Does shooting create nerds or do nerds select shooting!?

[paulbradley]

Firstly I would like to confess I am a lifelong nerd. I love tinkering and problem solving so the term nerd is not meant as an insult. I think its a compliment. But I digress. I got to thinking about this the other day. Shooting requires a good deal of reading, learning, tinkering and fettling. It is literally nerd paradise. If I'm honest that was a huge attraction for me. I love to occupy my spare time learning and improving. What If I were a really tough manly type who hated nerdery. Would shooting slowly force me to become a nerd? Or would I happily plink away with milsurp for the rest of my days caring little about precision or accuracy? I think the sport could have a hidden psychological side effect. Could it be that shooting creates a more diligent and thoughtful personality. This is the complete reverse of the main stream media myth that shooting creates swivel eyed psychopathic loners. So a bit of a poll. Were you a nerd that selected shooting or did shooting nerdify you? OR you might admit to being a plinking knuckle dragger! Again no offence, I've dragged knuckles with the best of them at some points in my life

[techguy]

I'm a nerd...always been a nerd, always will be.. shooting allows me to be as nerdy as I like

[karen]

I'm not a nerd - I started shooting because I fancied a bloke and carried on because I fancied more blokes. Never tinkered with my rifle ever (although I have taken my rearsight iris with filters and polariser to bits but that's just because I could read the instructions )

Tinkering is man-stuff!

[paulbradley]

Karen - you have your own category... People who shoot because they fancied a man. I think it may be quite a small category here unless we have some closet outery! You have probably now got a lot of guys thinking hmmm a lady that shoots and will let me tinker and buy accessories!! Woohoo!!

[Demonic69]

I'm a geek, not really a nerd Always have been, computers, electronics, microcontrollers, LEDs. Now I'm a bit older metalwork and some engineering, design etc.
Shooting fits in well with that and I think it could be part of the attraction for some shooters.
I'm fascinated by the engineering aspects of shooting, also the opportunity to tinker (within safe boundaries you safety-nazis you).
Karen, how many men do you currently fancy?

[karen]

Lots (but don't tell IainWR! ) however they are probably all too young for me

[paulbradley]

Is there a difference between geek and nerd? Does one have a neck beard and the other a fedora?

[dromia]

Second thread moved here from Grumpy Old Men this morning.

If it is shooting related then the Grumpy Old Men forum is not the place for it!

[paulbradley]

You could start a thread in grumpy old men about that. Although it might fall into shooting related

[dromia]

More like your style than mine, that sort of thing.