For many years, I had a collection of hold computer hard drives. I never had the tools to properly dispose of them. So, my collection built up. Last year, the opportunity came up to visit a friend's ranch, where we had space to do some shooting. We had a shotgun and a 9mm handgun.
The shotgun was insanely loud. Even at a distance, we could see the holes that the buckshot made in the old car behind our stand. We didn't take too many shots as we forgot to take hearing protection.
Shooting the 9mm was not as loud. But, it will still make your ears ring without hearing protection. We had at least a couple of hundred rounds of 9mm bullets. But, we probably only used 50 in total.
Once I started hitting all my targets at a distance, it took the fun out of shooting. The faster you knock down the targets, the more often you have to walk over to pick them up again.
I've never owned a gun. But, I am considering the purchase of at least one. Mrs. Mata was against owning a gun for the longest time. But, after a public shooting incident a few years ago, she changed her mind. Although she isn't eager to own one, she recognizes the utility they have in protecting herself and others.
Texas now allows open carry of firearms. But, I would feel more comfortable sitting through some training before making such a commitment.
As far as the hard drives, we shot several holes in them. Some were tough to crack. But, they eventually succumbed to the gunfire. Even in those that were not penetrated by the slugs, there were deep dents in the platters that make the drives unreadable. I took their remains to Staples, the office supply store, for recycling. Normally, they would have me sign a waiver about potential data recovery. But, once they saw the drives all shot up, they didn't bother with the waiver.