I found a free, 2 day, course. I am now certified in basic shotgun techniques! I have a diploma :) I went trap shooting which is clay pigeons shot from a stationary box, in the center of the field. There were two instructors, one was calm and easygoing. I crossed my fingers for that teacher. The other was a young, intense, former Machine Gunnery Sergeant. The Sergeant announced, "I'll take all the ladies in the class." Oh well :( I had a Remington , 20 gage, Semi-automatic. He asked who wanted to go first, and I yelled, "Me!" He said, "Go ahead and see if you can hit the target." I was scared, because I wasn't sure of how much recoil (kick) the gun would have and it was the unknown. I held the stock against my face and hoped it wouldn't slap me over. I took a deep breath and yelled, "Pull", the target went flying and I pulled the trigger. All I remember is seeing a flash of yellow, orange, and red and the smell of gunpowder (which I love so much, I wish they'd make a perfume out of it). The Sergeant's jaw was agape along with everyone else. I bull's eyed the clay pigeon and shattered it into a million pieces! Okay, this is fun. Sarge said he bet I couldn't do it again and I proved him wrong. He said no way could I do it three times in a row and I did! The guy from the other class smiled and came up to me and said, "Thanks a lot. Now we all have to take a turn, after you." I went out and bought a Mossberg 20 gage shotgun (I couldn't afford the Semi-automatic) and I bought an ammo pouch. I went back to use the firing range and drew some attention. I guess they wanted to see if a girl could shoot. I expected they thought they would get a good laugh. I didn't feel any pressure by having an audience. I was so focused and intent on shooting and I did great. When my time slot was up, I got a round of applause from the boys. I've never been a competitive type of person before, but I am definitely now, with this sport; it's a power trip!
