Hm. I shot air rifles since I was a kid, beer cans in the back yard as targets. I was on my high school air rifle team eventually. Also played airsoft in the late 90s and early 2000s with friends.
Shot center fire pistols and skeet/trap maybe once a year during highschool and college.
Owned my first gun while active duty... I went to a gun show one weekend with a couple of my LT friends and we ended up buying ARs. I'm too embarrassed to say the brand and model, but I soon sold it and got a Noveske. Things went down hill from there.
Some friends had to support a family with their officer pay. Others traveled or bought nice trucks. I blew paychecks on firearms and ammo. Something like $25k on just guns and accessories in 4 years, and I don't even know how much I've spent on ammo.