Last weekend my uncle, who is a tactical firearms instructor out of Longmont, CO, came up to celebrate my 20th birthday. On Sunday we went with my dad and his friend to go shooting out at this lake near Hwy 130 between Laramie and Jelm Mountain.
Most of it was long range stuff, rifles and the like. My uncle had a police-grade .308 sniper rifle he was trying to get zero'ed, and my dad needed more practice with his 7mm hunting rifle.
However, toward the end, we put up the long-range targets and put up some combat targets (man shaped targets about 15-20 m away, with a small box target around the heart area), and my uncle said he was going to teach me how to shoot the 9mm Glock that he carries as a concealed weapon.
He had me stand about 10 or 15 m away from the targets, saying that most defensive shooting situtations would occur at that range. He taught me the proper way to hold the gun, where to put my trigger finger while not firing (hint: not on the trigger), and how to pay attention to the direction of the muzzle and my sight picture. Finally, he taught me how to pull the trigger in an even motion, not the jerky motion that you see in the movies. He also told me to not think about the recoil, and to let it surprise me instead, saying that "by time the recoil jerks your hand up, the bullet will already be flying."
So I kept all this in mind, and about 5 minutes later I was able to hit the heart box on the target consistently, which astounded my uncle to no end. Keep in mind he teaches tactical firearms, and some of his students are police, military and ex-military, and other professions which demand the extensive use of firearms. He said that most of his students don't even hit the target until a few days in, let alone hit the heart box.
After we got home we got to talking, and he is convinced that part of the reason why I was able to take everything he taught me and put it together to make those shots was due to my autistic traits. Of course, he isn't exactly an expert on autism, most of what he knows is from seeing the Temple Grandin movie. He told me, however, that for whatever reason I was able to pick up on proper firing technique faster than most of the peope he's taught before.
As for me, well, I enjoyed myself. Shooting is kind of a stress relief for my uncle, and now that I've had the chance to try it I can see why. The intense amount of focus required causes you to really forget about everything else.
In Wyoming you have to be 21 to purchase or own a handgun, and like all states they make you take a background check and everything. But I'm thinking I'm going to keep learning from my uncle and perhaps look into getting one in a year or two. Pistol shooting is really something that I'm a natural at, and I kind of want to pursue it both for recreational and defensive purposes.
And to anyone who says Aspies shouldn't own guns, hasn't had the experience I have. It's not just the fact I can handle a gun. When I have one in my hand, the one thought that crosses through my head is, "by carrying this, I have the power to take someone's life. I have to be careful in how I use it." That one thought throws all of my senses into overdrive, makes me alert to what I am doing. The fact that I am acutely aware of just how powerful and dangerous I have become by having a gun and knowing how to use it, it makes me consider my actions more carefully. Of course, not all Aspies are like this, just as not all NT's are like that. Keep that in mind.
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"Yeah, so this one time, I tried playing poker with tarot cards... got a full house, and about four people died." ~ Unknown comedian
Happy New Year from WP's resident fortune-teller! May the cards be ever in your favor.
08 Mar 2011, 2:17 pm
