Not a lot of enthusiasm for guns as far as I can tell

[26 Inf]

I saw this comment in a post and thought some discussion would be good:

I work with a lot of people that are 10-12 years younger than me (38) and you're right theres not a lot of enthusiasm for guns as far as I can tell.

Here are some thoughts and comments on the issue for a guy that is in his 60's:

I think we are 20 to 30 years past the time when most parents were able to take their kids shooting without a lot of hassle. I had my first BB gun when I was 10 or so, I lived in a small town, so it was not a big deal to walk a couple blocks to 'the country' and shoot. My first recollection of shooting a 'real' firearm was with my dad along a creek shooting his (now mine) Marlin 39 .22 lever action at cans set up along the bank. Likewise, my first experience with a shotgun along a creek, first shooting at clay pigeons along the bank, and ultimately with a hand thrower. In today's world that doesn't happen. Of course, I'm looking at this from my perspective - most kids in larger communities didn't do these things, even back in that era.

My step-dad and my step-brothers have a tradition of family deer and pheasant hunting that carries on to this day. It is getting harder, though. This year the farmer who has let them hunt his land for the last decade leased the land out to an outfitter. If one of the step-nephews didn't own some land they would have been reduced to either CRP walk-in areas or paying someone to 'guide' them.

I don't think that run of the mill folks have much of an opportunity to become hunters unless it becomes a primary avocation.

In terms of general gun ownership and usage, we need to look beyond our group of people. Despite the intent of the 2A, most folks don't feel the need to possess firearms to protect themselves from the government or invasion. The interest areas as I see them are self-defense and recreational (hunting, shooting sports). We do ourselves a disservice when we dismiss or denigrate hunters as fudd, as bad as it is, they are the majority.

As a whole we do a terrible job of getting folks to become interested in shooting, and therefore, gun ownership.

How can we change that?

[26 Inf]

Mods - I intended this for GD. Sorry!

[Hmac]

I think that's an important observation, and certainly suggestive of the future of the 2nd Amendment, or at least its current interpretation.

[trvsAR]

Just because someone hunts doesn't make them them a fudd even if the only gun they own is a 30-30 or whatever

What makes someone a fudd isnt not wanting say an AR 15 its thinking that YOU shouldn't want one either and you dont need one

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[ALCOAR]

There was a whole generation that was born during the 80s like myself, who regardless of whether or not our parents could take us shooting (my dad did an amazing job fwiw)….we grew up consuming media that was slap full of firearms. I wanted to be a gunowner as long as my memory goes back. I think it's an inherit desire for many to own the best form of protection they can afford...and a firearm will almost always be that.

I also see lots of young shooters with their dads, and grandpas at WMA ranges in Alabama....granted we're in Alabama after all so I don't assume the rest of the country still has this mentality.

Good topic, and one that is extremely important. I just hope that it's a natural instinct vs. taught instinct.

[fledge]

Interest in hunting and fishing are on the decline in general too. I find more people interested in firearms today than those traditional game activities.

[Fatorangecat]

I'm 37 and most of my younger friends enjoy shooting but don't have the money to invest in it or a space that isn't an uptight public range to shoot.

[hk_shootr]

I’m 51, daughter is 28, Son in Law is 34.
I’ve got both if them interested, they shoot fairly often. Granddaughter is 4, she has a pink Cricket. Grandson is seven months, still need to get him a rifle this month.

We are moving to Indiana this coming year, happy to be leaving Illinoistan. Plan on buying in the country where I can have a range setup.

[gaijin]

I live in Kansas (and am in my 60's too) 26- generally thought to be a pro-gun, rednecky state.
I suppose that like the rest of the country, our larger city's are the breeding grounds for the libtards, academics and left wing nut jobs.

My BIL, a fourth generation farmer/rancher living in the sticks, is ambivalent AT BEST about firearms, hunting, gun sports. A bad sign.

Last night, coming back from a deer hunt, we cruised by a young buck that had been hit by a vehicle. He was not dead, but severely injured.
There were two other vehicles that had stopped by the buck. I got out, asked if everyone was OK.
None of those present had hit the deer.
My intent was to put the deer down with my concealed pistol.
I was told "We called the Sheriff to take care of the deer". Now this was in Greenwood County Kansas, it doesn't get much more conservative/rednecky than here. 15 years ago 3 of the 4 people present would have produced their own gun and shot the young buck to prevent further suffering.
I decided not to force the issue and left.

The attitude you describe is certainly true. Hell, I see it within our gun club; Bullseye shooters feel superior to the Antique Military competitors, IHMSA shooters feel supior to the .22 Benchrest crowd, everyone feels they are more "legit" than the "combat" shooters (USPSA).
We, as shooters, are contributing to our own extinction with this attitude.

Ben Franklin's "Hang together, or hang alone" certainly comes to mind.

As an individual I encourage new shooters and cross discipline participation/competition. I seem to be the "go to" guy with people I my wife and I know for introduction to shooting and individual instruction.
I guess I am at a loss as what more I can do, that will cause any change.

[Renegade04]

For me, being 16 days away from turning 58, I began shooting back when I was 5 years old. My father, a Marine Corps DI at the time, was adamant about teaching his sons to shoot. He learned at a young age living in Northwest Louisiana where it was a necessity. Of course, being a Marine, you had to be a marksman. My father was "Expert" on the M1 Garand and "Sharpshooter" on the M1911A1. He was definitely qualified to teach us. I started off with a Colt Frontier Scout .22 SAA and a Remington bolt-action .22LR. It seems that up until the late 1970s, owning a firearm and shooting was still a popular thing to do amongst many Americans. It used to be that you saw pickup trucks with rifles in racks in the back window (we did). Americans were proud to say that they owned a firearm. These days, for many Americans, it does not seem to be of importance to have a firearm(s) in the home or on your person. Too many people are relying on law enforcement to protect them. Unfortunately, these people are only fooling themselves. personally, I believe that every law-abiding, red-blooded, and patriotic American should have a firearm(s) in the home. They should have a 9mm pistol (or larger caliber) of sort, some sort of semi-auto rifle (preferably an AR-15), and a 12 ga. shotgun to meet their basic needs for protection and survival. I have had some people who know me ask me about firearms and what my thoughts were on owning one. I have seen some of them actually buy one and feel better about having done so. I have a couple men in my Sunday School group as me about certain firearms every once in a while. If I had the opportunity, I would definitely love to give a seminar on firearms, ownership, and shooting sports. Americans need not depend on anyone other than themselves to feel safe. We are the first responders, not law enforcement. The sooner Americans see this, I feel that the interest for firearms would increase. Until then, many Americans will be in the dark and afraid.