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  1. #1
    User Sands's Avatar
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    Default How and when and why did you start shooting?

    Well... I was wondering about this little question... When did all of you guys start shooting? What was it that got you interested in shooting? What type of shooting initially got you hooked?

    I'll start this one off:

    To be honest, I was born and raised on a shooting range. Both of my parents did handgun shooting and I was always tagging along, quietly playing in a corner of the range while they practiced. (empty cartridges and ammo boxes made fine toys for a little girl ;))
    Obviously, learning everything I knew about "guns" from my parents.

    So, my Dad first bought me a .177 CZ Slavia springer! It was the best! I was sure I could even hunt elephants with that one! After some training and a bit of safety lessons, we moved on to the .22 rifle. We joined our local branch of the SA hunters, and I joined their Junior camps where I learned how to hunt and identify animals etc. etc... Plus, they had these nifty trophies to compete for!!! ;) Got my .243 at age 14 and Dad started training me to hunt my first springbuck! Found out that Dad's .308 worked MUCH better, when I realized that I could shoot a smaller grouping than my Dad with his own rifle! ;D ;D ;D

    I shot my first springbuck that same year, next year, Dad took me on a hunting trip to hunt a Blesbuck, soon after took down an Impala and a warthog. At this stage, I started shooting with a CZ S200 airrifle (right about the time they took away the .22's in the schools), training HARD!!!!! :-\
    And shooting boring round targets on a boring yellow piece of paper... Went to Bloemfontein to shoot in a big airrifle competition, and that was when I first encountered "field targets"...

    Nice little reactive black animal silhouettes, which fall down if you hit them on the red dot!!!! FUN!!! FUN!!! FUN!!! :o I did this untill I discovered Black Powder... EVEN MORE FUN!!!! So after some nagging, Daddy dearest bought me my OWN .32 cal Ardesa Ranger bp rifle (Yes, yes, I KNOW it's the smallest one there is!!!, BUT, in my defence, I AM a girl!!!) LOVE this little gun! She has recently got a brand new PINK stock courtesy of Daddy dearest (Must admit, he did moan and protest a LOT!!! But I love the new stock!!!) Went to a bp competition in Parys in 2006, (incidentally where I met hubby ::)) And I have been shooting BP ever since!!!
    I currently own two BP rifles in .32 and .45 cal, and two .50 cal pistols, which I enjoy greatly!!!
    Why BP??? ???
    BECAUSE: It makes a loud BANG!!! There's LOTS of smoke, and it's the most FUN I've had in a long while!!! ;D ;D ;D

    That's my story, now I would like to hear yours!

  2. #2
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    Default Re: How and when and why did you start shooting?

    I grew up with guns. My dad always went hunting on the family farm in Namibia, so winter holidays was spent there, and the other school holidays on my other grandfather's farm in Natal. I had free range on these farms with the pellet gun from about 5 or 6 years old, and was elevated to .22 status at 12 years old.

    At ten I shot with my Dad's R1 at a commando shoot, an through high school with his hunting rifles whenever I could. I also took part in Bisley shooting with an Anshutz .22 (cadets at high school). Then there was the army (lots of guns and pyrotechniques!).

    At 19 I bought my CZ75B, and in the years after that my dad gave me his Browning BPS pumpaction, with which I shoot pigeons, and his .30-06 - which is my hunting rifle.

    In the meantime I have bought a pellet gun (Gamo CFX) and a muzzleloader (Lyman Deerstalker .50cal). I have a diverse interest in shooting, hunting and all things gun related - the only limitations to my interest is my budget and of course our dear friend, the FCA.

    Its in my blood - the Boer en sy roer.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: How and when and why did you start shooting?

    I wanted to start a thread like this but Sands beat me too it ;)

    1.Daisy BB gun at home (not enough power!)

    2.Dad bought a .22lr rifle with scope for use on our farm (so much fun ;D)

    3.Grandfather died and I discovered he had a few good quality guns, so I inherited a nice Beretta shotgun and Browning target pistol.
    .
    4. Along with the inherited guns my dad bought me a 9mm Short Taurus. I recieved all three licences in 28 days - I was 16 years old!

    5. Around the same time I started shooting .22lr competitively as a sport all through high school.

    6. So I've been a gun owner since I was 16 and carried my SD gun 24/7 when on the farm since then.

  4. #4

    Default Re: How and when and why did you start shooting?

    Yes, I am also old school and was in the fortunate position to have a firearm licensed when I was 16.

    I did not grow up in an environment where firearms was a priority. My dad had a 7.65 pistol and that was that. No shooting. My grandfather died and I inherited the shotgun and my boet the .22 Rifle. Was only about 6 or 7 at that stage and both firearms when on my father's name. At about 12 to 14 years of age, both me and my brother developed interest in firearms. I did a bit of .22 shooting in school but being in a school where the only important issue was RUGBY, all else seemed to be neglected. At 16 I said to my father that I want to license the shotgun on my name and he did not object. License was also granted first time within +/- 3 to 5 weeks (can't remember exactly). Not long after this I purchased a 30-06 Rifle. The license was also granted within 3 to 5 weeks. I lost interest in the rifle, sold it and bought a CZ model 50 or 70 7.65 pistol. Now for this I was declined the license. So no problem, apply for it on my father's name, got it and back then you could with a letter, use someone's else's firearm and went for this. Wrote a master letter, made copies and my dad just signed them all and every two weeks I just filled in the letter with the next two weeks dates and went with it where ever I wanted to.

    Although I had access to firearms during school years, I never ever did something stupid or took it to school. I even carried the CZ pistol with me when I would go and visit a girl friend (on bicycle) and there was no real concern. They did not even know that I would have it on me.

    No real shooting took place during my school years and my real shooting started after school. I went to varsity and met some other okes that were also into shooting and did IPSC. I did not have the financial means to go out and buy a 9mm but I reloaded that 7.65 and shot with it and got quite proficient with it. I had to replace/repair the sear twice on that pistol. Once in a gunshop when I purchased some primers, another customer asked if he could see my pistol. He looked at it and I think he was expecting a 'show' piece and wanted to make fun of the 7.65 issue. He however looked at it and at me and said that he can see that this gun has worked, to which I just replied YES. I also think after he viewed the gun and saw that it has worked a lot that I would deny it and said that it was in 'pristine' condition. Now the owner of the gunshop knew me and he just smiled as he knew the amount of primers/bullets/powder that I have bought from him over the past year and a bit and knew that his little 7.65 was being worked.

    Since then I have moved up to 9mmP and for a while to 45ACP and then back to 9mmP. Been active on and off but really into it the past +/- 5 years.

    So this is my story......

  5. #5

    Default Re: How and when and why did you start shooting?

    Nice stories...you all are lucky to have gotten into guns that way.

    I got into it in the army - shoot or be shot - you guys that have been there know what I mean..... Knocked around a coupla years in various uniforms - each needing a gun of some flavour- was always a tool, never a passion. 

    Then one day, just like that I realised that I had been infected really badly by an unidentified virus.  Took a while and some good friends from civie street to help me but we eventually identified the virus as the "Gun Bug". 

    Never progressed through a series of guns/hunting trips and family type mentors like some of you did (lucky you), but happy to have gotten 'infected' anyway. :)

  6. #6

    Default Re: How and when and why did you start shooting?

    There is no cure for this 'bug', only accepting that you have it and managing it to the best of your ability..... ;D ;D

  7. #7

    Default Re: How and when and why did you start shooting?

    You are quite right.......don't think I'll manage a pink stock though.................. : confused0083

  8. #8
    User Sands's Avatar
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    Default Re: How and when and why did you start shooting?

    Come on!!! You have got to love this!!!!





    This is my pink muzzle loading rifle, I know, I know... And the fact that it is only a .32 calibre is not helping either!!!! i have since gotten some more pink goodies to add to my shooting acoutrements when we go to the range. ::) ::) ::)

  9. #9
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    Default Re: How and when and why did you start shooting?

    What, no pink sling?

  10. #10

    Default Re: How and when and why did you start shooting?

    Sands....I just love it........

    hpy71 hpy71 hpy71 hpy71

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