New shooters

R

rudedog

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I think that part of the problem with attracting new shooters to our sport is a lack of gun fun,this is not just about benchrest but all firearms sports.
Let's face it paper targets are boring for young people.
I think that part of the problem is rifle ranges,to strict and regulated,but we need that because we have a lot of goofy people out there,who have to be throttled back or someone would get hurt,and thats bad for our sport.
Living here in Commiefornia,it;s getting harder and harder to find areas to plink,remember when we were kids and how much fun plinking was,all you needed was some soda or beer cans or bottle caps and 2 or more friends with 22"s and bounce cans or bottle cops around,seems like those were the days.
About once a year my family and some friends go out of state,too plink and visit some of my family, and some black rifles that I'd rather not have in Commiefornia.
Each year our little group keeps growing why, kids,we have gun safety first and foremost and fun next.The kids leave every year with ear to ear smiles.
Rudy Manuel

P.S. What are your thoughts:D:D:D:D
 
The range that I belong to has steel gongs and steel knock down targets at multiple distances. First time and young shooters find these knock down targets to be addictive in a big way. Start them out on close range big targets, then move to smaller targets, then move to longer distance. Kids are having fun and lots of it. The 3 I took to the range last month shot for four hours straight and are still talking about it.
 
Your right

I take my 7 year old grandson to the range, and let him shoot with a small ....22 ( I don't know the brand) It has a manual cocking device, and the gun has a quite small lop,and he can handle it just fine. .22 amo is cheap, I just go to wally world and buy a couple of bricks, and we can stay until papa is worn out. Ge kives to push the button so I can shoot skeet, and can't wait until he gets big enough to do it himself. I love it, Thanks for starting this thread, Rusty Carr
 
You are right the longevety of shooting sports is for shooters and hunters need to make an effort to introduce nonshooters to the fun of both!

If you haven't read the post ( Creating memories with a grandson ) by koginam and the replys you should.

I have lived in quite a few places in this country,over the last 68 years. I have spent the last fifty + as a shooter and hunter, fortunatly most have been shooter friendly Calif. (before PC ,I left in the 70's) Virgina, Georgia, Colorado and now Wyoming.

I have tried since I was of age to take at least one none shooter out for a day shooting and learning gun safety, many have been antigun but after daring them to spend a day shooting with me, to learn somthing about what they are so vehemently aganst. You would be amazed at the number I have converted this way and the number of woman that changed their mind when I explained that no one ever raped a woman with a 38 in her hand.

The new shooter that is the most fun are kids , my kids starten there gun education early we lived in an Isolated area and my guns were all loaded all the time. Some of the things I use to make it fun after they get board shooting targets and tin cans are clay birds set up in different shooting positions, there are some spining targets for sale now for 22's that are not expensive. also there is targets that come with a holder that sticks in the ground and you put in round disks of a chalk like material. The whole things look like lollypops.
 
Egg shoots can be popular. And some folks are into golf balls.

With the number of carts present at major benchrest matches, I firmly expect to see argyle socks and silly hats next.
 
Some of the guys at our San Angelo Gun Club have fixed up a range for silhouette shooting with 22 long rifle rimfire only. We had our monthly shoot just yesterday (Saturday) morning. It is bringing new shooters in.

For those who are unfamiliar with this type of sport, the rules are simple. We shoot at metal silhouettes that represent chickens, pigs, turkeys, and rams. Each shooter shoots at ten of each of these. Shooting is off hand. Scopes are allowed as are peep sights. The chickens are at 40 yards and the rams are at 100 yards. The others are somewhere in-between.

We use all kinds of 22s and a custom built one will not help you that much over the guy who has an old single shot and knows how to use it. The ammo is just the cheep stuff usually hi-velocity $14 to $15 a brick stuff. The difference between a 1/4" group and a 2" group just doesn't make that much difference when you are shooting off of your hind legs.

Concho Bill
 
We are lucky enough to have a friend who owns a big private ranch where we go shooting.So just about anything goes,we have gongs set at 25 100 500 1000 and 1 mile,the 500 to 1 mile gongs are permanent,we bring plastic bottles with colored water,and paper targets.We shoot rapid fire if we want.
We shoot assault rifles, pistols, black powder, shotguns, air rifles and the 22s.
WE also shoot all kinds of fruit and veggies.Kids really like reactive targets,and boy howdy do they like the assault rifles and pistols.
We show them that you can put out a lot of firepower and not hit anything,or a well placed shot and you will hit almost every time.
We shoot off benches for most of the rifle shooting.
With pistols and new shooters we use butcher's paper on a wood frame at about 7 to 10 feet,till the shooter learns how to get a good sight picture and groups well and then we move the targets back as their skills improve.
WE teach them to be responsible and clean up the trash we bring, so we will have a place to shoot again next year, we bribe them with ice cream to help pick up brass.
The last day we let the kids pick the guns they want to shoot.
They seem to like bragging rights like I shot an AK47 or an Uzi or a 9mm pistol
for school the next year.
Then after we make the long drive home, a couple of days later it's lets go to Six Flags.So much energy so little time,I sure wish I could borrow some of theirs.
Rudy Manuel:D:D:D
 
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