It's been awhile since my last post. What has happened since? Well, recently I used one of those group deals for a shotgun training session and 100 clay pigeons for two people. A friend (male, this will be important later) and I split the deal and we each got 50 clay target, 50 shells, 2 shotguns, and 2 short (and I mean short) training sessions... oh and a pizza and a pitcher of beer (which we substituted for soda). Just to put your minds at ease, let me say that the deal clearly stated that alcohol could only be consumed after the shooting portion. Now, as a researcher, I found the whole culture of a shooting range very interesting.
The day started with us arriving at the shooting range, I told the employee, who was helping get us set-up, that neither one of us had any prior firearms training whatsoever. We proceeded to signing the standard legal waivers and getting set-up with our equipment. The employee looked at my friend and started telling him which shotgun he (the employee) recommends I use. He recommend a .22 instead of a .12 since a .22 is smaller, has less of kick, and would therefore be an overall more enjoyable experience for me. The employee then went on to ask my friend which shotgun my friend wants me to use...all while I was standing right in front of him! I understand shooting is a male sport but that was just really poor customer service!!! My name was on the group deal, I was standing right in front of him, neither one of us had any firearm experience. I probably knew more about guns than my male friend did since I have a very close male friend who has been talking to be about his guns or guns he likes for many many years now. I kindly asked the employee to repeat everything he said while addressing me this time around...you know since I'm the one who is actually going to be shooting said gun and since it would be my shoulder that may or may not be dislocated or sore from the kick of an ill-suited gun.
Anyway, we got set-up and then started our training, which consisted of the employee telling us what not to do with a gun and how to hold, load, aim, shoot, and empty it properly. His aiming lesson for my friend went like this:
Employee: Do you play COD:Black Ops on 360?
Friend: Yeah
Employee: It's just like when you're a sniper, you gotta aim ahead of your target.
...I'm so glad that playing video games counts for firearm experience :-/
Our first shot was at the hill in the distance just so we could get a feel for the kick and the gun without aiming for anything in particular. After that first shot, I had new respect for firearms and their power. It's one thing to understand how powerful they are, but it's another to feel that power in your hands...and lingering in your shoulder days later.
The employee stayed with us while we each shot 2 or 3 clay pigeons. We were doing trap shooting, which is when a clay target is released and thrown into the air in any which direction at random and you aim and shoot, much harder than stationary targets. I hit my very first target dead on on my very first try!!!!! Hooray for me!!!! I rock!!! I was slightly impressed with myself and slightly saddened. I was impressed for obvious reasons, my very first time using any firearm and I hit my very first moving target on my very first try, who wouldn't be impressed! I was saddened because I really had nowhere else to go but down from there :( And down I went. I did eventually end up hitting 20% of my targets, though. I don't know if that's good or not for a beginner, but I am pleased with my self. Now I am ready for the Zombie Apocalypse. A double-tap to the head (for those of you who have watched Zombieland) and I'm good. Zombies move much slower than clay pigeons, so I suspect my zombie target score would be much better than my score that day.
Another interesting culture note, after I successfully hit my first target on my first try and my friend failed to hit any of his first few targets, the employee told him: "Come on man you have to represent, you can't let her beat you." I felt like I was in the Neolithic Age. Thankfully, Mr. Insecure left us alone soon after.
I really enjoyed my experience more than I thought I would. I am conflicted about returning to the range. On one hand, I would like to practice some more and improve my aim. It's a great way to hone your focus and quite your mind. On the other hand, I'm conflicted about giving my money to someone who goes on hunting safari vacations and kills animals just to have their head on the wall. I'm not a vegetarian, but I think that animals should not be killed as trophies. If you kill an animal you should have enough respect for the life you took to use their meat and fur/hide rather than just collect a trophy. I certainly do not want to own a gun, it's too much liability and I don't believe that we need to have guns in our homes, there is too much potential for injury. On the whole, I am very glad that I was able to have this experience.
The day started with us arriving at the shooting range, I told the employee, who was helping get us set-up, that neither one of us had any prior firearms training whatsoever. We proceeded to signing the standard legal waivers and getting set-up with our equipment. The employee looked at my friend and started telling him which shotgun he (the employee) recommends I use. He recommend a .22 instead of a .12 since a .22 is smaller, has less of kick, and would therefore be an overall more enjoyable experience for me. The employee then went on to ask my friend which shotgun my friend wants me to use...all while I was standing right in front of him! I understand shooting is a male sport but that was just really poor customer service!!! My name was on the group deal, I was standing right in front of him, neither one of us had any firearm experience. I probably knew more about guns than my male friend did since I have a very close male friend who has been talking to be about his guns or guns he likes for many many years now. I kindly asked the employee to repeat everything he said while addressing me this time around...you know since I'm the one who is actually going to be shooting said gun and since it would be my shoulder that may or may not be dislocated or sore from the kick of an ill-suited gun.
Anyway, we got set-up and then started our training, which consisted of the employee telling us what not to do with a gun and how to hold, load, aim, shoot, and empty it properly. His aiming lesson for my friend went like this:
Employee: Do you play COD:Black Ops on 360?
Friend: Yeah
Employee: It's just like when you're a sniper, you gotta aim ahead of your target.
...I'm so glad that playing video games counts for firearm experience :-/
Our first shot was at the hill in the distance just so we could get a feel for the kick and the gun without aiming for anything in particular. After that first shot, I had new respect for firearms and their power. It's one thing to understand how powerful they are, but it's another to feel that power in your hands...and lingering in your shoulder days later.
The employee stayed with us while we each shot 2 or 3 clay pigeons. We were doing trap shooting, which is when a clay target is released and thrown into the air in any which direction at random and you aim and shoot, much harder than stationary targets. I hit my very first target dead on on my very first try!!!!! Hooray for me!!!! I rock!!! I was slightly impressed with myself and slightly saddened. I was impressed for obvious reasons, my very first time using any firearm and I hit my very first moving target on my very first try, who wouldn't be impressed! I was saddened because I really had nowhere else to go but down from there :( And down I went. I did eventually end up hitting 20% of my targets, though. I don't know if that's good or not for a beginner, but I am pleased with my self. Now I am ready for the Zombie Apocalypse. A double-tap to the head (for those of you who have watched Zombieland) and I'm good. Zombies move much slower than clay pigeons, so I suspect my zombie target score would be much better than my score that day.
Another interesting culture note, after I successfully hit my first target on my first try and my friend failed to hit any of his first few targets, the employee told him: "Come on man you have to represent, you can't let her beat you." I felt like I was in the Neolithic Age. Thankfully, Mr. Insecure left us alone soon after.
I really enjoyed my experience more than I thought I would. I am conflicted about returning to the range. On one hand, I would like to practice some more and improve my aim. It's a great way to hone your focus and quite your mind. On the other hand, I'm conflicted about giving my money to someone who goes on hunting safari vacations and kills animals just to have their head on the wall. I'm not a vegetarian, but I think that animals should not be killed as trophies. If you kill an animal you should have enough respect for the life you took to use their meat and fur/hide rather than just collect a trophy. I certainly do not want to own a gun, it's too much liability and I don't believe that we need to have guns in our homes, there is too much potential for injury. On the whole, I am very glad that I was able to have this experience.
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