I am quite new to the sport of shooting, but have immersed myself into it fully, joining a clay club and also a rifle pistol club. I am constantly surprised by peoples' reactions to my participation, but also to the fact that my son shoots air with me and likes to score and trap when we are shooting clays.
My take is that my kids will grow up understanding both the dangers of guns and also the enjoyment that can be had from the various flavours of the sport. More importantly, they will NOT be in awe of something they have only seen in the media and will have a healthy respect for all types of weapons and what they can do - good and bad.
I refuse to be paranoid or ashamed of my hobby and, much like anything else I do in my life, if people are not comfortable with it then it is their issue more than mine. If they will take the time to listen I will happily explain and have even offered to take people out so they can experience first hand. I find a simple explanation about the very different approach to gun ownership in the UK to what they have seen in the news about the US is sometimes all it takes....
Regards
Mark
