I realize people have different ideas concerning handguns, price, and unfortunately, training and competency. If you are choosing a personal defense handgun, exertion (both mental and physical) must be part of your vocabulary. If you are lazy or complacent when choosing a handgun and mastering the piece, you may end up in the morgue with a toe tag. This is serious business.

What is a Fudd? If Elmer and Bugs come to mind, you’re on the right track. According to the Urban Dictionary, a Fudd is a gun owner who uses guns only for hunting or the shooting sports and who opposes the ownership of AR-15-type firearms. However, social media, the youngsters are accusing the oldsters of being Fudds. Any gun that is not ‘cool enough’ in their eyes is a (Elmer) Fudd gun.

Red dot sights are quickly becoming more prevalent on handguns — especially for self-defense. Particularly with electronics, it’s important to go with something high-quality. The shock and abuse from firing a gun can cause a lot of wear and tear if the red dot is not built properly. There are many great red\xa0dot\xa0optics on the market today, however, the choices on this list are exceptional.

When choosing a home defense handgun, rifle, or shotgun, the gauge, caliber, and load are important considerations. If you reside in a rural area or the home is isolated, bullet penetration of building material doesn’t mean as much. Or does it? There may be family members in other parts of the home… and the shots cannot be called back once they are sent out.

We must continually improve in areas which we wish to excel. Shooting and firearm handling is no different. If you get too comfortable, you stop growing. If punching holes at the range is getting too easy, or perhaps a bit boring, consider taking up the competition shooting. Competition shooting is a perfect way to take your shooting skills to the next level and put them into practice in a new way.

Consider today’s high cost of ammunition and gas. Dry fire practice can cut your spending while increasing skills — there is no downside. In this column, the author will only address handguns, but long gun shooters can benefit from similar exercises.