Never really thought about it but I have been fascinated by them since I was a nipper so I will think it out on here.
Some of you might recognise the following, there will be some common threads.
I don't really come from a military family, although when I was very small I used to shoot the next door neighbours airgun. I found my first rotten old corroded 303 cartridge when I was about 7 and have been collecting ever since.
I used to hang about on a range as a kid. They got fed up of chucking me off the place and gave up in the end, so I ended up helping the range warden and learned a lot more than I should have known at 12, but it probably saved my limbs and eyesight thinking about what kids got up to back then with ammo.
Meanwhile I was driving the neighbours nuts with small home made cannons and my airgun range.
By the time I joined that ACF I could strip and fire the LMG, L1A1, Browning High Power and the SMG and knew my pyros, trip flares etc and a bit of Demo/IED stuff. I was also lucky enough to shoot a lot of hand guns and foreign stuff.
Shot No4s for my cadet county team and joined that RA. Got the intake prize for second highest recorded gunnery science result and my colours for shooting and skill at arms.......then the wheels fell off because my regular Army regiments has no interest whatsoever in fostering shooting skills. It was the bare minimum. APWT and that was it.
I passed through the SASC at Warminster for my all arms SAAI course which gave me more exposure but it was p*** poor, the only real fun being the run up to and the Gulf war itself....we were lucky in hindsight.
My wife decided I was leaving the Army....so I did as I was told. Shooting was dead to me for a long time then I met current wifey and started airgunnery again.
Decided if I did not get some full bore shooting I would lose the will to live so she said try it. She has been great and encouraged me ever since
I had 2 aims. Own a No4 and shoot 1000yards (After reading 93 confirmed kills I just wanted to shoot 1000yards, nothing to do with sniping)......I still own (and love) my 43 Savage 2 groove, have done the 1000yard to death with Ftr and less than a year ago ended up flat out with an old injury (Sacreate joint trashed by and accident with a Blowpipe missile.....don't ask its very silly but hurts like hell) watching the imperial and squaddies doing the rundown. I got emotional and the wife pointed out I could do that....fat chance.
So I set a target for weight loss and tried out CSR......and could not sell my F class kit quickly enough.
I get bored quite easily. You don't get bored with CSR, you don't get time. It forced me to try to shoot my No4 properly (I think I am just about getting 30% proficient with it, but they are great rifles). Funny, I swore I would never own a black rifle and they were all walts once...arrogant tit or what? I told you this was all about finding out about stuff so keep an open mind...even about people with torches on their rifles
Then I happened upon a bargain Elcan Spectre and the BAR15 followed. I am getting fitter (still bloody hurts) but the main thing is that I have been forced to start learning to shoot in other positions. My personal favourites are the dead dog. The swastika, and the modified roadkill.
Then I had a go at High power with the HRA. I learned more about my technique (or lack of it) in one day than I have in years. Its a discipline in itself but it will help my CSR and the odd historic shoot no end, so the Lee has a role pending an A2 clone when I do my next renewal.
Bored yet?
You know when I looked at that 200 yard stander I nearly walked.....then I thought "s***.....I aint the first and I wont be the last, its the same for everyone". Lets face it, we don't shoot because its easy, we do it because its hard, but millions have been there and will continue to do so. What gets me is the amount that I have (more so recently) been ready to try. You are always learning and improving. More importantly what people are prepared to tell you to help you improve.....that's not the act of a competitor, that's the act of a partner in crime
The point of all this is that nothing would be possible without you lot (and quite a few that are banned from here.....) because inspiration comes from all sorts, as does advice and encouragement, and I have found it in spades from within the sport.
None shooters really don't get it. If I had it my way I would take any doubter out and let them shoot, they don't doubt for long in my experience.
Sure I am a p*** taking opinionated t*@t at times, and sometimes I get it wrong, but I think generally speaking it would be hard to find a sport with nicer more helpful people in it......even the TR tarts....
It all started with Small bore and TR so its your fault anyway!!
I am told I am a better person to be around since taking up CSR etc. Its where I should have gone to start with, I am no bloody good at it but as the wife says, she does not care as long as I keep coming home smiling.
So that's why I shoot, because I meet new people and it makes me smile. Why else
Enjoy it folks, whatever you do, and keep on trying, whatever it is I am sure we can do it well, eventually
