You know, prepping for zombie or goblin attacks is one thing, and challenging yourself to improve is another, but dang, this hobby is just plain fun.
I guess I never really forget that fact, but it’s nice to sit back and reflect.
The smell is unique. Both of the cordite propellent AND the cleaning chemicals after. I love the feel of the pressure wave on my face, which is more noticeable when the guy shooting next to you is firing big bore magnums out of his Africa gun. It’s a joy just to make holes in paper, as you are in control of a small bit of measured destruction. Like a sand castle, it’s fun to build it up, it’s fun to knock it down. Well a watermelon is fun to eat and fun to burst into a bajillion fragments with a .30-06.
Plus, shooting is relaxing. Concentrating despite the cacophony and chaos at the range. I’m not the first shooter to note the zen like state you have to achieve to shoot well, steadying so many different factors, breathing, aiming, stance, arm position, hand postion, squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezing. It isn’t a wonder that one aspect of Zen meditation that has been used for centuries is archery. Similar discipline over all of your form is required.
Interesting you mention that-there is a little known Zen art of shooting called hojutsu, not to be confused with the Zen art of knocking people out and tying them up of the same name. Probably a language thing. A quick search turned up:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.hojutsu.com/
excellent post, but gaaaah it's not cordite, legions of thriller novelists to the contrary -- unless you've maybe found some Brit milsurp for your Garand? Cordite ain't produced no more.
ReplyDeleteSee, for example, http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/edu30.htm