Posted on Mar 9, 2015
Do you still go to the range since you left the service?
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Since I left the military, I haven't been shooting nor I plan to go. I'm not opposed to weapons or shooting. It's just something I desire to engage in since I transitioned. After being out two years, I still occasionally think about range qualification days. I know many of my comrades and vets who own personal weapons and still go shooting today. I'm a bit curious about the post-service shooting choices. Do you still shoot or no? Why or why not?
Weapons
Transition
Military Industry
Shooting (Sport)
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 129
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I go to the range as much as time, weather conditions and ammo budget allows.
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SGT Steve Martinez
Like wise with the LTC and I shoot at least two matches a month. I shoot a tactical carbine and a pistol match.
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CPT Arch Nissel
I agree with the LTC I still have to shoot quals every 6 months for my carry requirements and shoot long guns as often as I can,
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MAJ Milton P.
I shot as often as possible before I joined the Army (been shooting since I was 2 standing between my dad knees), so yes I still shoot, but no where as much as I would like and I am building my own rang as time and money allow, on one section of land I own that has two hill big enough for back stops (one for pistols/shotguns/carbines and the other for long range rifle). I am a product of the 700 rounds a quarter years.
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SFC Jackson: I practice a little, but not much. This is with an M1911A1 at 25 meters. A professional soldier, especially an Infantry ABN RGR with "other" select skills, never loses the touch. Scary thing was that there were civilians at the same range that day, firing AR-15s (and the like) with laser designator/aiming devices on them at these same 25 meter targets, and they had shot groups the size of a Volkswagen.
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SSgt James Howerton
LOLOL, Major. "....the size of a Volkswagen." Nice group. I have lost some accuracy with my sight deterioration, but not so much that I couldn't hit what I was aiming at, say, 50 feet with a pistol and a couple hundred with a carbine. I don't have a lot of guns but I do carry a 9mm with a laser attached, a 1911 in .38 Super, a 12 gauge and a .22. But my two favorite weapons are my SA Ruger .357 Magnum and my lever gun, also chambered in .357. Kinda like the old school the best. For some reason I just enjoy shooting them the most. Maybe because I bought that .357 pistol when I was 23. That was 35 years ago!
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CSM Thomas McGarry
Not sure why the military is looking for a new pistol! the old M1911 was (and is) adequate enough!
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Cpl Mark A. Morris
Excellent shot pattern Sir. But, I had to put on my sunglasses to look at the target.
M. Morris RVT
M. Morris RVT
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CPT Lawrence Cable
SSgt James Howerton - Going to variable focus lens screwed up my handgun shooting. Can't keep the front sight post in focus if I focus on the target. And my head going up and down like a pigeon trying to find the sweet spot for focus. I still shoot better than average, but I am slower at it now.
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Trigger time is never turned down. It is a form of therapy for me. The squeeze of the trigger, the boom of bullet leaving the barrel and the smell of the burnt gun powder. Better than anything a psychiatrist could ever do for me.
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SFC Charles S.
MAJ (Join to see) I am with you. Stress relief that is incomparable to anything else. It is because of the Combination of senses that are being engaged all at the same time, Memories of great times with Great people for me.
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MSG Nick C.
Between the bang of the guns, to the roar of a Harley engine, you can't beat it for therapy. However, we need to ensure that the anti-gun crowd don't turn PTSD or adjustment disorder into as battle cry for taking away the rights WE protect. I trust no one's "good" intentions, however paranoid they may accuse it of being.
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I learned to use the M16 in 1977 ... I never picked up a firearm again until 2002 when my brother in law invited me to take a walk across the farm with a .22 rifle ...he took a dozen shots at the blackbirds but never hit one ... he handed it to me and with my first shot in 25 years, knocked a blackbird off of a wire at 50 yards ... I felt awful for killing one of Gods creatures and handed it back to him ... for years after, he called it a lucky shot until last fall when I had to set him straight. He was never in the service but now owns 2 ar-15s. I had to teach him how to take them apart and clean them. We loaded them up and went out to the corn fields just after they were harvested. We took 4 empty plastic milk gallons with us and lined them up 4 feet apart and walked to the other end of the field. not sure exactly how far but I know I can not hit a 5 iron that far so about 180 yards. I felt the cool Autumn breeze on my left cheek so I adjusted one click for the windage. I got down in the prone position (I like 30 degrees off center) and took my first shot ... it was just to the right of the gallon jug ... i adjusted one more click for windage ... I hit all four milk jugs with my next 4 shots. My brother in law does not question me anymore.
37 years later not only do i remember how to shoot, but i realize that all of those other things that those hated drill instructors taught me are so valuable to me now. Thanks to the Marines with the Smokey Bear hats. You made men out of boys.
37 years later not only do i remember how to shoot, but i realize that all of those other things that those hated drill instructors taught me are so valuable to me now. Thanks to the Marines with the Smokey Bear hats. You made men out of boys.
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SSgt James Howerton
We went through Boot in the same year, 1977. I went through P.I. I used to hunt when I was younger as a teenager and when I was stationed in California in 1984 I decided to go deer hunting. I hadn't done any hunting since I was 18 (1976) so I was excited and went out pre-season and scouted an area and found sign where the deer came down out of the mountains and drank water. On opening day, I arrived in the middle of the night and set up, making sure I was down-wind of the watering hole. As the sun started to rise I saw many a doe and a few fawns. As I waited, I finally saw a big, beautiful buck climbing back up the slope opposite me. Looking through my scope, I didn't have a clear shot and I wasn't about to chance wounding him and letting him get away and suffer a slow death. So I strapped my Weatherby rifle to my back and went down the slope, crossed the creek and started climbing the slope the buck was on. He had a pretty good lead on me but he was such a big buck with at least an 8 point rack that I decided to follow him and see if I could get a clear shot. It took me about 30-40 minutes to climb that slope and I was sweating my butt off by the time I crested the top. As I scoped the peak, I found him standing there about 150 yds. away, just looking majestic. I put the crosshairs of my scope on his shoulder, aiming for his heart but as I did so, the early morning sun shone on his fur and I could see at least an 8 point rack, possibly 10 points. He was truly magnificent. One of God's finest creations. As I was sighting my shot, he slowly turned his head in my direction and a feeling of peace came over me. I can't really explain it, but in that second I knew I couldn't destroy this regal animal. I watched him slowly turn and walk away, disappearing into the thick woods. I've never hunted since then as I realized that since I didn't need the food, I wasn't into killing just for the thrill of killing, as I was when I was still a boy. Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against hunting. It's just not for me anymore. If I ever needed the food though, I'd have no qualms hunting.
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I was an Army 12B for 13 yrs, fired many weapons and demo. I do not goto the range anymore, I fire in my back yard as I live in the hills of Nor Calif. I stay qualified on my own. I do not like how certain folks are "Gun Nuts" and frankly they make me nervous at the range. Guns are guns, not a way of life to me. Too many with un professional behavior and untrained people with guns. So no I don’t go to the range anymore.
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SPC Joe Meisch
James, I own and I do not consider myself a "Gun Nut" nor do I consider other owners "gun nuts" I appreciate my rights, I just see so many fools with weapons acting in a way that provides ultra anti gun nuts ammo. This applies to ranges and the streets.
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CPL John Dillon
agree that there are very unsafe people at the range. I have left more than once when these people start to get out of hand. I am a collector of older military rifles and enjoy taking them out and shooting them. I am not a hunter but do believe in keep my skills up to par. I also own an AR-15 just for old time sake, but perfer the feel of the heavy weapons from WWII.
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SSgt James Howerton
I also like the feel of wood and steel vs. plastic and steel. When I was AD, I had a friend who was already collecting WWII and even some WWI weapons (back in the '70s). I didn't know at the time he was making a great investment. Back in the '70s you could find Garands, M-14s, 1911A1s, etc. dirt cheap! Now they are all super expensive. My friend even had a WWI Springfield in excellent shape. He was a self-taught armorer who bought the weapons and restored them to their former glory. That's another nice thing about wood; you can always strip it and re-stain it. And of course the metal can be stripped and re-blued; as long as the bore isn't pitted and the rifling is ok the weapon can be made to be like new. My dream gun to own would be a WWII era Thompson machine gun. You can get them, but they're over $1000! My buddy had one he paid $100 for and re-finished it until it looked and fired like new.
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CSM Thomas McGarry
I agree! There is nothing wrong with have a health respect for firearms! We recently had a soldier from my area who was stationed in Alaska blow his head off while cleaning his personal pistol-This after two overseas tours-Not sure how you make the mistake of cleaning loaded weapon!!
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Yep, still do. My local range has a trap/skeet section, a pistol and rifle section and an archery section.
For the sake of safety, they do not allow people to practice draws from their holsters, so I do that at home with snap-caps.
For the sake of safety, they do not allow people to practice draws from their holsters, so I do that at home with snap-caps.
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SSgt James Howerton
I have practiced that quite often, too. I've gotten fairly proficient at clearing my garment(s) out of the way, drawing and flipping off the safety on the way up and snap-shooting at about 10-12 feet and hitting a target that about 12"X12". Hopefully, I'll never have to do it for real but I think it's an important skill to have.
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1LT Nick Kidwell
Very important. And with weapons like the Springfield XD line, you don't even have to flip the safety off. :)
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I go to the range in part, probably for the same reason I fish daily. It's part of that Boy Scout motto/philosophy of being prepared for anything that was ingrained in me so many years ago.
I don't hunt and when I fish, it's catch and release. I have no desire to end a life unless I am in mortal danger and have never done so (well an occasional fish when hungry). Having said that, I think it's important to have skills to survive.
I don't hunt and when I fish, it's catch and release. I have no desire to end a life unless I am in mortal danger and have never done so (well an occasional fish when hungry). Having said that, I think it's important to have skills to survive.
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Since I live in NE Montana and have open range as far as the eye can see I shoot my AR-15 and 30.06 whenever I want. Montana is a great place to live after military service. We are proud of our veterans!
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I shoot as much as time and budget allow. Sadly, that isn't allot lately.
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MAJ John Adams
This is my situation precisely. It's all about that budget, 'bout that budget, 'bout that budget, no bullets.
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SSgt Scott Walters
Pretty sad for a guy who owns a gunsmithing company. Sure I shoot. But mainly test firing someone else's hardware.
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