I have been shooting longer than I can remember. My father would hold me in his lap, and let me pretend I was shooting bottles with his pistol, or so I was told.
I shoot now for relaxation. I must add that there is satisfaction in hitting what you aim at. I never shot at a target until I had to zero a M-16 in 1971.
Mine was a military family. Really my mother was a wave and my father a sailor. I was born at the naval Hospital in Oceanside, Ca. That's on Camp Pendelton.
Later on my father was a SeeBee. One of the 1st navy personell, sent to Viet Nam in 1964. He did three tours, and was KIA in October 1967, on his third tour.
Between tours 2 and 3, he would bring home arsenal equipment, M-16, M-14, and M1911's, occasionally, to shoot on the weekends. My father could do this because he was the senior NCO in his battalion, and had the keys to the arms room. This was in 1966, I was 13. I cant think of a better way to spend quality time with his 3 sons. He also had the keys to the bivoac area at PT. Magu, so we had the best place to shoot ever.
So, in 1971, I went contrary to family tradition, and went into the army, I was nearly as familiar with a M-16 as my instructors. I was astonished at how ignorant some people were when it came to firearms.
I was always a very good shot and I enjoyed being a little better than my buddies. We almost never set up bullseye type targets. We could shoot pretty long range in an old gravel pit, not 5 min from my pad. I got several of my pals reloading for themselves, and reloaded for others.
With one of my 1st GI bill checks,after deros I bought a Marlin 336. I also bought a RCBS press and I was off and going. I became interested in magnum riflery, for a while. I hunted some, mostly to show myself that I could.
I will not deny a fascination with things grossly overpowered. I used to shoot and reload for 300 and 340WBY. For me there was a satisfaction in some degree of mastery of the elements necessary to shoot fairly well.
I , as my father did with me, raised my son around all kinds of firearms. He is an excellent shot. My grandson, unfortunately has severe allergies to almost everything, but he can eat deer and elk and loves them. My son gets great satisfaction in being able to provide this this for his son. My Weatherby's now reside with him.
So I shot to see the effect of a heavy magnum on a hunk of bentonite. My son shoots to provide a safe food source for his son.