[IDShooter]

Hi everyone,
     I try to get to the shooting range at least once a week, and I've been trying to encourage my 9 yr old son to go with me when possible. He's a little reluctant, mostly because he doesn't like the noise. When no one is there shooting a really "big" gun he enjoys shooting the .22 though.
Well, this week I loaded up some 170gr cast bullets in the .308 to a velocity of about 1000fps. They hardly make more noise than a .22. So, we took along a cardboard deer cutout that I tacked up at the 50 yd line. He shot the deer target, hitting it in the "heart" every time. He had a grin from ear to ear when he realized he could shoot the "big" gun! I don't know which of us was more excited!
        He's so funny; before every trip he tells me "Daddy, I'm only going because I know you like to go. " But after we get shooting the story changes to "Daddy, can I shoot one more? "
        It's been a great time. Some of my best memories are of going shooting with my dad and grandfather.                  IDShooter

 

[dclark]

Glad to hear about the boy liking to shoot.  It appears that you are doing a good job of introducing him to the fine sport of shooting.  My two sons enjoy shooting and hunting as a result of enjoying their early experiences shooting.  It is a most satisfying  event when they are able to properly use those skills, such as shooting a large game animal.  Each of my boys have killed antelope.  The older one has also killed a 5 point bull elk and a nice 4 point mulie.  Great pleasure in each of those events.  You have great times to look forward to with your son.  

dclark

 

[Marshall Stanton]

Great Fun!

I know what you mean about satisfying to have your kids ask to shoot the big guns "just once more".

I started all three of my kids the same way you describe on the centerfires, with mild cast bullet loads with little or no report and recoil.  It instills confidence and is fun!

Even though she's now 13. my daughter Sarah, most recently, just before Christmas went down to the range with me, and I'd loaded some 310"-115g FNPB's with 7.0g Blue Dot in .30-30 (a favorite plinking load by the way), to play with a pre-war M94 I'd just purchased from a neighbor.  I popped a few to see where the old girl was hitting, and low and behold at fifty yards, those pills hit dead on point of aim as the sights were adjusted.  I asked her if she wanted to shoot it.... she reluctantly said "Sure Dad, if you'd like me to I will."

Well, she shot the first one, grinned real big, grabbed another round out of the bin and shot another.  About that time the phone (portable) rang, and I needed to deal with one of you fine folks about some bullets.  I went up to the shop to take an order, and answer some questions, all the while I was on the phone, I could hear a slow, rhythmic POP, POP, POP.  About half an hour elapsed, and by the time I got back down to the range, my Sarah was working on the last two loaded cartridges out of between fifty and sixty rounds!  After she polished those off, we went to look at her fifty yard target.... or what was left of it!  The center was chewed out in a neat 2" open circle.... she said that after a while of shooting she just aimed for the bright spot in the center of the target (where the sun was shining through the backlit target&#33<!--emo&--><img src="http://beartoothbullets.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''><!--endemo-->

Some fun.... I think all kids deserve the fun of nice, easy shooting cast bullet loads in the centerfires.... it would hook more of them for life if they did!

ID Shooter.... you know that your time spent reloading now will greatly change directions as to who it is for!

God Bless,

Marshall