Canadian Airgun Forum

Got my first gun as a 9 years old in City of Kitchener. Would walk around city with it over my shoulder, no one even batted an eye at me. Kids my age on swings and slides and me in a 4X4 bush in the park waiting on a bird. Times were different back when. Never once did I ever think or told about glasses but |I was taught about gun safety and ensuring my back stop before the shot.

From about age 8 on, I was "taught' gun safety by my uncle, a corporal in the RCMP. When I was 12yrs. old, he gave me an Ace .22 for Christmas, so I was little more than 12 1/2.
I used to take it apart and wrap the 2 pieces in newspaper & tie it to my handle bars, then ride out to "the farm", reassemble the rifle with a screw driver that was on the ledge of one
of the windows in the barn. 1 "captured" screw held it together. Then I would go out hunting with the farmer's son who was a couple years older than I was.
Once I was 15yrs old, I challenged the hunter exam and got my hunting license. I also bought a 20 bore (newspaper delivery boy) single shot shotgun - legally as I had a hunting license.
Over the shoulder 'packing' through the village (Dorchester) with either at I went out "hunting", bolt open on the rifle, 'broken' open on the shotgun.
Don Points who owned the Hardware used to sell "ammo" by the "piece", so a lad with limited resources could hunt. I think I was probably 16 before I could buy a whole box of 12 bore shells.
The $1.44 day at the Woolco Store, corner of Dundas and Crumlin Side Road, London, Ont. That was a stretch to remember that address. We're talking mid 60's here, 62 years ago.

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Best Wishes
Daryl

I will say one thing I think were good about the "old days" was that you could walk outside with a rifle/shotgun on your shoulder to wherever you were going and nobody really batted an eye. Now a days if you did that, someone would call the cops immediately and you'd be in a bit of trouble.

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"Positive thinking and positive action add up to results." - Anton LaVey

"I went to god just to see, and I was looking at me" - Marilyn Manson, "The Reflecting God" (1996).

I am absolutely with you there. Except for a couple of airgun forms, I pretty much use social media to connect with family and that's it.

I think big money has definitely changed sports as well. Sportsmanship is not as much of a part of sport as it use to be. Intent to injure is more prevalent and do not even get me started on taunting and ridiculous celebrations when an individual does something they deem extraordinary. Their team can be losing badly and they celebrate one thing, they as an individual have done. Way too much me me me, look at me.

For all the people in the world, I think in general, we are more isolated than we use to be. Texting, twitter etc, emailing, facetime and zoom are not the same as face to face.

If the social interaction was not a part of field target(FT), I am quite sure I would not be a part of it. I have tried online competitions, but it just does not do it for me. After a field target match, that is social as well, it is not uncommon for a fair sized group of individuals to stand and talk in a group for a good long time. The shooting is great, but I think the face to face interaction is a very large part for most long time FT shooters. It may be the part we look forward to most.[/quote]

X2 Mac. While I have not attended any recent FT matches due to physical limitations preventing my getting up & down from required positions, I have often found myself thinking about just attending an event for the face to face contact with other people having similar interests - maybe in 2023. I have never been able to accept social media as I'm a total believer in the power of personal face to face communications.

Bill

Bill, I had a US friend who had a few hip replacements and continued to shoot off of a tall stool that he barely had to bend his legs to sit on. He rested his gun on a bipod and continued shooting for a number of years. You will always be able to shoot with us with whatever arrangement allows you to do so. No kneeling or standing shots will be required; just shoot and enjoy the company.

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Tim
CAFTA Governor and lifetime learner

I did the same thing. Our house backed onto River Rd and the road ended at the bush at the time. A short walk and I was hunting bunnies with an air rifle and snares.

I remember taking my .22LR into high school so the machine shop teacher could help me modify scope rings for it. A buddy got busted by the VP with a 12ga and a box of beer in his locker as he was leaving Friday after school for the cottage. He got more grief for the box of beer than the 12ga lol.

I think they should bring back lawn darts and let Darwin have his way

LOL - Lawn Darts! We played with those for years & no one ever got stuck. Lawn Darts was a lot safer than chucking spears at each other.
Seeing the kids walking to school around here, not many of them would be able to move quickly enough to dodge a spear like we did.

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Best Wishes
Daryl

You ever shoot arrows straight up in the air and the one who had the arrow land closest won? The kids who lost sight of it usually ran under the building overhangs.

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Tim
CAFTA Governor and lifetime learner

No - we didn't do that, Mac. Dodging spears you could see & judge trajectory, was one thing.
I have shot UPwards, but never straight up. It was with a red lighted nock. Absolutely amazing height.
East to track though, as it was at night. Shot with my 75# Pinacle, Cam bow. Was a 560gr. arrow, running 236fps
with the 2315's. It came down about 110yards from us, just inside the bushline. Easy to find. Red nock.

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Best Wishes
Daryl

No - we didn't do that, Mac. Dodging spears you could see & judge trajectory, was one thing.
I have shot UPwards, but never straight up. It was with a red lighted nock. Absolutely amazing height.
East to track though, as it was at night. Shot with my 75# Pinacle Xi, Cam bow. Was a 560gr. arrow, running 236fps
with the 2315's. It came down about 110yards from us, just inside the bushline. Easy to find. Red nock.

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Best Wishes
Daryl