How did you get here?

[Justsomedude]

I was in my mid twenties and discovered that I could accurately stretch the range of a 22lr but didn't really have anyone in my life or circle that I could brag to about it so I got on Google and searched for "gun forums." I think G&A was the first one that popped up so I joined. First post was bragging about shooting a 22lr out to 240 yards, and you can imagine how well I was received into the group .

I stuck around and learned alot and then fell into alcoholism along with a series of life misfortunes like divorce and losing my dad. Same deal, didn't have anyone to talk to and really screwed the pooch by airing out way too much personal life in the forum. You folks got to watch me lose everything, including my ever loving mind.

Got booted, and rightfully so but began to mend my life while I was away from the page. Grew older and wiser, and got the help that I needed with alot of things that put me into the lowest place I ever was, including mental health. Alcohol is a major regret that I wish I could take back. As I get older I wish more and more that I could take back all of the ways that I've wronged people in my past, even those seemingly little things. Started a new life for myself, met an amazing woman and here I am just trying to be better than the person I was yesterday.

Oh, drinking and posting to ANY social media is a bad idea.

[Diver43]

I also came from Florida Sportsman as Diver41. Because I was 41 years old when I made the profile. I'm 64 now.

[Linefinder]

Found G&A Forums by accident in late 2003. One of my first posts was "Got a poodle for Christmas". It described how I accidentley ran over a poodle on Christmas day on a rain slicked Interstate overpass. TexasCutie was greatly offended and quit the board almost immediately, but not before BillyChuck had replied "Well...it's not like he hit a real dog".

Mike

[Rugerfan]

Got started looking at the G&A website. Eventually found the forum. Decided to join after several months so I could see pictures people were posting. No idea how long ago that was.

[Bigslug]

Had an unplanned parting of ways with the LGS I'd been working at for almost 11 years. Ended up in a smaller one for a couple years while working my way to the current job. Had plenty of time to surf in that shop, and wound up on G&A with Sutureself and my brother from another mother Kenfu1911. That all kicked off probably summer to late 2003.

[farmboy II]

In 2006 (I think) I was bored and lonely looking for some amusement on the internet. I was probably searching for porn, somehow got here… there, whichever iteration was that timeframe. I lurked for a while and just couldn’t stop coming back, eventually joined to see the pictures.

[sakodude]

Stumbled in here sometime around 2003 I think. Lurked a while and it seemed a good place to hangout. We put together a Colorado shoot about a year latter, made some good friends then and developed some great new friends since.

[Wambli Ska]

Posted about trying my then new 1911 to kill a deer on my property for science and got raked over the coals by some of the old timers. Someone came to the rescue and said why would you use a gun/cartridge for SD and not trust it to kill a deer? Might have been Zee but it was a looong time ago. But I knew then there was hope for this place so I decided to stay.

I remember that.

We collectively slaughtered some sacred cows over the years. It was awesome.

It has been. Over the years a lot of BS gun/hunting lore has been slaughtered by this group. I remember long threads about how badazz wild pigs are and you kidnapping a piglet from momma to prove a point. Don’t think that point was ever revived

[Diver43]

Posted about trying my then new 1911 to kill a deer on my property for science and got raked over the coals by some of the old timers. Someone came to the rescue and said why would you use a gun/cartridge for SD and not trust it to kill a deer? Might have been Zee but it was a looong time ago. But I knew then there was hope for this place so I decided to stay.

I remember that.

We collectively slaughtered some sacred cows over the years. It was awesome.

It has been. Over the years a lot of BS gun/hunting lore has been slaughtered by this group. I remember long threads about how badazz wild pigs are and you kidnapping a piglet from momma to prove a point. Don’t think that point was ever revived

I remember that, and thinking something like "this dude is flipping nuts".

Fast forward a few years or so and yup, he is flipping nuts, on the grill

[Chiro1989]

DeanC, my cousin In-law, put me onto it, made some friends, stuck around

[Varmintmist]

There wasnt DSL when I first got on. IIRC I was looking for stuff on a 1903 and a thread popped up in the search, so I looked, found I could answer it, signed on, and that was it. Pre Dan, Billy Chuck, and a whole bunch of accounts and no accounts. The forum enabled me into a Kimber.. in 2000 or 2001

I remember Linefinder before he reloaded, and Wambli before he downsized.

[CPJ 2.0]

Possibly searching for handi rifle info but I honestly don’t recall. Dan was here, I’m guessing it was 2002-ish? I’ve slept since then.

[Zee]

Had an unplanned parting of ways with the LGS I'd been working at for almost 11 years. Ended up in a smaller one for a couple years while working my way to the current job. Had plenty of time to surf in that shop, and wound up on G&A with Sutureself and my brother from another mother Kenfu1911. That all kicked off probably summer to late 2003.

Speaking of, see if you can convince Ken to come over!

[Zee]

I remember that.

We collectively slaughtered some sacred cows over the years. It was awesome.

It has been. Over the years a lot of BS gun/hunting lore has been slaughtered by this group. I remember long threads about how badazz wild pigs are and you kidnapping a piglet from momma to prove a point. Don’t think that point was ever revived

I remember that, and thinking something like "this dude is flipping nuts".

Fast forward a few years or so and yup, he is flipping nuts, on the grill

Every village needs an idiot.

[bullsi1911]

DeanC, my cousin In-law, put me onto it, made some friends, stuck around

By the way- tell Dean and CMR to get thier asses over here and start posting.

[shotgunshooter3]

My dad was already a regular posting member as I was developing a keener interest in firearms and shooting. The rest is history.

Weren’t you all of 14 when you first got on?

More like 12 if I remember correctly.

[jaywapiti]

I like others here came from Florida Sportsman i was Fishhawk and Sand Key Diver.

[Bigslug]

Had an unplanned parting of ways with the LGS I'd been working at for almost 11 years. Ended up in a smaller one for a couple years while working my way to the current job. Had plenty of time to surf in that shop, and wound up on G&A with Sutureself and my brother from another mother Kenfu1911. That all kicked off probably summer to late 2003.

Speaking of, see if you can convince Ken to come over!

Yeah. . .I need to call and catch up with him anyway. The people on this earth weird enough to reliably finish my sentences are limited to blood relatives, spouse. . .and Kenny.

[Freezer]

When I began exploring the internet, it was "Dial-up". I needed an upgraded computer for my wife's college work. Our first computer was one generation behind, an Epson 8086. My first website was Alloutdoors, started by Linda Galligar. After a couple of years it folded, and I was heartbroken I lost a lot of friends including Teach, Mary, Dan C and many others who posted here. I found Modernsportsman one night, and they were all there! BTW, no spell check. About 20 years ago, I was in Tennessee giving visiting Teach, and he turned me on to G&A. I lurked a little, then signed up. I've been very happy here, and I'm grateful we're still together. I'm a member at two other sites, and have been on them longer, Graybeard and 24 Hour Campfire. I don't post much on either, and visit them early on weekend mornings before my wife wakes up.

It's strange how people you never get to meet become such a big part of our lives.

[Wambli Ska]

It has been. Over the years a lot of BS gun/hunting lore has been slaughtered by this group. I remember long threads about how badazz wild pigs are and you kidnapping a piglet from momma to prove a point. Don’t think that point was ever revived

I remember that, and thinking something like "this dude is flipping nuts".

Fast forward a few years or so and yup, he is flipping nuts, on the grill

Every village needs an idiot.

Robin Williams once said:
“Every neighborhood has that one kid that says, hey let’s get an umbrella and jump off the roof, I bet we can fly!

And then there’s the one kid that goes, FLOCK (censor bypass on purpose) the umbrella, we don’t need it!!!”

Well….

[bk56]

I’m guessing ~ 15-20 years or so.
I don’t recall how I found this place but most likely a search related to distance shooting, and chamberings/optics related to that. I became addicted to some of the threads that Linefinder and Scootertrash (RIP) had going back in the day….hitting a soda - sized target at 600 yards was (still is) mind blowing to me. I think Rapier was amongst that group as well. Sakodude, too?

Anyway, rifle shooting has always been my main interest though I’ve accumulated a few handguns along the way. Though I don’t post much, I read here just about every day. I figure I learn a lot more when I’m reading/listening, than I do when I’m typing/talking.

[Chiro1989]

DeanC, my cousin In-law, put me onto it, made some friends, stuck around

By the way- tell Dean and CMR to get thier asses over here and start posting.

I am not sure who CMR is?

[Castle]

...
Robin Williams once said:
“Every neighborhood has that one kid that says, hey let’s get an umbrella and jump off the roof, I bet we can fly!

And then there’s the one kid that goes, FLOCK (censor bypass on purpose) the umbrella, we don’t need it!!!”

Well….

I would swear Robin Williams was talking about me and my buddies in Okinawa. Let's just say libations and bedsheets were in involved during typhoon season.

That is all.

[jbp-ohio]

My first foray onto the Web was a WebTV I bought on sale at Walmart (maybe even an open box?). End of 2000, beginning of 2001?

Ended up on G&A's page and saw 'forums'. Started looking around and JIm Rice had a good flame war going on with....... just about everyone. Quite entertaining! Some real cards back then. WheresMyGun, Wsutlive, and a skinny redhead that liked chickens.

s-l400.jpg (44.84 KiB) Viewed 3850 times

It was s l o wwwww and every time someone posted a dozen pictures and Snake quoted ALL OF THEM..........

[MileHighShooter]

I was working overseas on a seismic research boat in India and I had recently turned 21 so i was planning out my first handgun purchase with my new found wealth. My brother, HowaHunter, had been a part of the Florida Sportsman off topic page and said there were a bunch of cool gun guys in this OT board. He was relaying my questions to y'all via email while i was abroad and emailing back a synopsis, since we had less than dial up speed and i couldn't access myself. Eventually when i had some time at port in Mumbai at an internet Cafe I finally joined. This has to have been circa 2003. I have made many lifelong friends and hunting partners from the origins of this group. Sakodude taught us how to reload after I bought some random bench of a guy that worked with my brother dies, powder, ammo, bullets and all(And now I tempt Sako's wallet frequently since I run one of the biggest Cabela's Gun Library's in the country in large part to the knowledge I've gained from y'all). I've shared campfires with several of you, spent about 30 hours in a truck with JerryBobCo to go tackledeer and turkey in Montana, hunted 2 states with Six-Gun, spent a bunch of Wambli's and JB's money and get Christmas cards from Chiro's family and watched his tiny boys turn into Viking Giants. Had great shoots with many, shared a great burger with Jeff in Tx, and beers and spit cups with Zee. I let Linefinder watch me crawl about 350 yards in 8" tall cactus and brush to shoot my first antelope and still remember the first time i saw him was in my rear view mirror puffing a Marlborough red walking up to my EVO in the dark meeting him and Jerry for my first goat hunt.


I'm sure I'm missing some moments and characters, but it's been a wild ride and I'm glad to call many of you "buddy"