One proud Papaw!

[Just One Shot]

I took my oldest grand daughter (Justis-born on the 4th of July) to the range last night for her first shooting lesson.

She has been having trouble at school getting along with other students so my wife and I thought we should get her involved in shooting so I can have the opportunity to strengthen our relationship.

My prayer is to get her to trust me enough to open up about her problems so I can guide her through them in a way that prevents her from lashing out at those around her.

Our range offers a .22 rifle shoot free to youth on Tues. nights every year through the spring - summer months.

They set up the standard 50' target with 11 circles. The center is to sight in the rifle then the kids get 3 shots apiece on the other ten for qualification for different medals.

Justis' very first shot ever was a 9 just missing the 10 ring by about 1/8". After sighting the rifle she went on to score a 233 (23.3 avg.) on the 10 qualifying targets. Her high was a 28 10+9+9 (out of a possible 30) and her low was a 21!

She was able to check off 2 boxes on her NRA qualification sheet on the first day of ever shooting a rifle! She out scored many of the boys who had started the week before.

Needless to say she is very excited and looking forward to returning next week. She wouldn't allow me to bring her target to work and show it off because she wanted to take it to school and show all her friends.


On the way home I praised her highly and told her how proud I was of her, she responded with a thank you and a big smile. I hope that this is the beginning of something special in her life and the discipline of the shooting sport carrys over to other areas of her life!


Thanks for allowing a very proud grandpa the opportunity to boast.

 

[Shooter57]

Great she enjoyed the new lesson. It must have been special for you also. Keep up the weekly shoots and maybe get an extra day now and then.

 

[BHP FAN]

How cool is that?!Good for both of you!I hope she doesn't get any negative feedback for bringing a shot up target to school.In California that young lady would probably be ordered to attend counseling.Anyways, congrats to you both!

 

[geronimo509]

Be careful bringing the target to school. Great shooting though.

 

[lanternlad1]

Be careful bringing the target to school.

I KNEW someone was going to say that...

Unfortunately, he's probably right. Don't be surprised if you get a call from someone about it. In this world, things are upside down.

A friend of mine takes his 8 yr old daughter shooting, and she mentioned it in school. The other kids started calling her a liar, saying she'd never SEEN a gun, much less shot it. She was quite upset about that, and told her dad. Her dad responded by taking pictures of her holding his guns and sending her to school with them for show and tell. That shut the kids up...but not the adults.

There was MUCH discussion about it with him and the Faculty. He didn't back down, and they caved. Luckily, it was a private school. If it had been a public one, I'm sure he would have had his kids taken away or some other stupid nonsense...

 

[federalfarmer]

May you have a looooong happy summer!

 

[geronimo509]

I KNEW someone was going to say that...

I wish I didn't have to say that! Either way, keep taking the kids shooting, it sounds like they enjoy it and are good at it.

BTW, you should be a very proud papaw!

 

[CoRoMo]

Girls almost always make for better students.
It sounds like she's starting toward the head of the line.
Just imagine what she could become if she continues to hone those skills.

 

[si vis pacem]

This story made my day a little brighter. You have every reason to be proud! Back when I was your run-of-the-mill angry and confused adolescent, my father decided to take me to the range and teach me how to handle and shoot a 1911. It's incredible how many life lessons you can learn from firearms, and I credit those trips to the range as helping to establish the strong relationship I have with my father to this very day, and the start of my journey into adulthood.

Bottom line: we do the next generation a disservice by not taking them to the range, teaching them firearms safety, and educating them on the rich and glorious tradition of firearm ownership that is such a cornerstone of American society.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

Good for you!! Pass it on is always a good thing. And I'll guarantee she'll remember it 'til the day she dies.

Girls almost always make for better students.

Truth in that. I've noticed it holds true through several thousand hunter-ed students. They pay attention and don't have any preconcieved notions about innate abilities.