My friend Jim from grade school (who found me on Facebook a little while back) took me out to a shooting range in Tonawanda the other day. I fired a Remington 597 .22LR, Saiga .223 (takes both .223 and 5.56×45), and Beretta Storm CX4 .45 ACP. He also showed me his Springfield XD 9mm.
I’ve always been a little embarrassed that I’m an American, yet never fired a gun. Sorry, hippies, I may be a pacifist like you guys, but it’s an important part of our heritage, in my opinion. So Jim treated me to the range and brought what apparently is a small portion of his arsenal and ammo. I read about gun safety before and he primed me so there was no question about what and what not to do.
Even though I expected recoil, I didn’t realize what it meant in terms of my body. I’d forget sometimes and have my feet too close together, nearly falling backwards after a shot. It was also a lot louder than I expected, but then we were in a concrete hallway. My aim wasn’t bad, but I had some trouble at farther distances. Not a new hobby, but a good experience. Thanks, Jim!
Note: My wife still wont let me own a gun unless I plan to bring home Bambi.