I remember when I learned to shoot a gun. My dad taught me with a Daisy BB gun. I am relatively sure I had just gotten her for Christmas or my birthday, I honestly can’t remember. I still have her and I actually have her sitting in my lap as I write today. The model 86/70 was first introduced to the market in 1970 and as I recall it was the latest and greatest when I got her.
That BB gun spent many hours roaming the woods with me as a kid. It accompanied many ‘hunting trips’ and ‘Army’ games. It was a trusty companion. It fits into many of my childhood memories; like the time I tried to teach Christy Vernon to shoot and we ended up shooting out some car windows.
Like most things in life, I moved on from my BB gun to bigger and more powerful guns. The targets got smaller, the distances got greater. Then somewhere around the time I started College, I stopped playing with guns.
Last Friday in my quest to ‘do things’, I went to the shooting range, Shooter’s Choice, in Wilmington. This adventure was accompanied by Jenn (who had never shot a gun) and Katie Elzer-Peters who was doing some research for an article she is writing about the importance of gun safety training.
Our adventure began when we arrived at Shooter’s Choice. It was a Friday Night so the place was busy. All of the lanes were full, and we had some time to wait. Our wait gave Katie time to ask questions about training, and for us to investigate the fire arms available to rent. For Jenn we choose a Smith and Wesson .22 revolver, I chose to shoot a Springfield XDM .45 pistol and Katie choose a 9mm Glock. Once we chose our targets (we bought too many), we were off to shoot some zombies and Silhouettes.
We rented one lane, which was nice because we each got to try the others guns. I believe we were each happy with our choice of fire arms.
I’m happy to report that even after all these years of non-shooting, I’ve still got Mad-Skills
Our trip to Shooter’s Choice was the perfect start to Father’s Day weekend. Shooting was a skill I learned from my dad and something we enjoyed doing together. Like changing a tire or knowing how to check my oil, or how to use power tools; shooting is a skill I learned from my dad.
While you may not agree (and that’s your prerogative) the knowledge and ability to shoot a gun is something I think everyone should learn. It may not be your recreation of choice. However, it is a skill you never know when you could need; just don’t as me to teach you – car windows are expensive 🙂
If you haven’t already this weekend, remember to spend time with your dad today. AND if your dad, like mine, is no longer with you spend some time enjoying something you shared with your dad (or maybe a skill he taught you). I plan to spend my afternoon with power tools and woodworking.
Have a Happy Fathers Day!
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