According to the NRA, just two years ago, there were almost 400 million gun owners in the USA. While many buy some sort of a gun or a rifle for protection, many people also buy them to participate in shooting sports, which are incredibly popular in the USA and the world. In fact, shooting sports have even been in the Olympic games! However, even with the rise of popularity, there are still some people who think that shooting sports are dangerous. In this post, you will find some of the reasons why I think they aren’t dangerous:
SAFE RANGES
Many of the shooting sports are not practiced in the untamed wilderness – they are practiced at a shooting range. These ranges are either enclosed or in the open, but with controlled access to guns and strict limits on the grounds.
These ranges are monitored by professionals (range safety officers) which are there to make you feel safe on the range. Nobody gets shot there except the targets!
RANGE SAFETY OFFICERS (RSO)
The range safety officers are the ones (apart from yourself) keeping you safe at the range. You have them at any range, and they are obliged to help you with any questions you have about shooting sports. They check for your gear, protection, and they are there if you feel like your gun is malfunctioning.
PROTECTION
At the range, your protection and safety are brought to the highest level and that is why you have to have your protective gear on you even before you enter the range! You must wear ear protection and goggles so that nothing can affect your ears or your eyes.
Word of advice: before you enter the range, be sure to check if you put them on properly.
GUNS
Before you start shooting, you are taught that you must always keep your gun pointed down and that you must keep your finger off the trigger until you are in the designed spot from which you will shoot your target. Fear not, the gun, whether you brought it, or borrowed from the range is always unloaded. There are professionals at the range who care about your safety and the safety of other shooters, and they always check if the guns are unloaded.
VIOLENCE?
Many people are concerned with the idea that gun shooting promotes violence, and that it is because of shooting sports that our kids and adults are becoming more and more dangerous for society.
While there are some coincidences that a violent person actually owns a gun and behaves dangerously, most of the people practicing shooting sports have nothing to do with any kind of violence – shooting sports are just a fun way of relaxing and socializing for them.
