Where did you learn to shoot

[Triang]

I know lots of local shooters now but unfortunately being a non smoker , non gambler , non extra marital woman chaser and a pub hating non drinker , no one wants you along.

Doesn't sound like a barrel of fun I've got to say

[Westy]

I know lots of local shooters now but unfortunately being a non smoker , non gambler , non extra marital woman chaser and a pub hating non drinker , no one wants you along.

Doesn't sound like a barrel of fun I've got to say

I don't take anyone with me I haven't know for over a year now days!!!! Jack your not alone mate I'm all of those things and more and very happy about it!!!! Last thing I need is a drug f***ed pisshead ruining a good weekend, been there done that doesn't happen anymore!!!! Last thing I need is someone else losing my hard earned property's because their a asshole!!!! Who knows Jack in 12 months we might get a hunt going

Cheers Westy

[North East]

I'm completely self taught because I'm the only shooter in my circle of friends and family. I went on YouTube, read a lot of forum posts for questions that I had and then went to the range quite a lot.

Know the feeling well. My dad was an actor and singer back in the UK before I was born and I never met any relatives outside my brother and sisters who don't own any guns when I was learning .

I know lots of local shooters now but unfortunately being a non smoker , non gambler , non extra marital woman chaser and a pub hating non drinker , no one wants you along . Hence my life time of mainly solo hunting. I have a nephew on my wife's side now that hunts but he is a heavy drinker and gets aggressive when drunk , think he smokes pot too so I stay right away . Pity though . Finding a good hunting partner is harder than finding game in my situation .

Nothing wrong with hunting alone, I always do. Less chance of getting shot by your mate, a lot quieter. Just carry a PLB.

[Jack V]

I know lots of local shooters now but unfortunately being a non smoker , non gambler , non extra marital woman chaser and a pub hating non drinker , no one wants you along.

Doesn't sound like a barrel of fun I've got to say

I don't take anyone with me I haven't know for over a year now days!!!! Jack your not alone mate I'm all of those things and more and very happy about it!!!! Last thing I need is a drug f***ed pisshead ruining a good weekend, been there done that doesn't happen anymore!!!! Last thing I need is someone else losing my hard earned property's because their a asshole!!!! Who knows Jack in 12 months we might get a hunt going

Cheers Westy

Mate I have lost two great properties from taking idiots away with me . Two work mates that I thought were ok well they were at work but in the bush they went crazy , did dangerous things , got pissed all the time . In the end I took them home early but when I tried to get back on by myself no go .
That was the last time I ever took anyone away . I know exactly where you are coming from . I would be happy to shoot with someone who had similar values to me. Maybe I am a bit boring but nobody ever got hurt on one of my trips .

[headspace]

I got started about age 10 with a mate and his air rifle. Then went straight to 303 at Liverpool Range. Then back to a 22 chasing rabbits, then got a job in a gunstore in George St, got the callup and then spent 2 years shooting everything from a 9mm Browning to a 40mm Bofor. Personal weapon was an AR, the heavy barrel version of the SLR with a 30 round mag. Did a tour to Malaya, South China Sea and Thai Border during the Indon Confrontation and learned to hate the jungle. My rifle was always a lot cleaner than I was. There were a lot of great rifles along the way, and few duds.
Now I just like to hunt a bit and punch a few holes.
JD

[Lorgar]

Mate I have lost two great properties from taking idiots away with me.

I've had one, a 2,000 acre property in north Vic.

Unfortunately the mate that got me the invite was also the one who cost me it.

Shot out wires on the owners fence and hit one of his gates driving in the fog

[Jack V]

That's a bit of bad luck and maybe a bit of over reaction by the owner.

My two idiot mates did something concerning the owners nanny who lived on the property but I have never been able to find out what exactly. I think that they put the hard word on he. Also they were pissed at the time because they went into town and did something on their way back to camp and when they got back I knew they had been to the pub.

Never spoke to either of them ever again after that. I lost two 200,000 acre properties side by side in Qld.

[Westy]

Wow That's a blow mate,yep some people are only in it for the weekend which effect those of us who choose it as a lifestyle!!!!!

[Jack V]

Yeah these kind of parasites never consider how hard it is to find a good place and how much time and money is invested in the search .

I never recovered from that loss and found a place as good as that. I still get upset thinking about it. South West Qld is my favourite place on Earth and they f*cked it all up.

About 10 years after this happened one of the fools rang me and wanted to go shooting again . I guess drunken idiots have short memories or something .

Anyway I will not repeat what I said but I left him with no illusions as to what a retarded scum bag he was and not to ever front me for his own safety.

I could not believe he had the gaul to ring me. Maybe he though I might have forgotten, not likely I still have all my brain cells thankyou .

[Westy]

X2 on South Western Queensland that's my favourite stomping ground as well

[headwerkn]

While both my grandfathers had firearms neither ever took me aside to show me how to shoot - in hindsight, it was interference from my mother.

As such, my first experience was at the age of 15 with a friend and his father's .22WMR on the family property, shooting at targets just for the hell of it. Back in the day when two teenagers running around the bush with a gun barely raised an eyebrow from anyone. One year later PAM happened and, er, the mood changed somewhat.

In terms of learning to shoot properly though, that came many years later, on a mate's farm doing wallaby culls. I was given a Ruger 77/22, a fence post and a tin can. Three shots later I was hooked. He then gave me a Tikka T3 in .223. One shot later and I was deaf for 10 minutes!

[Westy]

He then gave me a Tikka T3 in .223. One shot later and I was deaf for 10 minutes!

This I like

[North East]

Great….now he has hearing damage for the rest of his life.

[Chronos]

Great….now he has hearing damage for the rest of his life.

Yep, some people think that's funny, I reckon a public flogging is in order

I have a mate who back in the olden days bought his first rifle, a .270 and a couple of boxes if ammo from a Sydney dealer and proceeded to go bush and shoot them all off in an hour or so.

End result 80% hearing loss in his right ear.

Chronos

[North East]

Any one who fires a centerfire or a rimfire without hearing protection is an idiot. Doesn't matter if it's hunting or on a bench.

Eventually you will start saying…hey?….the damage is done and cannot be repaired.

[artimu]

Never spoke to either of them ever again after that. I lost two 200,000 acre properties side by side in Qld.

Sounds like the pair of them were in top form for f***ing it up

[loopal]

About 10 years after this happened one of the fools rang me and wanted to go shooting again . I guess drunken idiots have short memories or something .

Wanted you to provide the property too again I guess

[Westy]

Any one who fires a centerfire or a rimfire without hearing protection is an idiot. Doesn't matter if it's hunting or on a bench.

Eventually you will start saying…hey?….the damage is done and cannot be repaired.

HEY WHAT????

[Jack V]

Never spoke to either of them ever again after that. I lost two 200,000 acre properties side by side in Qld.

Sounds like the pair of them were in top form for f***ing it up

Amen to that. The problem was that they seemed ok at work but went stupid in the bush .

[headwerkn]

Any one who fires a centerfire or a rimfire without hearing protection is an idiot.

Agreed - audio engineering is a hobby/passion of mine and as such I tend to be pretty paranoid about my hearing. Unfortunately the bloke is a farmer and like many, isn't great when it comes to OH&S. I spent half a day woodcutting with him once, no 'muffs or anything while using the chainsaw. Crazy, sort of thing I wouldn't dream of doing.

I work in a fabrication shop these days and basically have either earplugs or earmuffs on from 7:30 to 4:30. All the young blokes do the same, which is good to see.

[Jack V]

Wanted you to provide the property too again I guess

The discussion never got to who would supply the property but you would be right for sure.

It really hurts when you do the right thing by people and trust them and then they sh*t on the property owners and ruin the trust you have worked hard to build-up. It is the only time in my life that I was not welcome to come back to a property and gee it hurt real bad. Try as I may to convince the owner I had nothing to do with anything they may have done and that they conned me real good , he was unmoved. I can't blame him. Just goes to show you can know someone in a work situation for many years and think they are good blokes but put them in a different situation and they can be totally different.

The really sad part is since then a few people have wanted to go away but I was afraid to take anyone again and may have missed out on a good friendship.

I was probably dumb also for taking unknown quantities to my best property. I should have tested them out some place else first.

[Supporter]

It is the only time in my life that I was not welcome to come back to a property and gee it hurt real bad.

Yeah that's gotta hurt

[Mark.A]

But are there any actual courses out there where you can go along and have good skills slapped into you.. and before you say join the army/reserves/air force/navy/salvation army/boy scouts of america or peru... Its an honest question... I am curious, I am the only shooter in my family (When I say that the one actually interested in learning to shoot, as apposed to my dad and brother who hold licenses and make stuff up as they go along)

Just a question...

[jackles]

Just a question...

Relax, no one is going to bite your head off for asking

[Gregg]

But are there any actual courses out there where you can go along and have good skills slapped into you.

Not to the best of my knowledge.

I've been at this game for a while and I've never come across anything here along the lines of a 'shooting school' or classes to attend for the dedicated purpose of learning to shoot.

Tips from guys at the range or in the forum community like this are about it AFAIK.

[horter]

Tips from guys at the range or in the forum community like this are about it AFAIK.

Just gotta get right who's advice you listen too

[Mark.A]

Thats the truth in the matter isnt it, I suspect there isnt any real training, as no one wants to be held responsible.. I guess its one of those things, that you listen learn, hopefully find some people that know more than you and are kindred spirits, and hopefully they will ask you along so you can observe...

Funny old world isnt it.. ( I am used to most forums where if you ask a question, thats a little open ended, you just get flamed, or told off, or the trolls comes out for a good baiting session.. never made to much sense to me but hey!)

[cavok]

Thats the truth in the matter isnt it, I suspect there isnt any real training, as no one wants to be held responsible.. I guess its one of those things, that you listen learn, hopefully find some people that know more than you and are kindred spirits, and hopefully they will ask you along so you can observe...

Funny old world isnt it.. ( I am used to most forums where if you ask a question, thats a little open ended, you just get flamed, or told off, or the trolls comes out for a good baiting session.. never made to much sense to me but hey!)

Actually looking at your collection of rifles at the end of your post there are many aspects of shooting this covers, possibly hunting as well which is another chapter in itself. Someone teaching you does not reflect in another being responsible. You as the student learns from those that have skills. Also looking at your collection of firearms that takes a while to accumulate, so you obviously have shot a few rounds and then some?
So, specifically what type of shooting are you wishing to learn about, long range, using what rifle. What in your shooting ability are you wishing to improve?

[Chronos]

Thats the truth in the matter isnt it, I suspect there isnt any real training, as no one wants to be held responsible.. I guess its one of those things, that you listen learn, hopefully find some people that know more than you and are kindred spirits, and hopefully they will ask you along so you can observe...

Funny old world isnt it.. ( I am used to most forums where if you ask a question, thats a little open ended, you just get flamed, or told off, or the trolls comes out for a good baiting session.. never made to much sense to me but hey!)

The first training a new shouter should be getting cones from your safe handling instructor, perhaps too many are simply ticking boxes and are not interested in actually training new shooters.

I was fortunate enough to learn to shoot as I said above in a club environment. Every Saturday I would go along and shoot. Of purse between joining the club and getting my licence I was supervised 1 on 1 by experienced club members. All of whom were A grade or master grade service rifle shooters and or Fullbore shooters, many with huge amounts of hunting experience too.

Apart from the obvious safety stuff there is so much to learn and being surrounded by HELPFUL people who can offer advice or share their experience and that is worth more than all the vids on YouTube and all the anonymous advice on shouting forums.

Chronos

[RoginaJack]

I first learned to shoot was with a weapon, yep, a weapon, a shanghai & made it from a fork from a Privet tree, old inner bike tube and the tongue from Dads' old work boots. The only things allowed was Sparrows and Starlings. This was in Cootamundra when I was a wee lad.
After a few years we were sent to Moree and got a Dianna .177 air gun. Thought that was the cats whiskers! Feral pigeons were added to the list. My oldest brother can to live with us and come the weekends we went chasing pigs with a dog. main subject was a sow with little - skits the dog onto the sow and after the piglets on foot. We had a tube fed self loading .22, with no extractor and being left handed, it was my job to look after the sow as I could use a screwdriver the extract the fired case with my right hand, cock and reload and fire with my left. Do not try this at home!
After that we all transferred to Grafton and I was in high school then and joined the local cadet unit. We fired SMLE with very worn .22 barrels at the army reserve depot in Bacon (?) St. The W.O. in charge taught us the basics and safety drills and then it was up to us. One Wednesday the ammo allocation didn't arrive so no ammo. I walked around into Prince street to the LGS The Trading Post, owned by Carl Falk and explained the situation, he donated a box and away we went. Carl was a great shooter and passed on a lot of knowledge to me re shooting 303s etc.
I don't think that there is that type of opportunity around now for the new shooters and sadly a lot of the training ranges are closed.

Sad really...