Converted an Anti today.

[Cryogaijin]

This is my godson with his first .22 target. His mom is an Anti, but she gave me permission 2 years ago to teach him gun safety when he turned 7. Well. . . he's seven and never recinded that permission.

Took him out with a 10/22, and he really didn't want to go, and was a bit afraid of the gun. . . buuuuut the first round didn't hurt anything but the paper (Yes, his first shot was on the paper) and neither did the second or the third. Soon enough he's to more than one round in the magazine at a time, and having a blast.

Thanks to the guys at the range who came down and congratulated him. Overall a VERY positive introduction to firearms.

Note: He did TOTALLY miss with the .22 pistol. Not used to iron sights, I guess.

 

[Carter]

Congratulations. You should be proud. While my parents weren't/aren't really anti-gun, they don't like being around guns. So I never got to go shooting as a child. Keep taking him and maybe he'll be able to convince his mother to go and you can convert her too.

 

[IBEWBULL]

Great, what a deal.
I remember going to my uncles place where I shot my first gun.
It was a half hour drive and I must have begged my Ma for a trip all week long.
I worked all summer the next year at $1 an hour gardening , cutting lawns etc.
Finally saved up enough for a Glenfield .22 and several bricks of ammo.
The gun was $42.50 and $8 for the spare magazine.
They were some good summers. I think I was 12 or 13 at the time.
I can't say I carried on a family tradition but I did start one.
i am glad you and your God son had a good time and am sure it will never be forgotten.

 

[Cryogaijin]

Unfortunately this is the last weekend he'll be up here until next summer. Split custody between the parents, Mom lives in Chitown, dad lives up here.

Mom originally wanted me to to teach her to shoot, and I gave her a 9mm for that purpose. Sadly I never got a chance to get out to the range with her before she went "Anti"

Getting her permission to take her son to the range was a bit of a hassle, but I got it.

So the Kiddo got a bit of anti-gun stuff in the year he's been down in chitown, enough that he didn't WANT to go, but, well. . .

Had a blast today. It will be good when his arms grow another inch or two though, so he can have better form.

 

[The-Reaver]

Good to see a Godparent doing something... I wish I would have met my parents horrible choice for godparents... they're rich. =(

 

[Cryogaijin]

Compared to the kiddo's parents, >I<'m rich.

And for the record, the 10/22 he used today is his next time he comes up.

 

[The-Reaver]

thats good to here... at least someone picked a good godparent,
Not being riches being the only thing, I would have loved to known them ya know?....

 

[duns]

Brilliant post! You see the subject, then you see the picture (and it's not at all what you were expecting), and then you smile and get a warm-inside feeling. Well done!

 

[Darkbob]

Congrats on the convert. Maybe his enthusiasm will work on getting his mom out to the range too.

That target looks like an exact copy of my son's first range trip. He was 7 also and I had him shoot my 10/22. At first we were just shooting at marker crosshairs written on cardboard, which was just fine for my boy. But, a gentleman shooting next to us gave my son a shoot n see target, and what a difference it made. Now, we use those kinds of targets every time we go to the range.

 

[hq]

Congratulations.

The best thing anyone can do is spend quality time with kids, teaching them new things and sharing thoughts. I've tried my best to do that with my own four kids but as a godfather of three girls, I'm no match to what you have just done. Birthday presents and occasional trips to amusement parks pale in comparison. The grin on that little guy's face says everything.

Thanks for an inspiring example. I'll finally have to give my friends a call and ask if I can take my goddaughters to a "plinking picnic" some weekend in the near future.

 

[JoeMal]

Congrats, looks like he had a blast

So you went from taking him to the range to giving him a firearm! Hope all goes well with that...are you keeping it at your place and allowing him over anytime to shoot?

 

[Cop Bob]

This has got to be the "Feel Good" post of the day!

Congrats...

THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT !!!

 

[DCR]

That smile says it all - you did GREAT!! Warms the cockles of this curmudgeon's cold heart!

 

[NMBrian]

Made my day!

Good work!

 

[Standing Wolf]

Well done!

 

[whalerman]

The beauty of this situation is no matter what propaganda the young man is subjected to in the future, he will have this experience to draw on. You gave him a safe, positive, supportive, meaningful learning experience that will last a lifetime. You win, we win, but most importantly by far, the young man wins.

TAKE PEOPLE SHOOTING!!

 

[Olevern]

That huge grin says it all...taught a seven year friend's boy to shoot last year, now always beggin his dad to bring him over to shoot. Gave him a little Marlin 25Y bolt 22 for his birthday this year. Growin a real shooter.

Good job, keep up the good work whenever you can.

 

[talldragon]

+1

Great post! Kudos to you for making that effort.....
One positive experience like this can last a lifetime.
Hopefully there will be more outings like it in the future!

 

[avs11054]

That is awesome! I have a similar story as well. On Friday, I took my wife (who is 33 years young) to the range. She had come with me before, but she always refused to shoot a gun. She was scared of them and thought they were evil. Her smile after one magazine of .22 ammo was as big as your grandson's. Now she wants to get a membership to the range so we can go more often for free

 

[Cryogaijin]

Godson, not grandson. I'm not THAT old.

So you went from taking him to the range to giving him a firearm! Hope all goes well with that...are you keeping it at your place and allowing him over anytime to shoot?

Nope, staying at his dad's place. I gave his dad a r770 30-06 for his dad's last birthday. (Seriously, who in alaska DOESN'T own a hunting rifle? And he was BORN up here? C'mon.)