How young are you guys?

[Imortal Wombat]

Im only new to this sport, and only reasonably young (18), and was just wondering how young you all are and when you started shooting?.

[chessman]

38. Started shooting with Dad when I was 4. Owned my first rifle at 10. I thought everybody shot until I left for college and found out that most city folk haven't even touched a firearm.

[LOBO]

I am 27. Started hunting with my Dad when I was 5 and by myself in the stand at 12. Got my first deer rifle and handgun at 12. Started reloading at 20.

[EXPRESS]

I'm 24, started hunting when I was a toddler with home made bows n slingshots.

Shot my first pig when I was 11, fired my first centrefire at the same a.300win mag in a BAR).

Age 12; my school had an indoor target shooting team and an outdoor clays team.
I participated in both and the interschool comps.

Hunted in Africa for the first time at 13, then over the following 4 years on and off with my dad.

Till three years ago, I was very much happy to shoot factory ammo, and would have considered putting a few shots near the bull a good result before heading off hunting.

Then I started reloading maniacally and doing some local informal competition shooting and long range shooting at the same time,

At the moment I am working toward getting a handle on the .308win out to 600m, then I want to consider getting an .338lapua.

I am also getting into blackpwder cartridge shooting, I'll be picking up a .45-120 on thrusday, and later possibly a .38-55 or .38-40 which will be a whole new challenge.

[ 07-11-2004: Message edited by: EXPRESS ]

[QuietHunter]

I am (doing math now) 35.
I have been hunting since I was a baby standing in the truck seat while dad watched waterholes for deer in Arizona.
My first gun was a Daisy BB gun at 5 years old. It when on "hiatus" when I killed the Zenith while watching "Planet of the Apes". Upon getting it back I took credit for many birds off the corn pile.
First Rifle was an Ithaca .22 Lever action at 8 years old.
Killed first deer "around" the time I could legally hunt deer in Colorado (14 then). Might have been off by a couple years one way or the other...
Started reloading at 14 because factory ammo was too expensive. Used cheapest components and experminted a lot. Luckily nobody was ever injured.
Started long range (intelligently) 2 years ago thanks to this site. Before then it was a lot of guesswork - "hit or miss" you might say.

48, almost 49. Hunted with my Dad at 5 and by myself in the Louisiana swamps at 8. Began reloading and gunsmithing at 10. My Dad is a gunsmith. Went to factory loads when I had kids and not enough time to load my own. Recently got back into handloading and have been building custom stocks and doing trigger jobs, pillar bedding, etc. for the last 10 years. A lot of tech improvements in reloading over the last 25 years! I don't believe in tolerances.. That's what ZERO is for! Living in Texas and raising 2 more boys 14 & 17. Have our first Package Whitetail hunt scheduled for this year for My wife, myself, and 3 sons!

48, almost 49. Hunted with my Dad at 5 and by myself in the Louisiana swamps at 8. Began reloading and gunsmithing at 10. My Dad is a gunsmith. Went to factory loads when I had kids and not enough time to load my own. Recently got back into handloading and have been building custom stocks and doing trigger jobs, pillar bedding, etc. for the last 10 years. A lot of tech improvements in reloading over the last 25 years! I don't believe in tolerances.. That's what ZERO is for! Living in Texas and raising 2 more boys 14 & 17. Have our first Package Whitetail hunt scheduled for this year for My wife, myself, and 3 sons!