My Trip to the Range

Saturday I went with a friend who is also an intructor to the range to have my first experience with shooting guns.  I really wasn't sure how I would actually feel when I did it.  I grew up around guns (my dad was an expert marksman and hunted).  But though I watched him cleaning them and whatnot, I wasnt much itnerested.  We did shoot BB guns and when I was about 12 or 13 my parents took my brother and I to Fort Belvoir's range to take a rifle class.  I was the only girl there and at that age was WAY too self conscious about THAT, that I refused to go back.  But Bob did - and I assume he did pretty well but he never took to it enough to continue.

I have mixed feelings on the gun control debates.  Mainly because I see the two worst problems as enforcement of existing laws and really watching for the menatlly ill (which has become even more difficult with HIPPA laws).  Those problems will require money and resolve.  And I am not sure either would happen.  But this is not about those debates.  This is about my experience.

So I went to the range wanting to know about how to fire a gun (safely), different guns, and about how I felt. 

We started out with a 2 inch 38.  A small light gun.  It had quite a kick - not in movement up/down but back into the flesh of my hand.  Tried a regular .38, 9mm Beretta, a .40 and a .45 (which thoroughly intimidated me).  The first time I fired was weird.  From the flash, to the kick to seeing the hole in the target.  It made me very respectful of what I was doing.  it made me nervous of the guy a couple lanes down who seemed to NOT take it as seriously.  ben was great, explaing things, adjusting my grip, letting me take my time.  I will tell you after this experience, seeing tv shows where people are firing bam bam bam fast and with accuracy seems a lot less believeable to me now.  Not that it seemed super believeable in the first place, but....

An interseting thing is I felt a connection to dad, like he would be smiling down at me. That I was learning to defend myself if I needed to or just to test myself.

SO I came out with gook in my throat from the powder and a powder burn (which I never felt) on my hand, having mangled some paper plates pretty accurately if I do say so myself.  Now my respect for the power of guns is cemented more deeply and I just hope that anyone who chooses to try it, respects what they hold in their hands.

Terri