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Gun control advocates would have you believe that the general population is too mentally unstable to exercise their Constitutional right to keep and bear arms. When gun law liberalization rears its righteous head, they claim that easier [legal] access to firearms would encourage the crazies. Traffic incidents would turn into bloody shootouts. Drunken arguments would escalate murderous conflicts. Bill O’Reily will go ballistic. Fire and brimstone. Dogs and cats living together. The fact that it hasn’t happened in any statistical relevant way in any of the dozens of states that have restored firearms rights during the last decade or two has nothing to do with it. Apparently. But c’mon, admit it . . .
when you’re angry you like to go off and bust a few caps. Well, I don’t. And no one I know does. But surely the act of shooting a gun is inherently violent and violence is anger and why would society want to put a dangerous weapon in the hand of someone who has anger issues (which shooters must have because they’re shooting a gun)?
I swear I’m not making this up. And here’s the question. Forget rational thought for a moment (’cause gun rights advocates win that argument every time). How does shooting make you feel?
An hour at the range for me does wonders. If anything, it actually reduces my stress and anger, thus minimizing the chance that I I might lose my temper and do violence. So you lefties can suck it!
Just any other hobby, I enjoy it by trying to master it. I don’t shoot for any stress related reasons, but merely a means to become further proficient. (or at least attempt to become more efficient)
Sometimes we set up a live .410 shell down range and discharge it by shooting it with a .22. When you see that puff of smoke when it discharges, that feels like kicking a field goal.
+1
Yep! High 5’s all around after doing that!
It makes me feel good
Ok, at the risk of making some sort of “list” or being branded a “gun nut,” I do shoot to relieve stress. No, I don’t whip out a nine and start blasting in traffic or at work but when things are getting to me a trip to the range is darn good way to release some of that stress. On top of that, the discipline associated with shooting focuses me mentally. It is almost like meditation in that all other thoughts are pushed aside. It is almost like a zen meditation…but with really big bangs and holes in paper targets!
-sbaker
There’s nothing more relaxing than blowing some sh!t up without having to run away from the po-po afterwards.
Back in California, anti-gun left-wingers say that the reason violent crime is lower nationwide is because abortion was legalized in ’73 reducing the number of unwanted children and keeping those unable to parent without kids while patting themselves on the back for their political values. I wonder how they account for Chicago’s crime rate?
I wonder how they account for Chicago’s crime rate?
Too few prenatal abortions and too many retroactive ones.
Focus upon The Gun is a cornerstone of safe and effective gun use.
A result of this focus is that my mind is forced to let go of any other junk that it might have been clinging to before my trip to the range. Shooting is a form of meditation. I leave the range with my mind cleansed of mundane thoughts and ready to reenter the world with a more measured and balanced outlook.
Basically, shooting makes me a better person overall.
I get a huge rush out of poping 5 rounds of 12 gauge off in rapid succession from my Remington 1187.
On the other hand my last handgun session sucked and I walked away depressed.
Shooting requires relaxed focus and concentration, so when I’m at the range, nothing else exists. Work, bills, whatever problems are out there are just out of my mind, and all I’m focused on is are the rounds going where I’m wanting them to go. After a good range session, I feel more relaxed, happy, and peaceful than at pretty much any other time.
In other words, the Beatles were right. Happiness is a warm gun.
Relaxing. There is something about shooting firearms that calms me down. Towards the end of my senior year in high school, when all the projects are due, I found that a trip to the range helped clear my head. It also calms down everyone else I know who shoots. For instance, when my mother was having a stressful period in her life, she and my father would go shooting 1-2 times a week. They came home happy every time. In fact, if I am angry, I find that the quickest way for me to calm down is to field strip any one of my firearms. A recent example was Monday (heh, heh). I spent an hour or so cleaning my shotgun because I was having a bad day.
After a range session I always have a cigarette.
And fall asleep?
When I’m shooting .22, okay.
When I’ve just blown though 50 rounds of 9mm, like I’ve been ripped off.
Then again I am really cheap like that.
@CarlosT…..yep happiness is a warm gun!!!!
It relaxes me, I enjoy popping holes in paper and on my rare weekend off the girls and I get to go cut loose for a couple of hours punching paper and having fun!!!!
When we/I are done I get to sit and clean and eventually reload some new ammo!!! I really enjoy the shooting sports as a whole for us and even just for me!!!!
The girls clean their guns and I clean mine and we have a blast!!!!!
BTW: we shoot .22LR/.22Mag; .45ACP; 9mm; .38Special; 12ga; and 7.62x54Rimmed and reload for all but the .22!!!!!
I feel all tingly inside. 😉
It really depends. I find it relaxing, mostly.
But, it depends on the environment at the range. If I’ve got yahoos screwing around the next lane over, it can be stressful or annoying. But, if I’m by myself (or nearly so), it can be a zen experience. I am one with the gun and the target.
I find the same happens when I’m racing a car or snow skiing. It’s an escape… the rest of the world doesn’t exist for that time.
It can be stress-relief in that it is a mental escape, as it requires a certain amount of focus. Or, if you prefer… a distraction from the real world.
I’ve also done the car racing and downhill skiing sports. Both sports are very demanding mentally, because you need to concentrate only on what you are doing at that moment. You just can’t think about the problems in your life also. There also is an element of danger, which helps to sharpen your focus onto the task at hand. If you screw up bad enough at the wrong time, someone (maybe me) can get killed or badly injured. The same elements are present in the shooting sports, too.
They are a great vacation from the rest of your life.
I have never once thought about going to the range to blow stuff up because I was mad. I go to the range because it’s fun. I echo all the comments here about “there’s not room for anything else in my head while I’m shooting,” at least, not if I want to do it well.
An hour at the range has the same calming effect that any good hobby does.
When you are doing it you don’t worry about anything else. You focus all your energy on it. Like fishing, working out, reading, etc. The beauty, of any good hobby or pastime, is you really focus on it, but at the end of the day, it only truly matters to you.
Very calming, focused effect on me.
Same for me. It is something that I have to focus intently on, and that blocks out most of the other crap that floats around inside my head . To me, shooting is a lot like throwing a baseball, or shooting free throws, or casting flies on a stream, it involves hand-eye coordination, doing the math and geometry in my head to get on target, and not allowing myself to get distracted. No anger or violence involved, just the satisfaction of either having a good session, or the feeling that I had a decent session, but didn’t do as well as I wanted, which means I need more practice, which is not a depressing thing either way. I have never had a bad time shooting, even if I suffered equipment problems, terrible groups, or lost the match, a bad day of shooting is still better than a good day at work.
OK, I’m one of those weird people whom gun control nuts are afraid.
I own way too many guns (I said that for the sake of my wife).
I love shooting them. I find it very relaxing. It requires total concentration to do well. And that takes my mind off EVERYTHING.
I love maintaining them.
I love cleaning them.
Oh, yes, and I like the idea that I can actually carry a firearm and defend myself, if necessary.
For me, shooting is a way of meditation. You can get in that groove where you don’t need to think, aren’t angry, just happy and blissful as rounds fly downrange. There’s nothing like putting a beta C-Mag in my AR (for those who don’t know, a 100 round magazine) and shooting water jugs, clay pigeons, steel targets, and what ever else we have to throw down range. It’s the most fun you could ever have.
Relaxing, provided the target is a television set.
Dennis and uuu!II!(hope I spelled it right): Hope you clean up the debris when your done
All the local Federal land in San Diego County is off-limits to shooting due to trash and politics.
Shooting pumpkins, melons etc with a 12 gauge was a great stress reliever and it was gone the next day, we took the junk home.
Every trip to the range is a source of frustration. After spending a few hours of trying to put one hole in the center of a target, followed by 9 more bullets through that hole, I’m ready for something more relaxing. So I head for the golf course and try to go around in 18 strokes.
Funny I go to the range after playing 18 holes just to calm down!
Shooting is incredibly meditative and relaxing for me.
A few hours with a bolt action .22 at a quiet outdoor range is like meditating. It’s a repetitive motion, controlling your breathing, and focusing entirely at a simple task at hand that involves being aware of every part of your body for the best result.
If I’m angry, I don’t shoot to get out the adrenaline and feel like i’ve done damage, destruction, etc… I shoot because it helps calm me down through that relaxing repetitive action.
No violence in my mind at all – it’s a hobby that I love, not some twisted destruction fetish.
I think it’s the lefties with the destruction fetish if that’s all they can relate it to.
Here in Arkansas, we’re dealing with 100 degree weather, so going to the range right now makes me dehydrated. But I always enjoy the time, even when nothing is going right. When I’m having a good day, it’s better. In addition, the people that I see generally make me feel good about humanity. Gun owners, more often than not, are a friendly bunch. Sometimes, that means we just take our turns shooting and setting up targets without anyone getting pissy. At other times, we try out each other’s guns and talk about the subject that fascinates us all.
About the video, though, I doubt that the conversation would make any more sense in English. As far as I could tell, the two of them were in for marriage counseling.
I feel for you!!!!! Am in NE Arkansas myself. Went out shooting Wed and Thurs evening and was fun but hot as you know what even after 7 pm!!!!!
Be glad for some rain real soon!!!!!!
Shooting makes me feel good. Like walking along the side walk in front of the pool hall with taps on my shoes throwing sparks & making all the kids marvel.
Shooting is relaxing to me. Like polishing shoes. The BANG is not necessarily part of the equation; that is, a naturally unnerving sound- when under my control- is not so. Plus it gets me out of the house.
I propose we issue a IGOTD award to the one who pulled the gun. Hard to tell if he ever really was able to take aim at the other guy. But, I’m glad the trigger wasn’t pulled and that he put it away.
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