooting that I can remember was BB guns at the local Boys Club. Other than that I was pretty much self taught reading American Rifleman, Guns and Ammo and the like. The rest of the family wasn't much interested in guns.

 

[Yiogo]

My cousin and later my Uncle Sam! Yiogo

 

[bitstream]

Air Force Field Training, Vandenberg AFB, CA, June 1988.

They had just received the first M-9's in the box the day before. Mine had only been fired to test it before I got it.

 

[Black_Talon]

Los Angeles Sheriff's Department taught me how to shoot.