I was out to lunch yesterday when the subject of going to the firing range came up. Probably by me. I have never once held a gun that didn’t say ‘Made in China’ or was fabricated of plastic. So when my friend Mike asked me if I wanted to go fire off some ammo right then and there I jumped at the chance. He was a pro, already the owner of a rifle and a Glock, and was, no pun intended, just as fired up about the outing, as I. He showed me the ropes.
I’ll admit that I was both scared and empowered at the same time. Scared that I would somehow blow my foot to smithereens as clumsy as I am and empowered because I’m such a small person, yet operating a deadly weapon that could kill a man five times my size. Of course, I was using the smallest gun available, a 22-caliber, but still a weapon of miniature destruction. Next time I’ll try the bazooka.
I’ve had this secret fantasy for a while of wanting to be a CIA assassin. Really I would be perfect. Who would suspect little ol’ me? I’d go completely unnoticed and since I am small I can fit into tiny spaces. See? It’s a masterful idea.
I’ll save that for my next life, which also includes being a rapper and an identical twin. Anyhow, off we went to the local shooting range in Huntington Beach, CA called FIRING-LINE. Their staff was very helpful, even for a novice like myself. And they even upsold Mike into buying a very reasonably priced yearly membership for $150, which includes free unlimited range time, free handgun rentals, no paperwork, a line reserved, and 10% off Firing-Line reloads. Good job, Pete!
They have about 12 lines in all, if I recall. Really it’s just like bowling except without the tacky shoes. It smells like firecrackers and you can’t go in without protection for your eyes and ears. Even with the ear muffs it’s still loud. The glasses are to protect you from the flying shells that ferociously escape from the back of the gun, like a bat out of hell. A few almost made it down my shirt.
With beginners luck and my kinda-sorta good hand-eye coordination I managed to hit the paper target more often than not and every now and again hit the center black target. All my practice playing mini-basketball has paid off!
And shooting is not just for the good old boys. There were girls in their young twenties having a go at it, one with her mom even. A father and son were in the booth next us, followed by two slightly dumbed down versions of Ted Nugent with obvious years of practice. Personally, I think all girls should know at least the basic workings of a gun and how to shoot. Just in case.
It turned out to be a good day. I even tried uni for the first time, too.
I look forward to more shooting practice in the new year, (wink, wink, Mike!)
Wishing you all a very happy and promising NEW YEAR!
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