20 | etcetera | the roar
tuesday, dec. 16, 2014
shoot thrill to
Marksmen maintain shooting tradition, compete in events
vi burgess | assistant editor
H
appiness is a warm gun, as the Beatles say, for many teenage marksmen. Though many students hunt, these marksmen bring back shooting in the most uncomplicated sense--at a paper target. “[There is] the adrenaline rush from shooting; you don’t have to shoot at anything to feel the gun. It makes you feel powerful,” sophomore Cannon Coker said. “It feels good; you sit there, and you’re getting ready to shoot, and then there’s that second where [it feels like] when you’re little and you’re afraid to shoot because you don’t know what’s going to happen with the kick of the gun, but eventually you get over it and it becomes natural.” Though Coker’s given name of “Cannon” has little relation to his shooting skills, Coker has been shooting since he was a child. “My grandpa asked me to go out hunting with them one day and I was like ‘Alright cool, sounds like fun, sounds manly’ so I decided to go with them,” Coker said. “[My first gun] [didn’t] have as much kick and [was] really not that
powerful at all, [but] that’s how I got over you and there’re two of them so you good at shooting because you have to shoot two times; it’s really fun when you get a perfect shot.” see both of them turn to smoke.” Like Coker, junior David HildebThrough 4-H, many people comrandt began shooting at a young age, pete in various events, often matching also taught by his older relatives. For their skills with friends. Hildebrandt, shooting is merely a part “It was definitely more fun when of life. you’re shooting “I’ve always with your friends,” grown up shooting You don’t have to shoot Hildebrandt said. and always thought “[When you shoot at anything to feel the with friends] it’s [for] ‘Why stop? Why stop shooting now, gun. It makes you feel bragging rights, just I’ve been shooting so you can say ‘Hey, . since I was three,’ ” I shot better than sophomore you.’” Hildebrandt said. “[The first time I According to shot something] I Hildebrandt, some of was really excited, the best marksmen [so] I was shaking; I didn’t know what to are girls, though boys tend to hunt more. do, so I pulled the gun up.” Sophomore Mckean Matson, who began Hildebrandt used to shoot recre- shooting relatively late in 8th grade, is ationally through a program called 4H, one of the girls who found her passion which stands for head, heart, hands and through 4-H, not through family tradihealth. 4-H has a shooting division pro- tion. moting young sportsmanship among “I felt great; I never thought I could Texas children. shoot well, but once I put my mind to “Shooting at the range, there’s some- it, it just felt amazing. Like I just want to thing kind of special about that,” Hildeb- keep doing that forever,” Matson said. randt said. “[The clay pigeons] fly right “I’m the only one who ever really shoots
powerful
Cannon Coker
[in my family]. Since I liked it, [my parents] encouraged it, but it’s not like they encouraged me to go out and shoot every weekend [like other parents].” Like many others who shoot for sport, Coker, Matson, and Hildebrandt each own multiple guns. Though none are traditional gun collectors, each has developed distinct opinions on gun control through their unique hobby. “I’m not big on gun collecting, and my opinion might be different if I was, but I think we should have the right to have self-defense, like [keeping] pistols at our house and hunting rifles and all that,” Hildebrandt said. “You don’t have a need for anything automatic. That’s a little too dangerous and it’s not really needed for the uses the common American has in life.” The three marksmen hope to continue shooting in the future, inside and outside of the range. “Shooting is a big part of everybody’s heritage,” Hildebrandt said. “It’s something people should be openminded with and it’s a great skill to have.” Photo of Mckean Matson by Vi Burgess.