My logic is simple. Nearly EVERYONE buys their food essentially off of a warehouse shelf or freezer, or from a drive-through line. There is no need to grow your own food, farm or hunt. If you go back just 100 years ago, we were far less urbanized and it took substantially more effort to obtain food. There was still a practical need for hunting and farming - i.e. individuals killing animals primarily for food. People were not so far removed from the process of killing animals for food - most men and women acknowledged and accepted this as routine and necessary.
Firearms and the next generation.
- Thread starter AL45
- Start date
My logic is simple. Nearly EVERYONE buys their food essentially off of a warehouse shelf or freezer, or from a drive-through line. There is no need to grow your own food, farm or hunt. If you go back just 100 years ago, we were far less urbanized and it took substantially more effort to obtain food. There was still a practical need for hunting and farming - i.e. individuals killing animals primarily for food. People were not so far removed from the process of killing animals for food - most men and women acknowledged and accepted this as routine and necessary.
Agree, PROVIDED you can afford to pay someone else to do that for you. Because that is what you are doing when you buy food. For the vast numerical majority of us, its what we do. But, if no one grew the food, raised the animals (or hunted them, caught the fish, etc) there would be no food for the rest of us to buy.
dakota.potts
New member
I'm 19 and I just ordered a shotgun to be here in time for my 20th birthday this month.
Maybe I'm the "next generation" of shooter, or maybe I'm too old
If you look at the statistics, more young people support the right to bear arms. Even democrats do, nearing 40% of democrats owning guns. More and more friends my age are getting guns to protect themselves with. It's not unusual for friends of all persuasion to have a shotgun in the closet or a handgun in their car. Very few are into it like I am, and fewer see it as a sport. As a whole, though, I think the attitude is becoming one of recognizing that you can't control criminals and that anything you do affects law abiding citizens.
There is a trend I see among the younger group to support guns but require licenses, background checks, registration etc. which I appreciate but ultimately find contrary to the purpose of protecting it as a constitutional right.
I've taken many friends shooting and not had one person not enjoy it. They're far more likely to buy a handgun or a shotgun than one of my fun military-style semi automatics, but they appreciate it in general.
Generally, it does seem like less people my age hunt, and those that do so will hunt less frequently. I did notice a lot more hunters when I moved from Saint Augustine, Florida to Greenwood, South Carolina. Seems like everybody hunts here.
EDIT: I should mention I never shot a gun until I was 16. That was just after the Sandy Hook shooting. My parents had always planned on getting guns but wanted to wait until my youngest brother was a little older. They decided at that point that we should get them while they were available. I think there was also an element of realizing that evil wasn't going to go away and you couldn't do anything about it but try to be stronger. Whatever the case, I think that event was actually a major turning point for people who had never cared about guns before.
Maybe I'm the "next generation" of shooter, or maybe I'm too old
If you look at the statistics, more young people support the right to bear arms. Even democrats do, nearing 40% of democrats owning guns. More and more friends my age are getting guns to protect themselves with. It's not unusual for friends of all persuasion to have a shotgun in the closet or a handgun in their car. Very few are into it like I am, and fewer see it as a sport. As a whole, though, I think the attitude is becoming one of recognizing that you can't control criminals and that anything you do affects law abiding citizens.
There is a trend I see among the younger group to support guns but require licenses, background checks, registration etc. which I appreciate but ultimately find contrary to the purpose of protecting it as a constitutional right.
I've taken many friends shooting and not had one person not enjoy it. They're far more likely to buy a handgun or a shotgun than one of my fun military-style semi automatics, but they appreciate it in general.
Generally, it does seem like less people my age hunt, and those that do so will hunt less frequently. I did notice a lot more hunters when I moved from Saint Augustine, Florida to Greenwood, South Carolina. Seems like everybody hunts here.
EDIT: I should mention I never shot a gun until I was 16. That was just after the Sandy Hook shooting. My parents had always planned on getting guns but wanted to wait until my youngest brother was a little older. They decided at that point that we should get them while they were available. I think there was also an element of realizing that evil wasn't going to go away and you couldn't do anything about it but try to be stronger. Whatever the case, I think that event was actually a major turning point for people who had never cared about guns before.
I agree with the lack of interest in my generation (As I am 22 years old). I believe a majority of it is mostly due to idols, that do not like them and think they are dangerous animals that lash out at random, and that is in turn instilled into this generation, I saw this a lot in my public education. I wasn't around a firearm until I was 18, when My girlfriend's ( currently wife) father had taken me to the range with his ruger p95DC. From the age of 19-now, I currently have 8 guns, and love reloading for the past 3.5 years.
I make it a point to entice the virgins to come shooting with me, by supplying ammo, guns, and range time.
So far, I have only gotten my wife ( who hated guns up to last year), my little brother (age 20), and a friend (age 23). 90% of my offers go through both ears, even after they show interest. Who says no to free shooting????
I am all for getting anyone involved that seems mentally inclined to participate, after all, they are voters.
I make it a point to entice the virgins to come shooting with me, by supplying ammo, guns, and range time.
So far, I have only gotten my wife ( who hated guns up to last year), my little brother (age 20), and a friend (age 23). 90% of my offers go through both ears, even after they show interest. Who says no to free shooting????
I am all for getting anyone involved that seems mentally inclined to participate, after all, they are voters.
One of the tests for interest in shooting is whether the first time shooter will continue on their own. I've seen hundreds on teens who have participated in a marksmanship training course stop when the program ends. It seems they only want it when it's free and arranged for them. The few that show serious interest need support from any of us that see their commitment.
johnwilliamson062
Moderator
I can't find 22lr.
Centerfire keeps going up in price.
less ranges farther away and busier.
I hear there is some sort of informal range just lust\ide the city limits in some guys large back yard where a pass is $10 a day. I can't track down the site though.
Centerfire keeps going up in price.
less ranges farther away and busier.
I hear there is some sort of informal range just lust\ide the city limits in some guys large back yard where a pass is $10 a day. I can't track down the site though.
I am a firm believer that most person's interest in shooting begins with their interest in guns. At first, it's all about the gun. Once owning a gun makes someone's bucket list, then they proceed to obsess about what kind of gun to get. Rifle? Pistol? Semi-auto? Plastic? Steel? Caliber? They give little thought to what they are actually going to use it for. Oh, they might say they want a gun for protection, target shooting, etc. But, really, they just want a gun! Shooting it is not meaningless, but it is secondary. Well, that's how I was when I first started getting into shooting. Learning how to become a proficient shooter came later.
This is why I never tell a new shooter to buy a .22lr first (unless they are dying to have a .22). It's also why I never advise getting a bunch of training before buying a gun. I tell people to go out and get the gun they really want!
If, by "most person's" you mean actual number totals, nationwide, today, you are probably correct. And I believe that if you are talking about most people living in urban & metro areas, you are certainly correct.
People who live out in the country, or smaller towns & villages away from or on the edges of more densely populated areas still have a different ratio of gun ownership, and how they came to have the interest.
Lots of us who were children before the computer age, before cable TV, (in some cases before COLOR TV), often learned to shoot years before the were big enough to HAVE a gun of their own. And, almost universally, with a .22RF.
I learned to shoot around age 8 I think, with my MOTHER'S .22 bolt action single shot. It wasn't until I was 14 that I was allowed to have my own rifle. My 14th birthday present was a Winchester rifle.
Numerically, I do think people with my kind of background are the minority today. But I still recommend the .22 to beginners. For the same reasons they have always been used. Low recoil, low report, low cost, and ALL GUN SAFETY RULES APPLY. These are often very important factors for beginners, (and I will admit that when I think of beginners, I always think of children, first).
I have a degree of sympathy for people who only come to guns & shooting as adults, they have missed so much...
However, this is tempered by the significant numbers of such people who think they know more than they do, or know so much that is wrong, AND have the attitude that they know it all. Met more than enough of those, in all fields.
Many new adult gun owners go through this phase. It's all part of it. In time, if they are really interested in guns and shooting, their skills and knowledge will become more refined and they will realize that there are many others who know way more than they do. This takes time. I've been buying all kinds of guns and shooting them for decades and there are still many areas where I'm no more than a novice.
As for myself, I was introduced to guns (shot .22 shorts out of bolt action) when I was about 8-9 in a camp setting. I had an uncle introduce me to shooting handguns (.22lr and .22 magnum; .38spl and .357) in my teen years. Yet, I didn't really grow up around gun, just shot them on occasion.
When it was my time to get my first handgun, there was no way in heck ANYONE could have convinced me to start off with a .22. I wanted a nickel .38 snubnose revolver and that's what I got. I was very happy with it, even though I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with it past 30 feet.
I remember the time when having a gun held quite a bit of fascination for me. My INA copy of a S&W Chiefs Special was heavy for a relatively small object; shiny and cold to the touch - the mechanical operations of the little revolver felt nice in my hand. I loved that little gun.
Getting your first handgun is something kind of special. It goes way beyond "tool-for-a-particular-purpose" thinking. All I'm saying is lets let people (adults) embrace this and indulge in their desires of owning a real or serious gun! For their 1st gun encourage them to get the gun of their dreams. Their 2nd or 3rd gun can be a Ruger Mark III or a .22lr rifle.
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I agree. Many of us think we know it all. Or have developed bad habits, or were just taught wrong information.
I know I've been wrong and I accept that as part of life.
The roadblock to future owners and new adult owners is misinformation. Most people think that you are prohibited from activities that are perfectly legal.
Most think that there's a waiting period for guns. Some think you could get in trouble just for transporting one to the range.
Movies, news media and social Media are the blame here.
Many people think that some things are law mistakenly, it was what they were lead to believe. It's very clever.
I'm going to use an example that is only intended to be an example and not for inflammatory reasons.
Some people believe this silly notion that vaccines are required by law. In fact, they are not in most places. It's convenient for administrators to have people believe that. Vaccines are not mandatory, and neither is any other medical procedure.
I know I've been wrong and I accept that as part of life.
The roadblock to future owners and new adult owners is misinformation. Most people think that you are prohibited from activities that are perfectly legal.
Most think that there's a waiting period for guns. Some think you could get in trouble just for transporting one to the range.
Movies, news media and social Media are the blame here.
Many people think that some things are law mistakenly, it was what they were lead to believe. It's very clever.
I'm going to use an example that is only intended to be an example and not for inflammatory reasons.
Some people believe this silly notion that vaccines are required by law. In fact, they are not in most places. It's convenient for administrators to have people believe that. Vaccines are not mandatory, and neither is any other medical procedure.
The Harmonica Kid
New member
I am very young amd can comment on my age group (not going to post exactly how old of course. Internet)
My generation is very obsessed with the "tactical culture" due to them extreme saturation of media and books on the subject. The SEALS are one book away from their own section at the library. Names like Chris kyle are now household.
Even people who didn't have the traditional hunting/father son/ old school raising are getting into guns trying to imitate this tactical culture. People who have no real use for these skills drop thousands trying imitate Marcus Luttrell. Look further at the popularity of air soft and paintnall.
I love it and frequently laugh. I spend half my life trying to stay out of my kit, and there's guys dropping thousands buying them. My buddies watch YouTube videos learning how to speed reload, and I spend days practicing reloads when I'd rather just read.
Of course I am something of an odd duck (not conceited, just fact) despite age and job I read more keith whelen ocnnor and cooper than I do haley, yeager, Costa and vickers.
All the same the future for shooting is solid. More and more shooters are flocking and getting good training. Just don't forget to tell them that what they think is so new has existed for decades
My generation is very obsessed with the "tactical culture" due to them extreme saturation of media and books on the subject. The SEALS are one book away from their own section at the library. Names like Chris kyle are now household.
Even people who didn't have the traditional hunting/father son/ old school raising are getting into guns trying to imitate this tactical culture. People who have no real use for these skills drop thousands trying imitate Marcus Luttrell. Look further at the popularity of air soft and paintnall.
I love it and frequently laugh. I spend half my life trying to stay out of my kit, and there's guys dropping thousands buying them. My buddies watch YouTube videos learning how to speed reload, and I spend days practicing reloads when I'd rather just read.
Of course I am something of an odd duck (not conceited, just fact) despite age and job I read more keith whelen ocnnor and cooper than I do haley, yeager, Costa and vickers.
All the same the future for shooting is solid. More and more shooters are flocking and getting good training. Just don't forget to tell them that what they think is so new has existed for decades
While there are fewer and fewer places to plink cans with a .22, there are plenty of ranges, both indoor and outdoor and training on everything from Gun 101 to very advanced tactical classes is available to civilians. This certainly wasn't always the case.
Gun ownership among women is at an all time high.
The younger generation may not be growing up hunting and plinking the way many of us did, but plenty of older people didn't either. If we bring them into the fold at age 10 or at age 50, we can call that a victory.
I set up an Intro to Gun Safety class with my son's Cub Scout pack. Most of those kids and many of their parents had zero firearm experience and all came away very happy and excited.
Let's do what we can.
Gun ownership among women is at an all time high.
The younger generation may not be growing up hunting and plinking the way many of us did, but plenty of older people didn't either. If we bring them into the fold at age 10 or at age 50, we can call that a victory.
I set up an Intro to Gun Safety class with my son's Cub Scout pack. Most of those kids and many of their parents had zero firearm experience and all came away very happy and excited.
Let's do what we can.
I grew up in the 60's and 70's where toy guns were common for kids, and WWII movies and TV shows were the norm. Guns were not yet demonized by the media, education, or government like they are today. Guns were just another tool. I got a bolt action, magazine fed .22 rifle when I was 14, and my parents had no problem with me having ammo for it as they knew I was responsible.
Today, the environment is different. Guns magically kill, and commit crimes by themselves. However, I do see twenty somethings at my gun club shooting. I think the tide has turned for many new shooters, and both younger people, and women are now more likely to embrace shooting, and having a gun for self defense.
Today, the environment is different. Guns magically kill, and commit crimes by themselves. However, I do see twenty somethings at my gun club shooting. I think the tide has turned for many new shooters, and both younger people, and women are now more likely to embrace shooting, and having a gun for self defense.
I'm 53 years aold, and in my opinion, firearms interest and acceptance, especially in the interest of defense and handguns has incresed greatly over the years. The decline I see is in the interests of hunting, and rifles and shotguns, those things associated with rural living, which has also been in decline for many years.
98 220 swift
New member
It seems I see more and more young shooters at the range. The local public range I go to is more crowded then it was 10 years ago. A lot of use buy younger people it seems. I think it has to do with video games. I talk to some and they want to shoot and own the guns they "shoot" in the games. Milsurps included. I see this as a plus. One the other side. The antis are doing a very good job of making guns taboo to talk about especially in schools. Children are getting suspended from school for drawing a pic of one in art and other things. I remember drawing guns in art when I was young. I am only 37. Unforntunatly if we don't stop this we may be seeing the beginning of the end of the 2nd. They are trying to do the same with guns as smoking by making them something to be shameful of. On the other hand making them taboo may actually help the young often are attracted to "taboo" things. Sometimes I wonder if that is the case.
I grew up with toy guns and the idea ,like Pilot posted, that guns were not demonized as they are today.
When I got my first real guns they were based on a specific need. Shotgun for trap shooting. .22 for position rifle shooting. M14/M1A for highpower shooting. Acquisitions in response to a specific shooting discipline. Of course fun guns mixed in there but generally marksmanship training tools.
What I see a lot now are folks buying guns more for appearance and staus rather then for use. My club range typically has highly accessorized firearms which are used more as lead slingers then accurate precision devices. Marksmanship is replaced with volume of fire. There's nothing wrong with that provided safety is maintained. I just wish more people would recognize the fun of true proficiency with firearms.
When I got my first real guns they were based on a specific need. Shotgun for trap shooting. .22 for position rifle shooting. M14/M1A for highpower shooting. Acquisitions in response to a specific shooting discipline. Of course fun guns mixed in there but generally marksmanship training tools.
What I see a lot now are folks buying guns more for appearance and staus rather then for use. My club range typically has highly accessorized firearms which are used more as lead slingers then accurate precision devices. Marksmanship is replaced with volume of fire. There's nothing wrong with that provided safety is maintained. I just wish more people would recognize the fun of true proficiency with firearms.
dakota.potts
New member
I think the people who were going to get into precision shooting will get into it regardless, except now they have a higher chance of exposure. The bonus is that, on top of that, we have the lead slingers enjoying firearms (hopefully safely) and contributing to societal acceptance of the practice