A Novice’s First Time Firing A Gun
Never in my life did I imagine myself holding a gun for fun—a fake one, perhaps, but a real one? Nada. And it’s a truly exhilarating experience! One of my boyfriend’s hobbies is range shooting, and he took me there on one of our first dates. I love sharing our hobbies and interests. Surely, this is one for the books!
Now I’m going to walk you through my experience and maybe give you a few pointers for future plans if you ever thought of trying the shooting range yourself.
Proper Attire
When we arrived at the shooting range, the first thing we did was fill out a form and provide identification. Then they examined our clothing and accessories. I believe that some shooting ranges supply vests, but where we went, it was fine without one—especially since this was during ECQ. Shooting earmuffs and glasses are important, be it your normal once or the once they provide for covering your eyes.
While it seems easy in movies to roll on the ground while wearing heels and point at the target, it’s actually quite difficult. I was being silly by wearing ankle boots and assuming it was appropriate. Although I’m used to wearing heels and can stand straight and aim, it wasn’t easy.
Because we live in a tropical country, the shooting range can get quite hot, so I recommend wearing light, stretchy clothing. Put your hair up and remove any unnecessary accessories, including rings, bracelets on your wrists. Then comes the most important part: have confidence in yourself and how you hold the gun.
Weight
Let me tell you, I underestimated the gun’s weight. I knew guns were heavy, however I had never considered the act of aiming while holding a heavy weapon in my outstretched hands before firing. It’s incredibly straining, particularly for someone who doesn’t work out!
I had to keep my stance, especially firing my first shot. My partner was behind my back, assisting me in stretching my hands, instructing me on when to pull the trigger, and most importantly, bracing myself for the recoil.
My arms weren’t numb because I only did 20 or so shots, but it still strained me. Nonetheless, shot after shot, I felt quite powerful.
Recoil
When a bullet is fired from a gun, the shooter feels a backward movement known as recoil or kickback. The law of physics states that when a gun propels a bullet forward, the bullet will exert an equal force in the opposite direction of the gun.
It wasn’t much of a shock to me because my partner reminded me multiple times about the recoil and how I needed to stand my ground and not let it derail my shot. The contrast between expectation and reality was not far-fetched. Because he was behind me, my back would press against him, aiding in recoil and keeping my shot straight.
My takeaways from my first experience
Shooting is undoubtedly more of a sport than a pastime. It can be done for both fun and health benefits. You can improve your strength, stamina, vision, strength, and mental clarity.
Although handling a gun can be entertaining, you must always exercise respect for something that has the potential to seriously harm or even kill someone. It is a weapon that is more frequently used to defend than to harm. So, in order to use this properly, the utmost training is required. Now, would I add this to my sports like my partner does?
I may not perform well at first, but I am confident that with enough practice, I will improve. Firing a gun was a lot of fun, and I think I did pretty well as a novice. I must devote the necessary time and effort to my training and be clear about my goals and objectives in order to continue with this hobby. And wouldn’t it be cool to have my own gun in the future, right?
Joyce Margaux is a driven journalism student looking to improve her writing abilities and become a better version of herself. When it comes to duties being completed, she values time management and consistency. She considers herself as a responsible and orderly person that yearns to live the best life