allaroundhunter
Member
Over Christmas break I was able to spend some time out at the farm that belonged to my grandfather. It was out on this land that I shot my first turkey, caught my first bass, and learned just how much I love the outdoors. Through all of it, my grandfather was there teaching me and making memories that will last me a lifetime. My grandfather taught me to shoot, to hunt, to fish, and to take care and love the outdoors. He was the kind of man that not enough kids of my generation have to look up to - he taught me to be the man not that I should be, but the man that I have to be.
Sadly, my grandfather passed away this last October. Since then, many memories have resurfaced; more than I had even remembered. Going back out to the farm over these past few weeks really let me relive the memories, and understand just how great of a man I was blessed with. With his passing he had one wish that out-shined all of the others. He wanted to make sure that the farm stayed in the family so that we could still have it to go back to and hunt, fish, and continue to make memories.
Making new memories at a place that held so many dear to me without my grandfather was, and at times still is, a hard thought, but I continued on with his wishes and introduced two new shooters to high-powered rifles. My father and my younger brother each had not shot rifles very much, but we all wanted to spend a good bit of time together. I took the time to teach them the basic fundamentals. After sighting in the rifle at 100 yards, I watched as they each shot at 200, 300, and then 500 yards. My younger brother shot first. After hitting the bullseye at 100, he pulled his shot at 200 about 3" high and left at 200 yards. However, since the furthest he had ever shot prior to this was a .22 LR at 50 yds, he was happy with that shot. Next he fired 3 shots into 5" at 300 yards, and on his first shot at 500, he drilled the bullseye. His smile alone made my day, and I won't soon forget it! My father hadn't shot a rifle in about 25 years. He started at 200 yards and made some good shots, and then we jumped straight to 500 yards (running low on ammo). There might have been a magnet on the target or something, but he put his first shot touching my brother's; dead in the bullseye! Being a reserved guy, I don't catch my dad smiling too much, especially on this first trip back to the farm since my grandfather's passing. However, he smiled for the whole 500 yard walk to the target so that I could get a picture with him and my brother next to their first shots at 500 yards
To try to make this more on-topic for THR, I will submit a request for all of our members and whoever may read this. Take someone out shooting, out fishing, or just take them outside. Make memories that will last a lifetime.
Sadly, my grandfather passed away this last October. Since then, many memories have resurfaced; more than I had even remembered. Going back out to the farm over these past few weeks really let me relive the memories, and understand just how great of a man I was blessed with. With his passing he had one wish that out-shined all of the others. He wanted to make sure that the farm stayed in the family so that we could still have it to go back to and hunt, fish, and continue to make memories.
Making new memories at a place that held so many dear to me without my grandfather was, and at times still is, a hard thought, but I continued on with his wishes and introduced two new shooters to high-powered rifles. My father and my younger brother each had not shot rifles very much, but we all wanted to spend a good bit of time together. I took the time to teach them the basic fundamentals. After sighting in the rifle at 100 yards, I watched as they each shot at 200, 300, and then 500 yards. My younger brother shot first. After hitting the bullseye at 100, he pulled his shot at 200 about 3" high and left at 200 yards. However, since the furthest he had ever shot prior to this was a .22 LR at 50 yds, he was happy with that shot. Next he fired 3 shots into 5" at 300 yards, and on his first shot at 500, he drilled the bullseye. His smile alone made my day, and I won't soon forget it! My father hadn't shot a rifle in about 25 years. He started at 200 yards and made some good shots, and then we jumped straight to 500 yards (running low on ammo). There might have been a magnet on the target or something, but he put his first shot touching my brother's; dead in the bullseye! Being a reserved guy, I don't catch my dad smiling too much, especially on this first trip back to the farm since my grandfather's passing. However, he smiled for the whole 500 yard walk to the target so that I could get a picture with him and my brother next to their first shots at 500 yards
To try to make this more on-topic for THR, I will submit a request for all of our members and whoever may read this. Take someone out shooting, out fishing, or just take them outside. Make memories that will last a lifetime.
