Shooting Range as Therapy?

[pappy jon]

I'm leaving work today after lunch. Boss told me to take off for "mental health" reasons. Actually, she wanted me to take off all day, but there is too much going on at work to be gone. Anybody else spend time at the range shooting for therapy? Does it help? I have a pair of pistols in the truck with a hundred rounds for each. I was thinking about getting one of those human silhouette targets and trying to see how many I could put in the "head." And in case it sounds weird, it's a brain cancer thing.

[scwilli]

shooting for me is relaxing, especially with a lot of people at the range where i can stand back and ogle other pistols, women with guns, and good holsters.

[FiddleDog]

splodin' stuff does tend to have a calming effect. Pretty much anything that you do in which you concentrate on only that thing is good for the soul. I think it was Chesterton that said that "purity of mind is to know 1 thing." very zen. good luck to you man. Keep your head up. Sounds like your work is causing some serious consternation.

[Jake3501]

Shooting for me is most relaxing when one of my son's and I are out in the boonies away from a lot of folks like at the range. Way too many newbies at the range these days for me to relax. For an extra good time, I like to find some small melons to put a few hot rounds through, ruin an otherwise good day for an unsuspecting bunny rabbit or a wile e. coyote occasionally. My youngest son likes to trick his old man with his very good simulated hog sounds. Occasionally where we go we will see a bob cat... although they rarely sit still long enough to get a decent shot off. We take all the commie guns, and the American GI guns. Once we have burnt enough ammo to invade a small country and thoroughly terrorized all of the flora and fauna of the Mound Lake (our boonies) area, we leave, totally relaxed and smelling of cordite....knowing we were victorius over all the many dangerous situations we had just encountered. Springtime adds a few rattlers and more of a sense of danger to the mix. At least that is the way it has been in the past. Today, we take a bulk pack of .22 long rifles and still have a blast.

[Petrie]

pappy jon,
you have brain cancer? Real sorry to hear that. I could see how getting mind off of things at the range would help.

[Merlinspop]

I think any activity that forces you to concentrate on the matter at hand and block everything else out is good for clearing one's head. Besides being populated (generally) by youngsters, that's one reason some software houses have set up video games in break rooms.

Hope it worked for you.

[Deviate]

I think any activity that forces you to concentrate on the matter at hand and block everything else out is good for clearing one's head.

Absolutely. Anything I can do that forces me to forget what's going on in the world always helps me out. Shooting, working on cars, drag racing, or just watching a really good movie sometimes. All are pretty good at putting a new perspective on life.

[ibdsam]

Sounds like great therapy!

[pappy jon]

pappy jon,
you have brain cancer? Real sorry to hear that. I could see how getting mind off of things at the range would help.

I don't. My wife did. Today is/was her birthday.

[pappy jon]

It was good. Looking down the barrel, focusing on that little white dot at the end, watching the flash come out of the barrel ... ya, worked for me. When shooting you can think of only one thing. There can't be any distractions. Life, work, politics, etc. It all goes away to send a ball down range.