Shooting/Hunting-why do you do it?

Brian Scoggins wrote:As far as self defense goes, I've found that its always easier to just avoid the areas and situations where you need it, rather than coming strapped and looking for a fight. If you truly understand the obligation that comes with carrying, your first tactical thought should be "how can I avoid a fight?" rather than "who do I shoot first?".

I feel like it's necessary for me to comment on this.

I shoot because I carry. I go to the range to train. I work on things that I've been taught and things that I feel are appropriate to have wired into muscle memory with my guns.

I understand the obligation that comes with my carrying a firearm, and I don't seek out fights or bad situations.

The reason I chose to start carrying a gun is simple. I was at Virginia Tech when 32 of my classmates were shot dead in a place that was supposed to be as close to conflict free as you can get without going to a monastery. I listened to a police scanner a building away as it all happened and I saw the footage of the police waiting outside. They didn't do anything to help anyone inside and I made up my mind right then that I wasn't ever going to rely on anyone else if I ever crossed that close to a situation where deadly force was needed again.

The first year I was at Tech, a convict at a hospital shot and killed a sheriff.

The second year Cho tore up 32 of my classmates.

The third year a guy cut off a girls head in a dining area in front of other students.

The fourth year two kids were killed camping ten miles from campus.

It's a personal decision that I've battled with time and time again, but I don't leave the house without my gun unless I know I'm going to have a drink while I'm out or I'm going to work where no one gets in or out without a background check and being checked in or out of the area.

I don't have a gun within arms reach every day because I'm paranoid, but because I've seen bad things happen that I don't want to encounter unarmed should I have the unfortunate fate of encountering such a circumstance ever again in my life. I battle with feeling like I need to be able to defend myself and contradicting that with my belief that most people are inherently good. For a while it was a struggle that I'd go back and forth on and I eventually came to terms with the fact that bad things don't happen when you expect them. They happen when you're not ready and when you are least prepared. That's why I'm always prepared.

For what it's worth I'm now a VT Alumnus.

mattnorville wrote: What's the definition of vegetarian again? Just saying

The Indians definition of a vegetarian is: Bad Hunter.

Sam Stephens wrote:I go to the range to train. I work on things that I've been taught and things that I feel are appropriate to have wired into muscle memory with my guns. I understand the obligation that comes with my carrying a firearm, and I don't seek out fights or bad situations.

This is typically differentiates a person who carries openly and a person who carries concealed (I assume you've a ccw permit?). To my way of thinking, the only reason to open carry is because you feel like you need the protection, but couldn't get the ccw for whatever reason. Basically, if you want the protection but aren't willing to spend the hours every week keeping sharp enough that the weight on your hip will matter a damn, then there is absolutely no reason to get a firearm for self defense. That is, you're more likely to kill the family dog thinking its a burglar than to ever defend your family from a threat. Anybody who thinks the presence of a gun can de-escalate a situation must, of necessity, believe that guns should be scary. The only way a gun can consistently de-escalate a situation is via its discharge into an aggressor. To depend on it to defuse a situation in any other way is irresponsible.

That rigorous training schedule is the primary reason I don't own a handgun. I can't justify the expenditure on a personal defense weapon if I don't have the time to make it more useful fired than thrown.

I carry openly when I have to. In VA you had to open carry into anywhere that served alcohol until recently. When I was going through Yellowstone and Teton I open carried because Wyoming doesn't reciprocate my VA permit but they allow open carry. As many here may well be aware national parks are now under the firearms laws according to the state they are located in.

Lots of times my method of carry is dictated by the weather as well. If it's cold out I'll tuck my shirt behind my gun and toss my jacket on. If I have to go into somewhere and get too hot for just unzipping my jacket I don't mind having the butt of the gun in front of my shirt. I don't do it to intimidate by any means, I just do it when necessary.

Obligatory picture of my newest addition. This was a graduation present from my parents and yes, I do carry this one and I can hide it quite well without anyone knowing.
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My mentor.

Sam Stephens wrote: I shoot because I carry. I go to the range to train. I work on things that I've been taught and things that I feel are appropriate to have wired into muscle memory with my guns. I understand the obligation that comes with my carrying a firearm, and I don't seek out fights or bad situations.

+1 for your thoughts
+1 for citizens like yourself - responsible, lawful, thoughtful

Carrying a firearm is a huge responsibility, one not to be taken lightly. However, I don't think the OP was talking much about carrying for protection as much as recreation. I shoot because, as you noted, it's fun and relaxing. Blowing up water filled pop cans or seeing who can hit the end of a shotgun shell first at 200 yards. I also hunt. I hunt for food, for conservation and for protection of livestock (coyotes and mtn lions claim a number of our cattle each year). I went to school and got my B.S. in Zoology so I know about ecology and population dynamics. I am passionate about nature and wildlife, which is why I don't hunt more than I can eat or shoot more coyotes than seems reasonable for the area, etc.

It's something you have to find within yourself - the reasons why. However, as far as safety, if you do not have kids or roommates, generally just keeping them out of sight is probably sufficient. Next, as Mark mentioned, a gun safe is a wise investment. (think of fires, people you don't know too well, burglaries, etc). Keeping the ammo and guns separate is wise unless you have one for personal protection, then that one needs to have some extra barriers against accidents and so on.

But remember, you don't have to hunt to own a gun nor do you have to plan on shooting somebody. They are forms of recreation, just like climbing and when handled responsibly, there's not a thing wrong with them.

Mark Nelson wrote: There's also the reverse definition -- should a vegan hottie inquire about my dietary preference; oh hell yes I'm a vegetarian!

Yeah, you're going to regret that after eating eggplant for the fiftieth time.

I used to have a ton of guns, most given to me by my dad when he grew tired of lugging them around. Then of course I grew tired of moving them from place to place and started the sell-off. I would rather buy climbing gear or any gear now than blow $25 on a box of pistol ammo. It's just too expensive to shoot, even if you reload, which I don't. Too tedious.

That said, for guns in the home definitely have the trigger guard lock, gun safe, and separated ammo. Only keep a fully loaded gun ready if you live in some sort of urban area where home invasions are common, in which case move outta there.

Sam Stephens wrote: I feel like it's necessary for me to comment on this. I shoot because I carry. I go to the range to train. I work on things that I've been taught and things that I feel are appropriate to have wired into muscle memory with my guns. I understand the obligation that comes with my carrying a firearm, and I don't seek out fights or bad situations. The reason I chose to start carrying a gun is simple. I was at Virginia Tech when 32 of my classmates were shot dead in a place that was supposed to be as close to conflict free as you can get without going to a monastery. I listened to a police scanner a building away as it all happened and I saw the footage of the police waiting outside. They didn't do anything to help anyone inside and I made up my mind right then that I wasn't ever going to rely on anyone else if I ever crossed that close to a situation where deadly force was needed again. The first year I was at Tech, a convict at a hospital shot and killed a sheriff. The second year Cho tore up 32 of my classmates. The third year a guy cut off a girls head in a dining area in front of other students. The fourth year two kids were killed camping ten miles from campus. It's a personal decision that I've battled with time and time again, but I don't leave the house without my gun unless I know I'm going to have a drink while I'm out or I'm going to work where no one gets in or out without a background check and being checked in or out of the area. I don't have a gun within arms reach every day because I'm paranoid, but because I've seen bad things happen that I don't want to encounter unarmed should I have the unfortunate fate of encountering such a circumstance ever again in my life. I battle with feeling like I need to be able to defend myself and contradicting that with my belief that most people are inherently good. For a while it was a struggle that I'd go back and forth on and I eventually came to terms with the fact that bad things don't happen when you expect them. They happen when you're not ready and when you are least prepared. That's why I'm always prepared. For what it's worth I'm now a VT Alumnus.

Holy shiat. Thank god I went to Fort Lewis.

yeah, its nice here in durango, huh? I bet that's what they thought at VA. tech.

i bench shoot at the range to get the hell away from everyone and do something other than climbing. i find it kind of zen-like to watch my heart rate wobble the scope recticle. slowing it down and letting my trigger finger operate independently of the rest of the body is cool. i like thinking about the ballistics involved at long distances. i guess its kind of nerdy. but so is mountain biking.

i hunt to eat organic meat. that god-damned Laura's beef is expensive.

David Rivers wrote:I went shooting w/my sister-in-law's brother this summer. We spent 4 hours shooting a Beretta 92FS 9 mm, Remington 7600 .270, and a 12 gauge shotgun. It was the first time I'd been out since I was a kid shooting at my neighbors, and the first time ever shooting a pistol. It was enjoyable and troubling(sobering is a better word) at the same time. Since than I've been pondering purchasing both a pistol and a hunting rifle. I guess the crux for me is the philosophical justification. Simply exercising my 2nd Amendment rights may be enough, but I'd like to ask veteran shooters and hunters why you do it. How much time do you spend honing your skills vs time spent at other pursuits like climbing, biking,surfing, etc. What safety measures do you take in storage? I have lots of other questions, but will start w/these. Thanks, Dave

this card carrying lefty and weapons enthusiast like to fire weapons just because. Seriously, Is there any other reason?

I lived the romantic version of "shooting" for over a year in iraq. Kinda over that. And the weapons we are allowed to have as civilians just really doesnt compare so cant really get excited.

One of the many gifts I brought home from overseas was a heightened sense of vigilance. Clinically diagnosed as NOT hyper-vigilant. Even with this gift that keeps on giving, I dont own a firearm, and wouldnt carry it if I did.
I have two young daughters, the risk of an accident is far greater than the risk of needing a firearm to fend off an attack. For home defense, we of course have a phone to call 911, and two 90 pound lab husky mixes. They are the early detection system and do a great job. In the remotest of remote chances someone would try and break into the house when we are home, they wouldnt get very far, the surprise would be on them cause they cant sneak into the house with these dogs. speaking as a vet, Im not afraid to bludgeon someone to death if they were truly threatening my family.

that being said, firearms are cool. They can be a lot of fun. If you purchase one, please go to formalized training and spare no expense to keep it out of unwanted hands, be it kids or strangers.

A good afternoon of paintball has always been more fun to me than a day of shooting targets.

People who feel they have to open carry have issues. Do EVERYBODY a favor and lose the paranoia!

yeah, open carry is uncomfortable to me on many levels.

However, i have no prob with concealed-carry by qualified folks. but its not for everyone.

as far as home defense goes, i cannot fathom having '911' as my only means to defend my family. its not like i envision any kind of a realistic scenerio where a wacko comes lurching out of the woods, its more like it just seems kind of exposed to not have a pop-gun of some sort in the house.

there's a question: what have non-gun owning folks had to have done in order to dispatch their own cat after it comes crawling home without a face?

never send your attack cat without its tequila-lime helmet; any gun owner knows that

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like this?

You never know who's packin these days.

Well, I almost made it through a few of the posts above...

I hunt mostly from family tradition, Its how I was brought up. I still enjoy it very much, its just another excuse to be out in the mountains and I can gurantee that while hunting youll go places and see things that you would never see otherwise.

I own guns because as a citizen of the USA I think its my responsibility to excercise the rights this country gives me... or something like that. I also am a gear whore and guns are maybe almost a little bit cooler than cams!

I own guns because I like to shoot and I am ultimately responsible for the protection of my family and myself. If you are concerned about ammo cost, buy a 22 along with your larger caliber gun and take both to the range.

My father in-law teaches shooting to kids in Sweden. He claims all of his students see improvements in their grades at school after they start shooting. It is definitely a great exercise in concentration. One of the things I like about climbing is that you have to examine what you are doing carefully for safety because death is a very real consideration. The same is true with handling firearms.

If you want one for protection, keeping it unloaded is not a good idea, separating the ammo is a really really bad idea. Buy a quick access pistol safe. Many of them even have indicators if someone has been trying the combo and getting it wrong ( ie kids). If you don't feel you can store it loaded safely, get something else for protection.

same's true with the operation of a chainsaw. maybe i should have cut more wood in college....

Cpt. E wrote:same's true with the operation of a chainsaw. maybe i should have cut more wood in college....

My uncle dropped out of a CU EE program back in the 60s. He has cut his own trees and has his own sawmill, he made a really good living off of that.

My only advice is to pick up your brass and targets. There are few places to shoot anymore because, unfortunately, many from the gun culture don't pick up after themselves. I grew up with guns, and use them for hunting. Protect the tradition and the right by being responsible and careful.