I have gone target shooting many times, though not recently. There are many guns of various vintages in my parents' house, there have been my whole life. None of us ever injured ourselves or others with them, even though the 22 rifle by the front door could be intimidating to people who didn't know us. I was always taught to respect guns, and to never even joke around with a real gun. Never assume a gun isn't loaded. Always be careful, and always wear hearing protectors.