A quintessential Budapest activity
Given my goal to "visit every capital city in the world," I obviously had to spend a weekend in Budapest. As I usually do, I hopped online to research things to see and do; to my great surprise, the number one activity is a firearms shooting session.
Despite my aversion to guns (and probably my fear of them, too, since I flinch at the slightest loud noise...), I decided to give it a shot. After all, it was a pretty unique activity, right? I set my sights on the Celeritas Shooting Club, which had great reviews and seemed to offer a good selection at a price that felt more than competitive!
Celeritas Shooting Club: Great value
You have to book in advance on their website, choosing the package that interests you most. I opted for the "Greatest Hits" package, which looked pretty fun (basically, it included a bunch of guns I recognize from movies and novels...).
I arrived in Budapest, enjoyed the city a bit in the 104-degree heat, and then it was time to catch the train to Celeritas. It’s a bit outside the city center, so a taxi or public transport is a must. I took the tram followed by the train, and it was actually quite easy.
Once I arrived at the destination, I found myself in an industrial area and started wondering if I was in the right place (or if I’d stumbled into a trap like in the movie Hostel...). Once I found the right building, I felt a bit more at ease, even though we were under stone vaults with a prison-style door separating us from the "armed" rooms.
We signed a waiver and were handed safety glasses and noise-canceling earmuffs. Then, we were taken to the range. They gave us a quick tutorial on how to shoot without accidentally killing someone or blowing our own hands off with a semi-automatic, before introducing us to the weapons. In my case, there were enough of us to have two people shooting at once.
They asked for volunteers to start, and in a sudden fit of madness, I volunteered with a speed that surprised even me (and which I almost regretted the moment we started).
Maybe the 104-degree heat was getting to the basement. Maybe I’m just a wimp. Either way, I started sweating immediately! We started with the smallest gun, but I was already stressed out. As we progressed to larger weapons, my stress levels rose (along with the fatigue in my shoulders, all that gear is seriously heavy!).
When I got to the magnum, the explosion when I pulled the trigger completely freaked me out. But I have to admit, it was also kind of exciting! I had seen some guys arrive at the club dressed up like Rambo, but honestly, once I had a gun in my hand, I didn't feel like joking around at all! I really understood the "power" and the danger of the thing.
By the time we got to the big calibers, I could barely lift them, my arms felt like jelly! That led our coach to suggest I fire the shotgun while holding it at hip level; I have to say, that was pretty cool...
Once our package was finished, it was time for the photo shoot! Much more comfortable in this element (and with the guns unloaded), the coach turned photographer, and it was really fun to play gangsta or James Bond, plus we got some great souvenirs. We even got to take home our target sheets, though I didn't have much to brag about looking at my results!
A few thoughts on firearms
I’m still not a fan of guns, but I’m really glad I had this experience. Why? Because in movies, you see people carrying guns in their waistbands, shooting one-handed, or pointing them at people for a laugh... honestly, I realized just how serious it is, even while we were just shooting at a wall of old tires. For that reason, I was really happy I tested these weapons.
I also came to understand the appeal of shooting smaller calibers to try and improve your aim; it’s quite difficult, and I think you can eventually find satisfaction and even a relaxing, sporty side to the activity.
In short, it’s an original, intense activity that might even help you meet some cool people for a pub crawl later that evening!
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