Forum rules
Welcome to the Leverguns.Com General Discussions Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here other than politics... politely.
Please post political post in the new Politics forum.
It has been pretty hectic here over Christmas and the New Year and I have been trying to find the time to type this out as it gave us great pleasure and amusement.
One of my daughters helps me run our silhouette matches and shoots in them as well so my two grandsons spend quite a bit of time at the range. The eldest who is 4 ½ years old spends most of his time on the golf cart helping our target setter, the youngest who is only 22 months spends most of the time watching one of us shoot (with the proper eye and ear protection) and is really focused on it.
A week before Christmas the youngest one was going to bed and said to his mother “I want to shoot chickens like Moosie” (that is what he calls me…it is a long story….). So I made some cardboard chickens and went to the dollar store and got two plastic handguns that shoot soft plastic darts with suckers on the end. I gave the package to them both at Christmas. Of all the toys and stuff they got as presents the $2 guns and chickens are by far the most used! It has been interesting to watch them shoot the chickens from about 6 feet then lay the guns down, reset the targets and collect the darts and start again, the elder one makes sure all the proper safe gun handling techniques are used and that nothing is loaded or touched when he is “down range” setting the targets. It has been great fun and interesting to see just how often they hit the targets, now for the Red Ryder. The youngest one asked me if we could make some pigs now as well.
Pete
Sometimes I wonder if it is worthwhile gnawing through the leather straps to get up in the morning..................
Hey there Borregos - It's seriously cool that the your grand kids are learning and catching on at an early age!! I grew up surrounded by guns with never a lock in sight. The scary part of your story is now even another set of young eyes will be coming up and challenging at the silhouette matches all too soon!! Best regards. Wind
My kids pretty much used a wooden fake gun (a little double-barrel shotgun that maybe used to shoot rubber bands but that part was broken), and would get to walk with me out in the yard with it from the time they could toddle. I'd carry a real long gun, usually a .22, and they'd have to 'mimic' all the safe-muzzle-pointing I did, (explaining why of course for each move), as we'd weave and walk and climb fences etc. The 'treat' was we'd shoot the gong with the .22 when we got back there, and as they got older, if I caught them making any 'mistakes' with their toy gun, they would NOT get to shoot the real one at the gong.
By the time my kids were teenagers, I'd confidently walk in front of them when they were carrying a loaded firearm, which is something I'd NOT say for many adults I've met...
Doctors for Sensible Gun Laws "first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.
WAY TO GO!! Once you learn the right way bad habits are hard to get. I was taught at a very early age proper gun handling. My Grandfather on my Mom's side was killed in a hunting accident, and if my Dad wanted to take me hunting he had to be VERY sure that everything was under control. Even when I played with cap guns (remember them?) safe handling had to be respected, or they were put away for a while. Once BB guns came to me even more rules and stricter punishments. I caught on real quick because I loved to shoot them so much very rarely was a reminder needed.
Safe handling is still the first thing on my mind when a firearm is in my hands, and I am always watching someone else when in their hands. Once you learn proper handling there is less chance of errors. Congratulations on a job well done.
Happiness is a comfortable stump on a sunny south facing mountain.
There you go! Excellent way to drive safety into a fun activity - and something that will translate well as they handle more powerful stuff. Good job!!!
I reckon that just about makes you the "Grampa" of the decade to those little ones. My dad lost an eye when he was shot in the face hunting with a careless friend at 16 years old. Needless to say, my brother,sister, and me last were taught some very serious gun safety rules. My three girls and son were trained the same way as well as the two grandsons we raised.
Real proud for you.
JerryB II Corinthians 3:17, Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
That's cool. My boys are in that age group and they insist on wearing eye glasses and ear muffs when shooting even toy guns or BB guns. Good practice to get into! Good job, Sir!
game keeper wrote:Borregos, that warmed my heart reading your post. It's great to hear of kids being taught right and really enjoying it too! Well done.
Amen! My thoughts exacly!
Doc Hudson, OOF, IOFA, CSA, F&AM, SCV, NRA LIFE MEMBER, IDJRS #002, IDCT, King of Typoists
