HeatherIt would seem that when the Soviets left the Baltic States they left a few things behind…like AK-47’s. So we decided we should try shooting them!
In Tallinn people were buying these guns with lead in the barrels and bringing them on to their cruise ships. As our guide said: “you were happy, we were happy….the UN…not so much.” The availability of these soviet relics became less available for purchase, and a tourist attraction was born!
Every town with international hostel type travellers in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuainia has”shooting tours” available for booking.
Matt and I gleefully signed up for the shooting option with the most ammunition, most number of guns for the cheapest price (cash only…no receipts provided).
A lovely young woman arrived to pick us up with a sign that said “Shooting Tour” and we hopped into her little Renault. As she weaved in and out of traffic she spent the entire time on her phone chatting and texting. We knew we were in for a very safety conscious trip indeed.
She parked at a sports field complete with race track and concrete bleachers. I said to myself: “Self, this is an odd place to shoot, but then maybe it’s more fun with moving targets?” Fortunately she led us under the bleachers to the shooting gallery. Clearly someone had put some thought into the potential safety risks, as the concrete walls were lined with egg cartons to dampen the sound and there was enough ear protection for everyone present. We were both impressed with the packing tape line that delineated where to stand safely.
At this point we handed over our passports to our guide and were given a page full of rules to read through. I have to admit the line about no photos unless you have been given consent did lead me to question the legality of the whole operation! We were then passed off to our actual instructor: Olga Unibrow (names have been changed to protect the innocent?). This woman tipped the scales at 300 pounds and was built like an Egyptian Pyramid. She commanded our attention by her very presence (or perhaps it was the loaded guns she had in her hand?).
The arseonal was impressive and included all sorts of guns commonly used in every movie ever made. In fact, you could choose your guns based on the movies they appeared in! We ended up shooting: a barretta, a glock 9mm, a Russian hand gun of sorts (60 years old!), and the famed AK-47. We declined the Smith and Weston and the “Room Cleaner” aka: pump action shotgun. The choices for targets were entertaining: a pig, a ninja, and James Bond.
Who wouldn’t want to shoot at Bond holding a martini in a post Soviet Territory with a former KGB officer?
Olga gave very helpful instructions on how to aim apporopriately and where to put your hands so you didn’t cut your fingers off (again…always about the Safety!). We each shot between 3-5 bullets from the various guns. When I say bullets…I am referring to genuine live rounds! I didn’t like the Glock 9mm because the shell casings kept hitting me in the forehead. It was at this point I was thankful I was wearing my “safety glasses” but a little worried for Matt’s eyeballs (you don’t need bifocals to shoot Bond). Our “guide” gave us the thumbs up to take photos, but to ensure Olga wasn’t in any of them. Who was that woman?
I am not sure what will happen the next time we go through security at an airport as the cordite had to have soaked into my sweater, and although we have mailed the targets home I am somewhat suspicious if the residue hasn’t rubbed off on the bag we carried them in! In the end this will defintely be a highlight of our time in the Baltic states, and as 2 Canadians a unique experience we could never have at home!
