Unchartered Territory, Part 1: Have Gun, Will Travel?

For short time now, my stepson and I have talked abut doing some trap or skeet shooting. Last summer he got a taste of shooting while at Boy Scout camp and had expressed an interest in trying sport shooting, though "I (he) won't hunt live animals."

My wife and his father do not have much interest in shooting (though my wife also has done some target shooting in the past with my stepson at Cub Scout Adventure Camp a number of years ago), so I have given some thought to maybe giving it a shot. This will not surprise you, but I have never even held any type of firearm with a gauge higher than "small air pellet."

Last week a spent a little time trying to make head-or-tales of just what type of registration or licensure I would need to use a target rifle at a range or club. There appear to be two options: pursue a hand-gun permit which would take approximately nine-months to have approved (at least in New York) or sign-up for some sort of hunting license... or at least that was what I thought.

While at the local gun emporium yesterday (not K-Mart or Dick's Sporting Goods--though both have firearms for sale and I have at times found myself in their respective "gun departments" accidentally), but rather Gander Mountain which had what one might realistically equate to a firearms "candy shop." My wife in tow, we stopped by Gander Mountain armed with questions about registering and fire arm licensing.

Walking past two folks (an older bearded gentleman and a younger lady) looking to talk with interested parties about hunting dogs, we intentionally entered into uncharted personal territory, heading in the direction of the gun department.