No matter what kind of firearm owner you are, be it hunter, competitor, collector, professional sheepdog, home defender, prepper, or all of the above, we all took that critical first shot. While so many around us are spreading the false narrative about how all guns are evil, I want to focus on that first shot and why it makes such a big difference in our lives.
No matter how many firearms we now have or bullets we have sent down range, we all started somewhere. Those of us who advocate for recognition of Second Amendment rights understand the incredible responsibility that comes with firearms ownership. A proper beginning leads to the right path.
Everyone has seen the YouTube videos of someone shooting a huge handgun, shotgun or rifle – using the absolute worse form possible and getting a face full of gun in return for it. Yes, some of them are funny as hell, but imagine if that was your first shot. How eager would you have been to continue shooting? How comfortable would you be picking up a firearm for self defense? Is it possible an experience like that could shape your opinion of firearms, skewing it towards how unsafe they are?
Sadly there are a lot of people whose first shot went this way. One of the ones I’ve spoken with is the wife of a friend. He is a shooter and she is not. When I asked why, she shared the story of the old boyfriend who took her shooting and gave her a huge, loud and uncomfortable firearm. That was the first and last time she touched any firearm.
By far the most time honored way people get their first shots is through family members. Typically parents, most often still the father – however that is changing – grandfathers or uncles who help little ones understand firearm safety, proper use, care and the essentials of marksmanship. Handing down the tradition of firearms like this helps ensure not only the respect of the firearm, but for the Second Amendment itself.
There are also a number of organizations that teach firearms safety and marksmanship such as the Project Appleseed, 4-H, Boy Scouts, the NSSF First Shots and the NRA FIRST Steps and Women On Target programs, as well as many affiliated private companies and instructors. They all share the same primary goals, teaching safety and responsibly.
My own path started on my grandfather’s farm in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. No idea how old I was at the time, but I was pretty young. I remember seeing my grandfather’s rifles in a glass front case in the dining room. To this day I have no idea if it was locked or not. I would never have considered trying to open it myself. I was taught not to. One day my grandfather put a raccoon that had been shot on the farm on top of a fencepost. From what I learned later about my grandfather’s hunting ethics, I have no doubt said raccoon had taken one liberty too many in the cattle barn. He explained the rifle to me, showed me how to hold it, aim properly and shoot. The only thing I recall of the rifle was the checkering on the stock. It was rough and beautiful. I’m sure it must have been a .22. I took the shot and it hit the very top front edge of the fencepost and deflected up and into said raccoon. I still maintain it was a valid hit. Years later I bought my first rifle, a Ruger 10/22, which now belongs to my son. Several revolvers and pistols later, I entered law enforcement and began receiving formal training and cementing my addiction to things that go bang, pop and pew.
As we are trying to secure and advance firearms owner’s rights, let’s not forget what brought us to this point and that our primary obligation is for safety and responsible ownership.
If you are willing to share your first shot experience in the comments, I would love to hear it. Hopefully everyone’s stories will help inspire families to pass on this tradition to the next generation or for individuals to seek out the right training to take that all important first shot.
Bob
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