Have you ever shot anyone?

[DedEye]

Yes, in my time as the Sergeant of a three-man Rapid Tactical Force at one of America’s largest indoor retail shopping areas I have been in large running gun battles with terrorists and gang members .


Also, it isn't Bear People. It's Bear Cavalry.

[redneckshootist]

On the morning of October 6 2007 I was in the lassen national forest. I had never been through there before so I decided to do a road hunt and glass. I spoted this magnificent black tail buck about 200 yards out. I stopped the truck and walked in a little closer to try to get a better shot, I then placed my rifle savage 110 in 30-06 firmly agenced my shoulder and fired the shot. I was useing remington jacked soft point 150 grain ammo. The deer went down and is now in my freezer.
OH wait you asked about humans sorry I only hunt deer.

[Timberwolf]

Objection - assumes facts not in evidence, can you rephrase?

[aileron]

Yes. I saw this guy creeping around the corner of my building so I slowly raised up my rifle's sight, put him in the middle of it, relaxed to ease tension off of my trigger finger, exhaled, and left-clicked.

And missed.

[5150-417]

last time i went to kern river i shot my cousin in the ars with my bb gun.

[Moonclip]

I know someone who shot themselves by accident!

[aileron]

Now, if we have a zombie epidemic in this country, guaranteed there will be tons of elaborate tall tales about it, with much chest beating going on. And of course the humorous tallest of tales about the one that got away.

Not to mention all will say. "GOD BLESS THE ZOMBIES! What would we of done with out them?"

I can hear some of you getting giddy over the thought. Stop grinning about it already.

[-hanko]

Yes, in my time as the Sergeant of a three-man Rapid Tactical Force at one of America’s largest indoor retail shopping areas I have been in large running gun battles with terrorists and gang members .


Also, it isn't Bear People. It's Bear Cavalry.

Thank God for ceramic trauma plates...nothing ruins your day like a few .308's in the back,

-hanko

[RP1911]

A friend of mine was an MP and responded to a domestic violence call. The soldier was armed and threatening to kill his wife. He ended up taking the life of another soldier with his rifle.

Twenty years later it still torments him.

[VeryCoolCat]

I'm not sure if I've ever shot someone... but I once shot at someone and I'm not sure if he was killed or not...

this foo tried to roll up on me and my krew so he starts flashin signs yo' and I be yellin GET STEPPIN FOO and he's showin his grill... he pulls out a gat... I start yellin for my homies to get down and they be 'OH **** SON!' and I git my glock40 from under the seat in my ride and was yelling "BRACE YO SELF BITCH" and start cappin at his ride....

to make an incredibly long story short... after I pulled the trigger, the young gentleman's vehicle stopped accelerating and hit a parked car. I contemplated checking out the vehicle but didn't continue and investigate the situation any further due to the PO-PO be coming and I ain't gettin in dat pen for cappin some ignant foo thinking he be all dat.

[chiefcrash]

I've never shot anyone, but i came damn close...

Some smacktard broke into my house and was raiding my uncle's room (down stairs).

Since our neighbor frequently comes over, i didn't freak out. But it the noises coming from downstairs were odd enough for me to investigate with the shotgun...

When i get down the stairs, i see the smacktard coming down the hall directly in front of me, carrying three of my uncle's guitars. as soon as he saw me, he froze. For a split second, we both kinda stood there, shocked and bewildered. Then i started to bring the Mossberg up to the ready, and he bolted out the door...

called the police. two hours later, they show up and take my report. and that was the last of it...

[NeoWeird]

I hurt someone's feelings once...

BRILLIANT! Why this response didn't get more attention, especially from the original poster, is beyond me...

To try and add to the discussion; I've never shot a man, unless a bathroom shower is a man, but I have taken more than my share of animal's lives. I don't mean to compare human life to animal life, or belittle anyone's experiences but please try to anaolgize the two and I hope my post will help both sides of the discussion.

All too often many people will claim that they would, without hesitation, shoot someone if they needed to. It's easy to think in your mind that if it came down to your mother/wife being killed and some bad guy being killed that the choice would be obvious and simple; while it may be obvious it won't always be simple. A good number of people, especially given proper time and reason to think forward to an event would probably be mentally able to point a gun at someone with the notion in their head that they MAY have to pull the trigger. There is probably also a pretty sizeable portion of people who would be able to calmly point a gun at someone and focus their thoughts on aiming and pulling the trigger. It's NOT the pulling the trigger that's hard, it's dealing with and coping with what happens afterwards.

I still remember one of the first animals I killed, it was a skunk on one of my family's ranches that was eating our livestock. It was easy to point my rifle at it and pull the trigger; it was actually realizing the destructive nature of guns and having to do the humane thing afterward that was hard.

Most people don't realize that shooting a living creature isn't a point, click, they're dead type of thing. It's more like a point, click, time halting, trauma, elapsed time frame, possibly repeating any number of the previous, and eventual death. Seeing a person dying, even if they are 'bad' is not a good thing nor is it something most people ever want to see. There is unfortunately all too many people who get swept up in any number of events, such as the military, who have the pre-notions that it will be point click over and afterwards they find it's far more difficult than it was ever lead on to be. Sadly they are almost always forced to endure the event after the fact; whether it is continued service, criminal investigations, etc. Most people who've been there just want to let it go and these types of topics don't help.

Now that's not to say this topic is wrong in anyway, but that is why people are being so 'abrasive' towards it; they just want to let it go but at the same time they want to help, because there are people on here who genuinely want to help people, so it's always like putting salt in their healing wounds.

Now on the other hand you are genuinely trying to get an informed answer. I wish I could give it to you but I've never been there so I can't give you my experiences. All I can say is I carry a gun on me at all time when I'm home and there have been a handfull of times where their imminent use was almost certain in my mind for a given moment. There has only been two times I can recall in those situations where I was absolutely calm and ready - all other times my adrenaline was going faster than I care to imagine and I forgot nearly all of my training.

That being said, training doesn't seem to stay with me in those types of sitations as much as I would like. However, I would not dare trust my 'instinct' or natural ability in those situations either. That means the only thing I can trust is what little training I remember; which is all the more reason to train until you can't train anymore and then do it again.

Also, if serious self defense is something you want to persue, and I think everyone should defend their lives but I believe it is my responsability as a prepared gun owner to actively protect others as well and not just when it's my hide on the line, then I'd get comfortable wtih true ballistics studies such as Foresnics studies and the like as well as, I hate to say it, hunting. Taking a life, even from an animal is an easy action but a difficult thing to do for someone who is not absolutely aware of what will happen. If you really want to be prepared for a follow up shot if it is needed, those are the only real ways to learn and no ammount of internet talk, or any talk for that matter, is really going to prepare you.

And I am sure you are wondering; no I don't think I am prepared to shoot another person, even if I have to, but I've already made up in my mind that I will if I have to. Will I when it comes down to it? If fortune is against me, only time will tell.

[hitman13]

yes i have shot people, no you cant hear about it.

thanks for the sig though!!

[JeffM]

Read On Killing by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman

That is all I have to contribute to this thread

[CSACANNONEER]

Remember "Don't ask, Don't tell"?