Saw something great today

[dasmi]

Today I decided to take the LONG way home from work, and do a little shooting out in the sticks. I pulled up to my regular spot, and saw another truck already there. No big deal, it's a common place to shoot. I pull up, get out, and start to ready my gun. I see three people walking down the hill towards me. It's a man, with his two sons. They were out shooting a .22 revolver, semiauto, and an old Marlin .22lr semiauto rifle the man had owned for 15 years, and just given to the older son. The kids were probably 10 and 13, maybe younger. Anyways, it was really cool to see a dad teaching his kids to shoot. I'm not a father, but I have a great dad, so I know what I'm talking about when I say, keep up the good work. Your kids will look back fondly on these times with you, and you are teaching them a skill that every man should have.

 

[hrb02]

Amen to that. 'Course in my case my Mom taught me to shoot and could outshoot me cold till the day she died.

Parents need to pass on the tradition. Our world will be better for it.

 

[firesafety3]

Considering all the troubles kids have these days, when your son touches a gun for the first time it shold be from you and not another kid or troubled youth.

The future of our sport, and its political future, does lie with our sons and daughters. Teaching them to shoot is great. Teaching them WHY we shoot and own guns, etc. will have an impact that will only be seen in 20 years or so.

Believe me, I know I'm preaching to the choir here. But my son has been shooting with me since he was able to cock his Daisy, but not until recently did I sit down with him and discuss responsibility, bans, and the future of ownership. He's 14 now and I know one day he will have his kids out there and have a finger on the pulse of relevant legislation.

 

[Dean C]

My boys have grown up around shooting. I would take my oldest son when he was still in "three cornered pants" out to my favorite plinkin' spot. I would shoot into a dirt hill side while he would be next to me in the bed of my truck playing with some toys. Later when he was about 10 and my youngest son was about 6 we would go out and plink. I taught them safety and respect from the get-go. Last Sunday the three of us went out shootin'. Oh, they are 24 and 20 now. Both with the same safety and respect for firearms and shooting now as they learned nearly 15 years ago. I'm a lucky man.
dean

 

[Standing Wolf]

Your kids will look back fondly on these times with you, and you are teaching them a skill that every man should have.

My father might have thought of it, but was afraid to provoke arguments with my mother.

I believe shooting is a skill every child—boy and girl alike—ought to acquire and develop, if only because it's part of what separates free people from serfs.

 

[DSRUPTV]

I really enjoy the time I get to shoot with my dad too, and I'm glad that he got me involved in shooting.

 

[Hardtarget]

I'm 55 now,but I haven't forgotten learning to shoot under my Dad's watchful eyes. He coached me in rifle,pistol,and shotgun. I always looked foreward to every trip...and we had plenty because my grandparents lived on a farm with a great shooting range area. We kept a board to set tin cans on and plinked away! I've handed this legacy down to both my sons,( they shoot better than I), and now I'm ready to watch as the grandchildren come along! I CAN'T WAIT!
Mark.

 

[Ivy Mike]

I remember my dad buying me my first BB gun. He taught me how to shoot it and relevant safety procedures. I used to shoot it almost every time I was at his place (my folks are divorced) It was just the backyard with distances no greater than 20 yards, but those were some of my favorite times. The best one was when a particularly lucky ricochet bounced off the cinder block wall that served as the backstop and went right through the bottom of a bathroom window.
The best part was that my dad was shooting.

Later, he introduced me to .22 shooting, but visits got less frequent as I was playing sports more and getting ready to enter high school.

Just a month ago, I took my dad out to my favorite spot and we shot together again for the first time in almost ten years. Reminded me of my dad teaching his 9 year old son how to knock soda cans off a trash can with a lever action Daisy BB-gun. We had fun.

 

[Magnuumpwr]

My first gun was a 20 gauge, H&R singleshot, bought for me by my parents. No real gun safety was shown, but luckily my best friends dad took me under his wing and taught me the dos and don'ts of gun handling and about shooting safely. To this day, everytime I pick up a gun those days come rushing back. These are the same values that I am passing to my daughters, poor me, I have no sons. In all honesty, all children regardless of sex should have safe gun handling and shooting safety taught to them. Knowledge is the key to the future!

 

[entropy]

Great to hear these stories! I too, was taught to shoot by my Dad(as was my sister), and soon passed him up, (except in wingshooting) and am passing it on, (dare I say 'paying it forward'?) to my 2 sons, 2 of my nephews and my niece. Grandpa took them shooting yesterday for Easter, as a matter of fact. My 11 year old son is close to passing me up already, (And I'm no slouch.. ) I am re-stocking the .22 I learned on for my seven-year old son so he can pass up Dad, too.