Batman says:
Today is the day! “Yay! We get to go to the shooting range with family!” To me there is no better way to spend time, than being together with family and having great fun. Toss in shooting guns, and teaching young folk firearms use and safety, and you have a recipe for an awesome time.
I’ve been blessed with awesome kin folk, on both sides of Peach and my families. This time we’re together with Peach’s brother, lovely wife and two absolutely awesome nieces.
So here we are, all out at the range, and we get stuff out and set up. Canopy for the sun, table for guns and bullets, and ear protection eye protection, and miscellaneous items. Firearms and kids, be it a 10 year old, or 17 year old, or 50 year old, should always be directly supervised by an adult that actually knows about firearms and firearms safety!
Anywho..at the range we are all set to go and first order of business is safety, safety, safety and safety (this is the ONLY exception to my “safety 3rd” rule). New shooter/old shooter, doesn’t matter which or who, safety is paramount around firearms. We take our time and go over safety, and gun fundamentals with the two nieces and others even if they have shot before.
Then off we go to shoot, it was a GREAT time and I think everyone enjoyed themselves, we all shot each other’s guns the nieces started with a small caliber .22 and shot it AWESOME!! Couldn’t have asked for better from two girls that had never shot before. Even had them do a shoot while moving course later that we threw together just for fun, and they excelled at it. I have been a firearms instructor for a lot of years and in my opinion, if they keep shooting they could go to competitions and do quite well. K (I never reveal family names) did very well, but I believe the sound was bothering her until we got her to wear earmuffs instead of the ear plugs once we made that swap I think it was better for her. She shot well prior to and shot well after, I believe the sound and heat was a bit taxing on her but she hung in there like a trooper. L on the other hand, took to it like a duck to water and shot the whole time and excelled even though her uncle kept making her run the course over and over because he couldn’t get the video he was taking right (hey, I never claimed to be a film maker, have a son that graduated school for that).
Both my wonderful nieces are a pleasure to be around and that’s a compliment to their parents who are two great people. Their dad is a good shot on his own and seemed to enjoy the shooting and the fact that his 3 “girls” were having as much fun as he was. If things go the way we hope I foresee many more trips to the range in his future. The “mom” has always been just a fun person to be around and boy howdy can she shoot a handgun! Everyone can use tips, but when you shoot that well the tips are more about posture, tiny grip changes, and mental focus. The premise starting off was to get the “girls” comfortable with the guns, I think we accomplished that pretty quick, and I also think we need to get back out there before too long has passed so as to reaffirm the habits taught and learned. A couple more times of basics and I think we could sit down and discuss a bit of home defense shooting.
Cart before the horse it seems, anywho to bring this ramble to a close, before I get lost in inane babble, Peach and I had an absolute blast with them all, and it is my sincere hope it started something we can do much more frequently, I hope they had as much fun as I did. If by chance my kin read this, thanks for coming out and hanging out with us, for me there can be no better time than to be together with kinfolk doing fun things. K get mom and dad to buy you good hearing protection, L do the same and both of you will do great if you keep at it. L&M in my old fashioned humble opinion, perfect kids come from great parents you two fit the mold, y’all let us know when ya wanna shoot again and we will make it happen.
Side note to others that read this and are interested, find a competent teacher, doesn’t have to have credentials from fancy associations, just needs to have the patience and knowledge to teach, and go have fun.
Recommended Apparel and Equipment:
Hat with a brim, eye protection (safety glasses), good hearing protection, I recommend a collared shirt (hot brass flies down your shirt it will melt your skin TRUST ME IT HURTS) shorts are ok, I wear loose pants BDU or cargo, but shorts are fine (no one wants to be subjected to these legs) but wear closed toe shoes that cover your foot even tennis shoes or the like (see above about brass) and that you can move in.
As for guns, I have never recommended calibers or types, I suggest you try as many as you can till you find the one that fits your hand and you handle the recoil on the best.
“Peach that was fun, right?”
The Adventures and Musings of Peach and Batman 