I’ve gone to the range with a lot of different people over the course of my lifetime. One of my favorite memories is going to an outdoor range with my dad, my brother, and my grandfather. I was young - not even 10 - but I shot the .22 rifle very well. The way I remember it (may have skewed over time) I shot better than my brother.
Another great memory was taking my brother’s family to the range and teach my nephews the right way to shoot a firearm. My brother and I went head to head for 5 rounds each. Because his kids were there, I let him win. He won’t believe me if I told him that, but if you look at all of my other targets, you’ll see the truth.
What is your favorite memory of shooting on the range?
Well, it wasn’t the range but it was at our place… My probably 8 year old daughter was going to video me shooting the 1187 shot gun. She rolled film, and was standing just off to my right. You know where this is going. I fired and she started screaming and jumping around that I shot her!!! The 1187 ejected the shell over on to her!!! A new core memory for me, so so so funny and to this day she still remembers it. I’ll try and find the video and post it.
When I was in boot camp, about the 6th week, we went to the range. Initially, we all shot .22 on a 1911 .45 frame. To qualify you had to put 5 of 7 rounds into an index card sized target. If you did, you could then attempt to qualify for your marksmanship ribbon with a 1911 .45
I shot a perfect 7 for 7, but my Company Commander said he thought someone else must have shot at my target. So he made me shoot again, and I shot 7 of 7 again. Well the RSO, told him that I qualified to shoot for ribbon. My CC was livid, but the rules were the rules. So I got to shoot for my marksmanship ribbon for the .45. I shot and qualified for expert Marksman.
I was the only recruit to qualify for the entire base training. Was extremely satisfying, especially since my CC had his pet, who didn’t even hit the target.
Yes, I was that petty. He was so pissed when the award ceremony was done.
His pet got asmo’ed back 2 weeks because he was this big muscled out jock, with absolutely 0 stamina. So he flunked out eventually because he couldn’t perform to standard.
I consider myself as a new / fresh shooter (1 year), so I do not have many of favorite memories… but definitely the best range time ever was teaching my two sons how to operate the firearm.
There is nothing better for a Parent than seeing how your kids are doing the same mistakes we were doing before… and then you know how to correct them and made all to be perfect.
I’m the kind of father who want my kids be better than me, so I really enjoy every minute they spend with me on the Range.
You won’t be able to post video here, @Fizbin (we don’t have the bandwidth to look at videos to approve them - YET). But you can send it to me at support@uscca.com and I can upload it for you.
Most definitely my favorite time at the range was when I was a AF weapons instructor at Nellis AFB, NV. On Saturdays a bunch of my fellow instructors would meet at the base range with our families and a large assortment of firearms. We would picnic and socialize off the range and try out each other’s guns on the line. We even had a few general officers join us. Man do I miss those days.
He was reassigned to another boot camp company, that was 2 weeks of training behind us. I’m not sure what boot is now but the 6th week of boot, was passing the physical testing requirements. So he could try to pass the physical requirements.
On a side note, when you have that happen, you usually get extra PT, called Mo Tours or Mini Mo Tours. Ostensibly, they were given out if you weren’t meeting training standards. But they were also used for those who needed more physical training.
Mo Tours =Motivational Tours of 3 hours of intense PT, supervised by Company Commanders
Mini Mo Tours =Same as above but only 1 hour of intense PT.
Due to physical requirements required to test into my rating, I did a Full Mo tour every night. As I felt I needed more upper body strength. I was literally on a 4000 calorie a day diet for 6 years and I had to sit in front of an enlisted person of higher rank to make sure I ate all of my meals (Per Doctors orders) as I did not have enough body fat. So I missed alot of the down time that helped to build unity, or that was the reason I was given by my CC.
The pet was my boot camp RCPO (Recruit Chief Petty Officer recruit in charge when CC were not), gave me alot of grief. Especially, after 4th week when we had to do a required stamina run. He actually fell out during the run and another recruit and I, literally, carried him through the rest of the run.
You’re the right guy to ask!
Well unless that changed (also) a Petty Officer is US Navy. So much has changed even I guess I even heard that during training they cannot hit someone any more for screwing up like when I was in
My favorite memory was taking my wife out to the back 40 of the family property. We had a small range out there. I bought her a ruger 10/22, I set up a target at about 50 yds and set the gun on some sand bags. (She never used a scope up to this.point) I had everything lined up and put her on the gun and asked if she could see the target. she said yes, which was a lie because on that target was a ring with will you marry me above and a yes and no bullseye. I told her check again so she adjusted and then actually saw it. We still have that target hanging in the man cave.
Back in 2014, during my first visit to the USA, my friends took the group of us Brits to the shotgun range for some clay pigeon shooting.
I was the best shot, beating the gun owner!
Back in the mid to late 80s, before many shooting disciplines were banned in the UK, I did enjoy shooting shotgun, rifle and pistols. It was good to see that my aim was still good 30 years later.
My worship pastor and his wife have been interested getting a firearm and their CCW. Myself and another member took them , along with their 8 and8 12 year old boys, to the range to let them try various pistols.Started them on the .22, then let them work with a .380, a 9mm, .40, .45, .38 snub, and .357. All four had a great time, and now want to get their own guns more than ever. Watching them all enjoy the learning experience, especially the boys, made a great day.
