Red's Indoor Shooting Range

Jon has been trying to teach me about guns ever since we started dating. He owns a .40 Caliber Smith & Wesson, a .357 Magnum and a .306 Rifle and has tried to teach me how to use them on multiple occasions but nothing compares to going to the range and ACTUALLY loading and shooting them! I can now shoot a burglar or someone trying to attack me...not! :-). Jon has been wanting to take me to the range for quite some time so since yesterday was his birthday, we drove out to Pflugerville to hit up Red's Indoor Shooting Range. Jon sent me a text yesterday while I was at work asking "are you nervous about tonight" and I said no, why would I be? It wasn't until we actually got there and the tech was teaching me how to load it and telling me what could happen if I loaded it wrong, or put the shells in wrong....my knees were getting weak! After we left, I compared the nerves to getting a tattoo. Someone may ask me, are you nervous about getting a tattoo? No of course not. But it isn't until you are sitting in the chair and hear that awful awful tattoo gun noise that you start getting woozy! So here is a recap of my first time at the shooting range....

Jon brought his .40 caliber and .357 magnum (he decided to leave the GIANT rifle at home) but I wanted to start with a much smaller one so I rented a pretty "gun"metal gray 9mm handgun. I was getting so antsy and anxious to shoot the first round just to get it over with. One of the techs came out while we were buying ammo and told the other tech he had to clean a gun that had blood on it....WHAT!?! That freaked me out but I was calmed when I realized you can easily cut yourself on the sharp magazine while loading the shells  or get a slide bite while shooting (I was thinking of all the horrific ways someone could get blood on their gun!). Ear protection- check. Stylish eye wear- check. We were ready to go. 

I noticed all the empty bullets on the ground and had no idea that they fly out of the gun when you fire it so of course, I was instantly spooked when Jon shot before me and A. I saw fire coming out of his gun and B. hot shells were flying at my face! Nervously, he helped me load the magazine and get that sucker ready. I pulled the trigger and my body was totally rocked. You are not supposed to put the gun down until it is empty but I was so shaken up and my eyes welled with tears. I think it was pure shock, not to mention there was some definite kick on the gun and the shell hit my arm upon release. Jon came to take the gun from me and we unloaded it so I could catch my breathe. I know it sounds silly but if you've never shot a gun, it is nothing like I've ever experienced. I told Jon I don't think I could ever shoot someone or something after going to the range, it was so intense. After a pep talk and watching Jon shoot some more, I caught my breathe and shot another 8 clips the whole night. It was exhilarating! I even switched it up and shot 2 other types of guns (one being Jon's .40 caliber S&W that I was so nervous to shoot!).

I was having so much fun aiming for different parts on the target's "body" and got a total rush shooting one after another. Jon started shooting his Magnum which I call the "cowboy" gun because it is so old school and has a scope and laser and everyone was staring (Jon even let a guy shoot 2 shells which totally made his day). All of Jon's guns were his dad's and has more waiting for him in Ohio that were his great Grandpa Harts so it will be cool to pass those down to our children. Jon is not a hunter and does not have the desire to ever hunt so gun collecting and shooting are purely a hobby.

Below are some videos we took....sorry if it is loud! You can barely hear yourself talk with the ear protection so I figured I was yelling in the video (like when people talk super loud when they have headphones on!) but the firing drowns out a lot of it.

When we left, Jon asked me what I thought and how often I'd like to come back. Now of course I had fun with  my hubby on his birthday and I love doing anything with him that makes him happy but this is not going to become a regular hobby of mine. It is pretty expensive and I'm glad I now know how to load and use a gun that we have in our home but don't plan on hitting up the range regularly. This was a very cool experience!