My Frustration as a Shooter

I'm going to take a few minutes to Vent for just a second. I'm a little frustrated, at the moment. If you're not interested in reading a long winded, overexplanatory type post, just skip over this one. It doesn't have any value as far as the YouTube Channel is concerned.

My Frustration as a Shooter:

Over the past year, me and my range buddy, Mas, have found a particular shooting range that both of us really enjoy. It's not a crazy long drive, it's inexpensive, it has very little rules (as far as what you can and can not do while you're there), the owner is friendly, and the sky is pretty much the limit, with certain exceptions, as far as the type of shooting you can do while you're there. There have been some downsides to this gun range, like fellow shooters not wanting to clean up after themselves or not being able to do any night time or pre-sunrise shooting, but these are minor things that he and I have both accepted, considering all the other cool stuff we can do while we're there, like shooting suppressed guns or machine guns (if we wanted to, or owned any).

The past few weeks have been a little difficult for us. We are both working a lot right now, and it's difficult to get together to train due to our conflicting schedules. Also, it's just the two of us. Not a lot of people we know are into running drills, or doing the type of shooting we do, which is understandable to a degree. People have busy lives, families, kids, and other obligations, so finding other shooters who want to get out and train the way we do is few and far in between-- there just aren't many people willing or wanting to. Regardless, when we finally get a chance to have our schedules sinc, make the trip out there, and set up, it's only maybe an hour of training for us before other people start to show up, where we have to limit our training, to standing at the firing line (no more moving and shooting with people around).

Now, we get it. It's Texas, and it's also summer time. It's HOT. It's HUMID. It's Itchy (looking at you mosquitos). People want to get out and shoot there guns before we all start to melt. Neither one of us has a problem with that. Also, I don't own that gun range. It's not my place to tell people to stop showing up or that they can't shoot there--that's not only selfish and self centered, but that's just down right wrong and unconstitutional. I'm just some guy on the internet. I'm nobody special. I'm not the end-all-be-all best shooter alive and I don't have the right to dictate to other people when, where, or how they can shoot. Everybody has the right to take up arms, and practice there skills, no matter if they are a new shooter or more experienced. Everybody has the right to keep and bear arms, and the more people that get out and train, the better off we all are. Period.

At the same time, it's disappointing that we have to stop, slow down, or modify our training to accommodate others who are less experienced shooters. Because we've been utilizing that range for a little more than a year now, me and Mas have become accustomed to getting out there early, to get the type of training we want and need, in order to improve our skills as shooters. If we don't have that place, or a place just like it, we might as well go to the more Fudd Friendly 'convenient' ranges where we can work our fundamentals in a much more strict and controlled environment...or just dry fire more at home. That said, it's not that working fundamentals is a bad thing, we all could use more of it. But if we wanted to stand at the firing line and shoot 1 shot every second or two, with no movement, or stress, or added pressure from a camera, or environmental changes that could hinder our shooting (so we could learn to train around them), there are much closer gun ranges we could go to. We're not interested in that. I'M not interested in that. After shooting like we have for the amount of time that we have, we need more out of our training sessions...otherwise, we get a little bored. That's why you've seen us in full kit, running the drills that we do. It's not only fun, but it pushes the boundries and gets us thinking and training in ways we can't do anywhere else.

If you go to that range, or have seen us there, this isn't me trying to throw you under the bus, or gripe about you or your shooting abilities. I want EVERYONE to get out there and train more, no matter where you are at as a shooter. You have the RIGHT to keep and bear arms, and I am more than happy to see people with guns, exercising that right. This post isn't designed to discourage people from shooting or training. It's just a way for me vent, and to say the following:

I've outgrown that range. I want to do more, that way I can progress as a shooter. I want to get better and I don't think I can continue to do that there. It's time to find someplace where I can spread my wings a little more. I wish the best of luck to all the people who currently use that range, and to the guy who was so kind enough to allow us to get out there and train for as long as we have. I wish I could continue to shoot there, but considering where I'm at, and where I want to be, it's time for me to find something better.

P.S. As self centered, and selfish as the post may probably seem, I know that there are other shooters out there that feel the same way. It's really hard, even here in the Great Nation of Texas, to find a place where you can do all the cool gun stuff you want to do. Unless you know somebody with land, or can get in a private range, which tends to be more costly in fees or gas, options are limited for normal people. And that sucks. If I ever have enough money to build my own range, I'd like to hopefully to change that--and yes, y'all are invited.

Take care of yourselves, take care of your gun ranges, and remember to get out there and train as often as you can afford to. You deserve all the training you need. As do I.

[Stay Safe and Keep Building]