Anyone else start shooting later in life?

Daze said:

Yeah, me too, I got into it kind of late. I was just curious at first but the safety stuff and practice at the range really made me feel good about it. Learning something totally new as an adult has been great and it's been worth the effort.

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Supa_nova said:

I didn't grow up with guns. So getting into shooting as an adult has been a learning process. It took time to learn about safety and get comfortable but so worth it. Anyone else start later in life? what got you into it?

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PapaGeorgio said:

I started around 20 or 21. All I got were semi auto. I didn’t even know what accuracy meant . Around 40 I A friend was moving away, and gave me my first bolt action, a 30-06. I immediately scoped myself. But that was when I got the accuracy bug and started reloading. I didn’t even start fishing until around 30, and started hunting around 35. I am so proud to teach my grandson things no one ever taught me. The inlaw side of his family don’t hunt and never did. But they are actually super supportive and are really happy for him learning. He got his first deer last year at age 11.

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URIT said:

My adventure in shooting semi-automatics began at age 67 with the purchase of a Walther PPS40. I must confess that I was an experienced revolver shooter after 33 years in LE, but I'd taken nearly 13 years away from firearms after moving out of the country.

I wasn't fooling myself. I knew that aging presented new challenges for me, and there was much to learn and relearn to become proficient with pistols as I had been with revolvers.

I started my journey by watching dozens of YouTube videos, some specific to the PPS and others pistol proficiency related before taking to the range.

I went out to a local outdoor range and hired a guy to work with me. Between the videos, his instruction, and two hours of concentrated work I was happy with my performance and my old hands sore from the punishing recoil from running 200 rounds through a Walther PPS40.

Best advice I can give to new shooters is educate yourself and get instruction before you pickup bad habits or develop a flinch. I also recommend using sub-sonic ammo for indoor and outdoor range work to modify noise level and temper recoil.

Remember my comment about aging challenges above; well, my hands had lost some padding since I was shooting my .357 combat magnum at the police ranges. I bought other pistols.

Eyesight also called out for some help. Trifocal eyewear with the mid-range adjusted 1-inch beyond outstretched pointed hand for computer use and shooting fixed that challenge.

Tips for better shooting results... I found using both eyes for sighting and staring at the point of aim while pressing the shot and follow through helps. Plus, keeping your eye on the POA until the round impacts will help get better results. Furthermore, increased awareness of proper breathing techniques by taking a breath, letting it out, then taking another breath and halfway through the exhale press the shot without stopping or staging the trigger positively impacts your score.

You don't need to be a new shooter to appreciate the benefits of having a shooting plan with skills building goals set before you head to the range.

Lastly, eat before you hit the range and/or bring food to nibble on during seize fire periods. You'll be surprised by the difference the right food choices can make for range day. Sweets tend to produce gitters while protein rich choices tend to tame the shakes and thwart loss of concentration.

This is a big long, but once I started I felt it was important to share some of the challenges I dealt with starting off as a new semi-auto shooter.

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Supa_nova said:

I didn't grow up with guns. So getting into shooting as an adult has been a learning process. It took time to learn about safety and get comfortable but so worth it. Anyone else start later in life? what got you into it?

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Leo King said:

That first safety training is super important, what do you like best now...pistol, rifle, or shotgun?

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Supa_nova said:

I bet it felt great to pass the knowledge you couldn't get earlier on to your younger generation. There's nothing like teaching your grandson what you learned later in life. What did he say when he put a scope on that 30-06? His first deer must have felt really rewarding

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