My first experience shooting was with my uncle Brian. I was eight years old, and he stuck me behind a 12 gauge shotgun, the sheer power of that weapon astounded me, from that point on I was mesmerized by firearms. My next gun was a daisy BB gun. My grandfather is the one that taught me how to shoot, and I would like to take a moment to honor him, as he passed earlier this year. My grandfather served in the Army in a special operations unit that operated behind enemy lines in Burma, this unit later became known as Merrill's Marauders. My grandfather was awarded the bronze star and many other medals and recognitions, but the medals that we are left with after his passing only show a small amount of his greatness. He instilled in me the value of a persons character, the importance of temperament, and power of empathy. Here is a picture of him with my daughter Kali.
My grandfather taught me patiently in my back yard shooting at cans. He had me focus on my breathing, trigger pull, and steadying of the weapon. My next gun was from my uncle and it was the trusty old ruger 10/22. That little 10/22 provided hours of plinking pleasures.
The first "real" gun I bought when I was 21. I was a poor college student and was overcompensating to say the least....I got a 300 WBY Mag in a Weatherby Vanguard. The rifle was overkill for anything that I shot with it, but it gave me a respect for recoil, and it provided me with a great desire to be accurate because I had no intention of firing it more than once. I was not satisfied with the weatherby, as it was far more powerful than I needed, as most of my hunting was of rabbits and coyotes. So I decided to sell it and get something else....and so it began. From that moment on I have been in a constant state of selling, purchasing, upgrading, and trading guns. To demonstrate how horrible my addiction is; I have not cleaned a gun in over 5 years, because I do not keep them long enough! But it is something that I enjoy, and so I hope that as I share my experiences that others may enjoy them as well.
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