Do you still go to the range since you left the service?

I go to the range at least once a month on average.....sometimes more or less often depending on weather and time. Shooting was something I did for entertainment even before the military, and will continue. I like to challenge myself. It's not just about being proficient enough to hunt or defend myself. It's about trying to be the best shot I can....and about fun.

Not as much as I would like but yes I shoot still. I own an AR-15 variant (Sig Sauer 516) and a Glock 21 pistol. That's it, I don't collect them just keep enough around in case of emergency.

I am old school at the range. I use only iron sights on by Sig. No optics/scopes etc. There is an indoor range that has a 100 yard distance. It always makes me chuckle to see people scoping at 100 yards with a rifle.

Shooting is almost theraputic. I enjoy the time and keeping the craft up to par. I would love to shoot at 500 yards with the Sig but haven't had the chance to do so.

Yes, I have earned my Conceal Carry Certificate so I teach conceal carry here in Kansas. I also instruct civilians on safety, storage of guns and marksmanship. GUNS are part of our heritage and the second amendment is to be used not abused or ignored. I love the smell of sulfer in the morning, noon and night. Semper-Fi

I go with other vets. It's great for camaraderie. Plus the smell brings back memories.

It is your personal preference I guess. But with the way the world is headed things may come down to us defending not only our freedoms but our lives and family on US soil. We have
been lucky where we have never had to defend ourselves in our own back yards. However the time may come based even on current conflict events. The question should be as to who is going to protect me and the answer may be no one because everyone is more concerned for their own lives. I am not going to allow myself to not be prepared.

I certainly get more range time as a civilian than I ever did on AD...probably because I control the ammo budget-LOL

Shooting, like flying an aircraft, or any other technical skill, probably has an "expiration" date if not used often. Additionally, I have different weapons now and each have their own nuances in terms of sight picture, effect of recoil and cycling.

I was always horrible at the range. It was the one area in the military I never felt like I mastered. I have very shaky hands and the 9mm range was even worse. So many people tried to help me. I was just thankful to pass as a marksman. Plus when you do something only once a year you really don't get better. I do not own a weapon and I do not plan on purchasing one.

Now PT was a different story, I loved doing PT and never minded the APFT to prove that I was in better shape than most people thought I was. I dominated in Push ups and the run. I do like that when I work out now as a retiree it is completely for me. Mainly I walk which is good because I beat up my feet over the years and I exercise my three greyhounds.

I go regularly to the range. Shooting is a great hobby for me and a nice source of stress relief. Also, regular practice keeps my perishable marksmanship skills up to date. I am in CA and it's not the easiest state to keep and own weapons.

Yes indeed. I have been a shooter from the time I was a kid. Fire arms have always been a very big part of my life, even though I have never been an avid hunter of major game, like deer, pheasants, elk, etc. During my early childhood I had a great uncle out in West Texas (whose name happened to be Sam by the way...sorry, I always thought it was humorous to actually have a real Uncle Sam) who had an enormous collection of fire arms dating back to the 1800s, and every last one of them was functional. The greatest thing about visiting our relatives out in West Texas was that we usually went out shooting Jack Rabbits out on the oil leases. I was given my first .22 rifle when I was 11 or 12 years old, a lever-action Ithica single-shot, and we lived in a rural area where I only had to step off of the back porch to shoot it. The property, about 10 acres, had a creek running through the middle of it and a heavily wooded area which was great for hunting small game, like squirrels and such. But I also spent a lot of time practicing by tossing empty soda cans out onto the pond which was about 50 meters from the back door and shooting at them until they sunk. Back in those days you could get a box of 50 rounds of .22 in the hardware department of the grocery store and I could buy them myself. Today, other than a few side-arms, I only have a .22 semi-automatic rifle and I have been resisting the urge to buy something like an AR-15, although I will probably succumb to it eventually. I have a Ruger P-89 9mm that I really enjoy taking to the local range for the time being. I am presently seriously entertaining buying a .308 which is identical to an AR-15...I'm just still working on justifying the expenditure of funds. I was an expert with the M-16A1 and really loved shooting it...but I didn't have to buy it or the ammo then, either. HAHAHA.

I used to frequent the range weekly until it got too expensive to do so. Now I try to go at least once a month. I find it to be a good way to relieve stress.