bae
11-19-12, 3:34pm
I was running the range for my gun club's annual turkey shoot Saturday. We had a few hundred people show up, which was a high number for us, especially considering the appallingly bad weather.
One father brought his 8 year old son. It was the kid's first time shooting, ever. Dad had clearly coached him on theory before arrival, the young lad was very serious and attentive. We loaned them a DCM club .22LR target rifle from the dawn of time, and a brick of ammunition.
The kid shot 10 individual events throughout the day. Against adults. Some of the adults with super-expensive target rifles with massive optics. The kid was using this Remington 513T military surplus .22 trainer, with quite nice peep sights. It was in pretty bad visual shape, but I'd just finished rebuilding the internals before I brought it to the range this morning, as it had been broken in our last match, and the trigger was now honest and crisp, and the bore was good.
The maximum score in the course of fire for each match was 100. The kid started out on his first run in the high 80s. Next target was in the mid 90s.
Winning scores among the adults each round were usually in the mid-to-high 90s.
The kid was not put off. "Dad, I'm going to win us a turkey!". Dad was gently coaching the kid, and Dad clearly knew his stuff.
The kid's very last attempt, on his last ticket was epic. The wind was howling, and it was raining heavily. The targets were turning to pulp within minutes, and I had to use great care scoring them so they wouldn't come apart.
The kid fires two shots, then his target partially blows off the stand, and is flapping in the wind. He looks a bit sad, but I tell him I'll let him finish the string once the rest of the folks have fired and pulled their targets. So he waits, patiently.
At the cease-fire, down he goes, and reattaches the target. Comes back, and resumes firing. The high score on the line at that point was a 99-5X.
Kid fires his last shot, tells his Dad "Let me go get the turkey". He walks downrange, alone, almost unable to stand because of the wind. As he gets close to his target, he jumps into the air, and yells loudly. Grabs the target, runs it back to me.
100-9X. Best score of the day, from anyone.
8 year old kid, first day out.
He got his turkey.
One father brought his 8 year old son. It was the kid's first time shooting, ever. Dad had clearly coached him on theory before arrival, the young lad was very serious and attentive. We loaned them a DCM club .22LR target rifle from the dawn of time, and a brick of ammunition.
The kid shot 10 individual events throughout the day. Against adults. Some of the adults with super-expensive target rifles with massive optics. The kid was using this Remington 513T military surplus .22 trainer, with quite nice peep sights. It was in pretty bad visual shape, but I'd just finished rebuilding the internals before I brought it to the range this morning, as it had been broken in our last match, and the trigger was now honest and crisp, and the bore was good.
The maximum score in the course of fire for each match was 100. The kid started out on his first run in the high 80s. Next target was in the mid 90s.
Winning scores among the adults each round were usually in the mid-to-high 90s.
The kid was not put off. "Dad, I'm going to win us a turkey!". Dad was gently coaching the kid, and Dad clearly knew his stuff.
The kid's very last attempt, on his last ticket was epic. The wind was howling, and it was raining heavily. The targets were turning to pulp within minutes, and I had to use great care scoring them so they wouldn't come apart.
The kid fires two shots, then his target partially blows off the stand, and is flapping in the wind. He looks a bit sad, but I tell him I'll let him finish the string once the rest of the folks have fired and pulled their targets. So he waits, patiently.
At the cease-fire, down he goes, and reattaches the target. Comes back, and resumes firing. The high score on the line at that point was a 99-5X.
Kid fires his last shot, tells his Dad "Let me go get the turkey". He walks downrange, alone, almost unable to stand because of the wind. As he gets close to his target, he jumps into the air, and yells loudly. Grabs the target, runs it back to me.
100-9X. Best score of the day, from anyone.
8 year old kid, first day out.
He got his turkey.