how you got into shooting

ormondprop

just out of curiousity i was just wondering how other members got into shooting and hunting, especially from reading some other threads of people looking for some advice on how to get into the sport

i myself got into it through my father by being allowed go hunting with him and his friends and going beating for a few years before being allowed use a gun, learning a lot about hunting before i even fired a shot.then as i got older i was allowed use my fathers shotgun to kill the lid of a bucket which was an amzing thrill at the time and later that day shoot my first rabbit, around the same time i started using his old single shot remington .22,

Tackleberrywho

ormondprop wrote: »

just out of curiousity i was just wondering how other members got into shooting and hunting, especially from reading some other threads of people looking for some advice on how to get into the sport

i myself got into it through my father by being allowed go hunting with him and his friends and going beating for a few years before being allowed use a gun, learning a lot about hunting before i even fired a shot.then as i got older i was allowed use my fathers shotgun to kill the lid of a bucket which was an amzing thrill at the time and later that day shoot my first rabbit, around the same time i started using his old single shot remington .22,

There was always guns in my family father and grandfathers uncles cousins etc.

Although I have some brothers with no interest in the sport.
I remember as a kid a lad in my class in school who's dad used to pic him up on the high nellie; camo jacket, rifle over the shoulder and rabbit on the carrier, yer man went on the cross bar.

My dad shot rabbits when we were kids, the granny skinned and cooked them.
He always gave me the empty rounds as a whistle. I had a few relatives in the Military also which got me interested in that aspect of it too.

vixdname

I also got into shooting through my father, when I was 9 back in 83' he bought an Anschutz .22LR semi-auto. I pestered him for ages to let me go with him shooting so one day he brought me and he shot a rabbit. I'll make no excuses but I thought it was terrible that a poor bunny got shot - I dont know what I was expecting !!! Not very long after I was pestering him again so over the following years I went out with him 100s of times. He taught me all about safety and didnt let me even hold the rifle till I was about 14yrs old. At 17 I got my 1st gun it was a single barrelled Baikal shotgun, I thought it was the bees knees. A few years later I got into the rifles and got a .22 magnum (Marlin), then a .220 swift (Ruger), then a .223 CZ, then I went back to shotguns and got a Ceasar Guerini Semi-auto and have now finally a Remington 700 .223 with an Accuracy International Chassis System stock and a 5.5-22X56 nightforce scope attached. I have been lucky to have duel citizenship with the US and over there have used quite a few pistols, revolvers, AR15 and AK47 while also in the carribbean I got to use lots of different pistols and revolvers there also, dont remember their names as pistols and revolvers arent my thing.
I was in the FCA here aswell so I got to use the usual FN & Bren gun but I was gone when hey introduced the Steyr. I'm in Turkey at the moment and will be going wild boar shooting in a few days time, looking forward to it. Tis a long way to have come since feeling sorry for that bunny back in 84-85. Thats my story my friend

kay 9

It's basically in the blood. Started out with the grandfather. The old man has a shotgun, but was never as keen as the grandfather or myself. First time shootin was with the grandfather lamping and from that night, I wanted my own rifle. So at 16 got my first, a squires Bingham .22WMR. Still have it for crows and such.

ormondprop

ya my 1st gun was a rifle aswell when i was 16, the weihrauch hornet i have now, although it doesnt get half the use the cz 22 gets. keep the stories coming lads

Tackleberrywho

kay 9 wrote: »

It's basically in the blood. Started out with the grandfather. The old man has a shotgun, but was never as keen as the grandfather or myself. First time shootin was with the grandfather lamping and from that night, I wanted my own rifle. So at 16 got my first, a squires Bingham .22WMR. Still have it for crows and such.

My cousin had one that I helped him zero.
cheap as chips but did the job none the less;)

Cass

Grandfather and Father got me started when i was 4. Grandfather with a 36" (i think) Stevenson single barrel and the Father with a Baikal single barrel. Each only ever brought out 4 cartridges and if a shot was fired something was brought home. Not like now, when i could go through 3-5 boxes in a good day of shooting.

Got into the target end of things when i turned 16 and soon after the Father joined me in it and haven't looked back since.

It wasn't me!

Went out with cousins and various family members when I was very young, then through secondary school did feck all and just drifted away, though fishing took a lot of my time as well, then rediscovered it in college when I saw the club stand in Freshers' Week. A few years later, I'm still involved in the club, badgering a new wave of smelly freshers to join. Got back into the hunting by various channels when I'd taken up target shooting. Roll on many more years and hopefully some successes too.

sfakiaman

My father took me down the range when I was four and put the .22 rifle up on sand bags for me to shoot. He bought me my first air rifle before I was five and I can still remember going to the shop to choose which one. I'm still shooting sixty years later.

endasmail

shooting on slieve mishe in kerry when i was a gosson with me uncle
trying to hold on to the dogs on the leash ,two setters ,before letting off and watchn them tear up the mountain
that sparked my interest in shooting

Dusty87

The two grandfathers (dead now) had guns. One died young so my father and uncles never took it up. The other only had it for a while and had one son, who never took it up. My gran uncle (still alive) has one. It kind of skipped a generation. I really got into it through two friends though who's fathers are farmers.

mallards

I was born into it. On the day I was born my Dad went out and bought a shotgun and a donkey for me, as you do! :rolleyes:
I have some early memories of going out hunting with him and my uncles who all shoot. When I was still very young my Dad got out of shooting and went into fishing and he sold his guns to my uncle. Throughout this we always had hunting dogs so when I was a little older I started going shooting with my Uncles and cousin until I was old enough to buy my own gun. Now it's gone full circle as I've recently bought the aul fella an air rifle to share with me and he's currently in the process of getting his licence back.

Mallards.

sako75 hunter

I was about 8 when i first went hunting with me cousin pa. He had a black labrador and irish terrier cross, i had the kerry blue. Spent all our time hunting the slieveardagh hills for rabbits. In the summer we pack up a tent, little jar of gas, sausages, bread and head of up the fields with the 3 dogs for the night. We hunt every ditch in every field and the dogs catching rabbits. As we settle down for the night with a little fire we skin the rabbits for the dogs and fry up the sausages for our selves! Seems like yesterday. Does were the days!!!. I got into deer stalking on my own accord from reading books, magazines and watching dvds. First gun i bought when i was 17, a lanber u/o 12g(still use it), then i got a lakefield 22mag when i was 19 ( dont have it anymore ), and then 3 years ago i bought my 6.5x55 Sako 75 hunter. So theres how i got into hunting.:D

ormondprop

because it was my father that got me into it i only learned much the same shooting as he does which is just rough shooting of rabbits and foxes and vermin shooting with rifles, he used to do a lot of duck and pheasant shooting but then got rid of the dogs when the kids came along:D so i've never gone duck shooting and rarely went after pheasants which is a shame but very few of my friends are into it in my area, i'd also love to get into deer stalking but dont know anyone to get me into that yet, hopefully some day

Tackleberrywho

ormondprop wrote: »

because it was my father that got me into it i only learned much the same shooting as he does which is just rough shooting of rabbits and foxes and vermin shooting with rifles, he used to do a lot of duck and pheasant shooting but then got rid of the dogs when the kids came along:D so i've never gone duck shooting and rarely went after pheasants which is a shame but very few of my friends are into it in my area, i'd also love to get into deer stalking but dont know anyone to get me into that yet, hopefully some day

Tipp is riddled with deer, last time I was down there I saw 14, which means there is way more. as these were near a road.

Yu should ask a few farmers you shoot for do they have deer, Thats how I started out. Start off on bunnies for them and then casually mention deer.

Within a year you will be eating venison:D

My Uncle has deer on his land, he is 27 miles away from me and i do not bother going as I have seen Deer on my Bothreén

rugerman

i
myself is from tipp lookin 4 somewhere i can stalk deer 2-3 times a month anywhere i cud get a plot to hunt waiting 2 do my hcap so i cant shoot on coillte land till next year any help would b brill:)

tommyboy26

a mate of mine was always at me to come down to midlands range with him. so over three years ago i said yeah. at that tme you cold rent a .22 from the range. which i did and my mate couldnt get me to leave that day i joined midlands that day. went to gun shop that monday and bought a cz .22 toke eight months to get licence but still went down every sunday and rented rifle. since then have had a few .22s. bout a year ago got into fullbore and love that even more currently waiting on john greene to build my .308. love the sport only sorry i never toke my find up on his offer early. hes actually given up on it now funny how things change...


tommy:D:D

ormondprop

i know a good few spots up the hills near me where there are deer but i havent the funds to get set up for it yet and even though i say i could get permission fairly easily for a few spots i'd prefer to go stalking a few times with some1 who knows there stuff for a few months to learn the knack of it before forking out on the gear required

Sparks

Saw this during Fresher's Week (when the clubs advertise for members) in second year of college.



Thought I could learn to handle a firearm safely, which was an esoteric bit of information. Figured "why not?". Signed up. Shot for a year. Won two club competition prizes. Got hooked. After graduation, got asked to do a stint on the committee to help out. Haven't quite finished that yet...

Yawlboy

Joined the navy and they gave me an FN, then a Steyr, then a GPMG, then a .5, then a 40mm bofors........ oh and being on deck when a 76mm OTO Melara is fired in auto mode is pretty special.

actually my uncle used to take me shooting on his land with his .22 when I was in my teens.

patakadarragh

Father, uncles, neighbours, friends.....it's in the blood in Tipperary.

elius

Grandad was a game keeper, as was my uncle! Grandad use to bring me out with the four ten for a few shots then i progressed to the 12g. Now own the four ten and always will...

Use to help feed poults and partridge as a wee lad.

Mr Mole

I grew up shooting game with shotgun and .22 Rifle, but always had military interests. That brought me experience with Lee Enfield .22 and .303, and Bren in FCA. An unexpected bus journey to school one morning led me to six years in PDF, shooting F.N, G.P.M.G, Gustaf, Browning (BAP), and 7.65 Walther. Next was Garda Siochana with .38 S&W, 9mm SIG pistol. and UZI. I was alo lucky to have good famil training with HK- 5.56 Rifle, HK G3- 7.62 Rifle, various AK47 models, Taurus Pistol, Remington and Bennelli shotgun. I now shoot various .22 rifles.:D I shot my last living creature in 1982, so I cant be called a hunter!:).

It wasn't me!

Mr Mole wrote: »

An unexpected bus journey to school one morning led me to six years in PDF

That's some hell of a bus journey!

Mr Mole

It wasn't me! wrote: »

That's some hell of a bus journey!

Lets just say that It was a while before I got back to school from the hop!:D

Tackleberrywho

I actually have to blame my mother, I forgot she gave me a gun that fired Ping Pong balls for christmas one year, and a cowboy 6 shooter and rifle the year after that.
I reckon I was 5 & 6 but hard to be accurate.

So Ma, It's all your fault :D
She also hated me going out with the father and grandfather with the gun!
Made it more allureing, like the demon drink and scarlet women

:D