by Graham
There is no question that AK47 shooting is one of our most popular activities, with people coming from all over the world just to shoot this iconic weapon. Although we offer this activity in nearly all of our destinations, its without a doubt that Riga is the home of shooting. We have been running this activity since we began and every weekend of the year we can guarantee at least one booking for gun shooting.
On this occasion we decided to write about it an post on our blog, so all of you can get an idea of what all the hype is about. As it happens we had our 1st ever Indian shooters and 4 guys from one nation that seem to love this, Holland. It might be something in the water over there or maybe the beer here in Riga but the Dutch love this activity, “We chose Riga over other destinations just because of this shooting activity” is a common phrase to hear. We took our taxi from the centre to the shooting range, the journey alone was enough of an adrenaline rush, the driver seemed to think he was on the Fast and Furious set weaving in and out of traffic like a mad man…all part of the experience 
Once at the range, the sight of empty bullet casings and targets peppered with bullet holes fills the guys with anticipation and excitement. As we run through the safety briefing you can see that the reality of everything is starting to kick in, after all this is live ammunition.
1st up is the Glock 17, standard issue for most Police forces worldwide this weapon is a gentle introduction to the activity. 10 shots at a target 15metres away sounds easy, however if you have never fired a gun before this is all very alien. The 1st 10 shots are fired and one guy can breath a sigh of relief that he has at least hit the target, now the pressure moves to the next shooter and the competitive edge begins to take shape. After all 6 people have fired the Glock 17, the moment of truth arrives and we find out just how accurate the guys have been. Everyone at least hits the target, some of course are better than others but on the whole everyone shoots well.
Next up is the AK47, the reason that people do this activity. Everyone gets 5 shots on this and because it is so accurate we apply some pressure by stating that everyone should hit the target and get all 5 shots within a dinner plate sized radius. The very sight of the AK can turn even the most placid and calm person into a slight maniac, they want to become Rambo and unleash a firestorm upon the target, again our super qualified instructor brings them down to earth by pointing out just what they are about to fire, the sheer power and deadly force of a weapon like this must be treated with respect.
Taking Aim with the AK47
The 1st shooter takes aim at his target with the previous 10 rounds from the Glock fresh in his mind…The safety is taken off and in a few moments all 5 bullets are in the target, at this point most people turn to their friends with a big smile knowing they have just done something that is only possible in a few countries. Again the rest of the group try to outdo each other, some aim for the head, others go for safety and get points on the board, again we go and see how they have done.
The trick with the AK47 is to be quick with the trigger, once the sights line-up you need to fire as there is not much room for error…most of the guys took this advice and shot the AK47 well.
One gun that we always recommend shooting is the WincesterPump Action ShotGun….if your not sure what this is, just think Arnie in Terminator 2, HASTA LA VISTA, BABY!
4 of the 6 guys decide to shoot this, taking the upgrade at 10ls for 5 shots. Each person takes one shot with the best of the group taking the final shot as a bonus. It is a close call as 2 people manage to get the elusive head shot, but in truth there can only be one winner and that goes to the shot that hits the middle of the target giving the James Bond a Hitler type moustache 
Now that the targets have more holes than an old Russian car, we can have some fun and let the guys get up close and personal with the guns. Safety on and chambers empty its time to pose and get some pictures to take home. One last group picture to show what’s left of the targets confirm the power of the weapons fired.
You can book to go on our shooting tours any day of the week, just click here for more info
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