Jump to content

What age??


PaulB

Recommended Posts

At what age did we all start shooting, I'm asking after Vim's comment in another thread, and would be interested to see how many of us started later in life.

Myself i started going out with my dad at about 10 or 11, shot starlings in the back 'garden' at 12 with an air pistol and regularly used air rifles for squirrels and rabbits from about 13, progressing to shotguns in my late teens, I'm now 36 <_< ( and bald).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Started on bunnies in the mid '50's using a SMLE tubed to .22... under tutelage of Grandfather, who did most of his shooting on the Somme in 1916. But that wasn't bunnies nor was it a .22 Rimmy.

 

So the answer is about 7 or 8 years old . <_<:lol: and that got me started.

 

 

ATB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Father bought an air rifle when I was very young, started using it in the garden

and on hunts at 5. (they always told me to go back and chase up those geese).

Shot the shotgun at 6 first time, nice eye-opener. Later was last man with

lancaster 12g loaded with 3A or sg on bushbuck hunts. Had a lovely BSA target heavy barrel

22lr at ten, was great fun taking out the pricked geese that landed in a lake, even shot one flying.

My father never asked and always dropped home air rifle pellets weekly.

Never had reliable street lamps in those days. :D

edi

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My uncle gave me my first airgun, a tinplate diana, when i was four years old, it was a tall as me :D , i can remember shooting it at six, being taken out with my dad, and shooting at rabbits to make them run...then he blathered them with a single 12. I still have the diana, and gave it to my son when he turned six.I was lucky, we lived on a large estate, where my dad was one of three caretakers [wentworth castle, near barnsley] we had a family day out, there a couple of weeks ago, and i showed my lad, the spot, where i saw my first rabbit shot, i can remember that day, as if it was yesterday.

I loved it when my dad called at the local pet shop, and came home with a tin of .177, and .22 milbro caledonian pellets, they lasted all of a couple of days.My first real gun was a .22 meteor of my grandads [it was a mk2] that shot some pheasants off the tied cottage wall. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest martin

My Grandad was a lock keeper,and,I used to walk down the towpath with a .410 shotgun at about 7yrs.I wasn't allowed to though until I could swim,just incase I fell in the canal.That was in the early 60's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Notched up my first Firearms conviction at the tender age of 11 :D

 

 

may be thats y you are a firm believer in a older age for firearms holders. :D

 

because you where to immature yourself to hold one ;):P:D

 

ATB

Colin ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Started shooting spuggies at the age of 10 with the air rifle. Went on to shoot bunnies with the 410 (with old pop) and then at the age of 12 my uncle (head stalker) took me to the loch edge to have a shot of the 270. Shot 5 shots into the centre'ish of the A4 paper. We went up onto the hill that afternoon and i culled my first hind and calf. The next rut i shot my first stag, Never really looked back since.

 

Ads

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Personally I started with an old 177 Lincoln Jeffery's and an Original model 50 at around 6 - 7, trying to feed the ferrets, with then progressed to a single barrel 20 bore at 10 , I've still got this for my son when he's ready.

 

I believe the air rifle, at a young age is a great way to instill gun sense and safety, given from a seasoned shot, great thread :D

 

Cheers Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Started out young, 9-10'ish with a catapult or 'Gutties' as we call them up here, then on to air rifles/pistols, then I was in the military at 17 and ain't ever stopped from there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Had my first airgun a Gat air pistol at 13 (My parnts did not know I had it) and then a BSA airsporter at 14 and a AYA single barrel at 15.I was allowed to go rabbiting and pigeon shooting by my self. I would spend my pocket money on a saturday buying cartridges(box of 25 @ about £2.00 a box. 20 years a go) and shoot them on sunday.

 

Happy days in a care free world.

 

Dogfox

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My old man ate, drank and slept football, i didnt so the best thing he ever did was buy me an air rifle at 9 years old.

I used to practice in the cellar of our Army quarters in Germany with a proper target trap.

This lead to 30 years of competetive shooting mainly fullbore pistol for 14 years but with air pistols/rifles, clays, smallbore pistol before hand and BPCR and Benchrest after the ban so i never became the football fan my old man wanted me to be.

Never shot anything live untill 2005, i am now converted but i am thinking of going back into competitive BR next year.

 

Ian.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Started at 8 /9 with a Webley Vulcan, moved on to Weirauchs a few years later (had 35, 80, 77) as well as a variety of crossbows and longbows as I got bigger.

 

Never looked back really, progressed to s/gun and firearms when I could afford to.

 

Shot all my life and still find it an interesting and facinating sport.

 

There's one thing for sure - the older you get, the more expensive the toys get :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started shooting between 9-10 years old. My first gun was a BSA Meteor, great little rifle and shot loaads with it. Progressed to a Feinwerkbau Sport, which I still have some 30 years later and it still spoils squirels days :lol:

Cheers

Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I dont really know when maybe 8 or so, Dad used to take me out shooting rabbits with an old .22 BSA with open sights he was never into in a big way just liked going out shooting once in a while, I got addicted to it and have never stopped.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Used to go out with my dad shooting sparrows when I was 4, with an old .177 Diana airgun. Did not have my first shotgun till I was 18. Then had a break (moved to Northern Ireland) and did not start shooting again till I was 30 (bought my first airgun worth having: HW97). First firearm certificate when I was 34. First year of my certificate a 22RF and a shotgun. Fifth year of my certificate... 10 rifles.

 

these things breed!

 

Finman

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started plinking at the range with a 22 pistol when I was 8 or so. I started hunting at 11 with a 16 bore. At 12 I was shooting the 16 and a 12 bore for small game and my 30-06 for deer. Still have all of those guns and use them when I can.

 

thanks

rick

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was not as lucky as most here as my old man lost his eye through an accident with an air rifle pellet when he was a kid so I had a very early lesson about gun safety so to speak so my folks didn't want me anywhere near guns as I was growing up :D And before anyone stars saying about kids not being safe with guns, he and his two cousins where shooting at a target in a hedge and one of the pellets came back. So unknown to my folks I had found the old air rifle dad had for knocking off the odd rat and so early in the mornings I'd be out the bed and shoot the peg off of next doors washing line and I must be honest I did take a few of the birds in the garden, haven't a clue what make it was but I do remember that it shot very well and only had open sights. I eventually got my hands on an old .22 relum which my mate looked after for me. Once I moved out of home at 17 then I got all sorts, an HW35 .22, Feinwerkbau Sport .177 plus a few others that came and went along with a 16g single barrel shotgun which did me for a few years. then I moved to Bomin and got married, had kids and thought I'd like my son to know about the countryside, shooting and fishing so I went and got more guns and rifles. One of the most unusal guns I have had was a 16g s/s Darne, a very nice and very quick little gun which I shot for several years until I did a deal with a mate of mine which took the gun back to the USA with him. The most interesting gun I had and I got rid of it before I knew the history of it was a 20g Beretta s/s which was the gun that Prince William learnt to shoot with at Windsor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Started with a gat pistol at 8 or 9. Fired my first full bore rifle Lee Enfield No 4 Mk 4 at 12 years old with Cadets. Shot my first Rabbit at 13, I started of with a BSA Air Sporter, I used to strip it down and fettle it at 13 or 14 years of age. I then got a .177 HW77, that was a top rifle i shot thousands of animals with that rifle. I shot my first Deer about 3 or 4 years ago with Dogmacdon from Passion from Stalking and have not looked back. Shot gun is great fun but It is not a patch on rifle shooting in my book.

 

Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy