Uh, yeah you do *if* someone is threatening harm to you and/or family. Tallman assaulted Larson several times with the intent to harm. Tallman's intentions were obviously not good ones and Larson acted within his rights to self-preservation to defend himself on his own property.  Larson does not seem the type to fit your so-called definition of a person "just looking for a reason to run around blasting away..." but he does sound like someone who was merciful in only wounding Tallman, not giving him a fatal shot.  There is no handgun epidemic -- guns are not an epidemic on their own. It's specific (often dumb) *people* using handguns that are the epidemic -- those often not registering their firearms, aren't trained, and often, running around only with violent intentions, not for reasons of self-defense.