A conversation on FB last week got me thinking about the different types of gun owners out there. I made a passing comment on a "friends" post and somehow got into a "tiff" or "lecturing session" with someone they know. Most of this I attribute to their youth, pass it off and don't really care but it really made me think about the diversity of "why" each person shoots. It became clear to me that my focus these days is on defensive shooting while the person I was communicating with simply just enjoys going out to a field and shooting whatever.
I don't like generalizations/stereotypes typically and try to point them out when I hear them or realize I'm making one myself. They are pointless, inaccurate, and even sometimes condescending or disrespectful. The Yeager video where he describes the different "types" of shooters was very innacurate based on my experience, not to mention unprofessional of him but it still got me thinking again of the same thing.
I wonder, is there a distinction between types of shooters? I grew up shooting long gun competitions (trap, 22 rifle, distance rifle, etc.) I more or less shot for the fun of it. I was a good shooter and absorbed everything I could from the competitors I was around, but largely I simply enjoyed shooting. Although I performed well, it wasn't my goal to be a state champion or anything as such simply because at those ages I knew my mother (single mom) wouldn't care for the cost to compete at those levels plus the time and travel involved.
I have yet to try pistol competitions, but yet I carry daily and have since I was 18. After my discharge from the Marines I focus my shooting on practical/defensive type of shooting. Part of this is due to having minimal time and money to enjoy shooting so what time I can devote to it is focused on maintaining my "combat proficiency." I enjoy this type of shooting as well, so it's not necessarily a feeling of "work." I enjoy any and all shooting, I just don't have time to enjoy it all as much as I would like right now. When I get more available funds and time I look forward to devoting more time to my life long pashion as well as soak up additional training opportunities and try my hand in some pistol competitions.
I merely find it odd that while I enjoy all types of shooting, right now I pretty much shoot with a focus. I shoot to maintain proficiency for dangerous situations with various obstacles due to the little time I can spend shooting.
So, I guess my question is: How many of you shooters out there shoot for a single reason? Why do you shoot? I think we can all agree that it's fun, otherwise we wouldn't do it. I'm talking about ASIDE from that. What is YOUR focus/reason for shooting. Do you just enjoy competitiveness and shoot competitions mostly? Do you really only shoot for defensive purposes and pistol carry? Do you only hunt? If you had to pick one, most important reason; Why do YOU shoot? What is YOUR focus?
I don't like generalizations/stereotypes typically and try to point them out when I hear them or realize I'm making one myself. They are pointless, inaccurate, and even sometimes condescending or disrespectful. The Yeager video where he describes the different "types" of shooters was very innacurate based on my experience, not to mention unprofessional of him but it still got me thinking again of the same thing.
I wonder, is there a distinction between types of shooters? I grew up shooting long gun competitions (trap, 22 rifle, distance rifle, etc.) I more or less shot for the fun of it. I was a good shooter and absorbed everything I could from the competitors I was around, but largely I simply enjoyed shooting. Although I performed well, it wasn't my goal to be a state champion or anything as such simply because at those ages I knew my mother (single mom) wouldn't care for the cost to compete at those levels plus the time and travel involved.
I have yet to try pistol competitions, but yet I carry daily and have since I was 18. After my discharge from the Marines I focus my shooting on practical/defensive type of shooting. Part of this is due to having minimal time and money to enjoy shooting so what time I can devote to it is focused on maintaining my "combat proficiency." I enjoy this type of shooting as well, so it's not necessarily a feeling of "work." I enjoy any and all shooting, I just don't have time to enjoy it all as much as I would like right now. When I get more available funds and time I look forward to devoting more time to my life long pashion as well as soak up additional training opportunities and try my hand in some pistol competitions.
I merely find it odd that while I enjoy all types of shooting, right now I pretty much shoot with a focus. I shoot to maintain proficiency for dangerous situations with various obstacles due to the little time I can spend shooting.
So, I guess my question is: How many of you shooters out there shoot for a single reason? Why do you shoot? I think we can all agree that it's fun, otherwise we wouldn't do it. I'm talking about ASIDE from that. What is YOUR focus/reason for shooting. Do you just enjoy competitiveness and shoot competitions mostly? Do you really only shoot for defensive purposes and pistol carry? Do you only hunt? If you had to pick one, most important reason; Why do YOU shoot? What is YOUR focus?
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While I'm a competitive sort of person, I don't find the need to go "best" people. I enjoy going to the range and meeting others and having fun.
Any other ones I missed, please share it.
). I carry, and enjoy competing (only done bullseye, but it was a lot of fun to watch my scores improve). Should probably start working more on the self-defense by taking training, etc., but finding the money (and more importantly the TIME because I travel usually on short notice and have been spending 50% of my time in Canada for the last 4 months) is tough.
