Work and family have interfered a bit with my trapshooting lately, but I squeezed in a session last night. I arrived at PGC with my TB, 100 rounds, and a strong desire to obliterate 100 little clay discs.I had range 8 to myself, the ATA shooters had already shot and left.
I shot 23/25 the first round, and had racked my TB to wipe off some sweat when a range employee happened by.He was a clean cut teen of high school age and was carrying some ammo. He inquired if I had turned in some range tickets and I responded.
Up on range 9 were two couples. No vests, hats, pouches, or the other stuff we tend to wear when we've done this before. I jerked my thumb at them and said,"Newbies?".
"Brand new".
I then asked who was instructing them.
"I am".
Sayeth I," Have you done much instructing?".
Quoth he,"Not much",and looked at me expectantly.
I sighed and told him to send them down for a quick session of Shotgunning 101. He waved at them and the trooped on down like they'd waited for an invitation that had just been issued. I guess it had....
They'd two rental shotguns between them.They'd two boxes of shells, and two range tickets, planning to split a round and box between spouses. Both were the rentals were 391s, one a 12 and one a 20 gauge.Both had long stocks,and were obviously too long for the ladies.
Upside, the 12 gauge ammo was 7/8 oz Fiocchi, a vey light kicking load.
So, first the safety talk,a check for eye/hand dominance,a demonstration of form and stance, and then we hit the range.The men went first with ten rounds each, and despite their seemingly insurmountable urge to stop the swing, stand sideways to the target, and aim, they broke a few birds and had fun.
Then the ladies stepped up to the plate. One was obviously doing this to please her husband, but the other WANTED to bust those clays.
And when she smoked a bird,the grin on her face told me another shotgunnner was born.
The lady that was pleasing her husband seems to have fun too,and the group thanked me vociferously before trooping back to the club house to turn in the rentals and look at shotguns for sale.
BTW, I tried one shot in that 12 gauge 391, using one of my trap extras from my belt and pouch set.
Smoked the bird, negligible kick. I could learn to like a 391...
The light was fading and my furlough near ending,so I grabbed the TB and shot another 23/25.
The kid was sitting on a bench when I finished, and thanked me again for the lesson. I mentioned that I liked to teach people because lots of folks had taken some time and trouble helping me, and paying it forward was a good thing.
He looked at me strangely, and said something like....
"Maybe you don't remember me, but you got me started last year. I was out here with a crappy little 20 gauge and you had me hitting some clays pretty good with it"....
I didn't recall the incident, there had been a fair number of newbies and some had crappy 20s. After a bit it came back to me, tho, and we talked a bit about shotguns and shooting.
And as I climbed into the Taurus and let the pony run for home, I reflected that paying attention to a newbie and helping him/her out was helping us ALL out.
One more person that enjoys shooting means one more pro gun voter.
One more person that enjoys shooting and knows shooters is less liable to fall prey to the lies of the Bradys and Kellermans of this world.
One more person that enjoys shooting means there's one more citizen on the street more able to defend his or her self,family,community and nation.
And one more citizen able to understand this....
I shot 23/25 the first round, and had racked my TB to wipe off some sweat when a range employee happened by.He was a clean cut teen of high school age and was carrying some ammo. He inquired if I had turned in some range tickets and I responded.
Up on range 9 were two couples. No vests, hats, pouches, or the other stuff we tend to wear when we've done this before. I jerked my thumb at them and said,"Newbies?".
"Brand new".
I then asked who was instructing them.
"I am".
Sayeth I," Have you done much instructing?".
Quoth he,"Not much",and looked at me expectantly.
I sighed and told him to send them down for a quick session of Shotgunning 101. He waved at them and the trooped on down like they'd waited for an invitation that had just been issued. I guess it had....
They'd two rental shotguns between them.They'd two boxes of shells, and two range tickets, planning to split a round and box between spouses. Both were the rentals were 391s, one a 12 and one a 20 gauge.Both had long stocks,and were obviously too long for the ladies.
Upside, the 12 gauge ammo was 7/8 oz Fiocchi, a vey light kicking load.
So, first the safety talk,a check for eye/hand dominance,a demonstration of form and stance, and then we hit the range.The men went first with ten rounds each, and despite their seemingly insurmountable urge to stop the swing, stand sideways to the target, and aim, they broke a few birds and had fun.
Then the ladies stepped up to the plate. One was obviously doing this to please her husband, but the other WANTED to bust those clays.
And when she smoked a bird,the grin on her face told me another shotgunnner was born.
The lady that was pleasing her husband seems to have fun too,and the group thanked me vociferously before trooping back to the club house to turn in the rentals and look at shotguns for sale.
BTW, I tried one shot in that 12 gauge 391, using one of my trap extras from my belt and pouch set.
Smoked the bird, negligible kick. I could learn to like a 391...
The light was fading and my furlough near ending,so I grabbed the TB and shot another 23/25.
The kid was sitting on a bench when I finished, and thanked me again for the lesson. I mentioned that I liked to teach people because lots of folks had taken some time and trouble helping me, and paying it forward was a good thing.
He looked at me strangely, and said something like....
"Maybe you don't remember me, but you got me started last year. I was out here with a crappy little 20 gauge and you had me hitting some clays pretty good with it"....
I didn't recall the incident, there had been a fair number of newbies and some had crappy 20s. After a bit it came back to me, tho, and we talked a bit about shotguns and shooting.
And as I climbed into the Taurus and let the pony run for home, I reflected that paying attention to a newbie and helping him/her out was helping us ALL out.
One more person that enjoys shooting means one more pro gun voter.
One more person that enjoys shooting and knows shooters is less liable to fall prey to the lies of the Bradys and Kellermans of this world.
One more person that enjoys shooting means there's one more citizen on the street more able to defend his or her self,family,community and nation.
And one more citizen able to understand this....
I wish I could run into someone like you at the range I go to. People there always seem to stay to themselves and the only time they break that code is to stop someone from doing something dangerous.