The exuberance of youth

B

bob finger

New member
I had a very pleasant heartwarming experience this morning. I was at my pistol club minding my own business and trying to stay cool, when from the next line over a youthful voice came over the berm separating the two. This kid was excited!

After a while I walked over to see what was going on. An older gentleman had a maybe 8 year old boy shooting a rifle at close range.

When it quieted down a bit the gentleman told me it was the kid's first ever time shooting. My heart filled with joy and I stood there in the heat for several long minutes watching the goings on. That kid was having a ball.

We may be going through rough times right now, but there is hope for the future. bob
 
It gives me a feeling of love and accomplishment. I love teaching the Great-Grandchildren. I tutor one in RF and 1 in 10 Meter Air.
 
I have taught all of my children, grand children and now currently working with one great grand now old enough to pull his Red Ryder out of the safe and to be safe at age eight. Still have three more to go when they get old enough.
 
Granddaughter is 13, grandson is 12.
 

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Pat,

Are the grandkids using AR-15 type rifles, or a bolt action rifle in an AR pattern chassis stock? Just curious.
 
The gun is an AR-10 6.5 Creedmoor that I put together for the granddaughter when she was 12. My son hunts with a Tikka Lite in 6.5 CM so when she became interested in hunting she shot the Tikka ONCE. I put together the AR-10 knowing that being a gas gun, it would soak up a good bit of the recoil working the bolt, that along with the fact that the AR-10 is heavier she took her first shot with a bit of trepidation. After the shot she looked at me with a grin on her face and proceeded to send another 60 rounds downrange. Given the fact that the son has to go with the kids on their youth hunts, he schleps the gun. The grandson has no problem shooting the gun. When they grow a bit more they will graduate to the Tikka. I sure didn't want to stifle their desire to hunt by forcing them to come home with bruised shoulders and wondering if they want to do it again.

Here's the girl with her first animal, an antelope she took two years ago. So far, three kills with 3 shots between the two grandkiddos.
 

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I know the feeling

The other day I was at my club shooting at a metal target at 300 yards with my hunting rifle. I had finished when a young man, by my standards, rolled up to the range with his daughter. He took out a kid size 10-22 and set it on on a bench for his daughter. I walked down to say hi and the little girl was so excited to be at the range with her father. She told me that she was 6 and she could remember being 4. She had a more fun shooting into an earthen berm at 200 yards than I did in shooting a group at 300 yards. I enjoyed watching. My two little girls are in their 50s and I still remember how they enjoyed going to the range with me. Now they call me every day just to check on me. "Thank God for little girls".

Concho Bill
 
My oldest granddaughter started shooting our clubs junior program when she just five. She took the hunters safety course when she eight and also got her hunting license at the same time. All though she now her hunting license she still couldn't get any hunting tags until she reached ten. Both her and her younger sister about one year younger also shot some competition.
 
Well, I was blessed with 3 sons, 5 grandsons, 4 grand daughters, and 2 great grand daughters. I had my oldest son and 3 of my grandsons that went to the range last Friday. We shot BR rifles, hunting rifles, 3 ARs, and several pistols. We had a great time. My only local grand daughter had to work. She does love to shoot. My great grand daughter is 11yrs old and among other things shoots her Dad's
Henry in 45-70. Pretty good amount of recoil for an 85lb 5'6" little girl, but she has shot it several times.
Nez Rongero "Bamban" on this forum is working on a 16" upper for my wife's AR. She also has a 10-22 and a S&W 380 Shield EZ pistol with a green laser. My daughter in law has one and remarked how easy the slide was to pull.
 
I think it's more important now than ever to pass on the needed appreciation and respect for firearms. My grandchildren are all shooters and I got them started at an early age.

Mort
 
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bill wynne said:
the other day i was at my club shooting at a metal target at 300 yards with my hunting rifle. I had finished when a young man, by my standards, rolled up to the range with his daughter. He took out a kid size 10-22 and set it on on a bench for his daughter. I walked down to say hi and the little girl was so excited to be at the range with her father. She told me that she was 6 and she could remember being 4. She had a more fun shooting into an earthen berm at 200 yards than i did in shooting a group at 300 yards. I enjoyed watching. My two little girls are in their 50s and i still remember how they enjoyed going to the range with me. Now they call me every day just to check on me. "thank god for little girls".

Concho bill
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my little grils are 40 to 62 they work and help 6 of them for me and a c0upleare shooters nifce to have girls
 
Bill
My oldest is 58 so I'm thinking you started a family at a young age. Young or old it doesn't matter, you got them on the right track. Your family values are in the right place.

Mort
 
dmort said:
Bill
My oldest is 58 so I'm thinking you started a family at a young age. Young or old it doesn't matter, you got them on the right track. Your family values are in the right place.

Mort
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Thank you. I believe my family values came from my wonderful wife. I must have been too busy working while she stayed at home and raised our little girls. It began to dawn on me that my little girls liked to do things outdoors with me at some point. Time flies, I just paid for my first granddaughter's first semester at collage and she called me to thank me. That was worth so much to me. It was money that my wife started setting aside when she was a little girl. My wife was very wise.

Concho Bill
 
bill wynne said:
thank you. I believe my family values came from my wonderful wife. I must have been too busy working while she stayed at home and raised our little girls. It began to dawn on me that my little girls liked to do things outdoors with me at some point. Time flies, i just paid for my first granddaughter's first semester at collage and she called me to thank me. That was worth so much to me. It was money that my wife started setting aside when she was a little girl. My wife was very wise.

Concho bill
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you were very luckie i raised firsy 5 with the help of mt mom and dad here on the farm
 
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