Difference between Gun Owner and shooter

[rvb]

Shooter: figured out for yourself how many rounds it takes to wear a quality firearm to critical failure (Beretta 92, 120k+).

-rvb

 

[rvb]

So a shooter has the finish worn off his/her Glock. (if they can get the thing to run)

-rvb

 

[SSGSAD]

JMHO, I own several guns, handguns, rifles, and shotguns... With the EXCEPTION of skeet, or ANY kind of clay shooting, I can shoot ALL of my guns to the same "level". (sorry couldn't think of a good word). I usually shoot in the neighborhood of 80-85%, with ANY of my guns ..... again JMHO .....
And, I have RE-BLUED ONE of my handguns ..... and except for adding an adjustable sight to my .45, which needed the dovetail cut out, none of my guns have ever been to the gunsmith .....
I consider myself, to be BOTH, a gun owner, and a shooter .....

 

[Mike.B]

Here's the litmus test:

You have saved enough money to attend the training course of your choosing, but it falls on the same weekend as your favorite gun show. Which do you attend?

Both! Surely the show will last longer than the training. Go to one when the other is over.

Giving trick questions....

 

[David Rose]

RVB you win the ugliest Beretta award.

Your prize: a snazzy looking Glock that doesn't work.

Congratulation!

 

[Tydeeh22]

someone judge me please. cant really decide as to my (shooter / owner) description.

1000+ rifle rounds a year. most (400) with AK style rifle, others with scoped rifles.

2000+ pistol including point shooting, multiple target practice, simulated room clears, and general target shooting.

now i need to find a class nearby.

 

[bwframe]

What makes one a shooter?

Dunno, still working on it. Maybe one day...

 

[handgun]

Bad test anyway because there are lots of folks who shoot a lot but never take a class or want to.

I think a better test is "are there any quality guns in your collection that you've shot enough to have to replace common wear parts (springs, extractors, etc) in and that you can field strip blindfolded?"

I added "quality" because I've owned guns that needed regular replacement parts at a hundred rounds

Nothing wrong with being a gun owner who doesn't shoot much, or a shooter who collects a lot of guns they don't shoot.

Couldnt that merely be a gunsmith or a person with ocd who never shoots much but once a year.. but feels compelled to breack.down completely his pistol and replace parts for no apparent reason... and put it back together

 

[MACHINEGUN]

 

[Litlratt]

What makes the difference between being a gun owner and a shooter? What skill level does one need to have in order to be considered a shooter instead of simply a gun owner? How many gun owners do we have compared to shooters? Which do you consider yourself to be?

1. A gun owner may or may not shoot, a shooter may or may not own guns. I consider a shooter to be someone who actively pursues their desire to shoot.
2. Skill level is irrelevant.
3. Difficult to say as I associate with shooters. A 50 to 1 ratio wouldn't surprise me.
4. Both.

 

[Cemetery-man]

I used to be a shooter. Then I became a hunter. Now I would probably classify myself as a gun owner.

 

[GBuck]

I would say I straddle the line between gun owner and shooter. (I think I straddle the line of being a "shooter" on INGO sometimes too)

I own quite a few guns that I have NEVER shot, nor will I EVER shoot. Then again, I have taken many courses and am quite proficient with my EDC and most other handguns I pick up. I am not as proficient with rifles. Does this disqualify me from being a "shooter"?

My G19 has probably 8-9k rounds through it, but my current EDC has only about 500 (only had it about a month and a half)

 

[gregkl]

I used to be a shooter. Then I became a hunter. Now I would probably classify myself as a gun owner.

Similar here: A hunter, then a shooter, then a collector. Now after 15+ years away I am trying to be a shooter again. What the heck happened to my eyesight!

 

[shibumiseeker]

I consider myself, to be BOTH, a gun owner, and a shooter .....

I don't see it as a dichotomy, ie you're one or the other. I see it as different aspects of the same activity and one does not preclude the other.

I do agree that there are far more many people who own guns than who shoot them to any significant degree.

I think it's similar to people who reload simply so they can shoot and will buy the equipment that allows them to load as fast as possible, while some of us enjoy the reloading itself and so if we're only loading 50-100 rounds an hour we're perfectly happy with it. We both reload, but we have very different approaches.

 

[OEF5]

There are guys here that shoot WAY more than me, however I consider myself a shooter because of my skill set. I've not shot any USPSA in a while, I've not taken a class in a while. Life does turn on you at times lol

However having the foundation of training that I've been able to have in my life and the training I get to do with the military gives me a small advantage over a gun owner.

However there is one thing that can be said of both groups, most people really don't know how they are going to preform in a real life self defense situation. For this reason the edge goes to someone who has the repeated training of using the firearm on a regular basis. If you have a band new 1911 and only ever fired a couple 100 rounds through it and keep it in the safe, and two years after purchase you need to grab it to defend your home, are you going to remember all of the things you have to do to fire it? Are you going to be able to perform a malfunction drill on the spot if your life depends on it?

My is that every gun owner should be able to have the ability to operate at least one weapon for self defense and know that sytem in and out. It was stated in an earlier post that you should be able to disasemble your weapon blind folded. I can with several platforms, Glock, 1911, 92F, and the AR. Can I shoot them all in the 10 ring or the A zone? NO, can I hit a man size target while shooting from cover or on the move, yes.

So I guess I'm saying that all gun owners should be shooters. If you are not what's the point?

 

[DustyDawg48]

The difference between a shooter and a gun owner? I'd say their 2nd Amendment views.

Many 'gun guys' only want to hunt (poach) get drunk and shoot, or say "You don't need one of those black rifles. WTH do you need something that has a 30-round clip for?"

Degree of skill, size of collection, number of rounds I don't think has anything to do with being in one category or another.

 

[N_K_1984]

Gun owners buy guns. Shooters buy ammo.

 

[Rob377]

...
So I guess I'm saying that all gun owners should be shooters. If you are not what's the point?

(postal) Stamp collectors don't have to be mailmen, coin collectors don't need to be bankers, comic book collectors don't need to be super heroes.

One of the afflictions of the human condition is the penchant for collecting **** for which we have no practical use.

A shooter is someone who actively and consistently pursues improvement in his/her ability to actually shoot.

 

[lovemachine]

When you say "shooter", what kind of shooter?

I think of:

Recreational.

Competition.

Defensive.

I don't think there's very many similarities between those.

 

[Bruenor]

Just my opinion...

The difference between a gun owner and a shooter has nothing to do with what you own, it is about will and knowledge.

Owning a gun does not necessarily mean that you are exercising your Second Amendment rights any more than having a mouth means that you are exercising your First Amendment rights. To exercise your First Amendment rights means that you have the will to speak, and the knowledge to choose what to speak. Spouting off an opinion that has no basis in fact is, in my opinion, not exercising your First Amendment rights. Rationally thinking about a situation, researching it, forming an opinion, and the defending that opinion (even if it is exactly opposite from what my opinion may be on the same subject) is exercising your First Amendment rights.

Similar to this, exercising your Second Amendment rights involves both will and knowledge. Having a firearm but not having the will to use it is useless. Also, having a firearm but not being able to use it effectively for its intended purpose is also useless. This does not mean that you have to be a tack driver at 100 yards, but it does mean that you have to have a reasonable level of proficiency with your firearm, and be able to utilize your skill in whatever (reasonable -- think home invasion not Rambo) situation you may find yourself in. This is all separate from the simply ownership of a firearm. Having the means comes last, because without will and knowledge, a firearm is just a paperweight.

With the First Amendment, without will and knowledge, your mouth can only consume, not produce. With the Second Amendment, without will and knowledge, you are a gun owner, not a shooter.