took two of my kids shooting today

[1KPerDay]

My 7-year-old girl hit 9 pop cans in a row with my Hi-Standard Duramatic .22 pistol. I was flabbergasted. Standing about 7 feet away, but still...

My 11-year-old son hit 6 in a row with my scoped 10/22. Both have only been shooting once before, and only fired about 20 rounds each that time. She also shot the .410 (once). the M1 carbine (15 round mag) and my M11/9 subgun with suppressor (full mag).

I bragged about her so much on the way home she said, "You said that before, dad."

Now if I could only have hit anything with my M1s it would have been a perfect day. I couldn't even get on the paper at 100 yards with the carbine.

Either it's very inaccurate or I am... I suspect the latter. I was able to make pop cans dance with it but I need to start with a bigger sheet of cardboard or something to find out where it's hitting.

Groups from my CMP garands (Service Grade HRA and Springfield CMP "Special") were about the size of my hands if I stretched... probably 8 inches or more. I was shooting seated, no sling on one and hasty sling on the other. I suck. It didn't help that the front sight on the special isn't flat across the top... guess I'll have to file it or something.

I'm a pretty good shot with a pistol but with open sights at 100 yards I think I need glasses... and more talent. LOL

 

[papajohn]

I'm proud to hear you took the kids, but I think you're asking too much from yourself. Can you shoot at shorter distances? My old Carbine was good to about 40 yards, then it got really hard to hit with. I was fairly new to shooting back then, but I had pretty good eyes, and I don't think it was just me.

Starting the kids at 7 feet with pistols is a good idea. Do the same for yourself with your rifles! Is there a place with a plain dirt backstop that's not too far? That's the easiest way I know of to teach/learn how to shoot. A few soda cans, a few boxes of ammo, and a good time for all.

The Garands will probably shoot small groups, but open sights your eyes don't see well are no help. A little judicious file work might do wonders!

Try to emphasize the fun parts......because shooting IS fun.

Papajohn

 

[ByAnyMeans]

Congrats on a great day with the kids and it sounds like two more to carry on the shooters tradition.

Wish I had advice for your rifle problems but no. I'm pretty good with a pistol and great with a shotgun (comparatively of course) which is why it's what I'd go to for a longarm short of massive roaming mobs because I stink with a rifle. I have the 22lr and practice alot but again I stink.

 

[1KPerDay]

BTW for any of you who haven't tried this, DIET store-brand soda makes cheap reactive targets... and it's not sticky like reg'lar soda when you clean up the cans/fragments.