On Valentines day, Jacob and I wanted to go to a gun range so I could shoot a gun for the first time in my life. It’s been on my bucket list for a long time, so I was thrilled about finally checking that box off. Also, I thought it would be a really creative plan for valentines day. Arriving at the gun range, we were told that we couldn’t rent a gun under the age of 21. My boyfriend and I being 17 and 18, we couldn’t go shooting that day. We went bowling instead, which was fun but the disappointment about the changing plans still showed its presence.
The coming weekend was a three day break, meaning Monday was a free day. Jacob knows somebody that owns guns and even does competitions, which gave Jacob the idea to ask him to take us to the gun range, so we wouldn’t have to rent. The following Monday, we went back to the gun range, meeting with his friend’s dad, Mr William, that brought his guns and was willing to teach us all about safety and how to properly shoot.
At the range, we ran into another problem. Since I am 17, I needed a note from my parents, allowing me to shoot a gun. I thought it wouldn’t work out this time either and that my real parents needed to write the note, who were fast asleep on the other side of the world. But it took a turn for the better. The guys at the range said that my host parents sending an email is enough to let me sign in. Thus, I texted my host parents and asked them to send the email. After waiting for a moment and taking a look at the safety instructions, the email had already been received and printed.
I signed in, put on the hearing protection and the glasses (so the shells can’t hit the eyes). Then we entered the actual range. It was extremely loud and I winced each time somebody pulled the trigger. The three of us were on lane 11 and there were people shooting on the lanes right next to us, about a meter away. For me it was a little too loud, so I also put ear plugs in. With this extra protection it was a lot better, and I could finally focus on something else than pressing the ear protection against my ears.
The safety instructions were pretty simple:
- The gun is pointed to the front at all times
- We always treat the gun as if it’s loaded
- Keep your finger off the trigger if you’re not ready to shoot
The pistol we shot was a 9 millimeter, I can’t recall the exact model. Mr William loaded the pistol and shot a few times and then (not loaded) showed me how to properly hold the gun.
Afterwards he put ammunition in and handed me the gun. I was really scared of the first shot, but when I finally pulled the trigger, it was a really nice feeling. Quite overwhelming, but cool.
As a whole, we spent about an hour at the range and I shot approximately 15 times. After the 9 millimeter, we also shot with another pistol that was a little smaller, but also easier to hit the target.
Shooting a gun was something I always wanted to do, and now I finally crossed it off my bucket list. I‘m glad I did it and I really cherish that opinion. Jacob said he‘d also take me to shoot with a shotgun before I leave, but that…… I‘m not sure about that yet.