Posted on 02/26/2011 5:18:29 AM PST by marktwain
Last week, I went shooting for the first time.
Despite having lived in the South for a good four years now, I have only so much as held a pistol twice, and never pulled the trigger until some friends decided to go to the new shooting range in Roswell.
Growing up as a teenage boy playing way too many violent video games, it may be odd that I never had much to do with actual weapons.
My family and friends were never big on them. Some members of my family are dead-set against them. Their thinking is one I had until fairly recently – guns are made to kill. Why would you have one if you didn't expect to kill someone? And doesn't having a gun for defense mean you don't trust the police – people paid to defend the citizenry – to do their job?
My views have changed considerably since I was an idealistic youth. Weapons are fine for self defense, and are probably a necessity in some areas.
Entering the gun range, I admit I was nervous about just holding a weapon, let alone using it. Disaster scenarios went through my head as soon as I committed to shooting. What if someone gets shot or, worse, killed? Holding a loaded weapon is a heavy responsibility, and one I was not sure I wanted to take up.
But I entered the range and was taken through getting set up to shoot a weapon. I watched a safety video full of common sense, but still important, information – always face the gun forward, down the range; don't play around; wear head, eye and ear protection; keep your finger off the trigger until you actually ready to shoot.
Having never fired a weapon before, the guy behind the counter suggested I use a revolver. Easy to load, easy to fire and little chance of something going wrong. My shooting partner chose probably the largest one on display.
It was called "The Judge." It can apparently shoot shotgun shells. I thought this was a little overkill for the shooting range, but softened my stance when I chose our target – zombie Osama bin Laden.
Firing a gun called The Judge suddenly felt appropriate. To paraphrase John Wayne, the only due process is by the bullet.
My hands were actually shaking as I loaded the gun with its six bullets and took aim. I really had no idea what to expect – what would the kickback on the gun be? How loud would it be? There was really only one way to find out, so I squeezed the trigger.
It was definitely louder than I expected, and my aim was nowhere near what I wanted. The scattering of dust on the ceiling proved that.
But it was manageable and – dare I say it – exciting. I finished off my remaining rounds quickly and stepped back so my friend could take his shots. Like me, he had never fired a weapon before and was equally clueless in what to expect.
We quickly figured out how to properly use the thing and then fired away, our comically large pistol tearing gaping holes in the paper zombie bin Laden.
After all our bullets were spent, we compared notes with our other friends who came with us. There was no excitement or jubilation at taking advantage of our Second Amendment right. A few of us were less than impressed and had no inclination to do it again.
The rest of us enjoyed it, but it was similar to playing golf – fun, but it's not going to blow your mind.
Will I now go out and buy my own gun? Probably not. But now that I know what to expect, I think I'll go back to get a feel for what guns I feel comfortable with. I might even try the Judge again.
Ugh. I live here and go to this same range. It is a great new venue and much closer to home than the others.
Ah, I found the problem. I really am tired of the carpetbaggers moving into this area and bringing their failed practices with them.
Yes it is. I took one of my good friends for the first time and he loved it. He started to learn real fast and got a few bullseyes with full power .357 Magnums with my Ruger GP100. He wants to buy one now and go shotting more regularly.
“And doesn’t having a gun for defense mean you don’t trust the police – people paid to defend the citizenry – to do their job?”
Several court rulings, including the US Supreme Court, have held that it is NOT the responsibility of police to provide individual protection. How many times have you read “police prevent assault on woman” or “police stop armed criminals from bank robbery”? Police come AFTER the crime 99% of the time. YOUR SELF DEFENSE IS UP TO YOU.
What an utterly clueless statement!
As the old saying goes ...
When seconds count, the police are only minutes away.
This guy sounds like a girl. A girl from Massachusetts. What a jerk. He chose a good weapon though.
If this is a guy, it must be that short, ugly little fellow with a crooked mouth, that does the 9:00 PM TV show on msnbc.
No way. That guy is much more manly than this wimp. At least he pees standing up.
BS. The Judge only holds 5.
Yes, one would hope he’s only visiting. And, I encourage his use of the shotshells; aim becomes less critical, especially with the street-sweeper shells. Otherwise, he might just fill his purse with washers.....
If you want to learn how to shoot join the Military.
BS. The Judge only holds 5.
Did he load "bullets" or shotgun shells?
bttt
He had a different gun.
The guy with him had The Judge.
Right, the Judge holds five. And they’re cartridges, not bullets.
"Windage and elevation, Mrs.Langdon. Windage and elevation..."
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